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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.
Happy PRIDE Month! For the month of June, I'll be focused on songs by, or covered by, LGBTQ+ artists. Some entries may have less to say other than recognizing the original or cover artists for their identity. Some may be straight/cis artists covering queer artists or vice versa. The point is there are many LGBTQ+ artists inspiring amazing music that is worth appreciation and consideration. This week, with a nod toward increasing efforts of an administration bent on stripping the LGBTQ+ community of their rights, protections, and lives, I can think of no better way to start than with a sentiment many share with this song from a late queer icon covered by an industrial-rock electro-punk duo.:
Bones UK – I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
David Bowie released the first version of I'm Afraid of Americans (co-written by Brian Eno) on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Showgirls. The film itself was considered a critical failure but seems a cult fave or guilty pleasure with a remarkable soundtrack of goth/industrial music including Prick, Siouxie & the Banshees, Killing Joke, Young Gods, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. The Showgirls version was originally intended for Bowie's 1995 album, Outside but instead he reworked the track, change the chorus lyric from "I'm afraid of the animals" to the title line, and released it on his February 1997 album, Earthling and as a multi-track single in October later that year. The most common version with which most are familiar is the remix done by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who appears in the video as the American of whom Bowie is afraid. But what specifically did he have to fear?
According to a press release for the track, Bowie stated, "It's not as truly hostile about Americans as say Born In The U.S.A.: it's merely sardonic. I was traveling in Java when its first McDonald's went up: it was like, 'for fuck's sake.' The invasion by any homogenized culture is so depressing, the erection of another Disney World in, say, Umbria, Italy, more so. It strangles the indigenous culture and narrows expression of life."
While this may be entirely valid, the timing of the song's release also lends itself to another theory. Bowie famously outed himself as gay in the early seventies saying, "“I’m gay and always have been, even when I was David Jones.” However in the eighties he began vacillating about it, saying that revealing it was "the biggest mistake [he] ever made." A few years after the release of this song, Bowie explained further. "I don't think it was a mistake in Europe, but it was a lot tougher in America. I had no problem with people knowing I was bisexual. But I had no inclination to hold any banners nor be a representative of any group of people." Bowie felt his bisexuality stood in the way of his artistic efforts in what he called a "puritanical" America that focused on his sexuality.
Yet Bowie, without being so "representative," has unquestionably influenced the lives of LGBTQ+ people. In truth though, an amount of universal appeal has led to over 175 of his songs being covered by a wide spectrum of people from a variety of identities.
I'm Afraid of Americans has been covered at least a couple dozen times, though none of those covers use the original version's "animal" lyric.
Some of the notable artists who've covered the track in recent years include A*O*A, Frame Of Mind, The Grey Disorder, knifesex, Lana Del Rabies, and Slighter.
Howard Stern assembled twenty five artists for a Tribute to David Bowie special on his satellite radio broadcast which aired in February 2018. The British female duo Bones UK contributed their version of I'm Afraid of Americans, a song that Bowie had actually once performed for Stern at his 44th birthday bash. Lead vocalist Rosie Bones said “As a British band who has just moved over to the U.S.A., I'm Afraid of Americans was the perfect track for us to cover and one of our favorite Bowie tracks—the pressure was totally on. So we did our best to insert a little slice of us nasty Brits into the song in hopes that we both did the track justice and made it our own all at the same time.” She continued that she and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg "love how he always said that it’s when you’re a couple of steps out of your comfort zone, that's when the most exciting stuff happens. Obviously, when covering a Bowie song, you are immediately out of your comfort zone because you just want to do him and it justice.”
Bones are, like perhaps Bowie might have chosen, somewhat ambiguous about their own sexualities, but language in the lyrics of their original music, some of their online shares on social media, and their performance at London Pride 2015 indicate a strong support for the LGBTQ+ community, if not the possibility of being bisexual themselves. They are, however, also unabashedly critical of "the beauty industrial complex, toxic masculinity, and music-scene sexism."
Despite the fact that it reportedly gets occasional boos from their audiences, the band will feature this cover on their self-titled debut full-length album, due for release this July. Their version is a gnashing and savage grind of feminine defiance, interpolating Obama's 2008 campaign slogan and a lyric from one of their own songs into the chorus.
It's shamefully wrong that we who celebrate this month of PRIDE could be made to feel the kind of fear that this song symbolizes but if you do have reason to, rock out to this amazing rendition and let it embolden and empower your fight for equality, visibility, and acceptance!:
The Cover:
The Original:
Album Version
Showgirls Original (the actual original version)
Next week:
Pride month continues here with another Second Sunday Slowly down tempo cover! (I'm STILL hunting for an impressive goth or industrial cover of Erasure, so please let me know if you've found one I might not have!)
Feel free to tell me what you think about today's cover! Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome! You do NOT need a Dreamwidth account to comment, but all comments are screened for spam prevention.
(And if, after 4 years and 214 weekly entries, you find this blog of any value, please click over to my profile and find out how you can leave us a tip if you like...)
Thanks for reading and keep dancing in darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
May 26 - Stoppenberg – Knight Rider Theme (Stu Phillips)
May 19 - Deathline International– Rawhide (Frankie Laine)
May 12 - Covenant – A Rider On A White Horse (Lee Hazelwood)
May 05 - The Death Riders – Mexican Radio (Wall Of Voodoo)
Apr 28 - Caustic – The Humpty Dance (Digital Underground)
. 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.
