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About This Author
I am SoCalScribe. This is my InkSpot.
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Blogocentric Formulations
Logocentric (adj). Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics).
Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:
 "The Soundtrackers Group" 
"Blogging Circle of Friends "
"Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"
"JAFBG"
"Take up Your Cross"
Thanks for stopping by! 
October 29, 2015 at 5:51pm October 29, 2015 at 5:51pm
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** Image ID #2009874 Unavailable **
Song: "Smooth Criminal"
Original: Michael Jackson
Cover: Alien Ant Farm
It wouldn't be a WDC Soundtrackers activity if I didn't include a little MJ... and it's not every day that someone covering such a musical icon comes up with a version that even holds a candle to the original. But Alien Ant Farm came about as close as anyone could by recording a cover that is distinctly their own but still faithful to the original. And if you check out the video below, you can see their respect for Michael Jackson's accomplishments thanks to the incredible number of homages and references to Michael Jackson and his work in their own music video.
"Smooth Criminal" is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs. The seventh single from his 1987 album Bad, this was supposed to be the original title of the album, but producer Quincy Jones didn't like it and they opted for Bad instead. This song pioneered a lot of things, including Michael Jackson's now famous "anti-gravity lean" which involves some very complicated rigging to pull off. There have been a couple other good covers of this song, including Naya Rivera and Grant Gustin singing it on Glee, and the 2Cellos guys recording the track being played entirely with, well, two cellos, which became an internet sensation in 2011.
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October 29, 2015 at 5:33pm October 29, 2015 at 5:33pm
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** Image ID #2009874 Unavailable **
Song: "Lean on Me"
Original: Bill Withers
Cover: Club Nouveau
You might not think it's possible to improve on a Bill Withers song that Rolling Stone lists as the 205th greatest song ever, but the cool thing about this particular song is that it has so much potential to be interpreted by different musical tastes and styles. Over the years it's been covered by an incredibly diverse set of artists including Mary J. Blige, DC Talk, Paul Abdul and The Muppets, Al Jarreau, Michael Bolton, Bonnie Tyler, Anne Murray, and Garth Brooks. Heck, it was even the subject of a couple crossovers including Avril Lavigne and Heart performing it together at a charity event, and an episode of The Colbert Report where the unlikely trio of Stephen Colbert, Brian Eno, and Michael Stipe covered the song.
The cover of this song I really love though is from the former group Club Nouveau, a Sacramento-based pop/new jack swing group that added a little bit of funk and harmonization to the already catchy instrumentation and lyrics of the song. This version of the song actually won Club Nouveau a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1987.
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October 29, 2015 at 5:11pm October 29, 2015 at 5:11pm
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** Image ID #2009874 Unavailable **
Song: "Last Kiss"
Original: Wayne Cochran
Cover: Pearl Jam
For me, this is one of Pearl Jam's best songs. I'm not a huge fan of the band overall, but they did a fantastic job with this cover. It was originally recorded by Wayne Cochran in 1961... and then again by Wayne Cochran in 1963 after the record failed to perform and he switched labels. But he could never find the success with it that other later bands would, including J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, and Pearl Jam. The latter recorded it for the 1999 charity album No Boundaries: A Benefit for Kosovar Refugees and it was such a hit that the recording alone raised over $10 million for the refugee effort, and eventually appeared in their 2003 album Lost Dogs which featured a collection of rare songs.
I love songs that have a story to them, especially when they're emotionally charged like this one.
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October 29, 2015 at 5:01pm October 29, 2015 at 5:01pm
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** Image ID #2009874 Unavailable **
Song: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
Original: The Eurythmics
Cover: Marilyn Manson
If I could give an award for the most disturbing rendition of an 80s song, this Marilyn Manson cover would be it. They/he managed to turn a relatively upbeat techno/pop hit into a haunting, disturbing version that's played on pretty much every movie and television soundtrack when the producers want you to realize how creepy the serial killer/psychopath character is. 
Originally performed by Annie Lennox during her time with the Eurythmics, it was a Top 2 hit in both the United States and the UK. It was the band's biggest hit and performed at nearly every one of the Eurythmics' live events, as well as the appearances Annie Lennox made as a solo artist. The Marilyn Manson cover enjoyed a great deal of success too, as the song and video helped launch the band through repeated requests and airings on MTV... you know, back when the channel actually aired Music Television. 
Fun Fact: This isn't Marilyn Manson's only cover of a hit song. They also did a cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You," but their record label didn't want to release either as a single. (Both would eventually be released on the band's 1995 album Smells Like Children). My second favorite cover by Marilyn Manson is this one of Tainted Love.
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© Copyright 2024 Jeff (UN: jeff at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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