I want to see you dance again

[venta]

It's Friday, it's about 3 o'clock. It's time to go underneath the covers (with the lights out).

I always recommend listening to a cover version without knowing what or who it is, so click on the link before reading ahead...

Today's cover version [mp3 download]

That was St Etienne covering Only Love Can Break Your Heart, originally by Neil Young.

Firstly, I should publish a dislcaimer: this song contravenes my own rules for songs to be posted here. Although I think it's a fabulous cover version (new time signature! always a winner with me) this is a song where I knew the cover before I knew the original. However, leaving in a bit of a scatty rush this morning, I forget to pick up a useful CD and have had to scrape around for a cover already on my work HDD.

I did consider the Cr¨xshadows' version of Here Comes the Rain Again, but it's so suicidally dreary I decided to stick with St Etienne.

Anyway. This cover of Only Love Will Break Your Heart is the opening track on my St Etienne singles collection, Too Young To Die. If you're not familiar with St Etienne, then I very much recommend this collection as a starting point of gentle, female-voice, intelligent pop.

Comments

[lnr]

This is another one where I know the cover well too. I'll have to go listen to the original now and see if I know that too :) Heh, love the video!

[zotz]

Never really got on with St Etienne. Don't know why.

Apparently Elliott Smith covered Harvest Moon. I should chase that up, really.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

it's so suicidally dreary
Yep. Which is a pity, given that they have proved they can actually do more upbeat tunes ...

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Heh, I named that in one. One of my favourite songs.

I used to like the original, but now can't really listen to it: this version pretty thoroughly blows it away.

[ulfilias.livejournal.com]

Don't like that....wrong frequencies or something, maybe i just don't like the voice.

Neil Youngs version is oddly familar though, yet it i'd swear its not his version i know....either someone has used the music elsewhere or its similar or maybe even a tv start-up tune or advert.....but i know the track, richer and more rythmic.

Net searching gives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Love_Can_Break_Your_Heart and there is an elkie brooks version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxBE78mqnJg , which is closer to the one in my mind, but still not quite right !!!

I'm going to have imaginary ear worms for hours now !!!

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

And St. Et appeared on one of my "buy tickets" letters today.

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

So venta rejects a song as being suicidally dreary, and replaces it with a Neil Young number. Because nothing he wrote was ever suicidal or dreary.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Ah, but it was a cover of a Neil Young song - so the cover might not be as dreary. While the 'shadows cover is drearier by far than the rather fine original!

[brrm.livejournal.com]

Embarrassingly, I didn't realise this one was a cover, though am very familiar with the St Etienne version. Time to go seek out the original :-)

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

Seconded, not sure I realised it was a cover either. I recognised the track and then decided if it was a cover it was probably a cover of an old rock n roll song, which (I haven't clicked the Neil Young link yet) I'm probably making up.

Has reminded me how much I liked St Etienne though.