Tuesday, December 13, 2011

[Prince-4ever] Re: [ChiTownGeneration] Some singers go crazy 2 cover Prince tunes

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From: Jill <prince88@sbcglobal.net>
To: CTG <chitowngeneration@yahoogroups.com>; TPU <thepurpleunderground@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 2:12 AM
Subject: [ChiTownGeneration] Some singers go crazy 2 cover Prince tunes

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Some+singers+crazy+cover+Prince+tunes/5846183/story.html

Some singers go crazy 2 cover Prince tunes

By Sandra Sperounes, Postmedia NewsDecember 12, 2011

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The oft-covered but never duplicated Prince performs in this 2005 file photo. The Purple One plays Edmonton Dec. 13, Calgary Dec. 14, Vancouver Dec. 16 and Victoria Dec. 17.

Photograph by: Getty Images, Getty Images

You know you're rock 'n' roll royalty when hundreds of artists -- from country stars to punk acts to synth-popsters -- want to sing your tunes.

The Purple One of funk-rock, Prince, might just be one of today's most covered artists. Click on YouTube and type in "Prince cover" and you'll get pages and pages of videos, including late rocker Warren Zevon's Americana cover of "Raspberry Beret," Colin Munroe's electro version of "I Would Die 4 U" and Ian Emmerson's surprisingly soulful ukulele rendition of "Purple Rain." (Most musicians seem to choose songs from Prince's poppier '80s albums and steer clear of his less accessible works from the last 10 years.)

Yet you won't find many legal clips of Prince's own performances or music videos on the YouTube site. The staunch supporter of copyright law is a bit old-school when it comes to the Internet -- and even covers.

His record label once tried -- unsuccessfully -- to remove a 29-second video of a toddler bouncing around to "Let's Go Crazy." Earlier this year, Prince said he doesn't always like other musicians recording his songs.

"I don't mind fans singing the songs," he said in an interview on Lopez Tonight in April. "My problem is when the industry covers the music. See, covering music means that your version doesn't exist anymore. A lot of times people think I'm doing Sinead O'Connor's song and Chaka Khan's song, when in fact, I wrote those songs. And it's OK when my friends ask to do them ..."

(Hmm ... sounds like the problem isn't so much the industry as it is people's memories.)

Of course, O'Connor's 1990 version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" is the ultimate Prince cover. (He initially wrote the tune for a side project, The Family, in 1985, and didn't start performing it until after O'Connor topped the charts.)

Here's a sampling of some majestic and not-so-regal covers available on YouTube ... for the next few hours, at least:

"When You Were Mine"

Like Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" or Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You," fans might be more familiar with Cyndi Lauper's pouty, synthy 1985 version of "When You Were Mine" than Prince's take on it. (His recording, featured on 1980's Dirty Mind, is a '60s-flavoured keys 'n' guitar-bop ditty.)

You might never want to hear Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's rendition. The indie-popster, a dude by the name of Owen Ashworth from California, slows down the tempo, adds goofy keyboards and a comatose spoken-word delivery. Casiotone for the Painfully Monotone.

"Darling Nikki"

Ever since he became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001, Prince isn't fond of playing this raunchy number from 1984's Purple Rain. That's OK, since it's one of his most covered tunes -- R&B/pop vixen Rihanna offers a hot and heavy version of it during live sets, while Ghostland Observatory 's electro rendition sounds creepier, thanks to sparse beats and Aaron Behrens' hysterical and nasal vocals.

Even actress Rebecca Romijn -- the blue chick from X-Men -- got in on the Nikki action, adding strings and rockier guitars to distract from her sketchy vocals. The best: A smouldering, metalesque version by the Foo Fighters , featuring Dave Grohl's blood-curdling yowls.

"Kiss"

With the help of the group Art of Noise, Welsh legend Tom Jones resurrected his career as a global sex bomb with a bombastic horn 'n' synth-pop cover (1988) of Prince's slinky, falsetto-flavoured hit.

Soft-rock star John Mayer used to play a flaccid, jazzed-out version at gigs. (Sexy tunes aren't his forte; Prince should personally ban Mayer from covering his tunes.) These days, country stars Lady Antebellum often break out a rockin' version, with Hillary Scott taking lead vocals.

"When Doves Cry"

Swedish pop star Robyn tries to add her baby-girl vocals -- and an anxious cascade of keys -- to this Purple Rain classic, but she sounds like she can't keep up with the speedier pace. New York punk pioneer Patti Smith plays it smart and sings a slower, sultrier (and guitar) version of the tune.

"Let's Go Crazy"

Refused , one of the most influential (and short-lived) punk bands, renders Prince's funk-rock party tune from Purple Rain almost unrecognizable -- until frontman Dennis Lyxzen shouts out the chorus. A raw, unrepentant and unpredictable barrage of noise, unlike the faithful version recorded by SoCal rockers Incubus , complete with churchy organ intro.