LHM Sounds Off: Why I love music.

    Now that people are starting to notice my blog, I thought I'd share some stories and some background on why music is so important to me. Maybe you'll connect with me at some point, maybe you won't, but either way, it will definitely explain why so much of my time and my life is devoted to researching and learning new things about music.

    When I was four, Kurt Cobain died. I remember the day clearly, because I was taught his music from birth by my older sister, Kelly. "All Apologies" was the first song I could ever sing from memory. (Okay, okay it was probably "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Baa Baa Black Sheep" but you get the idea.) Kelly wore black that day and didn't go to school, and I cried with her, partly because watching Nirvana perform was such a big part of my bonding with my sister, and partly because I hated seeing her sad. Kelly taught me early on that you could love any kind of music and that no one could tell you that your taste sucked. It didn't suck, it was simply mine, and not yours. THAT theory has been implemented into my daily life ever since, and I try not to ever forget it.

    As I got older (8, 9, 10) I did succumb to the boy bands and the girl power invasion. My first real concert was The Backstreet Boys and I bought Spice World on VHS the day it came out. I'm glad I experienced all of that because it's something that every generation of young girls gets. Before me, it was New Kids On The Block, right now it's One Direction and Justin Bieber. It is something that every generation experiences and yeah sure, there are those girls and boys who say that they never listened to "that shit", but I for one wear it proudly. I'm glad I wanted to marry Zach Hanson. I'm glad I cried when I saw the video for "The One" by Backstreet Boys premiere. I'm glad I thought 2gether was a real band. For me, music is something to bond over, and even if you don't share the same musical tastes as an adult, most people can geek out together about whose face covered their bedroom walls as a kid.

    Blink 182 was always big with me. I saw them for the first time when I was 12, and a lot of people don't understand my love for them when most of the music I listen to comes from the 50's through the 80's. Well, I'll tell you why. When I was in eighth grade, I was bullied pretty bad. Not by the popular kids, not by anyone you'd think, but by my best friends. They left me out of everything starting about halfway through the year. They went to the movies together. They went dress shopping for the end of the year dance together, didn't let me come, and then warned me not to show up in the same color as them. They read notes I had written about my sadness over a breakup out loud to the entire class. When I cried, they told me I wanted attention. When I didn't want to talk, I was being a bitch. When I crossed my arms, I was trying to show off my cleavage. "Everybody knows you have the biggest boobs in the school, Lizzy, you don't have to flaunt them everywhere." When I was put on anti-depressants, I was trying to be cool. I think you get the idea. They were mean. But I clung to them like a tick because they were my best friends, and because there were certain days when they were nice to me. And I loved those days. Through the year, I listened to a lot of Blink. I felt like they had songs that understood my pain. There was one in particular, called "I'm Sorry", that had plenty of play through that year. The lyrics that got me through were as follows: "Don't bide your time, cuz it almost over. I know you're down, I'll see you around. I know it hurts, but you're just getting older. I know you'll win, you'll do it once again." They really got me through all of that bullshit I went through, and gave me the strength to move on and get away from those who had hurt me. So I carry that with me, and hold an attachment to the band not just because I love the music, but because I have that emotional experience with it as well.

    I have always loved classic rock as well. I have an intense love for Bob Dylan - a man who knows how to get to your gut and someone who loves music just as much as I do. I think that's one of my top reasons for respecting him like I do. I feel like he understands me, he traveled across the country to see his idol Woody Guthrie when he was ill in the hospital. He wrote a song for him. His senior picture in the yearbook listed his ambition as: "To be like Little Richard." Dylan didn't and still doesn't give a shit that he can't sing like some of his predecessors and those that came after him. He spoke the words that no one else could speak and he refused to sell them. Because no one can sing your own words like you can, no matter what your voice sounds like.

