Tom Waits's "Downtown Train" has been in my head for a few days, so I decided to figure it out on guitar. Then I sang it at karaoke last night, and it wasn't too shabby. I'm using something closer to the key Rod Stewart sang it in, 'cause Tom's range is a mite bit too low, as you can imagine. Hope you enjoy it!
Artist: Sooze
Written by: Tom Waits
Notable covers: Rod Stewart (1989); Everything But the Girl (1992)
Year: 2014; original 1985
Rating: Hot!
I wake up every morning with a song stuck in my head. And now it's stuck in yours.
Showing posts with label Tom Waits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Waits. Show all posts
A Groovy Kind of Love
Here's another situation in which a song came into my head in cover versions of the exact opposite chronology of original release. This also happened recently with Tom Waits's Downtown Train. Similarly to my experience with that song, it's likely that my memory lines default to the version I heard first or I'm most familiar with.
This trifecta of covers featured prominently at a Jewish youth group dance my junior year of high school, when Phil Collins's super-schmaltzy 1988 version was topping the charts.
My good pals Kama and Barry planned Beau-Sweetheart Ball: "A Groovy Kind of Love," and attempted to make brilliant use of the song. They carefully instructed the DJ to play music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, in roughly chronological order, kicking off each era with its version of "A Groovy Kind of Love." Unfortunately, the DJ wasn't compliant (creative differences, perhaps?*) The song was written by genius pop songstress Carole Bayer Sager ("Don't Cry Out Loud," "Nobody Does It Better," "Arthur's Theme," "That's What Friends Are For"...should I go on??) and Toni Wine, one of the real humans behind the cartoon band The Archies. Artist: Phil Collins Year: 1988 Rating: Cold Artist: Sonny & Cher Year: 1967 Rating: Warm Note: Okay, this version didn't represent the '70s, per se, but Sonny & Cher sure as hell did.) Also: I found this version of the song courtesy of Romanian video site Trilulilu. It wasn't on YouTube. Artist: The Mindbenders Year: 1965 Rating: Warm *A tip of the hat to Kama and Barry.
This trifecta of covers featured prominently at a Jewish youth group dance my junior year of high school, when Phil Collins's super-schmaltzy 1988 version was topping the charts.
My good pals Kama and Barry planned Beau-Sweetheart Ball: "A Groovy Kind of Love," and attempted to make brilliant use of the song. They carefully instructed the DJ to play music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, in roughly chronological order, kicking off each era with its version of "A Groovy Kind of Love." Unfortunately, the DJ wasn't compliant (creative differences, perhaps?*) The song was written by genius pop songstress Carole Bayer Sager ("Don't Cry Out Loud," "Nobody Does It Better," "Arthur's Theme," "That's What Friends Are For"...should I go on??) and Toni Wine, one of the real humans behind the cartoon band The Archies. Artist: Phil Collins Year: 1988 Rating: Cold Artist: Sonny & Cher Year: 1967 Rating: Warm Note: Okay, this version didn't represent the '70s, per se, but Sonny & Cher sure as hell did.) Also: I found this version of the song courtesy of Romanian video site Trilulilu. It wasn't on YouTube. Artist: The Mindbenders Year: 1965 Rating: Warm *A tip of the hat to Kama and Barry.
Downtown Train x3
Sometimes multiple versions of songs flash through my head almost simultaneously. In this case, three versions of the song "Downtown Train," written and performed originally by Mr. Tom Waits, appeared in my head in reverse-chronological order.
I owned the 1992 Acoustic album from Everything But The Girl, so that's the version of the song I've heard most. If you were a college kid in the 90s (like me!) you probably heard this simply lovely collection of covers at some point.
I owned the 1992 Acoustic album from Everything But The Girl, so that's the version of the song I've heard most. If you were a college kid in the 90s (like me!) you probably heard this simply lovely collection of covers at some point.
Another recommend from this album is Tracey & Ben's rendition of Springsteen's Tougher Than The Rest. Both the original and this version are quietly, painfully beautiful.
Artist: Everything but the Girl
Year: 1992
Rating: Luke Hot
Then Rod Stewart's radio-hit version wormed its way in for a few minutes. The studio rendition is not bad, though his live performances of the song can be cheese-tastic, to be sure. Still, I do have a soft spot for this guy.
Artist: Rod Stewart
Year: 1989
Rating: Warm
Then I was left with the original, and man, that's exactly where I needed to be.
Artist: Tom Waits
Year: 1985
Rating: Hawt!
Artist: Everything but the Girl
Year: 1992
Rating: Luke Hot
Then Rod Stewart's radio-hit version wormed its way in for a few minutes. The studio rendition is not bad, though his live performances of the song can be cheese-tastic, to be sure. Still, I do have a soft spot for this guy.
Artist: Rod Stewart
Year: 1989
Rating: Warm
Then I was left with the original, and man, that's exactly where I needed to be.
Artist: Tom Waits
Year: 1985
Rating: Hawt!
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