Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Take It Personal (Covers)

Cover versions make the world go round. They're familiar, sometimes they're tongue-in-cheek - hey, you can't keep a good song down. Now, I'm as ever-loving and open minded as the next person, but sometimes... sometimes you have to take some cover versions PERSONALLY. Not because the original song is sacred or precious, but because the cover version messes with the original in such a way that it rips apart your musical memory and forever haunts you. Like fingernails down the musical blackboard of your mind.

EXHIBIT A:


A later period Smokey Robinson solo song (lifted off his 1979 LP 'Where There's Smoke...'), but hey it's not like Smokey ever really lost his voice.

AS RUINED BY:
Gwyneth Paltrow AND Huey Lewis.

There's not much more to say. Except that their version was a massive hit and has now moved into the elevator/supermarket music hall-of-fame, just like Smokey's cover of Norah Jones' 'Don't Know Why'.

Why Smokey, why? Boo hoo.

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