The Not-Pop Jukebox

In reposting from five years ago, I keep finding playlists that I created in Grooveshark that have all disappeared into an abyss never to be seen again. They included as many as forty versions of or thematically related songs that I spent hours curating. Ring of Fire was one of the first, and it was blessedly short!

Happily, the song and its covers have not paled over time. My family still sings it at full volume when shuffle blesses us with a version. Here's hoping the rest of my recreations go as smoothly! Here's the original post and the new video playlist with the addition of the actual original from Anita Carter and a couple of other great burning covers (don't miss DragonForce and don't look for Coldplay--this is the Not-Pop Jukebox, you know).

I feel that I should start with a disclaimer that I don’t watch American Idol. I do, however, like many of Johnny Cash’s songs and Ring of Fire in particular. It caught my eye that one of the contestants performed a very unusual version of that song last night and the wildly varying opinions led me to watch the video.

While I wasn’t crazy about the arrangement, the many posts and comments that I read expressing the opinion that Johnny Cash was spinning in his grave made me go looking for even more versions of Ring of Fire. I suspect that The Man in Black would have given the contestant a hearty pat on the back for taking such chances rather than being offended by the unusual interpretation. Of all of the country stars whose songs he could have chosen, I think Cash is the most likely to enjoy such a creative rendition.

Consider these versions of Ring of Fire, most of which were recorded while Mr. Cash was still alive (and, for the better-known acts, almost certainly with his permission). Try Grace Jones’ reggae-tinged version, Ray Charles’ soulful cover, or Blondie’s punk-country take on it. I’ve included Johnny Cash himself at the end (he's at the beginning, now), for a reminder of how it originally sounded. There’s a bit of nasty language in the Social Distortion cover, so if that will upset you then you may want to skip it.

I've posted about the Nils Landgren Funk Unit before and I probably will again. I don't think I've ever waxed adoringly on the funky, jazzy sax prowess of Maceo Parker. As a transition between the two, and as a shining example of why talented people should collaborate, let's have the former playing--nay jamming their faces off--with the latter.

The Chicken has been around a while. James Brown released it as a B side first but Pee Wee Ellis wrote the thing to begin with. As with so many great songs, musicians picked it up and made it their own over the decades. The bones stay the same but the body of the song changes with every player and each solo along the way. Enjoy!

It's time to plug the Not-Pop Jukebox back in, and what better way to do that than to go back to my first song and re-post the song with a new way to listen to it? As far as I can tell, no alternative to the wonders that were Grooveshark are going to arise and I miss posting so we're going with videos. The post went thus (I used to be more succinct):

I remember when Dance the Night Away was a old David-Lee-Roth-era Van Halen tune. I can admit that I rather liked it then; I'm old enough not to blush about my occasional enjoyment of hair band hits. But the song was due for an update. Along came the Forces of Evil in 2003, with their ska rendition of the song on the album "Friend or Foe".

I'll add to my original blurb that Dance the Night Away was Van Halen's first hit, when I was but a wee music fan, and that the story behind it could only have come from a group that paid their dues playing dive bars. Whoever that woman was that inspired the song, the world of rock and roll thanks you.

Due to a misremembered lyric this evening, I found myself following a trail of songs that included the phrase "red hands" in the title. Since I've all but abandoned you all I thought I'd bring you the whole, sloppy mess, dripping with indie goodness via Walk off the Earth and Harlem Shakes, angry post-grunge from Calling All Cars, and even some classic Melvins death grind.

Now, I'll grant you some of these aren't fantastic songs. The point of these lists, however, is to point out the wide variations artists can come up with on a theme, in this case being red-handed (as in guilty). Some of them take the red a wee bit more literally than others. I did actually nuke one song from the list that was painfully bad but I left things like The Bravery, which sounds like a bad Cure cover band, because it's not my thing but Red Hands and White Knuckles takes the concept in a different direction and so still rates a listen.

The Builders and the Butchers come at things from yet another side, doing an Americana song that's almost bluegrass. Their Red Hands brings some classic storytelling and instrumentation to the table but manages to stay far enough on the not-painful side of the twang line that it remains enjoyable. So there you have it, my dears: seven songs about people guilty of something to one degree of violence or another. Have a listen and tell me which is your favorite or if you have a Red Hand Song I've missed!

Today's songs all started with one that isn't even on it. I've not mentioned my love for spy music for some time but it's still there and a song like Undercover Agent for the Blues is right up that alley. Once I started down it, though, I thought I'd find more undercover songs.

