Cover Up

Last year I watched the ITV series ‘Cilla’, which documented the rise to fame of ‘our’ Miss Cilla Black.

Very good it was too, with Sheridan Smith absolutely nailing the titular role. In particular she delivered some faithfully tasty cover versions of Cilla Black’s most famous songs, including ‘You're My World’ and ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’... which prompted a discussion about the quality and merits of cover versions.Can the cover ever be better than the original? Is it even allowed to be considered so?It’s probably fair to say that MOST of the time, the original is indeed the best, but that’s not to say that there haven’t been some amazing covers, because there have been some belting good attempts.In fact there are some absolute standards recorded over the years that people probably have no idea were actually covers themselves, such as these randomly selected tracks:

The Beatles ~ ‘Twist & Shout’ – originally by the Top Notes

Blondie ~ ‘The Tide Is High’– originally by The Paragons

Elvis Presley ~ ‘Hound Dog’– originally by Big Mama Thornton

Cyndi Lauper ~ ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’– originally by Robert Hazard

Beach Boys ~ ‘Sloop John.B’– originally by Carl Sandburg

Natalie Imbruglia ~ ‘Torn’– originally by Ednaswap

Soft Cell ~ ‘Tainted Love’– originally by Gloria Jones

Righteous Bros. ~ ‘Unchained Melody’– originally by Al Hibbler (Vocal version)

Aretha Franklin ~ ‘Respect’– originally by Otis Redding

Nilsson ~ ‘Without You’– originally by Badfinger

Just a few examples of songs that the above artists arguably made their own, but that actually belong to someone else…

So to answer the question as to whether the original is always better than the cover or not, surely it has to be each song on its merit.

Whilst not an extensive list, below are some of my favourite covers that I think offer something different and maybe better than the original:

How Deep Is Your Love?

Originally made famous by the Bee Gees, covered by Take That

You Showed Me

Originally made famous by the Turtles, covered by the Lightning Seeds

Always On My Mind

Originally made famous by Elvis Presley, covered by the Pet Shop Boys

I Think We’re Alone Now

Originally made famous by Tommy James & The Shondells, covered by Tiffany

And a special mention to Flawless

Originally made famous by The Ones (and in part Gary’s Gang), and not so much covered by George Michael as lyrically enhanced. The original was more of an instrumental, until George had a crack at some words for it. Love it! >

Do you remember the time?

So how is 2015 for you so far?

Enjoying your flying cars, Hoverboard,

Nike power lace ups and inside out jeans?

How about the Pepsi Perfect you had in the Café 80’s?

Not everything forecast in Back To The Future Part II  has come to pass (although the Nike Power Laces are on the way soon!), so whilst I’m taking February off, and replenishing my blogging juices for a proper bit of writing, I’m going to play my ‘get out’ card for this one!

I haven’t done a retro list for a while, so here are a few memory joggers for all you lovely 80’s and 90’s children!

So do you remember the time, when…

… you could watch MTV and you knew EVERY song they played?

...If Clarissa couldn't explain it all, then Sabrina might try instead 

… Comic Relief was genuinely the funniest night on TV all year?

… when Starbuck was male, and not female, and not a coffee house?

… you wouldn’t eat porridge oats, as you thought the Quaker dude was looking at you a bit funny?

… we were apparently 18 months behind the Neighbours storyline?

... virtually everyone liked Band Aid?

... Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks were the best thing on the telly on a Saturday afternoon?

... barely four football matches were televised a month?

... we only had three channels on TV?

... it took half a day to set the VCR?

… you knew what a VCR was?

... Big Brother was a relation?

... kids played in the park?

... all we had were three Star Wars films?

… female celebrities had their original lips?

... The Beano and The Dandy gave away free gifts that glowed in the dark?

... the internet cost £2.50 per hour to surf at home?

…when surfing was something only west coast Americans did?

... Saturday morning TV was for children?

... flat screen TVs were only on Star Trek?

... when 3D was red and blue? Or you’d make your own out of those plastic sun visor hats?

... F1 was competitive between more than two drivers?

... a pound coin was a note?

… school glue was a fashion accessory?

… you knew what a Squarial was?

… a Polo packet cost 7p?

… you only had sausages wrapped in bacon at Christmas?

… ‘Wannabe’ was the only song on the radio all summer?

… Lime Green ruled 1996?

… Twitter was something the birds did?

… Celebrities were genuinely talented in their profession?

… hardly anybody’s parents were divorced?

… there was a pub in every village?

 

I’ll be Back To The Blogging in March!

 Belief.Love.Spirit

XxX

An Anti-Bucket List

This has been a pretty tricky piece to write. I generally don’t tend to go out of my way to look for negatives, so you’ll be pleased to know this is a quick and short blog job...

Along the lines of being the polar opposite to the cracking Morgan Freeman / Jack Nicholson movie, an ‘anti-bucket list’ is effectively the things you hope to never do before you die!

So without further ado, it’s on my anti-bucket list not to…

Go anywhere where there are bird eating spiders.

These monsters are as big as your fist and don’t give me that old flannel about every living thing having a right to life. They’re homing spiders too, so it’s no good you taking them to the back of the garden and “ta-ta!” They’ll be BACK with a two fingered salute before you know it.

I’ve got the shivers just thinking about it.

Go potholing

I so very nearly did this one. I was on a school trip in 1991 and got all togged up and was ready to traipse some of Wales’ finest pothole routes – and then I bottled it. It was the right decision. An hour or so later, people came out of there frozen and in tears, suffering from claustrophobic stress and whatnot.

Take illegal substances

Yes I’m boring I guess, but it’s just so not my scene.

“How do you know Bez, you’ve not even tried it mate!?”

Yeah but I really don’t want to. I’m happy with my own ‘drug’ of choice (alcohol) so you take what you want and I’ll take what I want – simples!

I know I’m in the tiniest possible minority to have never even TRIED illegal substances – I think I can only count on half of one hand the amount of friends I know who also haven’t indulged – but I’m comfortable with it.  Live and let live etc.

Watch Top Gun

“WHAT!? And you claim to be a child of the 80’s?”

Yeah but is it all that? Really? I personally love the Brat Pack movies (and in my mind, TG is in the same ball park) but when I persuaded my wife to watch St Elmo’s Fire recently, she fell asleep. 

That is surely more heinous a crime than to never watch TG! So hopefully I won’t cave in and will live out my days until my Goose is cooked, not knowing whether Tom & Kelly ever got it on.

Gutted that none of my teachers looked as good as Kelly though…

And admittedly, Take My Breath Away is an absolute belter of a song. Terri Nunn did, and always will, ROCK!

Willingly listen to an Ellie Goulding song

Sorry, I know it sounds mean, but I just don’t like her singing voice, which is a shame as some of her songs are pretty good. I can’t put my finger on it, but bless her it just grates with me and is a right turn off.

I’ve heard she speaks highly of me though. And she adores my own nasal toned singing voice.

Touch a snake

“They’re not slimy, so what’s the problem?”

I really couldn’t give a Monkey’s flying Canadian club if snakes are slimy, furry, fluffy or rock hard, I will never get within 10 feet of a snake, even if its trapped inside a 4 inch glass enclosure, let alone TOUCH one.

You might have seen me at the Zoo actually, running out of the reptile building, screaming and crying. I just cannot be near them – they’re out to get me!