I think it would be safe to say that without Soft Cell digging Gloria Jones‘
Tainted Love out of northern soul obscurity that there would be no covers of this classic 80′s track at all. One can only assume then with the disproportionate amount of rockabilly/psychobilly versions (featured here today) that they discovered the effete synth poppers first, and poor unnoted Gloria second.
My pick of this 50′s coiffed litter has got to be GrandMagneto (again!) with their rocksteady n’ rockabilly version, which I’m sure you’ll agree is 1000 times better than Marilyn ‘I think I’ll blow it with my incredibly hot burlesque wife by cheating on her with a nobody and then become a 90′s Alice Cooper wannabe washup’ Manson.

GrandMagneto – Tainted Love
Flatline Rockers - Tainted Love
The Go Getters – Tainted love
Slick Pelt – Tainted Love
Alan Mills – Tainted Love
Big John Bates – Tainted Love
Ben Wild And The Wild Band - Tainted Love
The Belltones – Tainted Love
Dave Phillips & The Hot Rod Gang – Tainted Love
The Living End - Tainted Love
Skarekrows – Tainted Love
The Swampys – Tainted Love
Boppin’ Kids – Tainted Love
The Hormonauts – Tainted Love
Living End – Tainted Love
Crazy Legs – Tainted Love
Phantom Rockers – Tainted Love
Howlin’ Moondoggies – Tainted Love
Mark Harman & The Rattlesnakes – Tainted Love (Live)

Enjoy!
LS

FYI Versions is going on a Thanksgiving bachanalia, see you in a few days.

Here is McFadden & Whitehead‘s signature disco-funk classic
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now getting a reggae reworking by Willie Williams
(with a lickle help from Jackie Mittoo and Coxsone Dodd).

Willie Williams – No One Can Stop Us
Willie & Brentford Disco Set – No One Can Stop Us Pt.2

Enjoy!
LS

Downtempo and deep house outfit Neon Heights dust off the acoustic
guitars for their rather soulful rendition of The Jam‘s ballad to urban
decay, That’s Entertainment.

Neon Heights – That’s Entertainment

Enjoy!
LS

For today’s cover post, Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango, I’m going to let Wikipedia do a little talking:

“Soul Makossa” is a 1972 single by Cameroonian makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. It is often cited as one of the first disco records. In 1972 David Mancuso found a copy in a Brooklyn West Indian record store and often played it at his Loft parties. The response was so positive that the few copies of “Soul Makossa” in New York City were quickly bought up. The song was subsequently played heavily by Frankie Crocker, who DJed at WBLS, then New York’s most popular Black radio station.Since the original was now unfindable, 23 or more groups quickly released cover versions to capitalize on the demand for the record. Atlantic eventually licensed the song from the French record label Fiesta. Their release of it peaked at #35 on the Billboard chart in 1973; in 1999 Dave Marsh wrote that it was “the only African record by an African” to crack the top 40. At one point there were nine different versions of the song in the Billboard chart. It became “a massive hit” internationally as well.

Apparently DIY is step-mother of necessity. Playing favorites I’m going to start with Neon Phusion, yet another broken beat/future Jazz contigent made out of Bugz in The Attic moonlighters Afronaught, Kaidi Tatham and Alex Phountzi. Standard covers, like the ones mentioned above, abound from Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, Pierre Spiers, Simon Kenyatta Group, Afrique, The Mighty Tom Cats, Nairobi Afro Band, The Gaytones and Babatunde Olatunji. The Makossa hit hard with electro and hiphop too, evidenced by the likes Nairobi, Deadline, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force and The Roots. Where America goes so goes Jamaica with reggae covers from Byron Lee & The Dragonaires and Brent Dowe as well as funk from Jablonski and dancehall niceness from Papa San. There are also NYC style Latin flavors galore from Fania All-Stars, Grupo Guerra 78, Johnny Zamot as well as a rhumba version from Cuarteto Patria who re-enlists Manu Dibango for theirs. And lastly we have a grab bag of jazz (Rodney Jones), sitar (Bill ‘Ravi’ Harris & the Prophets) and moog (Rod Hunter)!

