Daddy Cool & Come Back My Love
Every decade seems to enjoy a revival at roughly a 20-year cycle. We are slowly emerging from the 1970s revival, are full-on in the 1980s revival (which was officially launched with The Wedding Singer) and the 1990s revival has already begun – though I cannot imagine what there is to be nostalgic about. Essentially, the cultural decision-makers launch...The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
Shel Silverstein was something of a Renaissance Man: a poet, childrens’ author, cartoonist, screenwriter and composer. In the latter incarnation, Silverstein wrote several hit songs, including A Boy Named Sue and The Ballad of Lucy Jordan. He also wrote a few soundtracks, among themLa Mer/ Beyond The Sea
It is perhaps unfair to speak of Bobby Darin’s Beyond The Sea, released in 1959, as a cover version of the French song La Mer by Charles Trenet. The melodies coincide, as does the nautical theme. From there on, they are really different songs. Trenet’s version, written in 1943 on toilet paper while...There’s A Kind Of Hush
A clean-cut song recorded first by a clean-cut band and covered with greater success by an even more clean-cut act. It’s difficult to imagine it now, but at the height of the British Invasion, Herman’s Hermits were briefly challengers to the Beatles’ crown, ending 1965 as the best-selling act in the US. Peter Noone and pals weren’t quite as successful in their home country, where...Singin' In The Rain
Singin’ In The Rain, the greatest musical movie of all time, was set in the nascent age of the talkies, giving rise to a couple of incredibly funny scenes involving the efforts to adapt to the new technologies by sound engineers and thespians. The songs in the film were pillaged mostly from Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Bown’s back catalogue of songs written for MGM musicals (Freed’s idea was mainly to cash in on royalties. And why not?). One of these...
6 comments:
I'm enjoying this series of covers vs originals. :-)
One thought, surely the 'yikes' in the 'Beyond the sea' segment ought to follow Barry Manilow?
*ducks and runs, grinning*
Richard
The Shel Silverstein song seems to be a near copy (music not lyrics) of Mickey Newhart's 'San Francisco Mabel Joy', another tradegy story song. Let's call it a heavy influence rather than plagarism because there is a thin line between the two in music and one thing I'd never accuse Shel Silverstein of is a lack of originality.
First time at your blog and look listen further to other postings soon. Thanks for sharing your music and thoughts.
Dave
Never forget that Sha Na Na was at Woodstock. I can decide if that says more about Woodstock or Sha Na Na. Maybe both.
I've always thought that Darts were a vastly underrated band. I saw them at Uni well after their peak but it was a great night out. More Darts form all bloggers please!
It's me, girl with the computer-illiterate aunt... just piping up to say that we LOVE this series! :) Every new paragraph I read (aloud), either my aunt or I (or both of us) exclaims, "THAT WAS A COVER?" and of course we have to pause to listen to the various versions of the song. Thanks again for the excellent reading and listening material!
This is so much fun. I thought I was an expert, but I'm constantly stunned. Very stunned.
Having problems with Zshare, though. Any chance you could upload New Vaudeville band to Divshare?
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