YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN A COVER VERSION

We've all learned of songs from covers and most of us have gone on back to hear the originals. Everybody has made a mix tape (or playlist) consisting of all covers. What I like to do is make mixes of originals of songs that I first heard as covers. But you can't mix the covers in, it ruins it. Because if it's all originals of songs you first heard as covers, there's something a little off. It's like reliving an alternate version of your life. Or something like that.

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

Listen:
Erma Franklin - Piece Of My Heart mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Janis Joplin
Betty Everett - You're No Good mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Linda Ronstadt
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Soft Cell
The Velvettes = He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Bananarama
The Contours - First I Look At The Purse mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by the J.Geils Band
Marvin Gaye - Can I Get A Witness mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by the Rolling Stones

SHREDDER

I'm not going to lie to you. A photo of guitar face just about made my night. Almost more than Gloria Jones, but we'll get to her in a minute. First, I have to be upfront. I have a fascination with guitar face. It cracks me up, but that's really just part of it. It intrigues me. I know some guitarists try to avoid it, and a lot seem to think it better displays their emotions when playing their searing lead. Some may not be able to help themselves. And then there are those who effortlessly display little or no emotion, no matter what they play. Those are the ones who are usually musicians first, showmen second (if at all). But I can't lie. I love seeing asshats play searing leads. It's like seeing a knockout punch, but nobody gets hurt. A sort of Disaster Light. Bordering on rubbernecking, I cannot look away.

Now to Gloria Jones. I ran into a post that mentioned her and had to revisit "Tainted Love", the song famously covered by Soft Cell. If you haven't heard it, you need to. If you have heard it and Soft Cell's cover, you might not have heard her re-recording of it from 1976. It's not nearly as Northern Soul-ish, but kicks ass nonetheless, due in no small part to her pronounced wail. You'll never guess what lead me to her tonight. That's right, the guitar facer. It can now be revealed, the owner of tonight's breathtaking guitar face is none other than David Bowie. The original image (below) has achieved the impossible, instantly climbing to the top of my favorite guitar faces of all time list, for the pure guffaw it induces.

The Bowie and Marc Bolan photo comes from a post at There Is a Site That Never Goes Out. It's with eleven mp3s of the two of them working on three songs, from 1977. It also has Gloria Jones on piano and backing vocals, so that was where the sidetracking began. But, oh man, that guitar face.

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

Listen:
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love (1964) mp3 at Friday Mix Tape (?)
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love (1976) mp3 at Clones Project
Bowie Bolan Overdrive:
David Bowie and Marc Bolan Rehearsal tapes at There Is a Site That Never Goes Out Three songs, eleven takes total

WELL, YOU TELL ME. IS IT?

A few weeks ago I posted a remix of a Billie Holiday song, that had her singing over reggae tracks, and it sounded, if not surprisingly good, at least interesting (depends on which side of the purist fence you're on). Then a few days ago, I just ran into a mash-up of Bob Marley and Soft Cell that works remarkably well. I normally hate it when someone fucks with reggae with mash-ups or remixes because I think of seventies reggae as too organic. But the Marley/Soft Cell thing caught me off guard. So here's the source material and Glories Jones' original version of Tainted Love.
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Gloria Jones - Tainted Love mp3 at Balarama Music
Soft Cell - Tainted Love mp3 at Aunt Charlie's Lounge
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Is This Love mp3 at {Some Russian site}
DJ Zebra - This Tainted Love (Bob Marley/Soft Cell Mash Up) mp3 at Popbytes
Billie Holiday - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Yesking remix) mp3 at Life Signs Project