GET OUT OF MY LIFE WOMAN DEPOT

There I was, just browsing, when I came across the Mighty Diamonds doing a cover of "Get Out of My Life Woman", a song written by Allen Toussaint, and a hit for Lee Dorsey (above) in 1966. I had to hear it, knowing that a reggae cover of a Toussaint song had to be decent, plus I happen to dig the Mighty Diamonds in general. Alas, it lacked that certain oomph I was hoping for. The quest was on. I ran into another reggae cover of it by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires that was a little closer to the mark. Good enough, but wait, what's this? A cover by Dutch beat nuts Q65 that I'd completely forgotten about. Dig the gloriously honking sax on that. Then, what the hell, if you're going to post a cover, it's helpful to post the well known version for comparison. Couldn't find Lee Dorsey's version anywhere but YouTube, but in looking for it I ran across Get Out Business, a zip with thirty one, count 'em, thirty one versions, a veritable "Get Out of My Life Woman" black hole. Does anyone need that many versions? Yes and no, depends on who you are. But the first one I listened to, by someone named Grassella Olliphant, is awesome. Old school stoner jazz. It alone is worth fussing with thirty other versions.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Mighty Diamonds - Get Out of My Life Woman mp3 at Glide
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Get Out of My Life Woman mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Q65 - Get Out of My Life Woman mp3 at Stop Smiling
Lee Dorsey - Get Out of My Life Woman (streaming) at YouTube
Grassella Olliphant - Get Out of My Life Woman (streaming) at YouTube
The black hole:
Get Out Business at Strictly Business NOTE: Once at Mediafire, the password provided by Strictly Business is defandstupid

BYRON LEE, A SOLID HELL YEAH.

Byron Lee may seem like kind of a musical slut, being at different times a mento, calypso, ska, reggae or soca artist, depending on what would likely sell. That's a little harsh for someone who was around and active through it all. You could poo-poo the fact that he wormed his way into the 1964 New York Worlds Fair via his connections with his former manager, the future Prime Minister of Jamaica Edward Seaga, then the head of Jamaica's Social Welfare and Economic Development. Wah, wah, wah. There are a couple reasons to forget all about of that. One is that his music is good. Real good. All shapes and sizes, from the corny to the wacked out, but all seriously tight. The closest I've heard to a stinker is his cover of "Live and Let Die", a later cut, but even that is a solid jam. But, the biggest reason to salute Lee, and it is a big one, is that he was the first Jamaican artist to incorporate the electric organ and the electric bass. Try to imagine sixties and seventies reggae without them.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Jamaican Ska mp3 at Probe is Turning-On the People (scroll to session 263)
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Pupalick mp3 at Mophonics
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Frankenstein Ska mp3 at Excavation
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Get Out of My Life Woman mp3 at The Melting Pot
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Shaft mp3 at Pixie Radio
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Conga Line mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Live and Let Die mp3 at Rock Trotter
Byron Lee and the Dragonairs - Three good ones at The Melting Pot
Video:
This is Ska - Documentary from 1964 at YouTube Featuring Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, also backing Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster, the Maytals, The Charmers, Stranger Cole, Roy and Yvonne, and the Blues Busters. Excellent.

WAIT. HOW MANY?

Back a few months ago, I posted seven cover versions of Jorgen Ingmann's instrumental "Apache" and, although I knew that there were tons more, I considered that enough to demonstrate what one well written instrumental song was capable of in the world of covers. That said, I was totally unprepared for Version Galore's post of 60+ versions. When it comes to due diligence in tracking down covers, there really isn't a contender. Versions Galore is, hands down, the site that hosts the most comprehensive posts of single songs. (How about 80 versions of "Walk On By," including ten reggae versions?)

There was one that I posted that he didn't, probably because it wasn't a cover in the strictest sense. It was a bizarre medley of Captain Beefheart's "Dropout Boogie" and Ingmann's "Apache" by the Edgar Broughton Band. Here's that medley, along with the original and just a few that Versions Galore posted. You know, just to wet your whistle. Of those I listened to, the one I really dug is by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Reggae, yeah, but with "sirens wail" backing vocals and either a sitar, or guitar played like a sitar. Oddball reggae, especially by an established name, is relatively rare. Listening is warranted.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar - Apache mp (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
The Edgar Broughton Band - Apache Dropout mp3 at The Brobots
Dave Allan & the Arrows - Apache '65 mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Takeshi Terauchi Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Le Par Bongo Rockers - Apache mp3 (via MediaFire) at Versions Galore
Visit:
Apache and the Bronx - 60+ versions of Apache at Versions Galore
Related previous post:
Apache Mutations (7/15/2011)
Cover Orgy (3/6/11)