15 Covers...

I've always had a thing about cover versions. Not in the Wedding Party Band sense, but in the way in which covers show that rock music is, at it's pure unadulterated heart, essentially about fandom, populism and the do it yourself ethos.
In putting together this compilation my aim was to include songs of quality covered by decent artists with a degree of originality.
1. Debaser- originally by Pixies- covered by Mother Universe.
2. Bonnie and Clyde- originally by- Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot- covered by Luna & Lætitia Sadier
3. A Song From Under The Floorboards- originally by- Magazine -covered by Morrissey
4. Sad Dark Eyes- originally by The Loved Ones- covered by Mick Harvey
5. Head On- originally by The Jesus and Mary Chain- covered by Pixies
6. Make Me Smile- originally by Steve Harley’s Cockney Rebel- covered by The Wedding Present
7. Bigmouth Strikes Again- originally by The Smiths- covered by Placebo
8. Just Like Heaven- originally by The Cure- covered by Dinosaur Jr.
9. Ceremony- originally by New Order- covered by Galaxie 500
10. You Sexy Thing- originally by Hot Chocolate- covered by Cud
11. Leave Me Alone- originally by New Order- covered by Chappaquiddick Skyline
12. Pastime Paradise- originally by Stevie Wonder- covered by Patti Smith
13. Flowers In The Rain- originally by The Move- covered by Kaiser Chiefs
14. Hounds Of Love- originally by Kate Bush- covered by The Futureheads
15. Telegram Sam- originally by Marc Bolan & T Rex- covered by Bauhaus

This has been knocked together from many sources, so the bitrate is variable (fact)- the music is good (opinion).

ALAS! for the time being , at least, the link is dead and I never kept the songs all in one file...

Bauhaus – Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape (1982)

It must be pretty frustrating downloading these vinyl rips from Burning Aquarium- some of the discs I rip surprise me with the enduring quality (I mean lack of scratches and surface noise) and then occasionally there are others like this! This vinyl has obviously taken a battering over the years- there are two really nasty bites in the opening track but after that it’s not too bad, so relax. Bauhaus’ music was pretty ictal anyhow, and they even called their best of compilation Crackle.
These recordings captured Bauhaus live in Liverpool and London in the winter of 1981-82.
By the way, it says on the label PLAY VERY LOUD and I’m not going to argue with that.
Again, I’ve not split the tracks up.

Bauhaus- Ziggy Stardust / Third Uncle 7” (1982)

Another dip into the cardboard box of singles. I'm loving handling these vinyls.
Bauhaus show us their roots with two ballsy covers.
Ziggy Stardust originally by David Bowie (1972)
Third Uncle originally by Brian Eno (1974)

Bauhaus-Satori in Paris (1982)

Satori , literally understanding , is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment. Satori in Paris was issued free with the initial release of the Press the Eject and Give Me the Tape live LP, as well as on the New Rose label in France. (This is the Beggars Banquet issue) Both tracks (Double Dare and Hair of the Dog) were recorded live at Le Rose Bon Bon, Paris, France on December 3rd 1981.
The record takes its name from Jack Kerouac’s unenlightening 1966 account of a drunken trip to France in search of his roots.

Bauhaus- Mask (1981)

I think that it was Abbo of U.K Decay who first described his music as ‘gothic’, but the ultimate Gothic (the ‘ic’ disappeared sometime later) band were Bauhaus. From the protracted dirge of their nine minute debut Bela Lugosi’s Dead, they were all about the staples of gothic imagery. Strangely, given that the ethos of the school of art and design from which they took their name was that ‘form should follow function’ Bauhaus were very much about style. Not that the music lacked substance- the sinister rhythms and menacing bass were the perfect backdrop for Peter Murphy’s handsome theatrics.
This is their second album, and since I first set eyes on it I’ve felt that it’s worth having for the cover alone.

In our local rugby club there were sweaty Friday night discos- most of the Farrah slacked clientele were stylistically sealed in about 1976, Avon embalmed polyester relics of the Marshall Ward Catalogue. I can almost smell the Brut. I remember that I was leaning against the wall just waiting to get punched in the face when my cousin came up to me and shouted in my ear that one of his mates had brought Kick In The Eye with him and that they had coerced the DJ into playing it. After much anticipation and a gradual increase in the pressure being applied the DJ finally played the record. It was the funkiest thing that they’d ever hear, but nobody danced… and the DJ called them Boo- Hoose.

Line up:
Peter Murphy — vocals, guitar
Daniel Ash — guitar
David J — bass
Kevin Haskins — drums