BowAndArrowMan

Gloria Jones: Here is my next and final post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Gloria Jones' original version and Soft Cell's cover version of the song, Tainted Love . Written by Ed Cobb, Tainted Love was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. Gloria Jones is an American Motown soul singer who made it bigger in Britain than in America. With this song, she is regarded as the Queen of Northern Soul, a 1970s' music scene that flourished in the North and Midlands of England - the centre of this scene was the Wigan Casino. Gloria Jones also played keyboards and sang in Marc Bolan's English glam rock band, T. Rex. She gave birth to Marc Bolan's son, well the baby was her son too! Gloria Jones' Tainted Love : Gloria Jones' version of Tainted Love is good, and Glen Campbell played lead guitar in the song. But in 1981, Soft Cell covered this song which when ...

Ewan MacColl: Here is my next post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's original version and The Pogues' cover version of the song, Dirty Old Town . Dirty Old Town  song was written by Ewan MacColl in 1949. The song is about Salford, an industrial town and now a city neighbouring Manchester. This is the second time I've picked on Ewan MacColl in this series, clearly I don't like folk songs. Featuring his wife Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl recorded a version of the song he wrote. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's Dirty Old Town : However, it was The Dubliners' cover version of Dirty Old Town , released in 1968, that the song gained prominence. The Dubliners were a popular Irish folk band. I've never been into Irish folk music or even Irish music generally. It's the mysticism and the romanticism that rub me up the wrong way. The Du...

Lamont Dozier: Here is my next post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Lamont Dozier's original version and Odyssey's cover version of the song, Going Back to My Roots . Lamont Dozier wrote and recorded the Going Back to My Roots song in 1977. The song is about the African roots of many black Americans. The American singer was one-third of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production team responsible for many Motown hit songs. Lamont Dozier's Going Back to My Roots : Before going to Odyssey's cover version, I want to mention Richie Havens' 1980 cover of the Going Back to my Roots song. Richie Havens was primarily a folk musician, though he fused soul music and, in this cover's case, a bit of disco music into his musical repertoire. Richie Havens was the opening act of the infamous Woodstock festival held in 1969. Richie Havens' Going Back to My Ro...

England scoring against Slovakia in Euro 2024: This summer, so far, has involved a lot of time watching sport. First are the Euros, or more formally the UEFA European Football Championship. The Euros have nearly finished. Surprisingly given how badly they've played, England have made the final to be held this coming Sunday. I don't fancy England's chances against Spain unless it goes to penalties. Second is the Tour de France. It's halfway in the tour. It looks as if it's going to be another classic duel between Tadej  Pogačar  and Jonas Vingegard. Tadej Po gačar started well and is in the lead but Jonas Vingegaard looks strong and maybe even stronger than my favourite cyclist. Third will be the Paris Olympics which start on 26 July. Britain always do well in the sitting-down sports like canooing, cycling, horse riding, kayaking, rowing and sailing! What sports do you watch? And what sports do or did you play? I like watching almost all sport with the exception of c...

Joy Division: Here's my next post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Joy Division's original version and Nouvelle Vague's cover version of the song, Love Will Tear Us Apart . Love Will Tear Us Apart , released in 1980, was Manchester-based Joy Division's breakthrough single. The song is about Ian Curtis', Joy Division's singer's, marital difficulties and his struggle with epilepsy. He committed suicide just before the band was due to tour America. The single was released a month after his death. In 2002, New Musical Express named Love Will Tear Us Apart as the greatest single ever; and in 2004, 2010 and 2021, Rolling Stone listed the song as one of the 500 greatest songs ever. After Ian Curtis' death, Joy Division became New Order and took a slightly different musical direction, post-punk fused with disco. Perfect in my book! Joy Division's Love W...

Two days ago, my wife confirmed to me that my stepson pays no rent while living in our home. He gets fed, his clothes get laundered and bills get paid. Before he recently moved out and back in again, I long suspected this but I was assured by my wife that he pays rent to her. If there was a rent paid, at best I suspect at best it was paid on an ad hoc basis. He occasionally chipped in with a shopping bill, or so I was told. Since my stepson has come back to live with us, I haven't seen much evidence of a 'rent' being paid. He once bought a big bag of crisps which he largely consumed, he bought a few jars of cockles again something that he only eats, and he paid a couple of his friends to finish the job of trimming a hedge and cutting the lawn which he volunteered to do. That's the only evidence of 'rent' I've seen. My view is that he should pay rent because he works. My wife and I sometimes struggle to pay the bills. He spends almost all his wages on himself...