I Don't Wanna Grow Up

Cover version of the month #34
Scarlett Johansson covers The Ramones/Tom Waits

UPDATE - I usually research the history of a song before writing a blog about a cover version. However I was so confident that this song was a cover of The Ramones that I didn't bother! So thanks to Jamie Keenan from the La Fontaines for pointing out that it is in fact a Tom Waits song, released on his 1992 album Bone Machine.

Check the original version here, before my unresearched blog below. Lesson learned!

I'm not overly familiar with the back catalogue of The Ramones (who may feature in this regular feature again soon with their cover of The Ronettes) at all. Other than owning some of their 'hit' singles on various compilation albums, they are not a band who have inspired me to dig deep into their history.....or buy a t-shirt!

This is yet another song that I discovered through a cover version. I was browsing Scarlett Johansson ....(ahem!) on Spotify and loved the song title so clicked on play.

The almost homemade electro vibe captivated me immediately, and then Scarlett's treated vocals made me fall (further) under her spell.

The lyrics are brilliantly young, naive and innocent, yet at the same time some of them speak out and capture things that everyone thinks about at times.

Nothing ever seems to turn out right

I don't want to grow up

Seems that folk turn into things

That they never want

The only thing to live for is today

The song lists observations about the world and society, cutting through everything from watching the 5 o'clock news, to getting a loan, to hair falling out.

The Ramones version is predictably punk pop and it's great fun. But Scarlett's version would always get my vote as I think it capture that young frustration and is more believable than The Ramones.

She finds extra beauty in the song, in the lyrics and in the melody. And the sparse electro backing modernises the song brilliantly.

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
16. California Soul
18. Wonder wall 
19. Dancing In The Dark
20. Always On My Mind
21. Ceremony
22. Heroes
23. Different Drum
24. Wild Horses

25. Respect
26. Mr Tambourine Man
27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
28. Superstar
29. Twist and Shout
30. Purple Rain
31. Baker Street
32. Not Fade Away
33. Stop Your Sobbing

I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

Cover version of the month #15

I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine by Beth Orion

For I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine, as with many songs featured in my monthly Cover of the Month blog, I heard the cover version before I heard the original. In 1996 Beth Orton released Trailer Park, a stunning album, recorded with seminal producer William Orbit. The album earned Orton the tag of 'Comedown Queen' due to its popularity at post club parties in the small hours of the morning.

Orton's wistful voice and the organic nature of acoustic guitars and strings mixed superbly with electronica to create something special. The standard of the songwriting was exceptional; She Cries Your Name, Sugar Boy and Someone's Daughter being particular favourites of mine.

I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine was the penultimate song on the album and it absolutely melted my heart. I quickly discovered that this song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector and originally released by The Ronettes. Orton actually released her version on a limited edition 7-inch before it appeared on the album.

Upon hearing the original, this swiftly became my favourite song by The Ronettes. I think the lyrics, performance and production are spellbinding. I had the good fortune to see Ronnie Spector at The Arches a number of years ago and I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine was my personal highlight from a very memorable night.

The Ronettes version starts with a heart tugging vocal over gorgeous strings and horns.

Baby do you know what you did today

Baby do you know what you took away

You took the blue out of the sky

My whole life changed when you said goodbye

And I keep crying, crying

Spector's Wall of Sound kicks in for the bridge to the chorus, the drums really go for it.

Oh baby

Oh baby

I wish I never saw the sunshine

I wish I never saw the sunshine

Cause if I never saw the sunshine

Then maybe, I wouldn't mind the rain

The simplicity of the lyrics is incredible; look how many mentions there are of baby and the repetition in the first two lines and the chorus. Yet look at how much we learn in the first verse and the poetry involved in the line 'you took the blue out of the sky' and in the chorus.

The Orton version begins with a fragile riff being picked out on acoustic guitar and Orton's voice is beautifully fragile and soulful. When she sings 'I keep crying' you can almost feel the tears.

The chorus doesn't have the dramatic Wall of Sound that The Ronettes version has, yet it is powerful in a different way. The delicate guitar riffs sound exquisite, yet everything is secondary to Orton's voice.

The second verse is heartbreaking with the lyrcs emphasising the pain and isolation being felt post break up. Ronnie Spector's voice soars at the end of the second line and into the chorus with crashing drums and everything taking off.

Every day is just like the day before

All alone a million miles from shore

All of my dreams, I dreamed with you

Now they will die and never come true

Orton's version is even more heartbreaking for me. Listening back to them both I get the feeling that Ronnie is going to be OK, her heart is broken but she'll get over it. With Beth Orton I get the feeling that she may never recover. Her heart hasn't just been broken but smashed to pieces.

After a second chorus there is a slight reflection before going straight into another chorus and then an extra bit at the end with the line Oh this pain, I wouldn't mind the rain, there wouldn't be this pain for extra effect.

