seb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) (09/11/85)
Chryssie Hynde of the Pretenders and UB40 have released a new version of the Sonny and Cher classic(?) "I got you babe." I happen to really like the new version. It has a distinct reggae beat and it certainly benefits from not having Sonny's whiny voice singing the male lead. Some friends of mine have also heard the new version and really find it obnoxious. Anyone else find that this cover version breathes some new life into an old, pop tune? Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzz!seb ...just running up that hill...
andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) (09/11/85)
In article <1145@mtgzz.UUCP> seb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) writes: > Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and UB40 have released >a new version of the Sonny and Cher classic(?) "I got you babe." >I happen to really like the new version. It has a distinct >reggae beat and it certainly benefits from not having Sonny's whiny >voice singing the male lead. Or Cher's singing the female lead! > Some friends of mine have also heard the new version and >really find it obnoxious. Anyone else find that this cover version >breathes some new life into an old, pop tune? Yes (although I still prefer the Dictators' version). I've never cared that much for the original, although I admit it was certainly clever of Sonny to blend the folk-rock style with the Spector 'wall of sound' for the instrumental track. Sonny, of course, had been one of Spector's assistants prior to his success with S&C - and he learned his lessons well. ("Just You", recorded in '64 but not a hit until late '65, shows the Spector influence even more.) Prior to working with Spector, BTW, Sonny had been a producer/A&R man with Specialty (he co-wrote the B-side of Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie"), released several singles under the pseudonyms Don Christy and Ronny Sommers, and co-wrote Jackie DeShannon's/The Searchers'/The Ramones' :-) "Needles and Pins". (An account of his pre-S&C career appeared in the now-defunct Time Barrier Express. Write for copies.) I'm sure you all know what Cher's been up to recently. Last thing I knew, Sonny had opened a restaurant. >...just running up that hill... Hey, I actually heard that one last night! Not bad, but I wouldn't trade the Nightcrawlers or Bob Kuban & the In-Men for it... AWR
rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (09/12/85)
> Chryssie Hynde of the Pretenders and UB40 have released > a new version of the Sonny and Cher classic(?) "I got you babe." > I happen to really like the new version. It has a distinct > reggae beat and it certainly benefits from not having Sonny's whiny > voice singing the male lead. > Some friends of mine have also heard the new version and > really find it obnoxious. Anyone else find that this cover version > breathes some new life into an old, pop tune? [Sharon Badian] Hear, hear! It's one of the few covers I prefer to the original. "Breathes new life into an old tune" describes it exactly. Who would have thought this was a great candidate for covering? It is fresh and original, unlike certain covers by a Ms. Patty Andrewski (sp) aka Benatar... (If you need yet another example of how pathetic Pat Benatar is as an interpretive artist, compare her "cover" (i.e., exact copy) of "Helter Skelter" with the one done by Siouxsie & the Banshees... But I digress.) -- Anything's possible, but only a few things actually happen. Rich Rosen pyuxd!rlr
michaelf@ISM780.UUCP (09/12/85)
Sonny's restaurant in West Hollywood is called Bono's
for some strange reason. The lousy food is only
outdone by the lousy service.