Saturday Flashback – Page 16

Saturday Flashback: Taylor Swift – Love Story (1989 Edition)

“An interesting take on it”

Tim: So we all know and adore the original, of course, but I was at Radio 1’s Big Weekend *CLANG* —

Tom: Gig-dropping again there, Tim?

Tim: You don’t mind, do you? — where I saw Taylor Swift sing this, an updated version.

Tim: It came with a nice explanatory intro about how she came across Romeo & Juliet at school and loved all of it except for [SPOILER alert] the whole suicide business, and so she changed the ending, an act which literary scholars would argue the merits of for possibly entire minutes.

Tom: I’m just going to take a moment to appreciate that last clause.

Tim: Regardless, in the six years or so since then her style has changed quite a lot, so she’s done a version which would sit nicely on her 1989 album. And, well, obviously it doesn’t match up to the greatness of the first, but it’s an interesting take on it.

Tom: I disagree: I think this is better. I mean, for some reason, the sound engineer’s put the backing vocals up way too loud, but as it’s live, we can forgive that. This is an amazingly good arrangement — it brings it up to date, it fits her new style, and it replaces the overly cloying instrumental. Yes.

Tim: Fair point, I suppose, and if it was a new song I heard now I’d probably love it; as it is, though, the overly cloying instrumental is part of what brought the ridiculously syrupy original’s charm, and it kind of doesn’t sound right without it. It’s still very good, but it wouldn’t take the same place in my heart that the original did, especially now the key change has lost its sense of whacking you in the ear with an aural frying pan.

Tom: More like this, please.

Tim: Yes – it is something that I’d kind of like other artists to do every now and again. We could have Britney’s Baby One More Time sung in the style of Toxic, perhaps, or Eric Saade’s Manboy sung in the style of Girl From Sweden, though if I think a bit actually both of those would be terrible ideas so let’s move quickly on.

Tom: Okay, so when I say “more like this”, I mean “more artists who’ve massively improved their style doing this”.

Tim: Sensible caveat, so this one’s alright, as an observation if nothing else.

Saturday Reject: World of Girls – Summer Without You

“I don’t approve of ukuleles.”

Tom: “World of Girls”?

Tim: Yes, but then with hundreds of would-be Eurovision contestants a year globally, there are bound to be some turkeys (quite literally, in one case).

Anyway, I’ve said a good few times that I don’t approve of ukuleles, so I didn’t have high hopes when this Danish entry kicked off. But then…

Tim: Because actually, sometimes there are occasions when one is appropriate, and one of those occasions is as an intro to a summery, upbeat, fairly dancey and very happy sounding pop track.

Tom: Yes, I’ll give it that — although the singing’s not exactly Girls Aloud-quality, and I’m not sure the melody’s up to all that much either.

Tim: The lyrics don’t exactly match up – these singers should surely be moping around rather than cheerily singing about how they’re the only ones not enjoying themselves – but the tune is joyful, chirpy and sparky enough for that not to matter for me.

Tom: “Drunken selfies”. Ugh — that’s going to sound like Beyoncé’s “got me hoping you’ll page me right now” in about two years. Not that anyone’ll remember this song in two years, most likely.

Tim: It put me in mind of the various times when it’s been the middle of summer, warm and sunny, and I’ve got together with a load of friends, headed to the beach, built a fire and sat there all night getting progressively more intoxicated.

Tom: Now has that actually happened? Or was it just in a load of music videos?

Tim: No, ACTUALLY, I do have friends, and it has happened at least twice, so there.

That may not have been the case for most of Denmark, mind, what with it landing in 6th place, but I’ll take it, if only for a reminder that ukuleles aren’t all evil.

Saturday Flashback: Delia feat. Kaira – Pe Aripi De Vant

“Big Pop Ballad.”

Tom: We’re off to Romania last year for today’s Flashback, Tim, and we’re going there on “the Wings of Wind”.

Tom: I’m basically sending this to you for the chorus: it’s the kind of Big Pop Ballad number that seems to be a bit out of fashion these days, and it’s nice to know that something like this can still get into eight-figure view counts on YouTube.

