I’m a sucker for finding songs and picking them apart in my head. I try to pinpoint if they have a sample or were themselves sampled in other songs. Another thing I love to discover is if a popular song was actually a cover song. While uncommon, there are many popular songs from the 80s and 90s that were previously released. Often times, it’s interesting to see how certain songs evolve. But that’s a post for another day.
Gloria Jones – Tainted Love
We all know and grew up with the version by Soft Cell, but “Tainted Love” was recorded and performed by Gloria Jones almost twenty years prior. Jones’ version is originally a bit jostling at first because it doesn’t contain that familiar electronic composition, but this version is a killer. Reminiscent of the classic girl groups of the 60’s R&B sound, it’s a soulful track that packs a wallop and deserves a much brighter spotlight.
Besides the massive hit by Soft Cell that topped the charts in many countries, “Tainted Love” was also covered by Marilyn Manson as a single in 2001. The Manson version is a a reimagined take the Soft Cell release and it sounds exactly like you think it would.
LCD Soundsystem – Disco Infiltrator
I got the chance to see Kraftwerk earlier this month. I can’t say I am much of a fan, but I appreciated their contributions to the music I love and that they seem like a band that might not be touring much longer. To prepare for the show I wanted to take a dive in and see what’s what. I found many clips and snips galore checking out their discography, and I’ve been listening to them quite frequently since the show. In one of their songs, “Home Computer”, I noticed an arpeggiated synthesizer swells in the background halfway through that sounds exactly the beginning of “Disco Infiltrator”, off of LCD Soundsystem’s 2005 full-length debut.
imeanttolisten.com 