    All in all, us music lovers have something special. We have something consistent, something that doesn't change. Sure, there are a million genre's, and sure, the radio is changing and the top 40 is wildly different today than it was in 1969. But music is music. Sometimes, when my world is terrifying, and changing, and bringing me places I did not want to go, I turn on a song I've known forever, and I listen to that consistency. That song that never changed and will always be there for me. Music will never let you down. If a band that you love comes out with a disc that you don't enjoy as much as those before it, you still have those albums that came first. You are not required to listen to anything you don't like. It's much unlike life, where we have to do a lot of things we hate doing. We have to work at jobs that we dream of not needing anymore. We have to smile at customers who are yelling at you for raised prices. We have to have our hearts broken. We have to share our children when relationships end up imploding. We have to move home when we lose our jobs. We have to learn subjects in school that have nothing to do with what we want for the rest of our lives. But when I have my headphones on, I get whatever I want. I can listen to whoever I want and I can love it. I've never been let down by the people inside my iPod. And music has an intense community of artists who shared the same pains that I did. It has other people like me, who know how to get into my soul. It's powerful. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It makes you angry, it makes you strong. I love the fifties, but there are bands who have come out in the last few years that I see immense talent in. I thank God for allowing the world to share a love like that.

    And that, all of that, is why I talk so much about it. Why I live and breathe it. Why I plan to spend the rest of my life incorporating it into every piece: my job, my family, my friends, my spare time. I hope that I can share this love with others. I hope I can teach and learn and inspire others to share it as well. It is never a bad thing to love what you love.

"Without music, life would be a mistake." -Freidrich Neitzshe

LHM Interests You Maybe: Wait, that's a cover song?!

  
     So, in listening to the original version of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Robert Hazard, I - wait, WHAT?!
     YES, before Cyndi Lauper released this as a single in 1983 and emerged herself into female empowering, high pitched, glittery spotlight, a man by rhe name of Robert Hazard mumbled his way through it. It feels like it shouldn't make sense, and has a bad rep, including a lot of blogs claiming it's totally "creepy". However, think about it from a man's perspective: He comes home in the middle of the night and his mom is pissed off. What does he say? "Uh, sorry mom. These girls, man, they just wanna have all of this fun with me. We hang out, and I mean sorry the phone is ringing in the middle of the night dad, you're still top dawg, but these girls....they just wanna have some fun. You get that right dad? Being number one and all...."

     You get the picture. Pretty crazy huh?!?! It makes me think totally differently of the song....I will no longer be able to belt it out with the windows down while I'm feeling all empowered as a woman because....he, in a sense, wrote it about girls being sluts. You can listen to the original song here and tell me what you think.


     ANYWAY, it got me wondering what OTHER songs there are out there that I might not have known were cover songs. There has to be millions of them. Even with my extensive knowledge of music and original music and all the research I do about the music that I love, I have found so many songs that I had NO IDEA ABOUT! So here, my friends, is the top ten most fascinating songs you did not know were covers (unless you did):

10. "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes  (originally by Jackie DeShannon)

    If you have ever been into a karaoke bar, you have heard "Bette Davis Eyes". You also know that Kim Carnes' voice seems to be tailor made for that song. She has that beautiful rasp, and just enough gusto to make you swoon a little bit even though the lyrics are just a tad wacky: "She'll expose you when she snows you off your feet with the crumbs she throws you" (huh?) So when doing my research I was shocked to find out that not only has another voice sung this song (besides women after ten martinis who believe they can sing JUST AS GREAT AS KIM CARNES!!) but someone else ORIGINALLY did it. Her name is Jackie Deshannon. I am not a fan, but it's hard to compare because the two are completely different. The original is kind of jazzy, and sung a little bit cutesy-like. I like Kim Carnes version because of the mystery element. Jackie's version is less of a warning, like Kim's versions seems to be, as if she's staying "stay away, she's no good." Take a listen and decide for yourself:

