Yesterday Once More

15 Mar 2017

Re-Badging

Music

Hi Listeners

This week’s program is celebrating new versions or covers of original songs. I think, in general, the original version of a song is usually superior to a cover. However, there are some cases where the cover version transcends the original in some way. This can be achieved by slowing down the original and beefing up the power as John Farnham did so successfully with the Beatle’s song ‘Help’or simply adding a dramatic and emotional force to a song as Nina Simone does with the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins track ‘I Put A Spell On You’.

Different arrangements of a song can create an interesting version as in Aussie group Zoot’s iconic and highly inventive version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Some singers have the knack of transcending any original song as Bette Midler showed to great effect in her album ‘The Divine Miss M’. Her version of ‘Superstar’ infuses the original Carpenter’s song with breathy sexiness while early in the fifties Debbie Reynold’s hit ‘Tammy’ is given a more uptempo and lively rendition by the Ames Brothers.

Most singers don’t attempt to re-work a Bob Dylan song. But. an exception was the sixties version of ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ by American West coast band The Byrda. Their version is now considered a classic in its own right. Aussie singer, Normie Rowe tries his voice out on the Ben E King and Shirley Bassey classic ‘I Who Have Nothing’ with some degree of success.

Playlist

* Blinded By The Light – Manfred Mann
* I Put A Spell On You – Nina Simone
* Proud Mary – Ike And Tina Turner
* Eleanor Rigby – Zoot
* Summer Breeze – Stylua
* Superstar – Bette Midler
* Help – John Farnham
* Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
* Crazy – Patsy Cline
* Tammy – Ames Bros
* Say I Love You – Renee Geyer
* I Who Have Nothing – Normie Rowe

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