Heroes

Cover version of the month #22
Heroes by Peter Gabriel

I've just finished watching Stranger Things, it is incredible. Funny, emotional, weird, strange, tense, scary, dramatic and it has fantastic characters. The soundtrack is pretty incredible too.

Gabriel recorded Heroes for his 2010 album Scratch My Back. This surprised me, it fits so perfectly with the scene in Stranger Things that I thought Gabriel must have had the script and recorded it specifically to fit. The arrangement is by a guy called John Metcalfe and his work with Gabriel on this track is more than enough to ensure I will be listening to the full album.

The tense, sparse and atmospheric opening leads to Gabriel singing tenderly but with real purpose. Strings and long held notes build then tension and feeling surrounding this exceptional version.

Without any of the drive of guitar and drums...it builds an enormous tension that bursts open.

Gabriel is immersed in the song and at 2-minutes 40 seconds the tension bursts in spectacular fashion with Gabriel's voice rising in time with the strings. It is truly mesmerising.

I, I can remember

Standing, by the wall

And the guns shot above our heads

And we kissed as though nothing could fall

The Scratch My Back album was conceived with the idea that Gabriel would cover an artists song in return for them covering one of his. The return album And I'll Scratch Yours was released in 2013.

If you're going to reinterpret something, then really do something. Nail your colours to the mast and say. 'this is different and it isn't everybody's cup of tea.'

Heroes is a Bowie masterpiece, the inspiration for the song, the lyrics, vocal, riff, feel and soul of the song is utter perfection. How the f**k do you even begin to consider covering it? Check this live version from Berlin in 2002 with Bowie commenting at the end I felt that.

Well Gabriel's cover is absolutely justified. Mat Snow wrote of Heroes in his Mojo review for the album that the songs underlying despair rises to the top.

Enjoy this remarkable interpretation of an incredible song. I've included the studio version and a live version in Verona with an orchestra - goosebumps!

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

My 10 favourite Bowie songs

1947 - 2016, R.I.P

Like many, I have spent today listening to songs from the truly exceptional back catalogue of David Bowie following his sad passing after a battle against cancer.

Bowie was unique; he was a pop star to some, he seemed like an alien to many others when he was beamed into their TV's on Top of the Pops to perform Starman, he was a chameleon, he was inspirational and he was an incredible artist.

Heartfelt tributes have been pouring in all day for this wonderful creative, eclectic and eccentric singer, songwriter and performer. Bowie inspired many (Morrissey, Marc Almond, Brett Anderson and probably most of the 80's new wave romantics) but he quite simply could not be imitated.

Bowie always ahead of the game, he didn't just stick to a formula, he challenged himself and others and he was a leader; bold and imaginative, bursting with energy and creativity.

I thought I would take 20-minutes out to write a short blog about my 10 favourite Bowie songs.

1. Sound and Vision
I don't know what it is about this song that grabbed me on first listen and has never let me go. I've played it loads of times when I have DJ'd in the past; the opening beats into a glorious guitar riff and instrumental that flows beautifully eventually leading to synths and eventually a deep sigh and finally   the lyrics. Brilliant. Bowie is definitely someone who wondered about sound and vision.

2. Let's Dance
I used to manage the Glasgow band Sonny Marvello and their singer Stephen is a Bowie nut. The band covered this, I think for a night at Pinup Nights in the Flying Duck, and it led me to checking out a lot of Bowie's 80's material. A couple of years ago I was at the Wickerman Festival when Nile Rodgers played this song, that he co-produced, and again it led me to listen to it over and over again for weeks afterwards. It is so clever; from the Beatles-y Twist and Shout opening to the funky bass and synth, the incredible vocals that encourage the listener/muse to put on your red shoes and dance the blues and then the glorious....

If you say run, I'll run with you

If you say hide, we'll hide

Because my love for you

Would break my heart in two

If you should fall into my arms

Tremble like a flower

3. Modern Love
Another 80's Bowie song that Sonny Marvello covered. It is a real pop gem that the band learned for a set before singer Stephen's wedding and they played it at a party the night before. I always think of an incredible 2-days with some great friends, culminating in a beautiful wedding when I hear this song.

4. Heroes
Yeah it doesn't really get much better. Totally spine tingling.

5. Under Pressure
OK it's not all Bowie, but this may well have been the first Bowie song I head when I was a kid. That and his Dancing In The Streets duet with Mick Jagger! I still think it is a beautiful song and the performance is sensational with Bowie bringing out the best in Freddie Mercury and the song inspiring Bowie to reach fantastic heights.

This is our last dance

6. Starman
Loads of musicians from a certain era cite this as the moment they decided to form a band. Bowie beaming into their homes looking out of this world; was he a boy, a girl or an alien? Who cared, he was different and he was cool. The moment he puts his arm around Mick Ronson is brilliant - he knows he is f**king good. He packs everything into 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

7. Queen Bitch 
Another song I have played quite a lot when DJ-ing. That opening acoustic riff suddenly develops into something monstrous, quite punk rock and Bowie is in full flight sounding like he is loving it.

8. Changes
One of the first Bowie songs I really fell for in my late teens. The delivery of ch-ch-ch-changes and the line time may change me, but I can't trace time seemed to be written for me. Yet again, Bowie pens a song that flows superbly.

9. Ziggy Stardust
Bowie had many looks, guises and disguises throughout his career, Ziggy Stardust was arguably his best. The vision, ambition and delivery of the look, the songs and the album were pure pop art. Nothing like this had been done before. No-one could do it afterwards.

the kid was just crass

he was the nazz

with God given ass

he took it all too far

but boy could he play guitar

10. Five Years
From the legendary Ziggy Stardust album, it was yet another cover version that caused me to fall for this song and go back and dig out my second hand vinyl copy. This time it was an acoustic performance by singer Kevin Harper at a charity show I put on at Maggie's Centre in Glasgow. Knowing the diagnosis' some people in the room were dealing with, the song took on a new meaning to me and I got quite emotional.