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.

Leave out all the rest

I was shocked to hear about the tragic death of Chester Bennington, who for those of you don’t know, is the frontman of Linkin Park.  One of my favourite bands, even though there last record sucked…

I don’t normally get caught up with celebrities and their lives but there has been moments where I would sit back in disbelief about tragedies like this one.  Another one that blew me out of the water was the death of Robin Williams.

LINKIN PARK has been making amazing music for more than a decade, an most of it occurred outside of the Transformer movie series.  My opinion might not mean anything to most people but I think we have lost, not only a great voice, but an amazing talent.

You will me missed but your music will live on forever. RIP.

To honour the memory of a legacy left behind, I’m posting LEAVE OUT ALL THE REST.

Needles and Pins (#OriginalMyAss #7)

This was another shocker simply because I always considered this hit to be one the band’s signature songs.  This and that other song where someone starting using a swear word in the chorus.

NEEDLES AND PINS was released in 1977 as a cover by SMOKIE of the original recording from Jackie DeShannon in 1963.

I find it intriguing to watch the video and see how the men dressed back in the day and laugh at the ridiculous hairstyles they thought they had.  They look like a trio of Joker’s henchmen.  As I was conceived in the same decade, I suppose my Dad had a wonderful personality or didn’t follow the fashion at all.

You can listen to the original recording of the song here.  It’s actually been covered a whopping 10 times and ironically, most successfully, by The Searchers in 1964.

I drove all night (#OriginalMyAss #6)

I didn’t forget about the people who are anxiously waiting for me to continue my series on hits that’s actually covers of pre-released songs.

This time it’s the turn of CYNDI LAUPER with her rendition of I DROVE ALL NIGHT, which some might call her signature song.  O-kay, “some” being me.  She also got a Grammy nomination for her version of the song.  It remains one of my favourites of the eighties and I reckon it’s better than the original, as recorded by Roy Orbison two years prior in 1987.

After it was made famous by Miss Lauper, they released his “original” version in 1992. His version became a hit overseas and also gave him a Grammy.

So technically this isn’t a cover.  Or is it?  Enjoy my peeps.  You can watch Jason Priestly and Jennifer Connelly make out to the original here.

Rise up

We are surrounded with inspiration every day, we just need to open our eyes to see it.  People who do amazing things against the odds.  People who live and breathe and get up every morning despite the difficulty of doing so.

We don’t have any excuses.  Life does bitch slap you every so often and I would be the first to admit that things doesn’t always go your way but the choice to get up and rise above your situation is yours.  Unfortunately no-one can get up for you, that is all you. They can provide support and a whole lot of encouragement but in the end the “standing and facing life” part is all up to you.

And it’s not easy.  It takes courage.  And commitment.  And an endless source of positive energy.  But IT IS POSSIBLE.  I was floored by this amazing anthem last night about the pure, brutal determination of the human spirit.  How we as humans have an ability to defy the odds, to get up again.  And again.  And again.  A thousand times.

If you’re fortunate to be standing today, find someone who needs a little help.  A little encouragement.  A little love to rise up as well.  And give it to them.  I hope ANDRA DAY singing RISE UP  will be the inspiration you need to find that someone today.

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.

If I were a boy (#OriginalMyAss Ep4)

Hair will be torn out of skulls and clothes will be torn of bodies…people will revolt!

Some might even fall into some kind of weird depression but everyone will fact check me on this cover.   Go ahead, it’s all over the internet…

You’re back?  Convinced?  Fact remains, BEYONCE has also recorded a cover, even though it seems totally unbelievable.  I mean who else could bring justice to a song like IF I WERE A BOY, released in 2008?  And what normal person out there can resist ending the video before the *spoiler alert* gender swop is revealed.

It’s the stuff of magic.

I have to confess, her version is a MAJOR improvement on the original recording that was made by BC Jean, who also happened to write the song.

Not to be judgmental, but the original version now sounds like a bad Idols audition…

Rockbottom

It’s a small break in my series of covers that everyone thought was originals…

And the reason for this sudden break in the normal programming?  Well, I think I now understand the concept of “rockbottom”.  I’ve seen first hand how difficult it is to fall that hard, albeit for a second.  It’s never a pleasant experience, whether you’ve hit this place in a relationship, or in a work situation, or at school.  It’s the same shitty spot for everyone.

The good thing about hitting the gutter is that you’re left with two options: You can (1) get up or (2) get up because the only alternative is to die there.

And this post is celebrating all the people who decide to go for option one.  Those who get up.

ROCKBOTTOM is sung by one of my favourite young artists of the moment, Miss HAILEE STEINFELD collaborating with DNCE.

The best (#OriginalMyAss Ep3)

I’ve never been a major fan of the music of TINA TURNER, I was a bigger fan of her legs. But when she dropped THE BEST as the lead single to her 1989 “Foreign Affair”, it quickly became a favourite at our local school dances. It was a make-out song of note. Some people even bought the album!

Imagine my disappointment to learn that she wasn’t the first woman to record this song.  It also quite strange that she seems to be flirting with a horse in the video of the song. Or maybe it’s just me.

The original version was sung by Bonnie Tyler in 1988 and it sounds basically the same and the video is also pretty awful.

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.