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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.
Here we are on the third week of this year's five week series: Octoberween! Cover songs reflective of the spirit of Halloween... or in the case of this Third Sunday Throwback... let's just say they're spooky:
Lydia Lunch - Spooky (Mike Sharpe)
This is one of those with a bit of disputed origin. There is no question that the original instrumental was written and first recorded by saxophonist Mike Sharpe as a single in 1966 and later included on the 1967 album, The Spooky Sound Of Mike Sharpe. However, when the lyrics were later added there is some disagreement about who wrote them. Industry officials claim that lyrics came from members of Floridian-based jazz-pop cover band, Classics IV, who made an even bigger hit of the song than the original only a year after. However other sources indicate the lyrics were actually provided by Ron Hirsch, referencing an unidentified "spooky girl" he used to know.
Since the lyrics were added there have been dozens of covers of the song. The Classics IV version and some covers have been included on numerous Halloween compilation albums over the years. Some notable artists who have covered the song include Daniel Ash, R.E.M., and Imogen Heap.
No wave/post-punk icon Lydia Lunch included her cover of Spooky on her 1980 album, Queen of Siam. This, her first solo album after her short career with Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, was considered by some at the time her "lightest and most accessible" work to date and her cover of Spooky (one of three covers on the record) was described as "almost pop." Agreeably it can be said that her presentation is comparatively upbeat compared to what one might expect from her. That alone might just make the song a little creepier for the style that isn't necessarily as "spooky" as its name or story. Some of her darker covers include Black Juju, originally by Alice Cooper, and Why Don't We Do It In The Road from the Beatles.
But for all those dark souls who might propose, marry, or celebrate their wedding anniversary on Halloween, Spooky is still easy to relate to, no matter the version:
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
From a band once known as "spooky kids" themselves, who are known for a number of popular covers, comes a tribute to one of our scene's favorite holiday animations.
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
Next week I'll spin twice before Halloween. Head over to my site and check my schedule for details. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Oct 09 - Blutengel - Cry Little Sister (Gerard McMann)
Oct 02 - goJA moon ROCKAH! - Bloodletting [The Vampire Song] (Concrete Blonde)
Sep 25 - Grendel - Zombienation V.2K5 (Zombie Nation's Kernkraft 400)
Sep 18 - Bauhaus - Rosegarden Funeral of Sores (John Cale of Velvet Underground)
Sep 11 - Placebo - Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)
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.
Here we are on the third week of this year's five week series: Octoberween! Cover songs reflective of the spirit of Halloween... or in the case of this Third Sunday Throwback... let's just say they're spooky:
Lydia Lunch - Spooky (Mike Sharpe)
This is one of those with a bit of disputed origin. There is no question that the original instrumental was written and first recorded by saxophonist Mike Sharpe as a single in 1966 and later included on the 1967 album, The Spooky Sound Of Mike Sharpe. However, when the lyrics were later added there is some disagreement about who wrote them. Industry officials claim that lyrics came from members of Floridian-based jazz-pop cover band, Classics IV, who made an even bigger hit of the song than the original only a year after. However other sources indicate the lyrics were actually provided by Ron Hirsch, referencing an unidentified "spooky girl" he used to know.
Since the lyrics were added there have been dozens of covers of the song. The Classics IV version and some covers have been included on numerous Halloween compilation albums over the years. Some notable artists who have covered the song include Daniel Ash, R.E.M., and Imogen Heap.
No wave/post-punk icon Lydia Lunch included her cover of Spooky on her 1980 album, Queen of Siam. This, her first solo album after her short career with Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, was considered by some at the time her "lightest and most accessible" work to date and her cover of Spooky (one of three covers on the record) was described as "almost pop." Agreeably it can be said that her presentation is comparatively upbeat compared to what one might expect from her. That alone might just make the song a little creepier for the style that isn't necessarily as "spooky" as its name or story. Some of her darker covers include Black Juju, originally by Alice Cooper, and Why Don't We Do It In The Road from the Beatles.
But for all those dark souls who might propose, marry, or celebrate their wedding anniversary on Halloween, Spooky is still easy to relate to, no matter the version:
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
From a band once known as "spooky kids" themselves, who are known for a number of popular covers, comes a tribute to one of our scene's favorite holiday animations.
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
Next week I'll spin twice before Halloween. Head over to my site and check my schedule for details. ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Oct 09 - Blutengel - Cry Little Sister (Gerard McMann)
Oct 02 - goJA moon ROCKAH! - Bloodletting [The Vampire Song] (Concrete Blonde)
Sep 25 - Grendel - Zombienation V.2K5 (Zombie Nation's Kernkraft 400)
Sep 18 - Bauhaus - Rosegarden Funeral of Sores (John Cale of Velvet Underground)
Sep 11 - Placebo - Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush)
Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies