Kelly Watch The Stars - Moog Cookbook remix

Cover version of the month #112
Moog Cookbook remix/cover Air

NOTE - I've allowed myself a little artistic license on this blog. Not really a cover, but definitely a radical reworking. Is a remix a 'modern' cover version? 

Anyway ...

Back in the late 90s, Air sounded like they were untouchable. Probably because they were floating around in space! Their 1998 debut album Moon Safari was a stunning mix of space-age lounge, warm analogue synths, and widescreen cinematic beauty. It felt timeless, nostalgic and futuristic all at once. Here is a blog I wrote on the 20th anniversary back in 2018.

Kelly Watch the Stars was one of the standout tracks, a hypnotic, dreamy piece of French synth pop that floated along on its own celestial groove.

In the aforementioned blog I wrote - "Kelly Watch the Stars is a song that takes the listener on a different kind of trip via repetition rather than they flowing riffs and melodies that are evident throughout the album. That said, there is still plenty of space in the song for Air to flow and the instrumental section really does lift the song to another level."

Sometimes I look back at old blogs and think did I really write that! Quite clever! ... space for Air to flow!

And then, The Moog Cookbook got their hands on it.

The Moog Cookbook were an eccentric duo made up of Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Beck’s band) and Brian Kehew (a synth guru and later a touring member of The Who). Their mission? To take classic songs and reimagine them using only vintage Moog synthesizers. 

Their cover/remix/reworking of Kelly Watch the Stars is pure retro-futuristic joy; Shaft! style wah-wah, super cool beats and ... moog synths! The Moog Cookbook transform the song. The main melody is still intact, but now it's bouncing through a playful array of spacey bleeps, theremin-like swoops, and chunky, robotic basslines. Funking and punking it up, it’s as if Air's original track was beamed into a 1970s cop TV show produced by Daft Punk. 

Still dreamy, still gorgeous, an extra 2-minutes are added on to the original to allow a breakdown and extra time to play with the sublime piano, whispered vocal, beats, percussion and groove. 

This is a gem. Enjoy!

The Air original and the Moog Cookbook remix of Kelly Watch The Stars are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE

Previous covers of the month blogs

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

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
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

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

66. My Little Red Book

67. Isn't It A Pity

68. Walk On By

69. Walk Away Renee

70. Tainted Love

71. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

72. Listen The Snow Is Falling

73. Mrs Robinson

74. He's Gonna Step On You Again

75. In My Life

76. Caravan Of Love

77. The Only Way Is Up

78. Dancin' Round & Round

79. With A Little Help From My Friends

80. Killing Me Softly

81. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

82. Drop

83. Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay

84. Sympathy For The Devil

85. I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor

86. Love Will Tear Us Apart

87. Indian Rope Man + bonus Strawberry Fields Forever + This Wheels On Fire

88. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

89. Love The One You're With

90. Cum On Feel The Noize

91. Addicted To Love

92. Valerie

93. Ride On Time

94. Let's Dance

95. It Must Be Love

96. I Fought The Law

97. For What It's Worth

98. Do Your Thing

99. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

100. Don't Leave Me This Way

101. Shout!

102. God Only Knows

103. The Last Time

104. Bridge Over Troubled Water

105. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

106. Louie Louie

107. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

108-110. I'm A Loser, Yesterday and Beware of Darkness 

111. So You Say You Lost Your Baby

Moon Safari

The other day I was alerted to the fact that Moon Safari by Air is 20-years old. What an album it is! Flowing, imaginative, funny, soulful and reflective, full of joyous and melancholic synths, intertwining riffs and melodies, beautiful vocals and a real sense of freedom. It really is majestic.

Earlier on today I played the album, lounging around as the snow fell outside and I was reminded of all of the above and more. I've actually listened to it 3-times today!

I caught the band playing the Old Fruitmarket as they toured the album. Sean Lennon supported and I actually stood beside him in the lead up to Air coming on stage. The DJ dropped The Word by The Beatles and he went back side stage. The 22-year old me was desperately caught in two minds regarding whether to talk to him or not. I wish I had!

La Femme D'Argent is a stunning opener. There is a groove to the bass, flowing synths, dreamy backing vocals and beautiful melodies. It is so easy to get lost in this song. I always used to put it on mix tapes and mix CD's.

