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seedarklyxeroWelcome back to SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies, where we explore goth/industrial cover songs, their origins, and other bits of fun related trivia!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
Here we are on the third week of a four week series: Octoberween! Cover songs reflective of the spirit of Halloween... or in the case of this Third Sunday Throwback... the spirit of Devil's Night!:
Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls
The grim overtones of this track are unquestionable, as is its dark history.
The original song by Joy Division first appeared on a France-only limited edition 7" titled Licht und Blindheit (German for "Light and Blindness") and it was the b-side opposite the single Atmosphere. It was released in March of 1980, just a couple of months before the suicide of lead-singer Ian Curtis.
Despite such tragedy, Joy Division had left its mark and would be influential to many in the years to come. One so influenced was comic book writer and artist James O'Barr. O'Barr, who was coping with the death of his fiancée, began work on his original 4-issue limited series, The Crow, in 1981. He is said to have listened to Joy Division often during his work on the the book. In fact, some sub-titles within the story are also titles of Joy Division songs. The story, set on the night before Halloween, revolves around the brutal murder of a couple and the vengeance sought by the nigh-indestructible title character who rises from his grave one year later. The gothic black and white comic went unpublished for seven years until Caliber Press took it on in 1989.
It wasn't long before O'Barr got a movie deal for the comic and The Crow motion picture was #1 for its opening weekend at the box office in mid-May of 1994.
Even with the great opening, the film became a one-off success, with several poorly received sequels and a single season TV-show adaptation. However, gothic subculture fully embraced the original film which stands as iconic, especially in terms of the extraordinary soundtrack. That soundtrack, released a couple of months before the film, included the cover of Joy Division's Dead Souls performed by Nine Inch Nails. Later that year it was also included on the Japanese pressing of The Downward Spiral.
Whether by way of the familiarity created from the movie, the haunting nature of its lyrics, or the dark aggression and angst of the song, Dead Souls is no doubt a time-honored goth anthem of the season.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
The Chilling, Thrilling, Conclusion of Octoberween '15!
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'll be spinning twice during the week of Halloween. Some details of my schedule are up on my site. Make plans to come out if you can and feel free to request any of the covers featured here if you like them. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Oct 11 - Hausfrau - Season Of The Witch (Donovan)
Oct 04 - Selebrities - The Monster Mash (Bobby "Boris" Picket)
Sep 27 - Carbon Airways - Microwaved (Pitchshifter)
Sep 20 - BiGod 20 - Like A Prayer (Madonna)
Sep 13 - Death in Rome - What Is Love (Haddaway)
Directory of All DisCOVERies
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
Here we are on the third week of a four week series: Octoberween! Cover songs reflective of the spirit of Halloween... or in the case of this Third Sunday Throwback... the spirit of Devil's Night!:
Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls
The grim overtones of this track are unquestionable, as is its dark history.
The original song by Joy Division first appeared on a France-only limited edition 7" titled Licht und Blindheit (German for "Light and Blindness") and it was the b-side opposite the single Atmosphere. It was released in March of 1980, just a couple of months before the suicide of lead-singer Ian Curtis.
Despite such tragedy, Joy Division had left its mark and would be influential to many in the years to come. One so influenced was comic book writer and artist James O'Barr. O'Barr, who was coping with the death of his fiancée, began work on his original 4-issue limited series, The Crow, in 1981. He is said to have listened to Joy Division often during his work on the the book. In fact, some sub-titles within the story are also titles of Joy Division songs. The story, set on the night before Halloween, revolves around the brutal murder of a couple and the vengeance sought by the nigh-indestructible title character who rises from his grave one year later. The gothic black and white comic went unpublished for seven years until Caliber Press took it on in 1989.
It wasn't long before O'Barr got a movie deal for the comic and The Crow motion picture was #1 for its opening weekend at the box office in mid-May of 1994.
Even with the great opening, the film became a one-off success, with several poorly received sequels and a single season TV-show adaptation. However, gothic subculture fully embraced the original film which stands as iconic, especially in terms of the extraordinary soundtrack. That soundtrack, released a couple of months before the film, included the cover of Joy Division's Dead Souls performed by Nine Inch Nails. Later that year it was also included on the Japanese pressing of The Downward Spiral.
Whether by way of the familiarity created from the movie, the haunting nature of its lyrics, or the dark aggression and angst of the song, Dead Souls is no doubt a time-honored goth anthem of the season.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
The Chilling, Thrilling, Conclusion of Octoberween '15!
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'll be spinning twice during the week of Halloween. Some details of my schedule are up on my site. Make plans to come out if you can and feel free to request any of the covers featured here if you like them. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Oct 11 - Hausfrau - Season Of The Witch (Donovan)
Oct 04 - Selebrities - The Monster Mash (Bobby "Boris" Picket)
Sep 27 - Carbon Airways - Microwaved (Pitchshifter)
Sep 20 - BiGod 20 - Like A Prayer (Madonna)
Sep 13 - Death in Rome - What Is Love (Haddaway)
Directory of All DisCOVERies