LOOK WHAT I COULD FIND vol 11
"Covers to die for 1" - 16 unexpected versions of songs you should know already

 

In The Trashcan Records       GEM011
"Standells, Stooges, Syd Barrett, Supremes, T.Rex, Tommy James, Yardbirds, Lee Hazelwood...will they kill these artists?"

1. try it - cobra killer

When I think of the releases on Digital Hardcore Recordings, only Atari Teenage Riot comes to mind. These girls from Cobra Killer devastate and demolish the Standells classic "Try it". Annika and Gina know their classics as they cut up and reassembled more sixties tunes into new songs on their albums. This, however, was their first 45, released a year after their eponymous debut album, also for Alex Empire's DHR label.

9. solid gold easy action - department s

Reissued on various labels, but the first release was on Demon in 1980. This short-lived  London based band, born out of Guns For Hire, existed from 1979 to 1982 after releasing three 45s. A-side of this T-Rex rendition is the well known indie hit "Is Vic there?". As the single was produced by two Mott The Hoople members, it is no surprise that the backing vocals were done by Thunderthighs, the female trio that also appeared on several Mott releases and even on Lou Reed's "Walk on the wild side". Department S singer Vaughn Toulouse, born Cotillard, died of AIDS in 1991.

2. barracuda - panty boy

A Belgian release from 1995 by a Dutch band featuring another Standells classic, written by Ed Cobb. Panty Boy were known for their guitar trash sounds

10. 20th century boy - siouxsie & the banshees

"The staircase (mystery)" was Siouxsie's third 7" release. This T-Rex cover was the flipside. Siouxsie Sioux and her Banshees did a great job.

3. tv eye - goat

A non-album track put on the B-side of "Good times", a 1991 release on Beggars Banquet. Yes, this is the Stooges song. Goat play mostly metal influenced guitar rock; still I must admit it is one of the best versions I have ever heard of "TV eye".

11. hanky panky - mad daddys

This comes from an Austrian split-7" on Pure Vinyl, limited to 750 copies on splattered grey vinyl. Mad Daddys hailed from New Jersey and started as a Cramps cover band, which shows on this Tommy James & The Shondells classic.

4. 1969 - true west

And again a non-album B-side. As prominent member of the so-called Paisley Underground in California, they combined psychedelic pop with garage rock. Founded in 1982 they disbanded 10 years later, but have reformed again. Iggy Pop would be proud of what these guys did with this Stooges anthem.

12. crimson and clover - north 2 alaskans

Australian band with two releases in 1982, including this one on Green, which is a medley of Tommy James' "Crimson and clover" and The Anglos' "Incense".They must have used the wah-wah pedal as a main instrument to create an acid-drenched psychedelic cabaret of rainbows and waterfalls.

5. astronomy dominé - walkingseeds

For me Pink Floyd was Syd Barrett. He wrote this song in 1967 while this awesome version is from 1990. Walkingseeds hailed from Liverpool and was formed in 1986. Their heavy psychedelic guitar walls of sound influenced the late 80s scene of Seattle, out of which bands emerged such as Mudhoney and Nirvana.

13. heart full of soul - chris isaak

The Yardbirds are one of my favourite bands. And "Heart full of soul" is simply one of the best Graham Gouldman songs. Chris Isaak's voice is perfect for this song, which he recorded in 1987 for Warner Bros.

6. late night - this mortal coil

Again a Syd Barrett song, albeit from his post-Pink Floyd period. It's an etheral and spooky version, sung by Caroline Crawley (and not Kim Deal and Tanya Donelly who sing the better known "You and your sister" on the A-side), issued in 1991 by UK indie label 4AD.

14. finirà - sciacalli

Another wonderful Gouldman composition is "For your love", the song that drove Eric Clapton away from The Yardbirds, for being too commercial. Here you get the Italian version, issued on the obscure Destination X label in 1993. Sciacalli hailed from Bologna in Italy.

7. can't hurry love - stray cats

A Motown classic, originally by The Supremes, covered by rockabilly sweeties The Stray Cats, one year before Phil Collins topped the charts with his dreadful version. It's 1981 and Stray Cats topped the charts with the A-side "Rock this town".

15. these boots are made for walkin' - fulham furies

I end this volume with two Lee Hazelwood compositions, this one begin the biggest hit for Nancy Sinatra. Here it gets a punky rendition by Fulham Furies. It was released for GM Records in 1978.

8. come see about me - the kissettes

The backing band of The Kissettes are The Nomads, Swedish garage kings of the 80s. Released on the small label That's Entertainment in 1993. They remind me of a mix between The Runaways and The Bangles however. On the same EP there's the Roky Erickson ballad "Starry eyes" and two other cover versions.

16. this town - ugly papas

Another Lee Hazlewood composition made famous by Frank Sinatra. "This Town" never sounded this raw in the hands of the Belgian combo Ugly Papas. It's from their debut EP on Getter in 1990.