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seedarklyxeroWelcome to SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies:
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
It's Second Sunday Slowly where the cover is of a down-tempo nature. Many times over the years we've seen an artist of one gender covered by an artist of another. In this case, she was practically asking for it!:
Placebo - Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)
Kate Bush, an English progressive art pop artist, released Running Up That Hill in August 1985 as the first single from her fifth studio album, Hounds Of Love. Its original title was actually A Deal With God, which her label only allowed her to use as a subtitle on the album's track listing because they were concerned about the controversy it might cause, especially in a number of European countries, and didn't want to risk that such a title might prevent airplay on radio. She apparently had to fight even to make the track the first single, declaring it the most representative of the album.
The track itself is often simply understood as being about "swapping lives" with another. But Bush has made it clear that it is not just about swapping "lives" in a relationship, but biological "sex" as well, saying it's "about the fundamental differences between men and women," "trying to remove those obstacles, being in someone else's place; understanding how they see it, and; hoping that would remove problems in the relationship." The "deal with God" isn't about switching places with the deity, but appealing to a power that could make such an exchange.
In 2012, Bush re-recorded vocals for a new remix of the track which debuted on the international stage as part of the closing ceremonies of that year's Summer Olympics.
Placebo released their version of Running Up That Hill as part of a 10 track bonus disc to their 2003 Sleeping with Ghosts album. The rest of the aptly titled Covers was a compilation of previously released b-sides and rarities that included versions of songs by Sinead O'Connor, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and more. The band has expressed that one of the reasons they did the song was because, as fans, they thought it had a lot of lyrical depth that was missed because of its fast tempo and they wanted to slow it down to "give enough space for the real emotion to shine through." Lead singer Brian Molko was able to approach Bush socially at one point and was happy to discover that she loved their version. With Molko, a male vocalist, singing her song so beautifully, in some ways it could be said she got her wish.
Placebo's cover has since been included on U.S. versions of their 2006 Meds and several TV show and motion picture soundtracks.
While the alternative rock band itself is not typically regarded as "goth", this is a track embraced nonetheless by many goth communities and quite deserving of such embrace.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
Third Sunday Throwback takes us back to very goth roots with an early eighties cover by our gothic godfathers. But no... it's not the one about an alien.
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'm spinning this Friday in Western Mass. If you're in the area and care to join, check my schedule for details. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Sep 04 - Azar Swan - Broken English (Marianne Faithfull)
Aug 28 - Sexwitch - Ghoroobaa Ghashangan (Originally Gönül Dağı by Neşet Ertaş)
Aug 21 - Echo and the Bunnymen - People Are Strange (The Doors)
Aug 14 - Noblesse Oblige - Hotel California (Eagles)
Aug 07 - Combichrist - Gonna Make You Sweat (C+C Music Factory)
Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
It's Second Sunday Slowly where the cover is of a down-tempo nature. Many times over the years we've seen an artist of one gender covered by an artist of another. In this case, she was practically asking for it!:
Placebo - Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)
Kate Bush, an English progressive art pop artist, released Running Up That Hill in August 1985 as the first single from her fifth studio album, Hounds Of Love. Its original title was actually A Deal With God, which her label only allowed her to use as a subtitle on the album's track listing because they were concerned about the controversy it might cause, especially in a number of European countries, and didn't want to risk that such a title might prevent airplay on radio. She apparently had to fight even to make the track the first single, declaring it the most representative of the album.
The track itself is often simply understood as being about "swapping lives" with another. But Bush has made it clear that it is not just about swapping "lives" in a relationship, but biological "sex" as well, saying it's "about the fundamental differences between men and women," "trying to remove those obstacles, being in someone else's place; understanding how they see it, and; hoping that would remove problems in the relationship." The "deal with God" isn't about switching places with the deity, but appealing to a power that could make such an exchange.
In 2012, Bush re-recorded vocals for a new remix of the track which debuted on the international stage as part of the closing ceremonies of that year's Summer Olympics.
Placebo released their version of Running Up That Hill as part of a 10 track bonus disc to their 2003 Sleeping with Ghosts album. The rest of the aptly titled Covers was a compilation of previously released b-sides and rarities that included versions of songs by Sinead O'Connor, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and more. The band has expressed that one of the reasons they did the song was because, as fans, they thought it had a lot of lyrical depth that was missed because of its fast tempo and they wanted to slow it down to "give enough space for the real emotion to shine through." Lead singer Brian Molko was able to approach Bush socially at one point and was happy to discover that she loved their version. With Molko, a male vocalist, singing her song so beautifully, in some ways it could be said she got her wish.
Placebo's cover has since been included on U.S. versions of their 2006 Meds and several TV show and motion picture soundtracks.
While the alternative rock band itself is not typically regarded as "goth", this is a track embraced nonetheless by many goth communities and quite deserving of such embrace.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
Third Sunday Throwback takes us back to very goth roots with an early eighties cover by our gothic godfathers. But no... it's not the one about an alien.
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'm spinning this Friday in Western Mass. If you're in the area and care to join, check my schedule for details. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Sep 04 - Azar Swan - Broken English (Marianne Faithfull)
Aug 28 - Sexwitch - Ghoroobaa Ghashangan (Originally Gönül Dağı by Neşet Ertaş)
Aug 21 - Echo and the Bunnymen - People Are Strange (The Doors)
Aug 14 - Noblesse Oblige - Hotel California (Eagles)
Aug 07 - Combichrist - Gonna Make You Sweat (C+C Music Factory)
Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies