Cover of the Week

Fantastic Vocal Ode To PRINCE – DOLLY PARTON Covers ‘PURPLE RAIN’ On Her New Album ‘Rockstar’

Posted on by JL

18 November 2023

At the age of 77, fabulous country superstar
DOLLY PARTON is still working longer than
9 to 5 per day.

In a recent interview, she said: “I would never retire. I’ll just hopefully drop
dead in the middle of a song on stage someday, hopefully one I’ve written.”

And to prove her never-ending productivity, she just released her
49th (!) LP. It’s called Rockstar. Yep, Parton‘s first rock longplayer.
It features several big name collaborations.

The supreme standout track is her cover of PURPLE RAIN,
the 1984 blockbuster hit from late musical genius PRINCE.

Parton‘s vocal performance is absolutely fantastic.

DOLLY

PRINCE

Dolly: Instagram
Prince: Instagram

CHVRCHES’ Frontwoman LAUREN MAYBERRY Covers 1983 Hit ‘LUFTBALLONS’ By German Band ‘NENA’

Posted on by JL

24 October 2023

Being on a break from her synth-pop band CHVRCHES,
Scottish frontwoman LAUREN MAYBERRY takes her first
steps as a solo artist with two songs, Are You Awake?
and Shame.

She’s playing some gigs in Europe now.

One was last week in a small club in Munich, Germany. For the occasion,
she covered international hit 99 LUFTBALLONS from 1983 by German
band NENA, fronted by Gabriele Kerner. An irresistibly catchy tune.

The song topped the charts in several European
countries and peaked at #2 in the US.

Mayberry‘s cover is funky fun and sung in… German.

Original

NENA: Bio

American Veteran Rockers SPOON Love And Cover Legend BO DIDDLEY

Posted on by JL

20 September 2023


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

The celebrated Texan rockers SPOON (in business for 30 years / 10 studio LPs)
released a new 4-track EP last June, named MEMORY DUST.

It features 3 tracks from the sessions of last year’s LP The Hardest Cut and one
Bo Diddley cover, the blues rock legend’s voodoo resonating 1961 song She’s Fine
She’s Mine. Pretty bouncy take.

SPOON

BO DIDDLEY

SPOON: Facebook – Instagram

PIXIES Cover Legend LEON RUSSELL On New Tribute Album – Hear Their Steaming Version Of ‘CRYSTAL CLOSET QUEEN’ Here

Posted on by JL

14 September 2023

Musical Nashville legend LEON RUSSELL, born
Claude Russell Bridge in 1942, passed away in 2016,
at the age of 74.

He was an all-round songsmith who released more than 30 LPs during his 60-year career, mixing rock, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. In 2011 he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

To celebrate the genial, eccentric looking artist, a 10-track
tribute album came out last week, titled A SONG FOR LEON.

It includes great performances from artists such as Orville Peck, Nathaniel Rateliff, Leon’s daughter Tina Rose, Amy Nelson (Willie Nelson‘s daughter), Bootsy Collins, and more.


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

Noise icons PIXIES also feature on the LP with their steaming version of Russell‘s 1971 classic boogie woogie cracker CRYSTAL CLOSET QUEEN. Long live Rock ‘n’ Russell Roll.

PIXIES

LEON RUSSELL

ALBUM


.
LEON RUSSELL: Bio – Discography
TUTV: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

TOYAH AND ROBERT FRIPP Were HEROES At Stone Valley South Festival 2023

Posted on by JL

TOYAH and ROBERT FRIPP bring us fun, hilarity and music every Sunday
for more than two years now from their kitchen with covers of pop & rock
classics.

It’s not that they weren’t already famous before the Covid-19 lockdown started.
Toyah and Fripp have both remarkable careers on their résume and they’re definitely
not done yet, as Toyah proved crystal clear with her 2021 Posh Pop album and Robert
still touring with  King Crimson, his band of a lifetime.

And regularly they leave their beloved kitchen to play live together, as happened last
May at the Stone Valley South Festival in Great Amwell, England where they played, as part
of their set, their vivid cover of David Bowie‘s 1977 mega-hit HEROES, on which Fripp
played guitar back then.

Toyah and Robert recently celebrated their 37th anniversary together,
cause they’re lovers, and that is a fact, yes they’re lovers, and that is that.

Heroes.

Sunday Lunch Sessions on the road this Fall.