Neon Phusion – Makossa

Lafayette Afro-Rock Band – Soul Makossa
Pierre Spiers – Soul Makossa
Simon Kenyatta Group – Soul Makossa
Afrique – Soul Makossa
The Mighty Tom Cats – Soul Makossa
Nairobi Afro Band – Soul Makossa
The Gaytones – Soul Makossa
Babatunde Olatunji – Soul Makossa

Nairobi – Soul Makossa
Nairobi - Funky Soul Makossa (Rap)
Deadline – Makossa Rock
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Soul Makossa
The Roots – Soul Makossa – Sacrifice (Live Montreux 2003)

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Reggae Makossa
Brent Dowe – Reggae Makossa
Jablonski – Soul Makossa
Papa San – Makossa

Fania All-Stars – Soul Makossa
Fania All-Stars – Soul Makossa (Live)
Grupo Guerra 78 – Soul Makossa
Johnny Zamot – Soul Makossa
Cuarteto Patria & Manu Dibango – Rumba Makossa

Rodney Jones – Soul Makossa
Bill ‘Ravi’ Harris & the Prophets – Soul Makossa
Rod Hunter – Soul Makossa

Enjoy!
LS

Been kind of on the fence about whether today’s reggae re-rub of Daft Punk‘s seminal Gallic disco anthem Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by The Bombist, should qualify as a cover. Whatever it is it’s fucking brilliant and is close enough and is getting an entry, as is Uminski with their metal influenced dance-punk version. C’est bon!

The Bombist – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Uminski – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Enjoy!
LS

Here’s a track that’s been burning a hole through my headphones for the last two weeks The Cure‘s All Cats Are Grey by Band in a Box (on the very excellent BuffetLibre label). Being a bit of a stickler for the old school I believe the album All Cats… came from, Faith coupled with it’s sister album, Seventeen Seconds represents the pinnacle of The Cure’s career. From there on out it was all about pop and general silliness (which begs the question: Why do goths still dig them?). Sure, the later output is still enjoyable, but nothing from them has been as gorgeously moody since.

Band In Box – All Cats Are Grey

Enjoy!
LS

Y’know I was never a metal kid. When I was 7, I believed that only three kinds of music existed: the lite rock my parents listened to, the heavy metal that my friends seemed to enjoy, and the classical music I often heard pumped in at the dentist’s office. While I had no great love for hesher rock, and Neil Diamond and Nana Maskouri were definitely out of the question, I defaulted, listening mostly to classical. And, while I didn’t enjoy heavy metal for the music, I loved the theatrics. My bewildered parents often found me lying on the living room floor watching televised Kiss concerts with the sound turned off and a classical radio station turned on in the background — Gene Simmons drooling blood to the sound of Brahms’ Concerto No.3 in D minor.
Even later on when I got into punk and new wave, when half my friends decided they’d rather go shout at the devil, the other half of us were much happier sitting around with our Flock of Seagulls hairdos listening to The Buzzcocks. But growing up in the thriving cultural metropolis that is Redwood City, California (aka Shithole), a town so overrun by feathered hair and fringe boots that it resembled a deleted scene from Heavy Metal Parking Lot, we stood out like sore thumbs. I got called names so many times, usually screamed out the windows of passing Cameros, that after a while I convinced my middle name was ‘Hey Faggot!’. And while I can’t say that seeing Green Day and Marilyn Manson in the Top 40 is exactly having the last laugh, I do think there’s some poetic justice hearing that Skid Row have to rely on friends to pick them up from the airport, on their way to their now 300 capacity sold out shows.
Childhood trauma aside, Metallica were the one metal band in high school that got a free pass. Maybe it was their professed love of The Misfits that sold me on them, who knows. So Enter Sandman. Today we feature the softer side of Lars & Co with some lounge, camp and classical covers. My pick today, by a long shot, is Michael Armstrong and his glockenspiel and music box lullaby rendtition which has to be heard to be believed. Lounge versions abound from Pat Boone (yes THAT Pat Boone), perennial VG fave Mambo Kurt, the rather lush Transformer Di Roboter and Richard Cheese who hilariously mashes his with Mr. Sandman. Speaking of cheese we also have a funky acoustic number from Boney Nem as well as some polka-worthy versions from Eläkeläiset. Finishing off is the classical equivalent to speed metal act Apocalyptica, whome I have a hard time separating their Sandman from the amazing socially horrifying film Your Friends and Neighbors (where it was used as the opening theme song).