Find them I did! While you get the Billy Joe White version of the original song (as I've never really been a fan of Tina Turner's voice), you can also listen to that ubiquitous 70s hit Undercover Angel as well as Snoop Dogg and Bootsy Collins going undercover for funk. Technically, Agent 13 doesn't have undercover as the first word in the title but I really wanted to include Undercover Ska and the song seemed to fit beautifully.

I've also included some rockin' Monster Truck, a little Two Door Cinema, and some badly-mastered Silver Bullet (are you still rapping back there? I can't hear you!) If that's not enough, I threw in OPM and their surprisingly enjoyable Undercover Freak. Have a listen to all nine and let me know if you've got a favorite undercover song that I missed.

No one better embodies the wonderful trend of neo-soul than the so-smooth Ryan Shaw. You would swear, in listening to him, that he stepped straight out of the 50s or 60s but with much better recording capabilities. Perhaps, rather than being reincarnated, he is a soul remastered.

For proof of my assertion, I offer you Do the 45, a cover of the Sharpees original so faithful that I did not at first realize it was one. Lest you fear it's a karaoke tune and not a serious piece of soul, rest assured that I did not select this one lightly. I jammed hard and then listened to the original, the ultimate test. Yes, they were equally dance-worthy, my darlings. Have a listen and find out for yourself. Do let me know if you disagree, or if you've a better example from Mr. Shaw.

Lest you have the idea that only male people can be the black sheep of their families, I bring you today three amazing songs titled Black Sheep from three fantastic ladies. You'll find the saucy, sparking thump of Gin Wigmore, the rockin' drive of The Barettas, and the smooth, guitar-rippled, stringed groove of Oi Va Voi. These women show you that there's more than one way to be a Black Sheep. If you have to be a sheep, be a black one! Let them show you how.

I wanted to let you all know that I've begun a page for The NPJ on Google+ where I'm posting some random videos with a little commentary and highlighting posts from the blog. If you're a member over there do let me know so I can get you circled!

As a reward for reading that self-promotion, please enjoy my favorite cover song, at least for the moment. It makes me smile every time, in part because it sounds like they're having so much fun and in part because it's a music-snob guilt-free way to listen to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. Wham! never had it so good as Shawn Mullins makes it.

The other day I spent some quality time listening to versions of Tu Vuo Fa' L' Americano but somehow none of them quite clicked for posting. That's because I forgot Tango Conspiracy. One wouldn't think a sort of electro-Tango group focused on Argentinian music would tackle a WWII Italian song, but clearly one would be wrong. You don't get much farther from the song's swing roots, either.

That's all to the good, though. This is a wholly new take on Tu Vuo Fa' L' Americano, more conversational than flashy but still packed with groove and attitude. Have a listen and let me know if you think it's a great read on the concept--and if you're a Tango Conspiracy fan let me know what your favorite song is.

When last I posted Lila Downs I mentioned that "Shake Away" contained what I consider the best cover of La Bamba ever recorded. Today I'd like to back that up with the pudding in which lies the proof.

This one starts slow and lovely. Then it gets bigger. Then, just when you're settling into it at :45 it turns into another song. I'm telling you, you have to hear what Lila Downs does with La Bamba to really appreciate her sound. Conveniently, you can do that right...about...now.

Renowned reggae singer Jimmy Cliff released a new album in 2012, which I just discovered last week. It came to my attention via a most-unexpected cover of Rancid's Ruby Soho which I heard on the radio. At first, I thought, "How did I now know Rancid was covering Jimmy Cliff?" Then I realized that I knew they weren't. Mind? Blown.

It turns out that "Rebirth" is rooted in punk, having been produced by Tim Armstrong. Cliff not only covers Ruby Soho but Guns of Brixton in which The Clash sang about Cliff's The Harder They Come. That's almost as much fun as Peter Gabriel covering Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.

Beyond all that, Jimmy Cliff's cover of Ruby Soho is solid rocksteady. Have a listen and do check out the whole album. It promises reggae fans and music lovers in general a return of the great Mr. Cliff and it delivers in full.

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For an old blues and jazz master like Taj Mahal, you don't always expect a huge sound. Luckily for you I'm here to share wild gems like Feets Don't Fail Me Now. You get Taj's great voice, a full choir, and horns. For those who like his roots sound it's a mighty switch but it's a song not to be missed.

In case you didn't realize, this is a cover of the Little Feat song Feats Don't Fail Me Now. Personally, I find this one a stellar re-imagining that stays true to both Taj Mahal's rambling spirit and the sound of the original. He recorded the song for a George Lowell tribute album in the late 90s, "Rock and Roll Doctor".

Whatever excuse the world found to get this cover made, I thank it heartily. I'll take any for a rollicking, romping tune that makes me get up and dance. Have a listen and let me know if you like it, too.

