A Year In Pop: 37

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Hello clouds hello sky hello elvis reissues, I'm back in the "saddle" (thanx to piratemoggy for her excellent work) and ready to tick. Just one question - what is Phil Collins doing here?

[Poll #1057109]

EDIT: THE HI TACK SONG IS "LET'S DANCE" NOT "SAY SAY SAY". THOUGH IF YOU HATED ONE YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO TICK THE OTHER I GUESS. IDIOT ME.

Let;s Dance - To The Sound They're Playing On The Radio

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Found a couple of new tracks yesterday from Almighty Records, purveyors of high quality gay disco bosh (those Keane and Elton John versions I played at the August Poptimism for instance). I don't actually have the files here - might add them to the post later if there's demand - I just had A POINT to make.

The first is a rousing version of "Band Of Gold" which turns the opening riff into something more trancey and synthey. It's pretty poptastic and a good example of how to do a tacky dance cover version - doesn't take anything away from the original.

The second is a little more problematic I guess - the latest single by the jewel in the Almighty crown, Belle Lawrence, who did last year's amazing version of the Arctic Monkeys and has also tackled tracks by the Killers, Nickelback, Dido etc - her speciality is bringing out the disco in dadrock, basically. However this track is a cover of Robyn's "With Every Heartbeat". So yes, LOL INDIE etc, but did the record need a cover? It's already a 'dance record', perhaps just insufficiently 'upfront' for some elements of the market. Belle's version adds a whacking great backbeat and is general more defiant where Robyn's is vulnerable - it's more about the two steps forward rather than the step back. The vulnerability is sort of the entire point of the original but in a sneaky, unwholesome way I really enjoy the cover too.

What are your views in general on commercial dance cover versions and remixes - for instance, do you prefer them to be supercharging stuff you do like or attempting to redeem things you don't?