Oct 042009
 

Shuffle Sundays is a weekly feature in which we feature a cover chosen at random by my iTunes shuffle. The songs will usually be good, occasionally be bad, always be interesting. All downloads will only be available for one week, so get them while you can. After you listen, discuss this week’s tune in the comments.


I first discovered this song when Bruce Springsteen played it live with his folk-revival Seeger Sessions Band (watch that F-bomb-laden version here), but it goes even farther back than Pete Seeger, the Band’s inspiration. When I say this song is an oldie, I’m not talking “Rock Around the Clock” oldie, I’m talking Great Expectations oldie.

“The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” comes straight out of 1867, the same year that brought us Nebraska, Alaska and Frank Lloyd Wright. The inspiration: Jules Léotard, the famous French acrobat for whom the one-piece spandex outfit was named. British lyricist George Leybourne wrote the words, while Gaston Lyle composed the tune.

The song didn’t get its first recording until 1934 though when comedian Walter O’Keefe (the first man to host the Emmys) made it his trademark tune. Kid-friendly renditions by Burl Ives and the Chipmunks soon followed and it’s become a sing-along standard into the twenty-first century.

However, I’ve never seen it presented better than in this amazing Popeye the Sailor short from ’34. Olive Oyl gets seduced by said daring young man and Popeye, spinach in hand, fights back in a flying-high fight sequence worthy of the next James Bond or Jackie Chan movie. They don’t make ‘em like this any more.


The Earthlings Electric Washboard Band can’t boast the same cinematography, but this southern Florida duo gives it a traditional take with guitar and mandolin, suitable for the kiddies but enjoyable for romantics of all ages.

Earthlings Electric Washboard Band – The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (Leybourne/Lyle) [Buy]

What do you think? Discuss this song in the comments section below.

Oct 022009
 

Cover News is a weekly feature keeping you up to date on the goings-on in the world of cover tunes, tribute albums, etc. Plus, at the bottom we post our array of cover tunes we’ve been sent in the past week. Have you recorded a cool cover? Send an mp3 to the email address on the right!

This Week’s News

Couple new features here in the righthand column. First there’s a spanking new search bar. Type in an artist, a word, a theme and see everything we’ve posted on it. Catch up on any downloading you missed.

Right below that I’ve divided the blog into sections by Feature. Want to see all the Cover Commissions we’ve done? There’s a link for that. Interested to see what’s hit the iTunes in past Shuffle Sundays? That’s there too. Check it out (Crayola would describe the links as “marigold”-colored.)

Our Twitter followers know that I frequently tweet cover downloads just for them. Get in on the action here, and suggest a theme for me to tweet about next week. Use that little @covermesongs function, whatever you call it, to toss in your idea.

Bruce Springsteen turned sixty last week. Philly’s WXPN station put together a tribute concert of brand-new Boss covers you can listen to here. While you’re at it, check out all the Bruce covers (22!) we’ve posted here in the past.

The always cover-friendly Bruce (check out my review of his Elvis Costello taping last week) joined Phish this past Bonnaroo for a take on “Mustang Sally” as well as some originals. Well Phish Phans know they have a Halloween show coming up this year, which means a full-album cover set. What album you ask? Well Phish are letting you guess, giving the hatchet to one album a day. Literally. The last one standing on 10/31 wins! Pretty fun to watch.

There can be a bit of an in-crowd feel with Phish, but Warren Haynes’ Gov’t Mule is a jam band everyone can get behind. When they’re doing an Alice Cooper cover? Even better.

Warp Records is celebrating its twentieth year with a cover orgy. Check out the 21-song track list at Stereogum along with downloads of Grizzly Bear and Boards of Canada covers.

Here’s a funny idea: What if Neil Diamond covered Adam Sandler? That would be so ridiculous that…wait, he has? Ew.

Though he’s been around forever, Andrew Bird’s profile has risen enormously this year. Everyone calling him the next Harry Nilsson (no one has called him that) won’t be shocked to hear him covering Nilsson. This download is from a new disc of Nilsson children’s covers.

Lou Barlow I have heard of, Franklin Bruno I have not. What matters though is that Lou Barlow has heard of Franklin Bruno, enough to cover “Sit Back and Watch.”

Karl Blau covers WHY? I don’t know. Third base!

This Week’s Submissions

The City Streets – Nikki (The Dream)

Port O’Brien – Halo (Beyoncé)

Rifle Recoil – Prototype (Outkast)