SeeDarkly™

Welcome to SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies:
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
Looking for something previously featured? Click here.

Typically I try to keep these covers "dancable" in terms of modern club dance with definitive and unmistakable rhythms. For this occasion and our monthly Third Sunday Throwback to the twentieth century, I've chosen something seasonally dark and festive done by our gothic godmommy to which you could certainly sway in goth style, but it's not really driven by beats.:

Siouxsie And The Banshees – Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant (Traditional - Original Recording Not Found)

Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant (translates as "He Was Born, The Divine Child,") is a traditional French carol with origins that date back to the 1700-1800's. Its general tune was derived from two hunting tunes: Ancien Air de Chasse and Tête Bizarde. Its lyrical content, pretty much the story of the birth of Jesus Christ as found in the Book of Luke, is believed to have been penned sometime in the 18th century. The first documentation of the song seems to have been when it was published by R. Grosjean in a 1862 collection of carols, Airs des Noëls lorrains and the lyrical text was published 13 or 14 years later in Dom G. Legeay's Noêls anciens. The popularity of the song would appear to have been surprisingly widespread in those times, to the point of reaching a number of international shores, with a notable cultural variation called Rotonni NiioRoie Mia by the Mohawk Indigenous Indian tribe of Northern Vermont.
The carol apparently also has its own traditional dance, akin to a polka, wherein the dancers fleetingly take the shape of a twinkling star.
It's not entirely clear who the first performer of this centuries old song was, but what might be one of its earliest recordings was done by Canadian folklorist singer and comedian Arthur Lapierre in the early 1900's (reportedly 1928.)
There are at least nearly sixty recordings of the song. Annie Lennox and Tom Tom Club are among artists who have covered it. One of the earliest recordings after Lapierre was done by Siouxsie And The Banshees as a second A-Side track on their 1982 single, Melt, which was released on the Friday following Thanksgiving that year (which in itself has little significance given it was only released in Europe and it was still a few years before that day became commonly refereed to as Black Friday.)
Sioux sings it in its original French, and while there is no specific indication of her inspiration, it's not unlikely she'd heard it in her youth as both of her parents spoke French and her father was from a primarily French-speaking part of Belgium. Whether she'd held any particular religious beliefs at the time, this was not the first time Sioux drew from Catholicism. One of her earliest performances was an improvised twenty minute rendition of The Lord's Prayer. Siouxsie And The Banshees also filmed a very basic video of the band performing the track on the set of a snowy Dickens-esque street. The video included Robert Smith, dejectedly waiting his turn to clash the cymbals he held, but never does.
This haunting rarity can be found on the 2004 Siouxsie and the Banshees box set, Downside Up, perhaps the perfect gift for the elder goth or baby bat in your life this season.:

The Cover:


The Earliest Found:


Next week:
One last carol for the holiday... a darkwave cover filled a bit of wonder on the weekend officially kicking off winter.
д＼(✖.̫✖)ノ♪

Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... always welcome! You do NOT need a Dreamwidth account to reply below, but all replies are screened for spam prevention.

Currently my next gigs will be in January 2020 and I'll spin at least four times throughout New England and upstate New York! Details can be found on my schedule with additional updates soon!

(And if, after 4+ years and 241 weekly entries, you find this blog of any value, consider leaving me a tip in the form of the gift of music and get me something from my wishlist on Bandcamp if you like. It'll go to good use! Thanks!)

Thanks for reading and keep dancing in darkness,

-Xero

Previous DisCOVERies

Dec 08 - Gunship – Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)
Dec 01 - She Wants Revenge – Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel)
Nov 24 - Seer of the Merciful Own – One Week (Barenaked Ladies)
Nov 17 - Attrition– Underpass [click, click, drone] (John Foxx)
Nov 10 - Simple Minds – Teardrop (Massive Attack)

. Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies .

Welcome to SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies:
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.

