The Persuaders - "Some Guys Have All The Luck" (the song remains the same)

If there is an award for most cover versions of song that never gets played on the radio, "Some Guys Have All The Luck" would win hands down. My first recollection of this song is from the Rod Stewart video on MTV. Although the video received a fair amount of play for a short while and was a single from his 1984 LP "Camouflage", I don't recall on it on any of the local radio stations. It has the dorky, casio-keyboard sound that I absolutely hated (esp. since I was in my metal phase), but I still kind of liked this song. I was sort of surprised that I liked it, especially considering that Stewart failed to make interesting music after 1981's LP "Tonight I'm Yours" (edit: once again, Danette has accused of being too generous; she says Rod Stewart ceased being interesting ca. 1977). I didn't realize at the time the song was a cover and that was probably the reason why I liked the song despite the modish production.

I can't quite remember when I discovered the Robert Palmer version. At first, I thought it was Palmer covering Stewart, but later I learned that Palmer's version came out in 1982 on "Maybe It's Live". It still has an early 80's sound, and there's actually a video for this version, but it is 1) bizarre and 2) NSFW. I'm not sure why in 1982 you would make a video that you know can't play on MTV. Furthermore, he really only borrows part of the chorus from the original -- it is almost more of a remix than a cover.

After doing a little poking around on the Web, I learned SGHATL is actually a 1969 single from the R&B group The Persuaders. It was a top 40 hit for them then, but I don't recall ever hearing it on an oldies channel. Knowing that Robert Palmer based a lot of his material on R&B covers (and to a lesser extent, Rod Stewart as well), this made sense. And their version is quite good, even if it sounds modish as well.

A little more poking around on the web and I found that Derrick Harriot release a reggae / proto-dance hall version in 1974; this version is quite good too. Maxi Priest released another reggae version in 1987, but this one doesn't do much for me.

Saving the best for last, I uncovered on YouTube a "live in the tour bus" recording by Camera Obscura (whom you may recall from my glowing review of "Let's Get Out of This Country") which is, as far as I know, not available on any of their official releases. No disrespect intended to original writer Jeff Fortgang, or Robert Palmer, but Tracyanne Campbell is always going to trump the others in my book.

The Persuaders: YouTube.

Derrick Harriot: YouTube.

Robert Palmer: Dailymotion, TOTP version.

Rod Stewart: Dailymotion.

Maxi Priest: YouTube.

Camera Obscura: YouTube.

Toots & the Maytals - "Pressure Drop" (the song remains the same) (forgotten song)

This is the first in a new series I'm calling "the song remains the same" in which I look at cover versions of songs. Why? Because I love covers. One of the unfortunate side effects introduced by the popularity of The Beatles, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and other contemporary artists is the mythologizing of the singer-songwriter. Individuals and groups were held in higher esteem if they played original music as opposed to the music of others. In contemporary use, to be called a "cover-band" is considered a great slur.

That's unfortunate, because there are far more talented musicians than there are talented songwriters -- by at least one, maybe two, orders of magnitude. The truth is there are a lot of great singers, guitarists, etc. that have nothing to say. To hear their craft, we have to endure aimless songs with dreadful lyrics. If your group has a budding John Lennon or Ray Davies, by all means, write a lot of original material. If you don't (be honest), please consult the catalog of, say, Tom Waits or Husker Du for an appropriate vehicle to showcase your skills. Their songs are 100X better than yours and most people still won't recognize them so we all win.

Prior to the mid-60s, "cover" songs were the norm in blues, jazz, country and even rock. Sure, there would be a handful of originals, but reworking standards and traditional songs was expected. You proved your mettle by your arrangement of proven material. Enough history; I recommend "Freedom of Expression" by Kembrew McLeod if you are interested in this and related topics. On to the music...

"Pressure Drop" is a 1969 song from Toots & The Maytals. TATM are one of the progenitors of reggae, even going so far as to invent the term "reggae" itself. Despite their longevity and centrality, they don't enjoy the mainstream recognition of artists such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee "Scratch" Perry, etc. Fortunately, other musicians know about TATM and have covered many of their songs, the most popular of which is "Pressure Drop". While the various artists listed below have more or less kept it within the original vein, they each find a different aspect of the song to make it their own. The song is fun to sing along with regardless of the version. Given the relative obscurity of the original TATM version (earning it a "forgotten song" label as well), we can be thankful that so many artists have also enjoyed this song.

Links:

Toots & The Maytals: YouTube, last.fm. I'm not sure on which LP this originally appeared. They have a 1969 release entitled "Sweet and Dandy", but that is also the name of one of their greatest hits compilations.

Robert Palmer: YouTube, last.fm. Palmer even titled his 1975 second solo LP "Pressure Drop". He plays this one close to the original, but with the tempo nicely slowed down.

The Specials: YouTube. An obvious choice for one the 1996 revival LP "Today's Specials" from the one of the original ska bands. This version extends the original with additional lyrics and a ska arrangement.

The Clash: YouTube, last.fm. First released as the B-side for the 1979 single "English Civil War" and then again on their 1980 compilation "Black Market Clash", this continues The Clash's (and in general, punk's) interest in reggae music.

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: YouTube. Strummer's interest in this song did not end when he left The Clash. I think they only performed this song live.

Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds: YouTube. From their eponymous 1992 LP. Not my favorite version, but they get points for doing something outside their GnR repertoire.

If you're asking where you've heard this song before, you probably remember The Clash version from the Nissan Rogue commercial from a few years ago.