Ear Fuel #30: Actually...that's a cover song
Over the course of music history, some of the most iconic songs have found their widest appeal and fullest life in the hands of another artist. Whether it was Hendrix’s version of “All Along The Watchtower,” (Bob Dylan cover) Aretha Franklin’s legendary rendition of “Respect,” (Otis Redding cover) Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” (Arrows cover) or so many others, sometimes what a song needs is the interpretation of a different performer.
But there are a handful of cover songs that either come from such obscure roots or have so completely overshadowed the original, that it’s almost unfathomable to think they are indeed covers of another artists’ music. This week, I am digging into three of my favorite instances of (insert Comic Book Guy voice here) “…ahem…actually, my friend…that is a cover song…”
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I know that some of you are sitting in shock, with the mere suggestion that “It’s Oh So Quiet” is not an original composition by Björk, as the song is gorgeous, strange and wild enough to be right up her musical alley. As a lifelong fan of Iceland’s finest export, I too was surprised when I uncovered this truth many many moons ago.
If we really dig down, we’ll find that “It’s Oh So Quiet” is sort of a cover of a cover song - but let’s slow down for a moment.
The version from which Björk’s interpretation is derived was the b-side to a 1951 single by Betty Hutton. Yes, the Annie Get Your Gun actress Betty Hutton. Once you hear her version, you’ll see that Björk basically covered it straight-up in both sound and spirit. Granted, Björk’s vocal range allowed her to make things far more explosive (and Spike Jones’ video took it to another level), but at it’s musical core, it is a direct cover.
But as I mentioned earlier, even Hutton’s version is a cover, based on the 1948 German song, “Und jetzt ist es still,” performed by Horst Winter. After a seemingly different opening, you can hear the sonic similarities begin to form. The music itself was written by Hans Lang, and the English-language lyrics used by Hutton comes from Berthold Reisfeld.
But wait! There’s actually ANOTHER early version of “It’s Oh So Quiet,” thanks to French singer Ginette Garcin and conductor Jacques Hélian; who released “Tout est tranquille” in 1949. Again, you need to get about 90 seconds into the song to hear the similarities, but it’s easy to hear the musical lineage.
I am in NO way trying to detract from the awesomeness that is Björk’s version (Post is a top 5 all-time album for me), and she definitely makes the song her own. However, even the greatest moments in musical history do need to give the rightful nod to their inspiration, or in this case, the original version of their song.
Bask in Björk: YouTube — Bandcamp
Easily one of the best-known songs from the entire Santana catalog, “Black Magic Woman” has become so closely associated with him that the original artist wouldn’t play it live for decades. This would be understandable if the original artist were a lesser-known group, but the fact of the matter is, “Black Magic Woman” was written by and first recorded by…….Fleetwood Mac.
Peter Green penned this song in 1968, and it was released a few weeks after the band’s self-titled debut album hit shelves. It achieved moderate success in the UK, but did not make much headway with US radio.
If we look deeper into “Black Magic Woman,” the core guitar riff actually comes from the John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers song “All Your Love.” Peter Green was briefly a member of this band before forming Fleetwood Mac, though the song in question was recorded before he joined. “All Your Love” was written by the great Otis Rush, and the original guitar work was played by none other than Eric Clapton.
The Santana version of “Black Magic Woman” is more formally a medley, melting the Fleetwood Mac cover together with a cover (yes, two covers in one) of Gábor Szabó's 1966 instrumental "Gypsy Queen." It is a gorgeous, more psychedelic interpretation of the original, and Carlos Santana’s guitar tone quickly overshadows either original song in question. What Santana creates feels entirely new, and entirely “their sound,” though neither of those statements are true in reality.
In retrospect, it makes sense that Fleetwood Mac avoided playing the song in the 70s and 80s, as most people would have thought they were covering Santana - and to a large extent, that likely remains true to this day.
Enjoy Santana’s brilliant cover here: Spotify
When it comes to iconic songs of the 1980s, few remain more ubiquitous than Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.” Yet by the time their version charted in 1981, the song was nearly 20 years old and had already been associated with some incredibly famous musicians.
“Tainted Love” was originally written by Ed Cobb in 1964, and recorded shortly thereafter by Gloria Jones. On the original version, the guitar work was done by Glen Campbell (yes, THAT Glen Campbell) and had an almost Motown feel to it. The song was a b-side; and both it and the a-side failed to gain any radio or commercial success. The song was lost to the sands of time, until nearly a decade later, when a British DJ happened across a copy during a trip to the United States.
The unique sound of “Tainted Love” was a great match for the rising “Northern Soul” club scene in the UK at the time, and the track began to gain some underground traction. This led to Jones rerecording the song in 1976, giving it a disco-tinge. This second version was produced by Jones’ then-boyfriend…T Rex’s Mark Bolan. Though given a light sonic makeover, this second version also failed to chart, but it retained its underground audience.
The duo that comprised Soft Cell were familiar with the Northern Soul scene, and they began performing their own rendition of “Tainted Love” during live shows. Eventually, they convinced their label to let them record a studio version, needing just a day and a half to create the final product we all know. In fact, the Marc Almond vocal take on the final version was the first one he recorded.
Fueled by the rising “new wave” movement, “Tainted Love” went on to become the biggest selling UK single of 1981, and spent a then-record breaking 43 weeks on the US Top 100 charts. So while it took a few decades and a different sonic approach, “Tainted Love” found its way to be one of the most iconic songs of an era.
Get away: YouTube
That’s all for this week. As always, share and enjoy.