This year, for very many reasons, it may feel harder to have the fun that comes with this holiday when, to quote the song we're featuring this X-mas eve, "there's a world outside your window and it's a world of dread and fear." If the seemingly endless tragedy, hunger, poverty, and injustices our society faces has had a depressing effect on our psyche, it's understandable. Despite it all, it is the season of giving, so here's the story of that one X-mas song, born of 80's new wave pop, that came into being with exactly that spirit in mind, and its cover by a gothic tribute band that offers a little "mercy" to an often unconsidered group in need of safety.

Misters of Circe - Clanging Chimes of Doom (originally Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid)

In October 1984, the BBC aired a potent documentary series about the hunger crisis in Ethiopia, reporting that seven million were starving, thousands were dead, and the drought causing such famine was the worst of its time. Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats saw this documentary and was moved to organize a relief effort. Working with Midge Ure (then of the band Ultravox), they composed Do They Know It's Christmas?, a single of which Geldof insisted every penny of its sale would go to the cause. Before the end of November they had gathered a super-group of British performers he called Band Aid to record the track. The primary vocalists were Paul Young, Boy George(Culture Club), George Michael(WHAM!), Simon LeBon(Duran Duran), Sting(Police), and Bono(U2). The collective chorus also included Jody Watley, Marilyn(Peter Robinson), Phil Collins (also on drums), other members of Boomtown Rats, Ultravox, U2, Duran Duran, and Culture Club, and members of Kool and the Gang, Bananarama, Heaven 17, Status Quo, and Spandau Ballet. Thompson Twins were unable to participate but donated some proceeds from their Lay Your Hands on Me single to the effort.
David Bowie, for whom the lines sung by Young were intended, was also unable to participate in the recording of track in time for its release in December but did join a handful of absent artists in a special message included on the single's b-side (which is now a truly haunting moment on the recording.)
Radio stations and MTV played the track near-hourly through the holiday and it ended up selling over two million copies worldwide and raised more than $24 million. Geldof had to go to war in the media with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher because the British government insisted on taxing the record. The public shaming resulted in a waiving of the tax and a government donation to match taxes already collected.

Band Aid's second line-up of English musicians was assembled for a 1989 re-recording of the song to continue the charity effort. While Sisters of Mercy had released two successful albums by that time, it does not appear they were invited to participate. What might it have sounded like if they had? What might it have sounded like if they just did the song themselves?

Wonder no more! Last December, a self described "gender non-conforming Sisters of Mercy tribute act" operating under the name The Misters of Circe released their cover of Do The Know It's Christmas?, six days before the holiday. As the pun of their name implies, no member of "The Misters" conform to the genders of the people they represent from "The Sisters": Queer females, lead vocalist Kitty Fedorec as Andrew Eldritch, guitarist Charley Fucking Stone as Andreas Bruhn, and non-binary transfem, bassist Patriarchia Morrison as, of course, Patricia Morrison. They are part of a flourishing scene of similar queercore gender non-conforming bands in London.

Fedorec's vocals are at best a caricature of Eldritch's style and, for all intents and purposes, their cover is a fun rendition of the central Temple of Love riff. They renamed the track "Clanging Chimes of Doom," modified a few lyrics (claiming they "understand and acknowledge that this is a politically problematic song"), and left out all mention of "feeding the world" at the song's end. They also give all proceeds for the track to a British charity called National Ugly Mugs, an advocacy organization for sex workers which provides them with an information network to help avoid dangerous clients and offers other legal resources.

Whether you celebrate this holiday or are perhaps one of those in a joyous war against it, it's still a a good time to remember that despite the hardships of a long year, many are in need and you may be in a position to help for no reward other that that of helping in itself. Please be generous of heart where you can, now and through our next year. Whether that's feeding someone who's hungry, contributing to the safety of people working in dangerous professions, or whatever kindness you find you can offer, every bit is going to mean something to someone. Hopefully these songs are at the very least a useful reminder of such needs.

The Cover:

https://themistersofcirce.bandcamp.com/track/clanging-chimes-of-doom

The Original:
Chose to post the B-side so I could share the moment that legit brought me to unexpected tears when I listened to it in full for the first time in years, certainly since before January 2016.
If it might effect you thus, consider this a trigger warning.


Want some more X-mas music from the dark side?
Here's a synthy goth version of Happy X-Mas!
Here's an industrial/electropop version of Santa Coming To Town!
Here's an aggrotech/EBM version of Jingle Bells!