Michael Armstrong - Enter Sandman
Pat Boone – Enter Sandman
Mambo Kurt – Enter Sandman (Live)
Transformer Di Roboter – Enter Sandman
Richard Cheese – Enter Sandman
Boney Nem – Enter Sandman
Eläkeläiset – Soramonttuhumppa (AKA Enter Sandman)
Eläkeläiset – Soramonttuhumppa (AKA Enter Sandman – Live)
Apocalyptica - Enter Sandman
Apocalyptica – Enter Sandman (Live)

Enjoy!
LS

As I write this my beloved Los Angeles burns all around me, North, South and East (and who knows maybe there’s something flaming on the West side – insert joke here). There’s ash all over my house, car, dog and the sun throws reddish grey shadows from a murky brown sky. And despite being miles away from any threat, it still smells like a campfire outside. Was planning to take my usual Sunday day off from VG but considering I’m surrounded by flames, I thought that today’s as good as any to post some reggae covers of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.
Firefighters in dread for today are Don Drummond, This Kid Named Miles, Grace Jones and The Upsetters (whose version is probably pushing it a little as it tends to meander away from original melody quite a bit)

Don Drummond – Occupation (aka Ring of Fire)
This Kid Named Miles – Ring of Fire
Grace Jones – Ring of Fire
The Upsetters – Ring of Fire

Enjoy! (and stay indoors)
LS

Saw Quantum of Solace last night and the roundtable of nationally lauded critics (aka my friends and significants) weigh in on the latest James Bond. So toss those New York Times and Ebert reviews in the trash and listen to our panel of esteemed experts:

K:I liked it.
G:It was entertaining.
T:Meh. Thin on plot. Too much action. Where’s the gadgets? Every Bond film has gadgets.
Me:Dr. No didn’t have gadgets.
T:And…..name another.
Me: Er, you got me there. I enjoyed it. No Casino Royale, but good. The action scenes were a bit tough to follow. That British agent, ‘Ms. Fields’ is way hotter than the Bolivian/Ukrainian chick.
T:Way hotter.

So in our final installment of the James Bond cover marathon we have the theme to my favorite 007 flick You Only Live Twice. Trimming the musical fat here’s the choicest cuts.
Not being based around a big guitar twang sound You Only… differs from it predecessor in its sublimely slow and dreamy pace. In keeping with that same lulling tempo we have Natacha Atlas, The Married Monk, Ewert Sundja And Thief, Mark Burgess & Sons of God, Trio Magneto and The Postmarks.
Heavy on the reverb, surf versions are not far behind with cuts from the Vultures, The Spotnicks, The Quiets and Jack and the Rollers.
Reggae only gets a single entry here today with Wanja, as does 60s go-go (Formula 7), downtempo (Waldeck), avant garde jazz (John Zorn & Naked City) and marching band (Spirit Of Northwestern Demon Marching Band).
English not your bag? We also speak French (Lucky Blondo), Italian (Santo & Johnny), Finnish (Carola) and German (Gissy Andre). BTW if anyone out there has a decent copy of Lara and the Trailers Mandarin version pleeeease get a hold of me.
We also have some name brand versions from Soft Cell, Bjork and Shirley Bassey, who is probably still puzzled as to why she never got asked to sing this one in the first place.
Can’t quite put my finger on this next batch, they’re all just a touch off in their own way. This oddity grab bag includes Dean & His Celebrities, VAB 3, Abwarts, Rudy Rosa, Little Anthony & The Imperials, LaNaya Comsa, Desi Desi Desi.
And finally two more covers from Pain Teens and Charles Napiers that didn’t fit into any category but are good versions nonetheless.
So this concludes the Bond marathon. Versions Galore will return in…The Man with the Golden Blog.

Natacha Atlas – You Only Live Twice
The Married Monk – You Only Live Twice
Ewert Sundja And Thief – You Only Live Twice
Mark Burgess & Sons of God – You Only Live Twice
Trio Magneto – You Only Live Twice
The Postmarks – You Only Live Twice

Vultures – You Only Live Twice
The Spotnicks – You Only Live Twice
The Quiets – You Only Live Twice
Jack and the Rollers – You Only Live Twice

Wanja – You Only Live Twice
Formula 7 - You Only Live Twice
Waldeck - You Only Live Twice
John Zorn & Naked City - You Only Live Twice (Live NYC)
Spirit Of Northwestern Demon Marching Band - You Only Live Twice

Lucky Blondo – Tu Vivras Deux Fois
Santo & Johnny – Si Vive Solo Due Volte
Carola - Ei Aina Kåy Niin Kuin Haaveillaan
Gissy Andre – Du Lebst Nur Zweimal

