Lost In Music

Cover version of the month #65
The Fall cover Sister Sledge

I recently read Renegade, Mark E Smith's autobiography. I'm not a huge fan of the band by any means, but I did take some time to try a little bit more of their back catalogue as a result of reading the book.

And I discovered a number of cover versions that they have recorded, including an outrageous version of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge from their monumental 1979 album We Are Family.

Written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, this sublime slice of disco house heaven was produced during a period where the duo could literally do no wrong. Everything they touched turned to gold. Check what they were involved with in the late 70's with Chic and Sister Sledge, it is just insane, then through to working with Bowie, Diana Ross and Madonna (among others) in the 80's.

Lost In Music is utterly stunning pop music. The song stretches out to 4 minutes 40 seconds, allowing Rodgers and Edwards to pull every kind of trick they have learned to create something magical. 

What are their tricks? Well there is a teasing 30-second intro, then we're straight into a double chorus that you can sing after only one listen. And there are plenty of other opportunities through the rest of the song to do just that.

The vocals and production are crystal clear, the stabbing piano/keys sounds instantly familiar and Rodgers just grooves along in his unique style, somehow playing lead and rhythm guitar simultaneously.

I've been in a club when this song has come on, if played at the precise moment, then there is nothing better, the crowd are lost in music and singing-a-long, meaning and believing every sing word they sing. It is absolutely perfect for a club.

We're lost in music, feel so alive

I quit my nine to five

We're lost in music

Rodgers & Edwards captured the NYC disco and club scene perfectly in so many of their finely crafted songs. No wonder, if you read Rodgers autobiography it sounds like he pretty much lived in some of the clubs! He certainly lived for clubbing, lived for music. He still lives for music. I've caught his Nile Rodgers and Chic shows a couple of times and I think they may well be the most uplifting shows I have ever experienced.

In 1993 The Fall decided to cover Lost In Music. They rip through it, with Mark E Smith adding his own little twist by declaring I'm Lost In Music. That simple shift from we're to I'm just personalises the song.

I'm no expert on Smith and The Fall, but I know how prolific he was and from what I have heard and read, he was lost in his own world, his own music, his own vision and dreams for The Fall.

Smith snaps, snarls and drawls his way through the song. When he half sings, half shouts I'm so alive, he actually sounds like he couldn't give a flying f**k. When he sings caught in a trap, no looking back it sounds like he is resigned to recording the cover version, rather than enjoying it.

Yet I'm strangely drawn to it. It's got a raw punk edge, it is a strange and brave song to cover. Why did they cover it? I haven't been able to track that down.

Anyway, I enjoy it and it is cover version of the month #65. Check the original, a sublime re-edit by Dimtri From Paris, the cover by The Fall and also a live version.

Lost In Music by Sister Sledge

Lost In Music, Dimitri From Paris extended re-edit

Lost In Music by The Fall

Lost In Music by The Fall, live on The Beat

And after posting this blog Duglas T Stewart of the BMX Bandits kindly tipped me off on this very atmospheric version by Anita Lane. 

Click (or search for) Everything Flows cool cover versions on Spotify for a playlist of the covers I have blogged about and read on for a full list and links to previous cover of the month blogs. 

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

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

Nile Rodgers and Chic at Glasgow Academy

What a night! The cheer that reverberated around the 02 Academy in Glasgow last night when Nile Rodgers and Chic finally paused between songs, following their classic Le Freak, was among the loudest I have ever heard in 22-years of gig going in Glasgow. And it didn't stop, it went on again, again and again. Nile smiled and looked genuinely amazed. The cheer came back again and Nile asked his keyboard player to take a picture of the crowd.

When I got home i tweeted Nile and he replied;

2. Nile Rodgers ‏@nilerodgers  11h11 hours ago

   @murrayeaston My ears are still ringing from the ROAR of the crowd! True Fact!

   View conversation3 retweets16 favorites
3. 11h11 hours ago

   
   

The Academy was a complete sell-out and Nile strolled on to the stage alone to chat to to the crowd and introduce the video for Chic's new single I'll Be There, an up temp disco beauty that plays on the old Sister Sledge classic Got To Love Somebody.

Nile then returned with his exceptional band and got everyone straight into the groove with an amazing opening trio of Everybody Dance, Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and I Want Your Love!

The crowd responded by dancing, clapping, waving their hands in the air and generally having the best Monday night ever. It didn't let up!

Nile announced he would be playing songs he had written and produced over the years and kicked off with a Diana Ross double - the blissful I'm Coming Out and the exquisite Upside Down. This was disco heaven, Nile patrolling the stage playing and feeling his guitar; letting us hear and see some of the best disco funk riffs of all time.

A medley containing the likes of He's The Greatest Dancer (one of my highlights of the night), We Are Family, Madonna's Like A Virgin, Lost In Music and Duran Duran's Notorious had the crowd in raptures.

This was a musical lesson; short verse, huge choruses hammered home again and again, raising it up, taking out the beat and bringing it all back in again. All the time underpinned by Rodgers unique guitar playing.

The two female singers were brilliant and Nile took time to thank them and all of his band.

Thinking Of You is one of my all-time favourites and it was a real hands in the air moment while the cover of Carly Simon's Why was superb.

I'll Be There is the new single and Nile told us about how he was diagnosed with cancer 5-years ago and how he decided he wanted to let the doctors do what they do and he would do what he does - make music. I'll Be There was a highlight, as was the delicious Get Lucky, Nile's single with Daft Punk that gave him a whole new audience.

The set was all one big highlight but the closing quartet of My Forbidden Lover, an outstanding romp through Bowie's Let's Dance, the aforementioned Le Freak and the closer Good Times really raised the roof, with Rodgers inviting people on stage to dance.

This was a special night with Rodgers blown away by the audience response - this was a Monday night; he should try a Saturday night at the Barrowlands!

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