Nothing compares 2 U (#OriginalMyAss #8)

This one is for my daughter on her birthday, if only because nothing compares to her. No other human being.  Nothing. On. Earth.  Zip. Zero. Nada.  So have a happy birthday my Princess!

SINEAD O’CONNOR was the first woman to win an MTV award for the video of her performing NOTHING COMPARES 2 U in 1990.  Never has a face been so important than in this video.  The song was first recorded by the songwriter, Prince, for one of his side projects, The Family, on their first and only album in 1987.

It remains one of the best break-up songs ever recorded in the history of man and fortunately for all of us mortals, he gave the song to one of the few women who looks good without hair.

You can find the original recording of the song here.

No more I love you’s (#OriginalMyAss #5)

Other than the fact that she looks like a complete psycho surrounded by even weirder people in the music video, I actually like NO MORE I LOVE YOU’S as performed by the always great ANNIE LENNOX in 1995.  The video only needs a clown or two to be a homage to my nightmares.

And it’s not just me who likes the song, she won a Grammy for her performance of the song, as the lead single from her second solo album ‘Medusa’.  But who knew this was a cover? I think I would have to apologize to a few of her fans with this, so unnecessary, piece of information.

The original was written and first recorded in 1986 by the band The Lover Speaks and sounds like a bad rip-off of the hit by Madam Annie.

I swear (#OriginalMyAss Ep2)

This one was a shocker.  Not only for the extremely bad video, that’s basically about four guys stalking a woman from a rooftop, or the freakish mustaches some of the band members attempted to wear but the fact that this song was actually a country song before it turned into R&B gold for ALL-4-ONE.

And here they are with their cover of I SWEAR.  It even gave them a Grammy for best performance by a group and bragging rights for hitting the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot100 for a week.  Their version also competed for Song of the Year at the 1995 Grammys.

The original was performed by John Michael Montgomery a year before their version broke. Please be warned that the linked video drips of sentiment like only a good ole country music video can.

PS – The group also covered his “I can love you like that” which also competed for Song of the Year at the 1996 Grammys.  But don’t worry, I’m not going to post that song too.

Torn (#OriginalMyAss Ep1)

I’m appalled and my whole childhood was a lie.

I’ve recently started digging up information on which famous songs were actually covered by the artist who made them famous.  This random research project was sparked by the brilliant cover of Sounds of Silence from Disturbed.  (The song was featured on this site before.)  And we can all agree that their version is better than the original.

*backing away from the crowd

What I didn’t expect was to find so many famous songs that was actually covers, previously recorded by other singers, before it turned into hits.

This will be a series of posts which I will call #OriginalMyAss and please be warned that it might destroy your childhood and love for certain songs.

Here is TORN from NATALIE IMBRUGLIA…

It was originally recorded by some unpronounceable Danish girl in 1993, then again by Ednaswap in 1995, before it turned into a debut hit single for Natalie in 1997.

Now you know.  And I’m sorry.

Do you feel like I feel?

I’m working through a 90’s playlist and as anyone who knows me will know, I’m a big fan of Belinda Carlisle.  Had a poster of her in my room and everything.  (That poster has since been replaced by one of Britney Spears but who can blame me.)

Returning to the hotness of Belinda, I’m not sure why her later albums didn’t achieve the success of the first two in the states.  Nevertheless she was big down here.  I’ve always enjoyed her music and her numerous greatest hits collections all stand the test of time.

Did I mention that she was the first international musician I saw live in concert?

Anyhow, here is a beautiful, enlarged version of BELINDA CARLISLE singing DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL?

Love is all around

A long, long time ago in an era where poking friends implied a sexual activity and not something you do with fake friends on a social platform.  Or when twitter was the sound made by a sick bird and not something I could waste several hours on, there was a skinny squire with mousy hair and a stunning personality.  He fell in love with the prettiest maiden in all the land and low and behold she agreed to marry him two years later.

Twenty years later that awkward squire turned into a father and the most beautiful maiden is still the envy of every man who meets her.  We are still living our own happily ever after, even if we have to share our living space with two teenagers.

Celebrating my astonishingly, amazing Wife and our 20 years together, I’m posting the first song we heard as a married couple.  WET WET WET singing LOVE IS ALL AROUND.

I love you more, every day, since the moment we met and you’ve changed my life forever.

Janie’s got a gun

Remember when M-TV actually showed music videos?  Can you believe this one was banned by the channel due to “graphic depiction” of incest?  WTF?  It’s called suggestion people.  Do they even know what shit they have on their channel now?

This video was made during an era when music videos were actually kind of entertaining and most of them tried to convey the message of the song.  This one definitely did that for me.  Unfortunately it’s a time forgotten.

I heard this song on the way to work and was struck once again by the crystal clear, unfiltered, in-your-face, what-ar-u-gonna-do-about-it message on child abuse.

Speak.  Listen.  Act.

Highland

This was a huge hit when I was a kid.  The album of this Swedish band went gold down here in South Africa.  And that is the truth and not me trying to be funny.

So why would I pick this as my song of the week?  I had an amazing experience on Saturday and couldn’t find a song that express the level of serenity I experienced being in the middle of the deep blue waters of the Indian ocean.  So I figured this one might do the trick. The lyrics makes a little connection here and there…

I took the liberty of highlighting the obvious differences.

I’ll be waiting on the Highland (I was at sea)
With its wonderful serenity
Where the stars glow and the brooks flow (It was during the day and the sun was vicious)
That’s my way of life (I’m not a pirate or a skipper)
When the mountains on the Highland (You got to focus, the ocean not the mountain)
And the nature is surrounding me
When the wind blows
That’s all I need, all I need (with great company and a few beers)

So this is actually nothing like the mind-blowing trip I had, but nonetheless I still hope you’ll enjoy ONE MORE TIME belting out Highland.

I’ll be there for you

Another week and another reminder of how awesome it is to have great friends in your life. And I’m not saying this because of the great gift I got for my birthday or the awesome social gathering we had on Wednesday.

I’m saying it because it’s true.

Add to that the fact that we’ve been binge watching every single season of FRIENDS for the last couple of months, and finished the The Last One of season 10 last night, then you might have a better understanding of how close this hits home.

Treasure your friends because you picked them.  And how can you celebrate friends wihtout listening to I’ll be there for you, as sung by The Rembrandts

Stay

Yes, I’m still alive…did you miss me?

I’m still posting away on that other site of mine.  I know I am neglecting this one.  Like it was a cheap thrill.  Like it meant nothing.  Like it was just another one night stand.  Meeting a great lady, hitting it off, getting to know her a lot better and then slipping away in the dead of night with no intention of calling back.

But it’s not like that at all.  I’m back now, am I not?  Sometimes a guy needs to sleep and eat too.  And I’m actually getting paid to be a productive employee, working when I’m at the office…

bawahahahaha.  I’m funny.

Getting back to Stay.  I heard this song on the radio this morning and it released a flood of memories.  Mostly of my time as a teenager listening to Shakespeare’s Sister and a heap of other great bands.  Let’s face it, the music video was ahead of its time and these two ladies can sing.  Their vocals will haunt the valleys of your mind.

It’s sad to think that youth cannot Stay with us and memories fade with time.  At least we have music and music is eternal.  It has the ability to recover moments of our life in picture perfect clarity.