Soft Cell - You Only Live Twice
Bjork – You Only Live Twice
Shirley Bassey – You Only Live Twice

Dean & His Celebrities – You Only Live Twice
VAB 3 – You Only Live Twice
Abwarts – You Only Live Twice
Rudy Rosa – You Only Live Twice
Little Anthony & The Imperials – You Only Live Twice
LaNaya Comsa – You Only Live Twice
Desi Desi Desi – You Only Live Twice

Pain Teens - You Only Live Twice
Charles Napiers – You Only Live Twice

Enjoy!
LS

Poor George Lazenby, he never really got a fair shake did he?
Well, like I mentioned in yesterday’s post on Goldfinger, today is national Quantum of Solace day (at least in this house) and we’ll be observing it by, well, going to see QoS of course and by posting some personal choice James Bond Theme covers in the 2nd installment of our mini 3 day Bond cover marathon.
Kicking off as always is with my pick of the day, Barry Adamason and his 007, A Fantasy Bond Theme. If they ever decide to switch it up a bit and get a black Bond, then Barry’s their man, or at the very least they need to hire him for their soundtracks.
Despite Bond’s heavy visual influence on ska and early reggae, there’s a surprising shortage of covers in that department. So in addition to the above Adamson one, we also have a few more from The Selecter (a close second favorite btw), Les Ejectés, The Skatalites and Jackie Mittoo and the Soul Brothers.
What would Bond be withoutsome swingin’ lounge and exotica, or would that be vice versa? In either case here’s some music to play bacarat by… from Ray Martin, Perez Prado, Tropical Jazz Big Band, Al Caiola, Ray Barretto, Leroy Holmes and Fanfare Ciocarlia.
And like yesterday’s post there’s surf and twang versions galore(doh!). Gremmys on her majestys secret service include Ray Columbus And The Invaders, The Playboys, Voodoo Court, Ralph Rebel, Deadbolt, The Surf Coasters, ZZ en de Maskers, The Bitch Boys and the Urban Surf Kings.
Electronica also gets in on the spy game with covers from Double Zero (downtempo), Koto (Italo-disco), Propellerheads (big beat), LTJ Bukem (drum n’ bass) and Art of Noise (er, well, Art of Noise).
Some great chin stroking avant garde jazz bits from Sex Mob and John Zorn. ‘Conceptual’ sure, but with no less fun.
The Toy Dolls and Gorilla make some fine punk versions for those that prefer a few safety pins in their finely tailored suits.
Got no idea what to label these other than weirdo/outsider/flabbergast from The Son of P.M. (Thai/gamelan-esque), Messer Chups (electronica-twang?), The Surf Champlers (surf?ska?Tom Waits?) and a 16 second short one from The Beatles (whomever they are).
And lastly, covering the rest of our bases we have Russ Pay (acoustic guitar), Musikverein Concordia Rhens (marching band) and Swingle Singers (acapella).

Barry Adamson – 007, A Fantasy Bond Theme

The Selecter – James Bond
The Selecter – James Bond (BBC Sessions Live At The Paris Theatre ’79)
Les Ejectés - James Bond Theme
The Skatalites – James Bond
Jackie Mittoo and the Soul Brothers – James Bond

Ray Martin – James Bond Theme
Perez Prado – The James Bond Theme
Tropical Jazz Big Band – James Bond Theme
Al Caiola – James Bond Theme
Ray Barretto – James Bond Theme
Leroy Holmes – The James Bond Theme
Fanfare Ciocarlia – James Bond Theme

Ray Columbus And The Invaders – James Bond Theme
The Playboys – Theme from Dr. No ( aka James Bond Theme)
Voodoo Court – 007/Goldfinger
Ralph Rebel - James Bond
Deadbolt – James Bond Theme/You Only Live Twice
The Surf Coasters – The James Bond Theme
ZZ en de Maskers - Main Theme from James Bond 007
The Bitch Boys – James Bond Theme
Urban Surf Kings – James Bond (Live)

Double Zero – James Bond Theme
Koto - James Bond Theme
Propellerheads - James Bond Theme
LTJ Bukem – The James Bond Theme
Art of Noise – James Bond Theme

Sex Mob – James Bond Theme
Sex Mob - Bond With Bongos
John Zorn – The James Bond Theme
John Zorn & Naked City – James Bond Theme (Holland Festival 2003)

Toy Dolls – James Bond Lives Down Our Street
Gorilla - Parnaoid James Bond

The Son of P.M. – James Bond Theme
Messer Chups – James Bond Rescues the World from Aerowafers
The Surf Champlers - James Bond Theme
The Beatles - James Bond Theme

Russ Pay – The James Bond Theme
Musikverein Concordia Rhens – James Bond 007
Swingle Singers – Theme from James Bond

Enjoy! (and see you tomorrow with the Quantum crop report)
LS

*** Last minute sidenote: Haven’t quite satiated that JB jones? Be sure to check out the utterly excellent Fong Songs, whose having a great little Bond marathon of his own as well.

