Everything Flows: cover of the month

Called supernatural Delta Blues by way of swinging London by Rolling Stone magazine, Jumpin' Jack Flash was released by The Rolling Stones 50-years ago back in 1968.

It still sounds absolutely incredible. The guitars crash and collide, sounding raw and vital, the beat kicks in and so does Jagger.

I was born in a cross-fire hurricane

And I howled at the morning driving rain

But it's all right, now, in fact it's gas

But it's all right, I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash

It's a gas, gas, gas

The line in the second verse I was schooled with a strap right across my back is brilliant, the riffing and grooving is relentless and the whole song and performance just oozes cool.

Here are the Stones getting it on in Texas in 1972 and click here for the original.

How on earth do you even dare to cover so thrilling?!

Well it has been covered well over 1,000 times! However, if you are someone called Ananda Shankar you turn it into a largely instrumental psychedelic sitar infused jam with soaring backing vocals for the hooks. This version was released on an album of covers back in 1970. I first heard this a long, long time ago in one of my best friends bedrooms. We'd meet up on Friday and Saturday nights and play each other the latest records/cd's we'd bought and discuss the music news from the NME and Melody Maker - simpler times!

Reddy had stumbled across a David Holmes mix/compilation and this was on it. It blew our minds and was yet further evidence of Holmes impeccable taste and crate digging credentials.

It is very different, yet it keeps the groove you can feel the energy from the song, just like the Stones. With a song like this I don't think you could contain the energy from the lyrics and groove.

Enjoy.

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

COVER OF THE MONTH #8

Sound and Vision - Beck

Beck does Bowie, boy does Beck do Bowie. Beck does Bowie with a 157 piece orchestra. Beck conducts them throughout, spinning on stage with his acoustic guitar, a finger wag here, a gesture with his arms there.

Listen with your headphones on when you get to the video below.

The start is incredible as Beck wanders around conducting the orchestra and generating noises that switch from your left ear to your right (microphones were suspended above). This goes on for an intoxicating 3-minutes before Beck and practically everyone burst into life with the classic Sound and Vision riff.

Beck's Dad conducts the orchestra which contained 2 choirs, xylophones, Chinese percussion, vintage electronic equipment, marching band drummers, samba players, heavy metal guitarists and loads, loads more.

There is brilliant bit where everything stops leaving Beck strumming his acoustic guitar backed only by handclaps and the choir. It then builds up to a collage of noise before Beck returns the song to something that wouldn't sound out of place on his Morning Phase album. Beck then takes things on a funky cinematic trip for the duration of the song during which he really stamps his mark on the song, it absolutely soars, it is brilliant to watch and to listen.

Waiting, for the gift of sound and vision

It is 9-minutes of magic, made possible by the Lincoln Car Company who told Beck he could do something with no limitations or restrictions.

Beck shows that like Bowie, he has the gift of sound and vision. Astounding.