Sexy Boy was the 'hit'. The video of Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit-Dunkel walking about New York City and buying a monkey with a Sexy Boy t-shirt on and subsequently going off to fantasise about things was genius and helped take Air and Moon Safari overground. There guitar/synth riff and Sexy Boy hook are captivating from the off, the sultry French vocals are the sugar on top. The instrumental solo section is sublime.

The reflective side of Air comes across on All I Need, beautiful psychedelic folky riffs combine over simple percussion and more dreamy vocals take the listener on a trip.

All I need's a little time

To get behind the sun and cast this weight

Air's sense of pop that they displayed on Sexy Boy is taken a step further with Kelly Watch The Stars, a song that takes the listener on a different kind of trip via repetition rather than they flowing riffs and melodies that are evident throughout the album. That said, there is still plenty of space in the song for Air to flow and the instrumental section really does lift the song to another level.

As for Talisman, I can't recall an instrumental as emotive, it really does speak volumes. Rising and falling and generally just evidencing sheer brilliance. Remember features repetitive lyrics, but again it is music that captivates.

You Make it Easy is the most 'wordy' song on Moon Safari and it is a tale of love asking questions of how the lovers found each other and marvelling at how life now is.

You make it easy to watch the world with love

You make it easy to let the past be done

The layers of riffs and melodies are pure and sublime on Ce Matin-La with gentle horns introduced alongside strings. Another melancholic soulful masterpiece. Who needs words?

Moon Safari really does take the listener on a trip. As a complete body of work it is stunning, yet individually each track is capable of doing that as well. New Star In The Sky is moody and broody (great album for the bedroom!).

The trip ends with Le voyage de Penelope and again it is so easy to immerse yourself and get lost in the gorgeous music and vibes that the dup create.

Moon Safari is a truly captivating album that sounds like it was conceived with an incredible amount of love, care and attention. I found myself listening to 3-times today. Enjoy, whether you are listening to it for the first time ever or the first time in a while.

Never Ending Mixtape Part 6

The Never Ending Mixtape began in October 2016 when I finally discovered Spotify after years of saying I would never use it. Watch The Sunrise by Big Star kicked things off, joined by the Velvets, Spiritualized, Tricky, Massive Attack, Belly, Mazzy Star, The Orb, The Smiths.....all kinds of things.

Each month I make some additions to the Never Ending Mixtape and the blog allows me to either reminisce about old favourites, seeing acts live or where and when I bought/heard the song, or to talk about recent discoveries.

You can check the Never Ending Mixtape below and then read on to find out the latest additions.

Aphex Twin begins the latest additions to the Never Ending Mixtape with the stunning Aisatsana. It is a truly mesmerising piece of music. Donovan, Air and John Lennon lead a relatively mellow way before O-O-H Child by The Five Stairsteps lifts things up and then it doesn't stop with outstanding tunes from The Flirtations, The Jackson Sisters, Marlena Shaw, Bobby Womack and Curtis Mayfield.

Aisatsana - Aphex Twin
Isn't this just beautiful?

Colours - Donovan
One of the first songs I learned to play on acoustic guitar. Easy and lovely.

Playground Love - Air (with Gordon Tracks)
Hadn't heard this in years, from the Virgin Suicides soundtrack - blissful.

Oh Yoko - John Lennon
Lennon wrote so many love songs about Yoko but is any as melodic as this one?

O-O-H Child - The Five Stairsteps
Pete Paphides tweeted that he was thinking this might be the greatest single of all time.... it's pretty god damn good

Nothing But A Heartache - The Flirtations
But I'll take Pete's suggestion and raise him this outrageous romp. Listen to those vocals go for it The power and passion in this song is sensational. I got a lot of those heartaches, I got a lot of those teardrops....

I Believe In Miracles - The Jackson Sisters
Another outrageously good track - this is uplifting and ecstatic - I believe in miracles, I believe in you

California Soul - Marlena Shaw
An all-time fave of mine, had the pleasure of seeing Marlena live a couple of times, the first time was way back when The Renfrew Ferry was on the other side of the river and practically sinking. The ovation after this song must have gone on for 10-minutes! That good.

Across 100th Street - Bobby Womack
What a voice, what a tune, what a story......

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
It doesn't get any better than this. Sublime. Bite the lip and take the trip

Six for Saturday 05/11/11