Tomorrow’s a national holiday around the Stotch household as it’s the opening for the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. I’ll be dressed in a tux furiously pounding away on my keyboard all day trying to buy advanced tickets online.
Thanks to my dad, who had the entire Bond collection on VHS, I’ve been watching Bond films, no joke, since birth. While rated ‘R’s and rated ‘PG‘s were a definite no-no on the young 007-year old here, I usually got the free pass on the JB films. Well, sort of. The short history of the parental counter measures on these went like this:
Me, age 6, in the middle of watching James mowing down henchman in The Spy Who Loved Me on TV when counter agent M.O.M. enters.
Mom: “What What What!?! What the hell are you watching?!?! You can’t watch this it’s rated R!”
Me: (eating pretzels with ketchup out of a dixie cup and not bothering to turn away from the TV) “But Mooooom, I’ve already seen it like 9 times. Don’t worry, this one isn’t as bad for me as Diamond Are Forever is”
Mom: “Wait till your father comes home”
Me:(cool under interrogation) “He said I could watch it!”
Mom: (retreating back to her sinister lair of dirty laundry) Sigh.
So in celebration of Quantum, a 3 day mini Bond cover session is in order. Weeding through the hundreds of 007 related covers out there, today’s pick is going to be narrowed down to surf (and surf inspired) instrumentals of Goldfinger.
So hang 7….007.

Slacktone – Goldfinger
Dr. Frankenstein – Goldfinger
Surphonics – Goldfinger
Santo & Johnny – Goldfinger
ZZ & de Maskers – Goldfinger
Tono Quirazco – Dedos de Oro (aka Goldfinger)
The Jets – Goldfinger
The Dillengers – Goldfinger
The Surf Lords – Goldfinger
Surf Nation – Goldfinger
The New Arrivals – Goldfinger
Atlantics – Goldfinger
Les Fingers - Goldfinger
Webb Wilder - Goldfinger
Blue Stingrays – Goldfinger
The Sharp Five – Goldfinger
Man or Astroman - Goldfinger

****Last minute addendum
The Honeycombs – Goldfinger (Live in Tokyo)

Enjoy
LS

Leiber & Stoller‘s classic Is That All There Is?, made famous by way of Peggy Lee, is another example of one of those indelible songs from my childhood that came staggering out of my little Sony transistor one day transfixing me in its’s headlights (FYI for some reason all I listened to up till age 8 was jazz and classical). And the fact that this was the first time not hearing a song about love or romance but about having a cocktail and not giving a shit about life probably had more of an existential impact on me than repeated high school readings of Kafka and Camus. Whatever this was, I wanted it, but I forgot to keep listening for song’s ID. Inquiries to the parental units on who this misanthropic souse might be fell on disturbed ears.
“Hey mom hey mom do you know that song where the lady is watching houses burn on fire and…and…and…then she goes to the circus and..and then she drinks booze.”
“Drugs.” my parents we’re probably thinking, squinting their eyes as if reevaluating the possibility that we were all from the same strand of DNA “Our child is only 6 and already he’s on drugs”.
So kick starting today’s entry is my pick of the bunch is 80′s No Wave diva du jour Cristina, whose punk rock spin on the classic offended Leiber & Stoller so much that they managed to sue the song out of existence up until recently. Oh and be sure to listen close for the James Chance shout out. PJ Harvey and ex Bad Seed Mick Harvey manage to keep the boozy atmosphere alive as do Giant Sand and Firewater who both seemed to have plucked an olive out from Tom Wait’s martini on their versions.

Cristina – Is That All There Is?
John Parish and Polly Jean ‘PJ‘ Harvey - Is That All There Is?
Giant Sand – Is That All There Is?
Firewater – Is That All There Is?

Enjoy!
LS

Golden Brown, The Stranglers ode to either heroin, a girl or marmite depending on their mood still sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it. So today we have three jazzy downtempo versions from Better Daze, Omar and Emer Kenny who all manage to KO this number with same spine tingling eminence as the original.

