| It perplexes teenagers when their parents know | | | | been interpreted with a beauty that’s almost |
| all the words to the latest songs. Of course, | | | | agonizing by Canadian pianist and jazz singer Diana |
| anyone over a certain age will realize that a high | | | | Krall. She said, “The greatest thing about |
| percentage of ‘new’ music, isn’t new | | | | music is putting it out there for people to figure |
| at all. It’s just new to the younger ear. | | | | out. You want the listener to find the song on |
| Some Like It, Some Don’t | | | | their own. If you give too much away, it takes |
| Cover version of songs have long been the | | | | away from the imagination.” Krall is married to |
| subject of controversy. Some people hold the | | | | singer/songwriter Elvis Costello, himself no |
| original editions in such high esteem it almost | | | | stranger to performing other’s songs, despite |
| resembles worship. Such devotees, who can’t | | | | being notoriously skilled at creating his own |
| bear to hear a reworking of a song, can get | | | | material. His performance of Roy Orbison’s |
| overzealous about what they see as their | | | | Love Hurts with Emmy Lou Harris is just one of a |
| sacrosanct favorites. There was many a Led Zep | | | | plethora of renditions that that particular song has |
| fan who found Rolf Harris’s | | | | been subject to. |
| didgeridoo-assisted adaptation of Stairway to | | | | Artists who have covered Love Hurts include: |
| Heaven painful to hear, while others expressed a | | | | • Joan Jett |
| liking for it. To each his own, eh! Ours is not to | | | | • Heart |
| wonder why. | | | | • Nazareth |
| More recently we’ve seen original artists | | | | • Cher |
| perform ‘their’ songs as covers with new | | | | A Good Thing? |
| singers or bands. One of the latest examples of | | | | Those who are adamant that the old way is the |
| this is Elton John’s collaboration with rappers | | | | best way might change their way of thinking by |
| DJ Ironik and Chipmunk. Their rendition of | | | | looking at cover version as tributes. Surely no |
| Elton’s original song Tiny Dancer (lyrics by | | | | new artist would contemplate an old song unless |
| Bernie Taupin) is well received by a great many | | | | they felt a deep connection with it and an |
| young people who have no idea that it first | | | | admiration for it. There is something refreshing |
| appeared on Elton’s album Madman Across | | | | about remixes and re-workings of original material. |
| the Water in 1971. | | | | Maybe adding orchestral instruments or other |
| Unique Covers | | | | musical instruments. Often a new take births new |
| When a song is entirely taken over by a new | | | | interest in the original performers too. |
| performer without the input, as in the above | | | | Music has an evolutionary quality about it, like |
| case, of the original artist, it can take on a fresh | | | | language, it is as ever-changing as human trends |
| identity. Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You has | | | | and as a result will always chime in with them. |