Tim: It is, though you say it’s out of fashion but I can see Rihanna or Sia plonking this on the internet out of nowhere and it being massive. It’s a great track, Delia’s got a wonderful voice (though not as wonderful as the other Delia), and obviously I could happily leave the Kaira bit behind, but by and large these are wonderful wings.

Tom: Although to be fair, I’m not sure about that title.

Tim: What?

Tom: I had “the wings of wind” after last night’s curry. HIYOOOO.

Saturday Flashback: Måns Zelmerlöw – Cara Mia

“Pleasantly surprised by a lack of a key change.”

Tim: The greatest music competition of the year kicks off in Gothenburg tonight, Tom, so let’s have another trip to the archives, with this third placer from 2007.

Tim: So that there is I think the first time ever that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a lack of a key change.

Tom: I know! I really wasn’t expecting that.

Tim: Until that closing section, it’s very much by the numbers – good by the numbers, sure, with its BWO styling and very singable chorus line, but still fairly standard.

Tom: Now, see, I think differently to you: it think it’s a bit of an odd mix. Like you say, it’s good, but the introduction, verse, chorus, and middle eight all sound a bit like they come from different songs. And even that chorus has two very different parts — and there’s one solitary orchestra hit and what sounds like a single run down an accordion keyboard chucked in for the heck of it.

Tim: Hmm, I suppose it does differ in those respects, but there’s the big one that makes it stand out. After that middle eight (which I recommend watching in the non-embeddable official video), is that lovely bit where it goes all euphoric. It doesn’t last long, and I’d have loved it if it kept going for more that eight seconds, because it’s something genuinely different and unusual.

Tom: Yep, despite my grousing, I really do like this song. It’s got a lot of the ‘classic Eurovision’ about it, but not enough to make it immediately dismissable as ‘just schlager’.

Tim: I can’t help thinking that if it had been kept going longer, maybe even until the end, and given an impressive stage treatment, the song might have done a bit better. Ah, well.

Saturday Flashback: The Vamps – Oh Cecelia

“Deep Heat Pain Relief Heat Patches, mate.”

Tom: This week, Tim, we went to a trampoline park, where I heard this song. The next morning, I learned two things: first, that I’m not 16 any more and can’t jump around like that for hours without it hurting.

Tim: Deep Heat Pain Relief Heat Patches, mate – I currently have one on each thigh and they work like a charm.

Tom: Second, the guest artist on this song is only 16 and he probably still can do that, damn him.

Now, just a reminder – Cecelia is originally a Simon and Garfunkel song, which was covered in the most 90s way possible by Suggs. Yes, there’s a rap-reggae middle-eight. Of course. So it’s pretty clear than a 2010s boy band will have to change the style somewhat.

Tom: More Suggs than Simon and Garfunkel, there. And notably, an entirely new verse, presumably because “making love in the afternoon” ain’t the best first line for a wholesome boy band.

Tim: Yeah, that’s probably for the best. Interesting that we have another instance of the ‘feat.’ artist not standing out much – more like an guest member of the band, like Kelly Brooke at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions.

Tom: Now, a bit of an admission here: I really like this cover. The new verse is good, the production and vocals are solid, and that effect of only putting the full instrumentation in on the second line of the chorus works really well. I can even forgive the lacklustre middle eight and the chanty bit that follows it.

Tim: I think ‘admission’ is very much the wrong word there, Tom. Announcement, maybe, statement, or assertion, but admission sounds like you shouldn’t be doing it. And that’s wrong, because this is pretty good. An enjoyable cover worth listening to.

Tom: Also, I could do without that “why-ay-ay-ay” bit, but given that the alternative cover has that 90s “wheeeep” sample permanently in the back of it, I can live with it.

Tim: Well that’s only fair. Good work all round.

Saturday Flashback: Northern Allstars – Don’t Stop Believing

“Somewhat ridiculous but very enjoyable”

Tom: Oh good heavens, I remember this. Why do you bring it back to haunt me?