Better Daze – Golden Brown
Omar - Golden Brown
Emer Kenny – Golden Brown

Enjoy!
LS

Blood, Sweat & Tears‘ 1969 classic Spinning Wheel (aka What Goes Up, Must Come Down) gets the Jamaican makeover today with several Lee Perry productions (two renamed instrumentals from The Upsetters and one vocal cut from Dave Barker & Melanie Jonas) as well as a reggae-soul version from Horace Faith.

Melanie Jonas & Dave Barker – Spinning Wheel
The Upsetters – Haunted House
The Upsetters – Double Wheel
Horace Faith – Spinning Wheel

Enjoy!
LS

I recently saw Meg White, drummer for The White Stripes, sitting all alone on the floor at, of all places, Barnes & Noble. She was in the photography section and had 3 or 4 coffee table books spread open on the floor and was pouring over them like a freshman cramming for a final. ‘Aha!’ I figured, ‘I can finally go pester her with all my questions’. But faster than you could say Dead leaves and the dirty ground she got swarmed by 4 other music nerds asking for autographs and, considering the angle of her floor rooted position, a chance to check out her, uh, set of snares. I guess all it takes is a 4 nerd army to hold me back (from possibly humiliating myself).
Recruits for today’s Seven Nation Army covers include a trio of dub/reggae versions from The Dynamics, The Dead 60s and Hard Fi; Bluegrass galore from The Twang, The Bosshoss and The ‘Pickin’ On‘ series; stunning Cello versions from Damien Rice And Vyvienne Long (my pick for today) and the String Quartet Tribute To The White Stripes, Neo soul revivalists Nostalgia 77 (with Alice Russell); shaken not stirred lounge Italianos Montefiori Cocktail, eyeliner worthy electroclash from Sly Bastard and Obscenity Trial; armed with a megaphone ubiquitous cover clan The Flaming Lips; and lastly It Takes A Seven Nation Army To Hold Us Back from Conneticut’s (!) Apathy (featuring Emilio Lopez).

The Dynamics – Seven Nation Army
The Dead 60s – Seven Nation Army
Hard-Fi – Seven Nation Army
The Twang – Seven Nation Army
The Bosshoss – Seven Nation Army
Pickin’ On (The White Stripes) – Seven Nation Army
Damien Rice And Vyvienne Long – Seven Nation Army
String Quartet Tribute To The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Vyvienne Long – Seven Nation Army (Today FM)
Vyvienne Long – Seven Nation Army (Oui FM)
Nostalgia 77 – Seven Nation Army
Montefiori Cocktail – Seven Nation Army
Sly Bastard – Seven Nation Army
Obscenity Trial – Seven Nation Army
The Flaming Lips – Seven Nation Army
Apathy Ft. Emilio Lopez – It Takes A Seven Nation Army To Hold Us Back

Enjoy!
LS

“Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge.”
Don’t we all feel a little like that everyone once and a while (or maybe more than a just a while, like when you’re standing in line at the drug store and someone in front of you insists on scrutinizing the receipt over a candy bar then proceeds to haggle over 2 cents for what seems like decades while simultaneously talking on their cell phone and you just want to reach over and, um, where was I? oh yeah, today’s post…)
If you haven’t deduced by now today’s post is original frustrated customers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five with their timeless ode to the inner city hustle, The Message. What better way than to kick this off with a funky instrumental version by Mighty Mo & The Winchester Seven who overhaul their Next Message as an almost Ray Barettto-esque breaks groove. Taggy Matcher return to VG again taking their Message to the back streets of Kingston. Proving that urban frustration is alive and well out in the stix too is Flash Express with their Memphis-style rockabilly version while Willy Mason invokes the ghost of Hank Williams for his. Lastly is breakbeat posse the Stunt Nuts who enlist ex Furious Five member Melle Mel for that extra kick of authenticity.