9. "Cry" by Faith Hill (originally by Angie Aparo)
   You may not know this song, but if you don't, be sure to listen to it. It was a big hit for Faith Hill, and I remember connecting with it when i heard it because I had a boyfriend who I had a mutual break up with and all i wanted was him to seem like he was sad, at all. That's what this song is about. Well, I was playing Songpop and I had the category "best covers" and "Cry" by Faith Hill is one of the songs that comes up. What?! I had no idea, so of course since it's while I'm in the midst of researching for this blog, I look up the original. OH MAN, I love it. Even better than Faith Hill's version. There is so much raw emotion and sadness, I just wanted to cry for her. She has one of those voices that could be mistaken for a man (ala Tracy Chapman) and it's beautiful. Check it out and see if you can connect with it, too. And afterwards, check out Faith Hill's version as well :)

8. "Hey Mickey" by Toni basil (originally "Hey Kitty" by Racey)
    EVERYONE knows this song, whether it's from the radio or Bring It On. It is fun, and poppy, and used in basically every dance crew, ever. I made up a dance to it in junior high. Actually, I think i still remember.....ANYWAY, turns out this was originally written for "Kitty" by Mike Chapman and given to the 70's/80's group Racey. It's rumored that Tony Basil changed it to Mickey because she had a thing for Micky Dolenz from The Monkees. She says no, but hey it's a cool theory. At least it wasn't Mickey Mouse. HaHaHa. No, I'm not funny sorry. Either way, the original is kind of 80's pop punkish. And I mean early 80's pop punkish. i love it! If for no reason other than it rhymes better by saying "Oh Kitty, what a pity..." and "Oh Kitty, you're so pretty..." that always annoyed me. But it's fun and bouncy, and you should definitely give it a shot:

7.  "Blinded By The Light" by Manfred Mann (originally by Bruce Springsteen)
     Okay, so maybe I need to be slapped around a bit for this one, but NO, I did not know this was originally by The Boss until this past week. I love Manfred Mann's version so much. It has such a different, happy, fun beat. The original sounds NOTHING like their cover. I won't pretend to understand the lyrics, but I guess that's for a different blog altogether.  Springsteen sounds a little sad in this song, I know he has a more depressing voice than the men of Manfred Mann, but they make it seem like such a happy song that it's strange to hear it sung in a sad tone. You be the judge:

6. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (originally by Gloria Jones)
    This one was WEIRD for me. Everyone knows the Marilyn Manson version, too, but I always just thought it was a cover of this song! The original was released in 1965 performed by Gloria Jones, who reminds me of Mama Cass or someone like her. i like her version, it's less creepy, but i still think the song sucks. I've always hated this song, never caught on to it. I don't like the beat, the words, nothing. BUT, here is the original version, maybe you'll like it.

5. "Piece of my Heart" by Big Brother and the Holding Company (originally by Erma Franklin)
    Before I get any "JANIS JOPLIN SANG THAT GOSH YOU DUMMY"'s, I am way ahead of you. Janis Joplin was lead vocals for BB&HC. So poof, there she is. They really are the heart and soul of this song. It's their version that landed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of all Time. Joplin's voice adds such a beautiful and husky anger and frustration to the number. However, the original (sung by none other than Aretha Franklin's sister!!) has that same emotion. I have no idea why it wasn't a huge hit for her, and why she didn't have as much musical success as her sister. She's grungy and fearless and awesome. Anyway, I was suprised to find out this was a cover becaus Big Brother & the Holding Company had such commercial success with it. It's hard to have a cover have this much impact on the musical world, but that sure was the case for Joplin's band. I love both versions, they're empowering and jagged and have thrilling elements throughout both. So it's a good thing we've got both versions. Here is the original for your listening pleasure:

