Cover version of the month #82
Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions cover The Jesus & Mary Chain
The Jesus & Mary Chain released Automatic, their 3rd album, back in 1989. The CD version added a couple of bonus songs; Drop and Sunray, on top of the 10 songs available on the LP version.
Drop is a beautiful song that the band would go on to rerecord for the Stoned & Dethroned album sessions and this version came out on the Sometimes Always CD single.
Sometimes Always, a duet with the divine Hope Sandoval, is one of my very favourite songs, so there is some synergy in the fact that a b-side of that song was the opening track on Bavarian Fruit Bread, her 2001 debut album as Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions.
Good God, I could listen to Hope Sandoval sing the phone book and feel moved. Hope's dreamy voice hypnotises me. Glockenspiel is sprinkled over a raw acoustic guitar and very gentle percussion and Sandoval comes in with vocals set to stun.
The way you drop
Is like a stone
Making out you're flying
But you've just been thrown
Drop is a beautiful song and Hope Sandoval adds dreamy qualities to make it almost lullaby like.
The original Mary Chain version is only 2-minutes long. Sublimely raw, Jim Reid's vocals have that elegantly wasted quality that he delivers so well over just a couple of chords, understated strings, light percussion and a Velvets-y lead guitar on top. Classic Mary Chain. The lyrics are imaginative, druggy, provocative and have a religious reference in the kiss off line.
I should have guessed
When I took that pill
Do I love her still?
Well, did Jesus kill?
I love the original, I mean, it's pretty perfect. But I also love the version from the Stoned and Dethroned era. It's a little more country blues, a little more groovy, sounding like the Mary Chain could well have taken a trip to Memphis with their Primal Scream buddies around that time.
In short, Drop is a brilliant song, check out the links to the recordings below. All 3 are added to my Cool Cover Versions playlist. AND as a bonus check the live version from Creations Undrugged show at the Royal Albert Hall from 1994!
Drop live at The Royal Albert Hall JAMC w/ Hope Sandoval
Drop Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions
All previous cover version of the month blogs are listed below. To listen, search for Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist, featuring all of the songs below, on Spotify or CLICK HERE
Previous covers of the month
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U
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