DEEK – Extraordinary Renditions
Synth Pop whizz, Bullion (aka Nathan Jenkins), picks his favourite covers over at Test Pressing to coincide with the release of “Extraordinary Renditions”, the second compilation of covers on his label, Deek Recordings.
Last night we were lucky enough to catch a special show marking the release at the Ace Hotel, featuring live renditions from album contributors Raf Daddy, Laura Groves, Never and Nilufer Yanya.
Just for fun we’ve put together some of our favourite cover songs below…
Grace Jones – Walking In The Rain (Flash And The Pan)
Australian New Wave group, Flash and the Pan (Harry Vanda and George Young, both formerly of The Easybeats), had an idiosyncratic style which at the very least is an acquired taste. However, behind their kooky sound there’s some really serious songwriting.
For “Walking In The Rain”, Grace Jones transforms the melancholy original into something brooding, sexy and almost(!) danceable.
Anita Lane – Lost in Music (Sister Sledge)
Bad Seeds associate, Anita Lane, slows things down but loses none of the energy or excitement of the Sister Sledge disco classic. A must for any discerning dive bar dj.
Bell Towers – Love Chain Reaction (Pet Shop Boys)
Some shameless self promotion here… I produced this laid-back version of “Domino Dancing” for a special Ruff Kutz 12” of cover songs back in 2014. It has since been licensed for a compilation by Danish Balearic guru, Kenneth Bager.
Sky Creackers – You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees)
Italo disco is a genre renowned for its liberal inspiration taking (read, pillaging) of popular music… “Ciao! Italians do it better!”. Cheesy as it may be it’s hard not crack a smile at this cheeky dance-floor killer.
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Matthew’s selections:
Jellybean – Was Dog a Doughnut (Cat Stevens)
Taken from his 1984 record “Wotupski!?!”, John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez puts his Funhouse spin on a Cat Steven’s classic. The track was originally released by Stevens in 1977 and is well regarded as as seminal piece of Proto-Electro.
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Firecracker (Martin Denny)
YMO’s killer take on Martin Denny’s “Firecracker”, from his 1959 world music record ‘Quiet Village – The Exotic Sounds Of Martin Denny’.
Legowelt – And the Beat Goes On (Whispers)
Armed with a Sequential Circuits DrumTraks and a Korg Poly-800, Dutch producer Danny Wolfers, aka Legowelt, gives his interpretation of the Whispers 1980 disco hit.
