Archive for May, 2008
Rendition as relevance, creation as soulfulness
5/18/2008 10:12 pmThere has always been a debate over whether a cover song holds any weight against its origin. But some covers become more popular and over time we even forget that there was a previous existence for a particular melody. Hip-hop samples have also popularized a tune more than its creator ever could have hoped for. Some critics say that hip-hop merely steals melodies, thus making it less of a creative endeavor in music. I would argue that the beauty in the cover and the sample is that it makes the original version of a song relevant again. We might never have discovered the roots to a riff and lyrics if we had not been introduced to the modern and mainstream rendition.
So here’s the podcast and in itunes here:
1. I Think We’re Alone Now - Tommy James & The Shondells (covered by Tiffany)
2. Rock And Roll Music - Chuck Berry (covered by The Beatles)
3. Gloria - Them (covered by Shadows of Night, Patti Smith, Jimi Hendrix, and others)
4. Express Yourself - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (sampled by N.W.A.)
5. What a Man - Linda Lyndell (covered by En Vogue)
6. Hung Up On My Baby - Isaac Hayes (sampled by Geto Boys)
7. Blind Alley - The Emotions (sampled by Big Daddy Kane)
8. Respect - Otis Redding (covered by Aretha Franklin)
9. As Long As I’ve Got You - The Charmels (sampled by Wu-Tang Clan)
10. Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry (covered with new lyrics by The Beach Boys)
11. Twist and Shout - The Isley Brothers (covered by The Beatles)
12. You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me - The Miracles (covered by The Beatles and Eddie Money)
13. Summertime - Sam Cooke (covered by Sublime. The original is actually a 1935 George Gershwin composition)
Scarub is a man
5/4/2008 1:21 pm