Happy PRIDE Month! For the month of June, I'll be focused on songs by, or covered by, LGBTQ+ artists. Some entries may have less to say other than recognizing the original or cover artists for their identity. Some may be straight/cis artists covering queer artists or vice versa. The point is there are many LGBTQ+ artists inspiring amazing music that is worth appreciation and consideration. This week, with a nod toward increasing efforts of an administration bent on stripping the LGBTQ+ community of their rights, protections, and lives, I can think of no better way to start than with a sentiment many share with this song from a late queer icon covered by an industrial-rock electro-punk duo.:
Bones UK – I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
David Bowie released the first version of I'm Afraid of Americans (co-written by Brian Eno) on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Showgirls. The film itself was considered a critical failure but seems a cult fave or guilty pleasure with a remarkable soundtrack of goth/industrial music including Prick, Siouxie & the Banshees, Killing Joke, Young Gods, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. The Showgirls version was originally intended for Bowie's 1995 album, Outside but instead he reworked the track, change the chorus lyric from "I'm afraid of the animals" to the title line, and released it on his February 1997 album, Earthling and as a multi-track single in October later that year. The most common version with which most are familiar is the remix done by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who appears in the video as the American of whom Bowie is afraid. But what specifically did he have to fear?
According to a press release for the track, Bowie stated, "It's not as truly hostile about Americans as say Born In The U.S.A.: it's merely sardonic. I was traveling in Java when its first McDonald's went up: it was like, 'for fuck's sake.' The invasion by any homogenized culture is so depressing, the erection of another Disney World in, say, Umbria, Italy, more so. It strangles the indigenous culture and narrows expression of life."
While this may be entirely valid, the timing of the song's release also lends itself to another theory. Bowie famously outed himself as gay in the early seventies saying, "“I’m gay and always have been, even when I was David Jones.” However in the eighties he began vacillating about it, saying that revealing it was "the biggest mistake [he] ever made." A few years after the release of this song, Bowie explained further. "I don't think it was a mistake in Europe, but it was a lot tougher in America. I had no problem with people knowing I was bisexual. But I had no inclination to hold any banners nor be a representative of any group of people." Bowie felt his bisexuality stood in the way of his artistic efforts in what he called a "puritanical" America that focused on his sexuality.
Yet Bowie, without being so "representative," has unquestionably influenced the lives of LGBTQ+ people. In truth though, an amount of universal appeal has led to over 175 of his songs being covered by a wide spectrum of people from a variety of identities.
I'm Afraid of Americans has been covered at least a couple dozen times, though none of those covers use the original version's "animal" lyric.
Some of the notable artists who've covered the track in recent years include A*O*A, Frame Of Mind, The Grey Disorder, knifesex, Lana Del Rabies, and Slighter.
Howard Stern assembled twenty five artists for a Tribute to David Bowie special on his satellite radio broadcast which aired in February 2018. The British female duo Bones UK contributed their version of I'm Afraid of Americans, a song that Bowie had actually once performed for Stern at his 44th birthday bash. Lead vocalist Rosie Bones said “As a British band who has just moved over to the U.S.A., I'm Afraid of Americans was the perfect track for us to cover and one of our favorite Bowie tracks—the pressure was totally on. So we did our best to insert a little slice of us nasty Brits into the song in hopes that we both did the track justice and made it our own all at the same time.” She continued that she and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg "love how he always said that it’s when you’re a couple of steps out of your comfort zone, that's when the most exciting stuff happens. Obviously, when covering a Bowie song, you are immediately out of your comfort zone because you just want to do him and it justice.”
Bones are, like perhaps Bowie might have chosen, somewhat ambiguous about their own sexualities, but language in the lyrics of their original music, some of their online shares on social media, and their performance at London Pride 2015 indicate a strong support for the LGBTQ+ community, if not the possibility of being bisexual themselves. They are, however, also unabashedly critical of "the beauty industrial complex, toxic masculinity, and music-scene sexism."
Despite the fact that it reportedly gets occasional boos from their audiences, the band will feature this cover on their self-titled debut full-length album, due for release this July. Their version is a gnashing and savage grind of feminine defiance, interpolating Obama's 2008 campaign slogan and a lyric from one of their own songs into the chorus.
It's shamefully wrong that we who celebrate this month of PRIDE could be made to feel the kind of fear that this song symbolizes but if you do have reason to, rock out to this amazing rendition and let it embolden and empower your fight for equality, visibility, and acceptance!:
The Cover:
The Original:
Album Version
Showgirls Original (the actual original version)
Next week:
Pride month continues here with another Second Sunday Slowly down tempo cover! (I'm STILL hunting for an impressive goth or industrial cover of Erasure, so please let me know if you've found one I might not have!)
Feel free to tell me what you think about today's cover! Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome! You do NOT need a Dreamwidth account to comment, but all comments are screened for spam prevention.
(And if, after 4 years and 214 weekly entries, you find this blog of any value, please click over to my profile and find out how you can leave us a tip if you like...)
Thanks for reading and keep dancing in darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
May 26 - Stoppenberg – Knight Rider Theme (Stu Phillips)
May 19 - Deathline International– Rawhide (Frankie Laine)
May 12 - Covenant – A Rider On A White Horse (Lee Hazelwood)
May 05 - The Death Riders – Mexican Radio (Wall Of Voodoo)
Apr 28 - Caustic – The Humpty Dance (Digital Underground)
. Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies .
(no subject)
Date: 2019-07-08 02:32 pm (UTC)