PS Bonus track for those in the Versions Galore Facebook Fanclub. You know where to look.

Yeah yeah, before you start, I know we just did a Siouxsie & The Banshees post like 2-3 days ago, but since this one is hottie off the presses I couldn’t resist getting it out there. The long awaited cover of Hong Kong Garden by Franco-fatale Uffie.

Uffie – Hong Kong Garden

Enjoy!
LS

This 1975 breaks classic by Banbarra, Shack Up, probably would still be gathering dust in a record crate somewhere if it weren’t for Factory Record’s flagship A Certain Ratio digging it out of rare groove obscurity and giving it a good cover (ironically enough could be later applied to ACR themselves!)
So, besides the ubiquitous ACR cover we have a few other Banbarra fans; obscure 80s synth-funk Thirteen At Midnight and even more obscure funk/soul acts Blackbuster and  Rokotto who at 1978 probably makes them the first ones to lay claim on covering it. Also gettin’ down are the fabulous Baker Brothers with funky hammond instrumental.
Here are a few more that I call covers within a cover; as the sadly defunct Bis and Franco cover superstars Nouvelle Vague are obviously paying more tribute to the tepid post-punkers than to the original.And lastly I’ve thrown in a fun, very rare live version from the infamous Factory All Stars. The name says it all as the ‘All Stars’ include members of ACR, Quando Quango (aka a young Mike Pickering), Bernie and Stephen from New Order and the God approved Vini Reilly of Durutti Column.

PS Versions Galore Facebook Fanclub, got bonus versions galore skylarkin’ on the wall.

I gleefully confess todays’ pick is for the shallowest of reasons; Bertie Blackman is some kinda cute, but it doesn’t hurt that she chose OG raven haired goddess, Siouxsie & The Banshees,  to cover either . So here’s black-haired Bertie from Bondi belting out beloved Banshee ballad Peek-A-Boo.

At the risk of excavating the not so murky past, here’s is the post that was originally slated, ironically enough, for the 13th AKA Black Thursday AKA the day Blogger pulled a Jason Bourne on my ass.

PS Big thanks to all those who supported me in the interim, double so to the smart folks over at Risotto, Inc. for sorting out the necessary geek help!

Soul diva #1, at least around this house anyway, Roberta Flack gets a Jamaican/Reggae retrofit of her quiet storm classic Feel Like Makin’ Love. Lovemakers today include the always welcome Dynamics, a great Soul Jazz records-worthy Lovers Rock cut from Elizabeth Archer & The Equators whose version side has to be the most insane dub cut I’ve heard in a long time and lastly a mellow Jamaican jazz cut from reggae/ska/rocksteady godfather Ernest Ranglin (which, trust me, will be much needed therapy after that aforementioned dub attack).

The Dynamics – Feel Like Making Love
Elizabeth Archer and The Equators – Feel Like Making Love
Elizabeth Archer and The Equators – Feel Like Making Love (Version)
Ernest Ranglin – Feel Like Making Love

Enjoy!
LS

Got something fun to fill your summer mixtapes with today; 51 hand picked versions of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) somewhat recently made famous by Nancy Sinatra (though originally by Cher) viaKill Bill.
Playing faves I’m starting with a great 60s Chinese beat/funk version byBetty Chung, an over the top brass and kettle drum version by Petula Clark, a lounge cut from Xavier Cugat as well as a sweet little lullaby by ex-Belle & Sebastian, Isobel Campbell.
Girls aren’t the only one’s getting bumped off, dudes whose days are numbered include Terry Reid, the Beau Brummels, Stevie Wonder,Frank Sinatra, The Frampton Brothers, Paul Weller, Cliff Richard,Murder By Death, Gabor Szabo, Coil and Vanilla Fudge, who transform their cut into some sort of epic prog-rock journey.
Instrumentally speaking we have a surf guitar version from Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and music fit for an elevator by Paul Mauriat.
Hope you like the latest Jack White incarnation The Raconteurs, because we got em in spades.
Besides the nods above to China and the UK we also have a virtual food court’s worth of international cuts; Italy (Equipe 84, Dalida, Mina, I Corvi,Ornella Vanoni, Milena Cantu and a little Italo-Disco from Ivan Cattaneo), Russia (Lili Ivanova), France (Sheila, Mareva Galanter avec Jacno, Sylvie Vartan), Poland (Ania Dabrowska), Cambodia (Pan Ron),Germany (Rainald Grebe), Brazil (Maritza Fabiani), Vietnam (Diem Lien & Nguyen Khang) and lastly er..Hawaii?UK? Well, a nice way to go out on a bang (doh!) from the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Betty Chung - Bang Bang
Petula Clark - Bang Bang
Xavier Cugat - Bang Bang
Isobel Campbell - Bang Bang