Happy X!

Next week:
At the beginning of the year, New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. Come to find out New Year's Eve falls ALSO falls on a Sunday! Our calendar is pretty weird and part of the reason has something to do with the titular figure from the track we'll close the year on... and because it's the fifth Sunday of the month, that means it's New Year's Eve A La Mode!

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.)

This Friday is the last of the public parties I'm spinning for 2017! As always, the details for that, and some of the "adventures" lined up for January, can be found on my schedule if you're Boston-side and want to join! ಠ‿↼

Explore the darkness,
-Xero

Previous DisCOVERies

Dec 17 - Armageddon Dildos - Everyday Is Like Sunday (Morrissey)
Dec 10 - Noir - The Chauffeur (Duran Duran)
Dec 03 - Obscenity Trial - Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
Nov 26 - NoNotNever - Cold-Hearted Snake (Paula Abdul)
Nov 19 - Alien Sex Fiend [as The Dynamic Duo] - Batman Theme (Neil Hefti)

Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies

Welcome to a Holiday Edition of SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies; exploring goth/industrial cover songs in the spirit of the season!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.

It's week two of a two week feature of goth/industrial holiday covers and it's the third Sunday of the month where the cover is usually one from the twentieth century as a "Third Sunday Throwback."
This cover makes the cut to qualify as both:

The Crüxshadows: Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

During the 60's and early 70's there was an issue that bore heavy on the minds of the nation: the war in Vietnam. It ignited countless movements to end the U.S. involvement in it. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were among many activists working to communicate a message that would encourage a peaceful end. They engaged in a number of non-violent demonstrations which led to an international effort launched on multiple media platforms to spread the message, "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko."
After the success of his single, Imagine in 1971, Lennon then had the notion that his peace message could be more effective through his music. So, drawing from their campaign a couple of years prior, Lennon and Ono released Happy Xmas (War Is Over) on December 1, 1971.
It was not really successful in the U.S. that year. It was, however, tremendously so in Brittan in November of the following year and charted again in the U.S. during that holiday season.
It is not clear if the single had the intended impact based on its relatively weak sales at the time but the original and various covers of the track have been a standard of seasonal radio airplay ever since.

In 1995, Projekt Records began releasing a series of holiday albums with various goth/industrial artists covering many Christmas classics and some originals. Their second compilation in the series, Excelsis vol. 2 ~ a winter’s song, was released in 1999 and included a cover of Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by The Crüxshadows.
For Rogue, the lead singer of the band, this would appear to be a seminal moment of inspiration that would take a few more years to gestate. In 2010, he announced his wife and he were awaiting the birth of his daughter, and that he'd finally recorded a cover of O Holy Night because he'd wanted to record a Christmas song for years. That track and another celebrating his wedding anniversary in December were made available for free download from the band's website. Thus began a holiday tradition and he has released original Christmas music for free download every December since. He has been working through the month for this year's track and has reported on Twitter that it should be ready soon.

Among an uncounted amount of covers, The Crüxshadows version might be the only one both haunting and strangely uplifting in its darkwave style. It's a perfect addition to any playlist for goths celebrating the season.

The Cover:


The Original:


Next week:
I've been sitting on two great new covers that I can't wait to share... so unless I track down an amazing industrial cover of Auld Lang Syne before next weekend, it will either be foxy or tearful!

Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome!

I spin twice more this month: once after X-mas in western Mass. and on N.Y.E. south of Boston. Check my schedule for details.
Happy Holidays! See you here next week once more before the year ends. ^_^

Explore the darkness,
-Xero

Previous DisCOVERies

Dec 13 - Rotersand - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (RoterSanta) (Harry Reser/Tom Stacks)
Dec 06 - Celldweller - Imperial March (John Williams/London Symphony Orchestra)
Nov 29 - Virgins O.R Pigeons - People Are People (Depeche Mode)
Nov 22 - Wäks - Tanz Mit Laibach (Laibach)
Nov 15 - Libitina - Gothic People(Common People) (Pulp)

Directory of All DisCOVERies