And I know there wouldn't be

This cloud that's over me

Everywhere I go

Oh baby

Oh baby

I wish I never saw the sunshine

I wish I never saw the sunshine

And if I never saw the sunshine baby

Then maybe, I wouldn't mind the rain

Oh this pain

I wouldn't mind the rain

There wouldn't be this pain

I wouldn't mind the rain

I wouldn't mind the rain

Beth Orton has released a new album Kidsticks and plays St Luke's in Glasgow on 2nd October.

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

TeenCanteen at Henry's Cellar Bar in Edinburgh

There is something about a gig in a small, tight, sweaty basement bar. There is nowhere for a band to hide, it can make or break them. It is on occasions like this that you can see a band demonstrate just exactly what they have to offer, or fall flat.

TeenCanteen were incredible last night, truly stunning.

Analogue (currently available as a free download from T-Break) opened proceedings; highlighting the harmonies, humour and songwriting talent displayed by Carla, Amanda, Sita and Deborah.

Without pausing to enjoy the applause, the 4 girls started their debut single Honey. There was a nice raw edge to the sound of Amanda's acoustic guitar. The song flowed superbly, rising and falling and powering on through with delicious hooks and harmonies.

I am red when I want to be purple

The band introduced a new song Coming Up Roses and it was brilliant. A Motown beat kicked in and a Spector-esque Wall of Sound built up as the band unleashed choruses and hooks to die for. The closing section was rammed home.

A-L-W-A-Y-S

I'll always love you

A-L-W-A-Y-S

I'll always be true

The band were in fine form and had the confidence to play a beautiful love song called Under My Cover that slowed down to the point of stopping, just harmonies and breathless vocals before the band came blasting back in.

TeenCanteen are clearly a band that know their pop history; riffs, refrains, harmonies, choruses, false stops, hooks, flows...

Friends was introduced as a song about friends falling out and it started with a bass driven synth

This is how it starts

The beginning of the end

This is the point when you say

You just want to be my friend

It is a brilliantly written and delivered song that builds towards an epic closing refrain. Deborah Smith on drums was sensational, Moe Tucker meats Motown.

(How We Met) Cherry Pie was introduced as an old song they hadn't played in a while. An early demo was picked up for an independent film featuring Karen Gillan. The chorus flows superbly.

Like rain that falls without a warning, on a sunny morning

This is how we met

Like sugar in my cup of coffee, apples dipped in toffee

This is how we met

Like snow fall showing in the summer, with massive claps of thunder

This is how we met

Or missing puzzle pieces meeting, with joys of seasons greetings

This is how we met

New single You're Still Mine (available on ltd edition 7-inch sparkly vinyl here) was a cross between New Order and The Ronettes, delivered with gusto and style.

Going back to the small, tight and sweaty basement; it can really make or break a crowd. TeenCanteen had the confidence to close the show with Vagabond, b-side of their current single and a real tug on the heart strings anthem delivered largely with just Carla on piano and vocals with Amanda and Sita harmonising and Deborah playing just the right amount of drums and percussion.

This was an amazing performance and one that was lapped up by the packed audience.

Chants of one more tune were politely declined. More please.

TeenCanteen have a few festival shows coming up at; T in the Park, Wickerman Festival and Indie Tracks.

10 great love songs

Happy Valentine's Day.

Here are 10 of my favourite love songs.

My Love Is Your Love (Forever) - The Isley Brothers

Flows superbly, gorgeous strings. 'Now girl, now that I found you, come closer girl, I wanna put my arms around you.

Only With You - The Beach Boys

Does it get any more beautiful than this?

'I wanna spend this life with you, only with you, yes it's true, all I wanna do, is spend my life with you.'

Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles

Lennon is so hopelessly in love that he says four words rather than three. Incredible middle-eight 'I'm in love for the first time, don't you know it's gonna last, it's a love that last forever, it's a love that has no past'.

I'm Thinking Of You - Sister Sledge

Disco heaven, this was sublime when Chic played it at Wickerman last summer.

'Without love, there's no reason to live, without you, what would I do with the love I give?'

'I'm thinking of you and the things you do to me, that make me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy'.

Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub

I listened to this a lot before I proposed to Lynn.

'There is no choice, in what I must do, nothing is greater, than to be with you'

I Love Every Little Thing About You - Stevie Wonder

Stevie has written some inspirational love songs. Has he ever sounded so head over heels?

'I'm here to say, I love you every day, and I just wanna tell the world I love you so…'

Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In My Space - Spiritualized

From the truly exceptional album of the same name. J Spaceman is on a different level with this gorgeous lysergic lullaby.

I will love you till I die and I will love you all the time,

So please put your sweet hand in mine, 

We'll float in space and drift in time

I'm Sticking With You - Velvet Underground

Childlike vocals by Moe Tucker. The section when Lou Reed comes in is just stunning, flows superbly.

I'll do anything for you, anything you want me to, 

I'll do anything for you, woah-oh I'm sticking with you

Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac

Can you hear me calling, out your name,

You know I'm falling and I don't know what to say

Something's happening, happening to me

My friend's say I'm acting peculiarly 

Divine. 

Baby, I Love You - The Ronettes

Simple, heartfelt and soulful. This was our first wedding dance. Spector at his very best.

Have I ever told you

How good it feels to hold you

It isn't easy to explain