Thanks to Ruth Rae for the Heroes registration.

AL GREEN – Soul Legend Spends A ‘PERFECT DAY’ With LOU REED’s Classic

Posted on by JL

22 August 2023

Legendary soul man AL GREEN (aged 77), most famous for his 1972 diamond
Let’s Stay Together (more than 460 million streams on Spotify) has just released
his cover of Lou Reed classic Perfect Day.

Green: “The song immediately puts you in a good mood. We wanted
to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style.”

Green‘s version has that good old retro Motown feel,
extra spiced here with its warm 60s organs in the back.

Charming and beauteous.

Original

AL GREEN: Bio – Discography – Instagram

MARK LINKOUS And SPARKLEHORSE Covered An Old Cracker From Psych Legend ROBYN HITCHCOCK

Posted on by JL

10 August 2023


Mark Linkous

Mark Linkous, the conductor of Virginia band SPARKLEHORSE
left this world too soon. He took his own life back in 2010, at the
age of 47.

For all fans (including me) here’s great news. The album he was working on,
named Bird Machine, at the time of his passing, will come out on September 8.
Linkous’ brother Matt and sister-in-law Melissa have been working on finishing
the LP.

One of the tracks is a cover of Robyn Hitchcock‘s 1982 psych cracker
Listening To The Higsons, recorded with his then band The Egyptians.

Mark Linkous heard the song when it came out and it became one
of his favorite ones. He recorded his take with renowned producer
Steve Albini. Sparklehorse’s version is infused with a lot of distortion.

Listen

Original

At the age of 70 Hitchcock has no intention to retire. Last year, he released
his highly acclaimed 22th (!) album, entitled Shufflemania!


.
ROBYN HITCHCOCK: Instagram
SPARKLEHORSE: Instagram

SOCCER MOMMY With Pithy SHERYL CROW Cover Of ‘SOAK UP THE SUN’

Posted on by JL

31 July 2023

Nashville songstress SOCCER MOMMY (born Sophia Regina Allison
26 years ago) has reached the status of superstar after 3 albums.

As she’s a vivid fan of that other long-time rock/pop star Sheryl Crow
she recently recorded her cover of Crow‘s 2002 hit SOAK UP THE SUN.

Mommy: “As a big fan of Sheryl Crow, this a song I’ve been wanting to cover
since I used to practice it in my parents’ basement years ago. I’ve always wanted
to work it up again.”

Soak here.

Original

SOCCER MOMMY: Instagram

DEPECHE MODE Frontman DAVE GAHAN Covers Legends THE GUN CLUB With Formidable ‘MOTHER OF EARTH’ Version

Posted on by JL

25 July 2023

For the past decade, a group of friends and fans of Jeffrey Lee Pierce,
the late great frontman of wayward rock band The Gun Club (1979–1996)
have recorded 3 posthumous tribute albums called
the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project.

The fourth volume of that series is now canned The Task Has Overwhelmed Us,
and comes in September. It’ll feature contributions from big names such as
Nick Cave, Debbie Harry, Mark Lanegan, Warren Ellis, Mick Harvey, Lydia Lunch,
and more.

Depeche Mode‘s voice/face DAVE GAHAN
is also part of the star cast.

His version of country rock pearl MOTHER EARTH
from the Gun Club‘s 1982 LP Miami is formidable.

He slowed it down, and after a downhearted piano intro, the song
swells with tension and burning guitar-infused electricity and ends
with the melancholic first part.

Stellar

Original

THE GUN CLUB: Bio – Discography

A Creamy Lunch With Genuine Love Sunshines TOYAH And ROBERT

Posted on by JL

 

On the seventh day of the week – almost 3 years ago – God decided to entertain
all people suffering in lockdown due to the awful Covid-19 pandemic. He called famous wife/husband rockers TOYAH WILLCOX and ROBERT FRIPP (King Crimson) and asked them to figure something out on Sunday, the holy day, that would make people happy.

Enter the Sunday Lunch Sessions with Toyah and Robert covering classics while going mental in their kitchen every week. Due to its spectacular success and by huge popular demand the show is still running, even hitting the road next Fall.

This edition is pretty creamy and punky and messy and
ends with an invitation to hug the sunshine of your love,
with or without cream.

Roll the tape.

The original cream.

TOYAH/FRIPP: Sunday Love Website