Mighty Mo & The Winchester Seven – The Next Message
Taggy Matcher – The Message
Flash Express – The Message
Willy Mason – The Message
Stunt Nuts Feat. Melle Mel – The Message

Enjoy!
LS

Despite being a perennial 70′s/80′s favorite, Heart of Glass, by Blondie wasn’t without it’s backlash. Their new disco direction pretty much guaranteed pariah status with their long time New York CBGB peers. And while their base was crying ‘sell out’, the tepid by today’s standards line ‘Soon turned out to be a pain in the ass’, saw them banned and censored across radio stations worldwide for being too vulgar. But in the end they had the last laugh as Heart of Glass is considered an indispensable new wave classic.
If you’re going to grab just one cover today make sure it’s neo-reggae tribute killers GrandMagneto with their blinding rockabilly n’ rocksteady version. The Bad Plus are a quick on the heels of that with their piano string snapping hard jazz renditions. If you wondered what ever happened to seminal 90′s ambient outfit Seefeel look no further than Scala who pull out a suprisingly fun little abstract disco number on the usually more academic Touch Records. Following suit is Product 01, whose abstract electro version also makes a break from Compost Records’ stock jazzy house affairs. VG faves Nouvelle Vague come again, and again, with their studio cut and assorted live versions. 50′s(!) instrumental guitar band The Shadows (of Apache fame) spice up their cut with a little twang. Post-Punk godfathers The Associates put the experiments on hold for their cheeky rendition. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? If so we got the Abba of the Rhineland, Marianne Rosenberg with her Herz Aus Glas. And for those who like a little noise with that shake, we also have punk (Lunachicks), some classic industrial (A Primary Industry) and a-sure-sign-I-must-be-getting-old-because-I’ve-never-heard-of-‘speedcore‘ (Drillbit).

GrandMagneto - Heart of Glass
The Bad Plus – Heart Of Glass
The Bad Plus – Heart Of Glass (Live)
Scala – Heart Of Glass
Product 01 - Heart Ov Glass
Nouvelle Vague – Heart Of Glass
Nouvelle Vague – Heart Of Glass (June 14th, 2006 Le Bataclan, Paris)
Nouvelle Vague – Heart Of Glass (Hamburg 09-21-06)
Nouvelle Vague – Heart Of Glass (Aula Magna 07.12.07)
Nouvelle Vague – Heart Of Glass (2006.12.02 Montpellier – FRANCE )
The Shadows – Heart Of Glass
The Associates – Heart Of Glass
Marianne Rosenberg – Herz Aus Glas
Lunachicks – Heart of Glass
A Primary Industry – Heart of Glass
A Primary Industry – Heart of Glass (Dub)
Drillbit – Heart Of Glass

** Last minute addendum, a boogie-woogie-bugle-boy rendtion.
Big shout out to Geoviki (whoever you are) for diggin this one up
The Puppini Sisters - Heart Of Glass

Enjoy!
LS

V I C T O R Y !
I have to admit I was scared there for a bit last night, but damn, a 7 million person lead, more than double the electorate!?! Wow. Fuck it if this sounds corny but: seeing that landslide, plus seeing us electing a black president all in the face of one of the nastiest smear campaigns, since well, Karl Rove and George Bush, is nothing short of amazing and fills me with pure, uncut hope. No doubt he’s got a tough road ahead, but let’s worry about that later.
Here’s to more Changes courtesy of Seu Jorge (of The Life Aquatic fame) channeling his inner Brazillian David Bowie.

Seu Jorge – Changes

Enjoy (the possibility of a new era)!
LS

I make no bones about who I support. Our government has been hijacked for the last 8 years by conservative, fundamentalist, corporate shills with an ideology that has bankrupted us environmentally, morally and financially. We need some real change now and this may be our last opportunity to seize it before Rome burns entirely.
So here’s to C H A N G E!
What better way to get behind that than with some great reggae covers of
Sam Cooke‘s A Change is Gonna Come by Prince Buster, Ken Parker,
The Blues Busters and Sugar Minott.

Prince Buster – A Change Is Gonna Come
Ken Parker - A Change Gonna Come
The Blues Busters – A Change Is Gonna Come
Sugar Minott – A Change Gonna Come

Go Obama!
LS

I have been saving today’s entry for a special occasion and seeing that this is officially my 100th post (Wooooooooo!) I’d thought whip out my arsenal of The Model covers by Kraftwerk. Numbering a hefty 73 in total, (yet still only about 75% of the ones that exist) people used to go affe-scheize for them when I used to post these tO a certaIn uNamed tracKer.
So, like my previous post on Shaft, the sheer volume of today’s entry will just have me noting genre and name, no long winded stories about how one of the member’s of Kraftwerk used to stalk one of my ex’s or why I inexplicably decided to mash up Man Machine with James Bond for today’s art.

Enjoy!
LS

PS Big tip of the hat to the folks over at Electric Cafe for helping me fill in a few of the blanks.