For a lineup you never thought you'd see, unless you happened to see the show, boogie up your Friday with Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Kid Rock getting a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On. While this isn't vocally the best version of the song I've heard (or listened to tonight), it more than makes up for it in energy and sheer number of horns. For a Friday, what more do you need?

[Note: They take a little break after 3 1/2 minutes but then they wail right back into with with full Jerry Lee Lewis piano hammering and brass blaring. It's worth it to wait through the interlude.)

Some people might be ready for drinks and a night out, but I'm offering you instead a steaming heap of Jambalaya, chock full of bayou sass and made by everyone from Hank Williams to The Carpenters. Should that not be enough to tempt you I also threw in a crazy helping of Brenda Lee, the essential seasoning of Clifton Chenier with spoons in hand, and the unexpected flavor of Los Felinos.

"But," you say, "what about that well-known Cajun swingster, Harry Connick, Jr.?" He's in there, too, with a side of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival to whet your appetite. Jeff Healey brings the bite of serious boogie and then The Residents balance the recipe with a creepy take on the whole concept.

All together I've assembled fourteen ingredients to make one enormous pot of Jambalaya (On the Bayou). Dip in and have a taste. I won't blame you a bit if you eat the whole thing, though this is one meal that will likely leave you starving when you've finished dancing your way through it. If I've missed your favorite cover, I'd love to know who performed it.

Here a rockin', brass-filled cover of Sugar Blues for you all of an evening. If you're unfamiliar with the song you can find covers by all sorts of folks but this one pushes all my happy buttons so I'm sharing it with you all. If you prefer another (or if you happen to know who recorded the original), please do let me know.

Many moons ago, when the Del McCoury Band and the Perservation Hall Jazz Band released their album "American Legacies", I posted the only song I could find on-line at the time, Jambalaya. Mullensburg Joys, however, was the song that I desperately wanted to share with you.

Even if you're a fan of neither bluegrass nor Dixieland jazz, you have to be amazed at how the two styles merge into one fantastic, enormous band of awesome. Now, it just so happens that part of the reason I wanted to share this song was the whole reason that they recorded it in the first place: it's known by nearly identical names in either genre and is a standard in both. That's your daily dose of music education and horns, all in one post. Happy Tuesday!

From time to time it amuses me to realize that there are pop songs out there that I know thought I’ve never heard the original. When I think of Adele, for instance, I think of her as re-imagined by Marc Johnce (with all sorts of pop music) and DJs from Mars (with Robin S). I’ve heard her over thrash metal and slowed down to a lady Barry White. I have no idea how the song is “supposed” to sound.

Daft Beatles mashed Rolling in the Deep with Sweet Dreams. DJ Maya Jakobson added some classical and some Britney Spears to make ‘Til the Swan Lose Deep Control. Dan Mei chose to lay Adele over Fire and Flames to give her that 200-bpm, flame-broiled bite. ShyBoy slowed her and rolled her with Underworld to make Born in the Deep (Rolling Slippy).

Then there's Ryan Nellis, who rolled Adele through the Eye of the Tiger and the one that slew me, the piece de resistance, Wick-it the Instigator's Rolling in the Fire, which takes Rolling in the Deep and gives it some deep funk.

Naturally, you can download all of these for free. Just click the links above. I've got a set at SoundCloud so that you can hear them but Dan Mei's track isn't there so you get that one on a separate player. Have a listen and let me know which you like best, or if you're true to the original.

While Trout Fishing in America has more in common with Flight of the Conchords than they do Simon and Garfunkel, they did improve upon a wonderfully fun song that I thought I ought to share with you all. It's one of the few coffee songs I haven't posted.

I like this version better than the album version because they're not trying to get the audience to sing along. I would like them to keep going faster and faster at the end until they trip over their own tongues, though. That would be wildly entertaining.

At any rate, have a Proper Cup of Coffee with Trout Fishing in America. Whatever you do don't listen to the Andrews Sisters version of the song. It's dreadful. One would have thought they didn't have a copper pot between them!

After all of the offensive references to gold-digging women in music, I thought it fitting that we hear from some money-hungry men looking to be kept. Thus I offer you six versions of First I Look at the Purse.

Now, you won't be surprised by Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials or The Countours. You may, however, find yourself enjoyable taken with Rod Stewart's soulful take or the serious bluesy jam from the J. Geils Band. If you want an angry, growling take on it, try Nashville Pussy.

Have a listen to the whole set and let me know which you like best. I'm leaning toward J. Geils but there's so much jamming going on here that I can't quite decide.