Tim: No idea – for the life of me, I can’t imagine what it might have been that brought this to my mind when I awoke today, but anyway: it’s five years ago, Glee is steadily becoming a smash hit, and every act and their dog is trying to capitalise on that by covering Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. This London-based singer’s version was one of the (comparatively) more adventurous takes on the song.

Tim: And that is somewhat ridiculous but nonetheless very enjoyable.

Tom: “Very”?

Tim: Oh yes. It’s easy to dismiss tracks like this as cheap and lazy, but this has actually had some thought put into it, and has some decent production values.

Tom: I’ll grant you that it’s got all the right production values for a generic dance cover, but it breaks one of the critical rules of a cover like this: don’t surprise the people singing along on the dancefloor. Missing out the first “Strangers, waiting” bit is pretty unforgivable.

Tim: Hmm, there is that. But on the other hand, one of the nicest things about this is that by the second chorus I worry it’s going to pull the same kind of fast one that Wednesday’s track did, with absolutely nothing happening at the end.

Tom: Oh, come on, you think they’re going to end that middle eight with anything but a stock Euphoric Build?

Tim: Oh no, and admittedly it doesn’t do anything it hasn’t really done before, but it’s done in such a way, contrasting with the dropped-down-to-nothing middle eight, and following that excitable build, that the chorus suddenly feels new and exciting again, and one I really, really want to jump around to with a massive grin on my face.

Tom: As long as you don’t follow his example and stand on the train tracks while you’re doing it. Honestly. Basic railway safety here, people, there’s a midnight train going anywhere arriving soon.

Tim: Not only that, but most importantly: NEON SIGNS AND ANGEL WINGS.

Saturday Flashback: Lisa Miskovsky – Another Shape Of My Heart

“Does it remind you of anything?”

Tim: So here’s something fun: semi-notable Swede Lisa Miskovsky recorded this and put it on her 2008 Greatest Hits album.

Tom: Good grief, I can’t tell whether that introduction’s a compliment or an insult. Anyway, yes, off the Greatest Hits album.

Tim: Indeed, but does it remind you of anything?

Tom: Not off the top of my head. Why – what’ve you got stuck on?

Tim: Oh, not stuck on at all, but check out the title, the lines “Hold me now don’t bother, if every minute it makes me weaker” and then have a listen to this particular Backstreet Boys track. Go on, I’ll wait.

Tom: I haven’t heard that song in years! I’d completely forgotten it. So, what, an odd cover version?

Tim: No, far more interesting actually: Lisa Miskovsky, primarily known for her singing of several lovely songs, especially this one, did a bit of writing back in the day, and came up with the main structure for Shape Of My Heart. She got in touch with Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, who said something along the lines of “ooh, that’s nice, we’ll have a go with that,” then fiddled around with it, and a few months later, the Backstreet Boys have what’s destined to be one of their biggest hits.

Another eight years later, though, our Lisa thinks, “actually, they changed that a LOT, let’s see what I can do with it,” and so we have this, a pleasing behind the scenes insight into the world of songwriting. Fun, no?

Tom: And you know what, I reckon this track’s better than the Backstreet Boys version.

Tim: You know, in a lot of corners of the internet, that’d get you in serious trouble; here, though? You’re not far wrong, and not least because of the chorus line that sounds like the main line of Labrinth’s Read All About It and has lyrics to ‘phasers around us,’ which sounds very exciting.

Saturday Flashback: Indila – Dernière Danse

“That doesn’t say ‘Derrière Dance’, does it? Damn. Never mind.”

Tim: Straight off the list of “songs to feature as a flashback at some point in the future because we missed them at the time”, this from December 2013, from French artist Indila.

Tom: That doesn’t say “Derrière Dance”, does it? Damn. Never mind.

Tim: Topped the charts in three countries, went top five in several more, and this is all quite good isn’t it?

Tom: It starts a bit like Gotye, so I was expecting something similar — the sudden percussion rather surprised me.