MY PERSONAL FAVES COME FIRST BECAUSE, WELL, THIS IS MY BLOG DAMMNIT. YOU DONT LIKE IT GO START YOUR OWN KRAFTWERK PAGE THERE DIETER
Zoot Woman – The Model
Fink – The Model
Snakefinger - The Model

AND IF YOU STILL DIDN’T GET ENOUGH SNAKEFINGER…
Snakefinger – The Model (San Francisco 3.12.79)
Snakefinger – The Model (7-04-84 Portland)
Snakefinger – The Model (Baltimore 5-11-82)
Snakefinger – The Model (Live in Chicago)

FOOKIN BELLE & SEBASTIAN LIKE, YA KEN?
Belle and Sebastian – Das Modell (Live)

DANGER DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE!
Electric Six – The Model
The Wildbunch (AKA Electric Six) – The Model (Live)

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THOSE GUYS?
Ride – The Model
The Cardigans – Das Model
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine – The Model (Live)

STEVE ALBINI, GENIUS OR PRICK?
Big Black – The Model (7” Mix)
Big Black – The Model (Album Version)
Big Black – The Model (Demo)
Zeni Geva & Steve Albini – The Model (Live)

ALOHA MR HAND
Aqua Vista – The Model
Treble Spankers – The Model
Tremolo Beer Gut – Das Modell

Oi!
Spizzenergi – The Model

JAH MODEL
Green Hill – The Model
The Members – The Model
Papa Dee - The Model
Overproof Soundsystem – The Model

DANCE HALL CRASHERS
The Klopeks – The Model
Model MakroSoft – Das Modell

I THOUGHT THAT IF YOU HAD AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR…
Warm Jets - The Model
Canasta – The Model

HOOKED ON CLASSICS
Balanescu Quartet - The Model
David Byrne with Balanescu Quartet - The Model
Scala & Kolacny Brothers – The Model
The Divine Comedy – The Model

SHOO BE DO WOP WOP SAY WHAT YEAH
Die Schwiegersöhne – Das Model

K TEL PRESENTS…
Ed Starink - The Model

PROOF THAT MOBY HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR
Moby – The Model (Live in Oberman)

SHEEEIT, I COULDA DONE THAT ON MY NINTENDO
Commodore 64 Orchestra – The Model
Kollo - Das Modell
Nullsleep – The Model
The Last Ninja – The (8-Bit) Model

GOOD GOLLY THERE’S EVEN DUB QWALLII!?!?
Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan- Dil Da Rog Muka Ja Mahi

GERMANY’S OTHER GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CULTURE
Polkaholix – Das Modell
Eläkeläiset – Das Model

DID I EVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE TIME I ALMOST MOVED TO FINLAND TO WORK FOR FURNITURE DESIGN CRAZY MAN STEFAN LINDFORS?
Markus & Kristian – Hän Malli On

IRASSHAIMASE! HAI DOZO!
Hikashu – The Model
Hikashu - The Model (1998 Remix)

TWO POLLOCKS GO INTO A BAR…
Kazik Na Zywo – Polska, Ojczyzna Nasza

THE GOOD CHINA
Zhou Qisheng – The Model

SI! SE PUEDE!
Bole Rebole – Los Brega
Niños del Brasil – La modelo

NOW IS THE TIME ON SPROCKETS WHEN WE DANCE!
DJ TA – The Model
Malcolm McLaren – The Model (Chinese Version)
Wunderkind - The Model (Club Mix)
Somegirl – The Model
Ambidextrous – The Model
Kröger – Das Model (12′ Extended Maxi Version)
Kröger – The Model (English Version)
Dance Robots - Das Modell (12Inch Version)
Funkstar Deluxe – The Model
Megabeat – The Model
Flamman & Abraxas – The Model

TO PARAPHRASE WOODY ALLEN, LISTENING TO THESE ‘GIVES ME THE URGE TO INVADE POLAND’
Terrorvision - The Model
Index – The Model
Nigra Nebula – Das Model
Sopor Aeternus – Est Modela
Rammstein – Das Modell
Demolition Group – The Model
Das Reut – The Model

OH DEAR GOD IT’S TRANCE! SWEET JESUS PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!
DJ Murphy – The Model
Novocaine 2001 – The Model
Garden Eden – Das Modell

RAN OUT OF CLEVER HEADLINES FOR THESE LAST FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD ONES
Mannequin Depressives – The Model
Dr Flanger - The Model