Terry Reid - Bang Bang
Beau Brummels - Bang Bang
Stevie Wonder - Bang Bang
Frank Sinatra - Bang Bang
Frank Sinatra - Bang Bang (Alt version)
The Frampton Brothers - Bang Bang
Paul Weller - Bang Bang
Paul Weller - Bang Bang (Live)
Cliff Richard - Bang Bang
Murder By Death – Bang Bang
Murder By Death – Bang Bang (The Switchboard Sessions)
Gabor Szabo - Bang Bang
Coil - Bang Bang
Coil - Bang Bang (Live)
Vanilla Fudge - Bang Bang

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Bang Bang (Live)
Paul Mauriat - Bang Bang

The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Live)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Pukkelpop 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Lollapalooza 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Munich 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (The House Of Blues 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Soma 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Lowlands 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Ann Arbor 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Leeds 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Atlanta 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Electric Ballroom 2006)
The Raconteurs - Bang Bang (Nottingham 2006)

Equipe 84 - Bang Bang
Dalida - Bang Bang
Mina - Bang Bang
I Corvi - Bang Bang
Ornella Vanoni - Bang Bang
Milena Cantu - Bang Bang
Ivan Cattaneo - Bang Bang
Lili Ivanova - Benk Benk
Sheila - Bang Bang
Mareva Galanter (avec Jacno) - Bang Bang
Sylvie Vartan - Bang Bang
Ania Dabrowska - Bang Bang
Pan Ron – Snaeha
Rainald Grebe - Bengt Bangt
Rainald Grebe bei Nightwash - Bengt Bangt (Live)
Maritza Fabiani - Bang Bang
Diem Lien And Nguyen Khang - Khi Xua Ta Be
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Bang Bang

Enjoy!
LS

PS Bonus track for Versions Galore Facebook Fanclub members, be sure to check the wall.

Y’know I remember feeling a little betrayed when post-punk outfit Southern Death Cult swapped spiky hair for leather fringe and re-christened themselves as neo-60s metal act The Cult. But after 3 or 4 repeated listens of She Sells Sanctuary, I was able to secretly let down my elitist little punk guard and make peace with leather trousers (on them mind you, not me).
Oh and btw, double-kudos to them for their somewhat recent collaboration with
my fave Japanese outfitter, Neighborhood.
Today, man in the pale blue suit, M. Craft, pairs his Sanctuary down to an indie collection of acoustic guitar, handclaps, a bit of tambourine and what sounds like my old Fisher-Price xylophone. If this fails to bring smiles to your face all weekend, you need therapy.

M. Craft – She Sells Sanctuary

Enjoy!
LS

What I wouldn’t give to get my ‘Platte in Mehrfarbigem Vinyl’ back. Sigh.
So, got a brand new Depeche Mode cover, hot off the digital presses so-to-speak. Oakland’s Rogue Wave armed only with acoustic guitar and piano doing Shake The Disease via KCRW in-session.

Rogue Wave – Shake The Disease (Live KCRW)

Enjoy!
LS

Soul-jazz-funk prophet Gil Scott-Heron takes a day off from televising the revolution to flex his vocal cords and name drop some real ghetto superstars, Lady Day and John Coltrane.

Ever fell that somehow, somewhere you lost your way?
And if you don’t get help you won’t make it through the day
You could call on Lady Day!
You could call on John Coltrane!
They’ll wash your troubles, your troubles away

Amen to that.

G S-H disciples for today are neo-soul outfit The Baker Brothers, jazzy drum & bass stalwart Courtney Pine, and criminally forgotten funk diva Penny Goodwin. We also have the Japanese acid jazz meets Erykhah Badu-esque vocal stylings of Indigo Jam Unit who get an ‘A’ for effort for trying their best to traverse so many ‘L’s and lastly, speaking of Acid Jazz and stalwarts, is a handful of live cuts from The Greyboy Allstars.

The Baker Brothers – Lady Day and John Coltrane
Courtney Pine – Lady Day and John Coltrane
Penny Goodwin – Lady Day and John Coltrane
Indigo Jam Unit – Lady Day and John Coltrane
The Greyboy Allstars - Lady Day And John Coltrane (Tahoe City, CA 1995)
The Greyboy Allstars – Lady Day And John Coltrane (Washington DC 2003)
The Greyboy Allstars – Lady Day and John Coltrane (New Orleans, LA 2004)
The Greyboy Allstars – Lady Day and John Coltrane (Snowmass Village CO 2003)

Enjoy!

LS

PS Versions Galore Facebook Fanclub, original hanging on the wall just in case.

It’s a Scandinavian love fest today with a cover of Swedish experimento-synth-pop outfit The Knife by fellow natural-born Swede José González, who unplugs Heartbeats for a nice acoustic session.

José González – Heartbeats
José González – Heartbeats (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge)

Enjoy!
LS

Versions Galore has been sluttin’ around the blog-o-sphere yet again, as I’ve been invited to contribute a mix to my buddy over at Acid House Dreams new blog, TiED AKA Together in Eclectic Dreams. Seeing as he’s the BMOC (Balearic Man on Campus) I thought I’d serve up an all unplugged electronica cover versions session.

Check it out here…

Enjoy!

LS