Tim: The opening verse is unusual for me, in that while I’m not much of a fan of the lack of stuff happening, I will happily keep listening – I think it’s the bass notes underneath that give a quite clear statement of intent, which does indeed pay off nicely. Much like Ellie’s track yesterday, it’s not until the second chorus that everything kicks off fully, but it’s very, very full when it does happen which makes the build-up worth it.

Tom: Mm. I’m still not sold on the whole thing: it’s a good song, certainly, but too dark for my tastes.

Tim: You may be wondering about the lyrics; the first two lines translate to “Oh my sweet torment, no point in fighting, you start again,” and it doesn’t really pick up much from there really, though it does close with talking about flying away, so that’s something.

Tom: Yes, that’s “vole, vole, vole, vole”, or “fly, fly, fly, fly” and not “vulva, vulva”. Just so we’re clear. That’s not what she’s singing.

Tim: And as for the video, I watched Thor the other day, so when she knelt down in the street I was basically hoping she’d end up controlling the weather, but since that wasn’t the case I suppose I’ll just have to take whatever nonsensical gubbins they’ve provided.

Saturday Flashback: Charli XCX – Boom Clap

“One of 2014’s best songs.”

Tim: So, first flashback of 2015, let’s have one of 2014’s best songs, shall we?

Tom: Okay, so this is where I own up: I’ve never actually heard this all the way through. I picked up bits of it from various radio stations and background noise, but I’ll be coming to this as if it was new.

Tim: Starts as it means to go on, dips down for the verses but then comes back with a quite literal BOOM and CLAP for a stonking —

Tom: “Stonking”?

Tim: — yes, STONKING chorus that perfectly captures what the song’s about: the start of a relationship with someone new, who gets you going, who you’re enthralled with, who you can’t stop getting excited about when you think about them.

Tom: It’s good. I’ll grant you it’s good. But I just can’t get as excited about it. Is it because I’ve only heard it a couple of times, and it hasn’t had a chance to get into my head as an earworm?

Tim: And it’s not just the chorus – the entire song is very fast: we’ve got the standard two verses, two choruses, fully fledged middle eight and four (four!) repetitions of the chorus to close, and we’re all done in 2:47. Is it too short? No – the length is perfect.

Tom: That’s true: it’d definitely overstay its welcome if it were any longer. And I can see the appeal, even if it doesn’t quite work for me.

Tim: Everything that should be there is there, and if there was more, with that speed it might be too much. As it is, though: let’s just push play again anyway.

Saturday Flashback: Andy Burrows – Light The Night

“A beautiful track, with or without a flying snowman.”

Tim: The Snowman and The Snowdog was on TV the other night; it’s enjoyable enough, though a bit light on plot (and the bit where the snowman flies a plane is just downright unrealistic).

Tom: There’s a whole dissertation somewhere in the implications of that last sentence.

Tim: Well this here is the central musical piece of it. (Note on the video: you’ll know within twenty seconds or so whether it’ll annoy you or not; if it does, feel free to stare at another tab.)

Tom: I tabbed back to writing this after just fifteen seconds. Let me just check… yep. Right decision.

Tim: Yep. But it’s a beautiful track, whether or not it’s accompanied by a flying snowman.

Tom: Um. I suppose? It’s got some nice moments, true, but those verse aren’t up to much. What about it works for you?

Tim: Well, there’s a Sigur Rós-esque feel to it, a sort of ethereal quality that allows it to float around, which I suppose is entirely appropriate. It fits wonderfully into the film, with the big chorus themes being reused every now and again at big moments, giving some lovely goosebumps moments. Maybe it loses a bit just here on its own, but I still think it’s a lovely piece.

Tom: Ah, I suspect without that context, it loses quite a lot. It’s pleasant enough, I suppose, but it’s not going to be a classic any time soon.

Tim: In case you don’t know the name, Andy Burrows was the drummer for Razorlight for a while; the guy who composed Walking in the Air for the first Snowman film asked if he could do the music for this one, but then got in a huff when the producers asked him to send in a demo. As you do.