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Welcome back to another installment of SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies: a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
In May of last year, back when this blog first launched, I had every intention of featuring an entirely different cover of this song, though I had this one on hand to choose. Since a goal for this blog is to minimize how often I repeat songs or artists (some artists having been featured as both covering and covered,) I was glad I had great options that allowed me to present what I felt was an even better cover from that artist and reserve the other great cover of this track for a later time... like today:
Erotic Elk - Wicked Game
Chris Isaak, a rock n' roll artist with leanings toward western folk, rockabilly, and surf styles, released his third album, Heart Shaped World, in 1989. The second single from the album, Wicked Game was released exclusively outside the U.S. that year, and then in the U.S. twice in 1990. The second U.S. release of the crooning and melancholy love ballad was a promotional tie to the soundtrack of David Lynch's film, Wild At Heart. Isaak had already provided a couple of his songs to Lynch's film, Blue Velvet, but Wild At Heart is thought to be partially responsible for the success of the track, which stood as his first and biggest major hit.
Lynch also directed one of two videos for the song, though his version was not as popular as the one in black & white that featured Swedish supermodel Helena Christensen, mostly topless, either seductively teasing Isaak or appearing disinterested in his embraces. The video's director, Herb Ritts, was also responsible the Calvin Kline TV ads from that era and the video is so entirely derivative of that style as to appear an extended advert itself. Despite its commercial familiarity, the video is often credited as one of the sexiest of all time.
The song went on to be used in many other films, television shows, and advertisements. Most of the wide variety of artists who have covered the track, including Unwoman and Emika, tend to be faithful in their versions of the song to the somber mood and down-tempo style of the original. Erotic Elk, on the other hand, had a different approach.
Hailing from the same homeland of Wicked Game's video starlet, the synthpop duo Erotic Elk released their cover of Isaak's hit in April of 2015 on their third album, simply titled, III. They have also done a cover of Neil Young's My My Hey Hey which was included on a digital single from the same album. However their take on Wicked Game, while somewhat melodically atmospheric, has an elevated tempo, fuller rhythms and solid electronic dance beats. Theirs is a remarkably unique and energetically danceable interpretation of the original.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
Second Sunday Slowly supposedly supplies something swirly, obsidian and sweet!
(If the internet allows, traces of the track have disappeared inexplicably.)
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'll spin twice this month in Cambridge and once in Western Mass. Check my schedule for details and RSVP if we'll see you there . ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Feb 28 - A7ie - Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
Feb 21 - Orgy - Blue Monday (New Order)
Feb 14 - Lovage - Sex (I'm A...) (Berlin)
Feb 07 - Daniela Andrade x Dabin - Heartbeats (The Knife)
Jan 31 - Halovox - Fly on the Windscreen (Depeche Mode)
Directory of All DisCOVERies
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
In May of last year, back when this blog first launched, I had every intention of featuring an entirely different cover of this song, though I had this one on hand to choose. Since a goal for this blog is to minimize how often I repeat songs or artists (some artists having been featured as both covering and covered,) I was glad I had great options that allowed me to present what I felt was an even better cover from that artist and reserve the other great cover of this track for a later time... like today:
Erotic Elk - Wicked Game
Chris Isaak, a rock n' roll artist with leanings toward western folk, rockabilly, and surf styles, released his third album, Heart Shaped World, in 1989. The second single from the album, Wicked Game was released exclusively outside the U.S. that year, and then in the U.S. twice in 1990. The second U.S. release of the crooning and melancholy love ballad was a promotional tie to the soundtrack of David Lynch's film, Wild At Heart. Isaak had already provided a couple of his songs to Lynch's film, Blue Velvet, but Wild At Heart is thought to be partially responsible for the success of the track, which stood as his first and biggest major hit.
Lynch also directed one of two videos for the song, though his version was not as popular as the one in black & white that featured Swedish supermodel Helena Christensen, mostly topless, either seductively teasing Isaak or appearing disinterested in his embraces. The video's director, Herb Ritts, was also responsible the Calvin Kline TV ads from that era and the video is so entirely derivative of that style as to appear an extended advert itself. Despite its commercial familiarity, the video is often credited as one of the sexiest of all time.
The song went on to be used in many other films, television shows, and advertisements. Most of the wide variety of artists who have covered the track, including Unwoman and Emika, tend to be faithful in their versions of the song to the somber mood and down-tempo style of the original. Erotic Elk, on the other hand, had a different approach.
Hailing from the same homeland of Wicked Game's video starlet, the synthpop duo Erotic Elk released their cover of Isaak's hit in April of 2015 on their third album, simply titled, III. They have also done a cover of Neil Young's My My Hey Hey which was included on a digital single from the same album. However their take on Wicked Game, while somewhat melodically atmospheric, has an elevated tempo, fuller rhythms and solid electronic dance beats. Theirs is a remarkably unique and energetically danceable interpretation of the original.
The Cover:
The Original:
Next week:
Second Sunday Slowly supposedly supplies something swirly, obsidian and sweet!
(If the internet allows, traces of the track have disappeared inexplicably.)
Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!
I'll spin twice this month in Cambridge and once in Western Mass. Check my schedule for details and RSVP if we'll see you there . ^_^
Explore the darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Feb 28 - A7ie - Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
Feb 21 - Orgy - Blue Monday (New Order)
Feb 14 - Lovage - Sex (I'm A...) (Berlin)
Feb 07 - Daniela Andrade x Dabin - Heartbeats (The Knife)
Jan 31 - Halovox - Fly on the Windscreen (Depeche Mode)
Directory of All DisCOVERies