4. "I Love Rock & Roll" by Joan Jett (originally by The Arrows)
     Leave it to Joan Jett to do a rock song justice. I had no idea that someone did this song first, and it surprised me because that song is so signature for her and so fitting for her whole persona: vocals, style,  look, instrumentation, everything. It's a kick ass song to do karaoke because it's easy to sing and you can really rock out to it and get all over the stage (if you're into that). So in listening to the original, it was a whole different tune for me. It's sung by a man, and that's about the only difference. The beat, the tune, the style is all the same, and I think it's wonderful. I could definitely rock The Arrows' version with my windows down and surprise a lot of people. Of course, you'd get those music snobs that are all, "OMG someone covered that song?! Pish Posh!" And then of course you could retaliate and say, "Yup, Joan Jett did." Hehe. I hate music snobs. Here you go, The Arrows version:

 
    
3.  "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (originally by Otis Redding)
    Okay, okay so maybe this is another one that I should be punished for, but no, I did not know the legend Otis Redding wrote and performed this song first. Crazy!! It's another one that seemed like it was written for Aretha's voice. It is an anthem for getting that R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It seems so much like a song written for a woman bitching out a man, so to find out that a MAN wrote it, it's like getting a whole new perspective. I love it! But it WAS a shock, SO that is why it's number 3 on my list. Give it a listen here:

2.  "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia (originally by Ednaswap)
     YEAH, WHAT?! I LOVE this song. I have always obsessed over it. I love Natalie's raw emotion, fragility, rasp, I love the lyrics, I love the guitar, I love everything about it. I remember watching the Grammys as a kid and getting pissed off that the song lost to "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. I have ALWAYS loved this song, I learned it on guitar, I sing it in the shower, YEAH you get the idea. So imagine my shock knowing that she didn't create the track?! It was done by Ednaswap, an LA based alt-rock band in 1995. Her voice is semi-similar, with the rasp and the anger she is releasing. And-get this-you now know how much I LOVE Natalie's version, I ALMOST love Ednaswap's BETTER! I don't know if it's because now I know that the words are hers, and I feel her more, but I do enjoy it, a lot. It's almost like a whole new song. Check it out for yourself!!!

1. "Alone" by Heart (originally by I-10) (who?!?)
     This was for me, the biggest shock of them all. "Alone" is one of my favorite songs EVER and I have heard covers of Heart's version, karaoke versions, American Idol versions, etc, etc, etc, loving them all because I just love to hear that song. So finding out it was written for a couple of prestigious and successful songwriters PET project, was insane to me. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly are two well known songwriters who very often worked as a duo. They have written other big hits such as "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles and "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (You didn't really think all of these 80's ladies wrote their own shit did you?) and, come to find out, "Alone" by Heart. BUT WAIT, THAT'S NOT IT. Guess which 70's TV heartthrob covered this song BEFORE Heart even did?! None other than Full House's John Stamos!! He sang it on the soundtrack for the 1984 sitcom Dreams in which he starred. WOAH. SO before we all were blessed with the kick ass Heart version, we had John Stamos swooning with (sort of) the same words. 

I-Ten's version:

John Stamos' version:

So there you have it, my top ten most shocking cover discoveries. But before I leave you, I have more presents. Since I have an extensive catalog of music in my brain and I research this stuff constantly, there were hundreds of songs I came across that I personally already knew as covers, that you might not have known were. So I will give you those here:

• "Red Red Wine" by UB40, originally by Neil Diamond, listen to the original here. 
• "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor, originally written by Prince and performed by The Family, listen to the original  here.
• "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, originally by Dolly Parton, listen to the original here.
• "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix, originally by Bob Dylan, listen to the original here.
• "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, originally by Leonard Cohen, listen to the original here.
• "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles, originally "Shake it up, Baby" by The Top Notes, listen to the RARE original here.
• "Hard To Handle" by The Black Crowes, originally by Otis Redding, listen to the original here.
• "Knockin' On Heavens Door" by Guns N Roses, originally by Bob Dylan, listen to the original here.
• "Me & Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, originally by Kris Kristofferson, listen to the original here.
• "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner, originally by CCR, listen to the original here.

And I will end this post with a fun fact: James Brown's original music has been sampled into modern hip-hop music over ONE THOUSAND TIMES! Craziness.
 Night all!