Certain bands / artists inspire certain contrived imaginations within the increasingly narrow recesses of my mind.
For instance I cannot help imagining Bono in a domestic scene which involves him sitting on a makeshift throne (with his sunglasses on) nonchalantly explaining to the recently resurrected Jesus (who is busy washing his new Lord's feet), that he is the love child of a tryst between Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, as he simultaneously sacks his groundsman for not being able to train a dead badger to bow to him.
Similarly my vision of Teenage Fanclub is equally as fanciful, although far more endearing. I imagine Norman Blake reclining in a comfortable armchair and casually picking up the phone and inviting all his fellow TFC band members for 'one of his 60's nights'. It is a spontaneous invite, for that is how they work.
They all pile around and start throwing 60's lost pop classics on to a dusty record player (I have no idea why my romantic notions always insist upon 'dusty' as I am sure Mr Blake is very clean) whilst drinking latte's and occasionally pausing the music to discuss the philosophical constraints of modern thinking and other musings that are simply beyond the intellectual capacity of mere mortals such as myself.
Of course I may be wrong. Such occasions may not have happened at all or if they did they might well have involved TFC cracking open 8 bottles of absinthe to wash down copious amounts of White Lightning cider and Thunderbird wine, whilst they became increasingly shitfaced listening to a set of 60's vinyl that became increasingly psychedelic as they crack edopen their seventh bag of magic mushrooms.
Whatever versions is correct and I suppose there is always the most remote of chances that neither actually are, there is a process that the Teenage Fanclub observe that has enabled them to produce the most inspired collections of covers that jangle/power/guitar pop has ever seen and until I know different then the 'dusty record player version' is their inspiration !
This articles pays homage to my favourites covers that they released on their own official studio output during the 1990's. I hope you enjoy their brilliance as much as I have over the years.
1990
Original Version : The Ballad of John and Yoko (The Beatles - 1969) Covered by TFC on: The Ballad of John and Yoko (single)
1991
Original Version : Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd - 1967) Covered by TFC on: The King (album)
1992
Original Version : Bad Seeds (Beat Happening - 1985) Covered by TFC on: Free Again (single)
Original Version : Free Again (Alex Chilton - 1970) Covered by TFC on: Free Again (single)
Original Version : Life's a Gas (T-Rex - 1971) Covered by TFC on: What You Do To Me (12"/EP)
1993
Original Version : Goody Goody Gum Drops (1910 Fruitgum Company - 1967) Covered by TFC on: Thirteen (Album - Ltd Edition)
Original Version : It's So Hard To Fall In Love (Sebadoh - 1990) Covered by TFC on: Thirteen (Album - Ltd Edition)
Original Version : Four Strong Winds (Ian and Sylvia - 1964) Covered by TFC on: Hang On (EP)
Original Version : Chords of Fame (Phil Ochs - 1970) Covered by TFC on: Radio (12"/EP) also on Thirteen Album Ltd Edition (thus the picture below).
Original Version : Older Guys (The Flying Burrito Brothers - 1970) Covered by TFC on: Norman 3 (EP).
1995
Original Version : Burned (Buffalo Springfield - 1967) Covered by TFC on: Sparky's Dream (single)
Original Version : Try and Stop Me (The Creation - 1967) Covered by TFC on: Sparky's Dream (Alt.Version, single) Also on B-Sides and Rarities album (thus the picture below)
Original Version : Who Loves The Sun (Velvet Underground - 1970) Covered by TFC on: B-Sides and Rarities (album)
Original Version : Between Us (The Rutles- 1978) Covered by TFC on: B-Sides and Rarities (album)
Original Version : Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival 1970) Covered by TFC on: Mellow Doubt (Maxi single/EP - Alt.Version)
Original Version : I Heard You Looking (Yo La Tengo - 1993) Covered by TFC on: Neil Jung (Maxi single/EP - Alt.Version)
1997
Original Version : Femme Fatale (Velvet Undeground - 1967) Covered by TFC on: Ain't That Enough (Maxi Single/EP)
The full playlist is also on our YouTube channel here for your listening pleasure.
Covers released by TFC in the 1990's
Original Version : Jesus Christ (Big Star - 1978) Covered by TFC on: Ain't That Enough (Maxi Single/EP)
Original Version : Nothing to Be Done (The Pastels - 1989) Covered by TFC on: Start Again (Digipak Single)
Original Version : He'd Be A Diamond (The Bevis Fond - 1991) Covered by TFC on: I Don't Want Control Of You (3 track Single)
Do you have anymore covers that the Teenage Fanclub released on their own official studio releases in the 1990's? If so please add them in the comments section.
The full playlist is also on our YouTube channel here for your listening pleasure.
Covers released by TFC in the 1990's
Artist Links
You might find a couple more here:
ReplyDeletehttp://folk.uio.no/terjelyn/songwriters/covers.htm
Thanks will check it out Terje
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