Cover Me Presents: Peculiar Gentlemen’s "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"

Cover Commissions is a monthly series in which a featured artist produces a special cover for this blog. The song to be covered is usually chosen by blog readers via a poll or suggestions form. Any artists interested in participating in a future installment, please email me at the address on the right.

Last night Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2010 Grammys. And we all know it’s going to win. After all, let’s not forget that Kanye West is a fan.

Back in September though, long before “Imma let you finish” became an obnoxious internet meme, Brooklyn cabaret-rock sextet Peculiar Gentlemen entered the Cover Me world as September’s Cover Commissions artist. The potential cover songs ranged from Ray Charles to Phoenix, but the leotard-clad I Am…Sasha Fierce singer took the top prize. [Missed the vote? November’s Commissions with Brady Harris is still going on, so vote on the right! Plus, December’s Commissions coming next week.]

The guys and gals of Peculiar Gentlemen promptly crammed into their three-wheeled jalopy and lurched on down to the tacky tourist saloon where they make their magic. At least, that’s the scene I picture listening to this. Gentlemen singer Sara Auster can tell us what really went down.

Beyonce loves Peculiar Gentlemen! We used to cover Crazy in Love many years ago at our live shows, much to her delight. When Single Ladies came out, we thought it was a great party song, and would be another good track to interpret. When we cover songs we usually approach them one of two ways. Staying as true to the original as possible, or completely re-contextualizing it. Our original intention was to keep it true to form. We wanted to keep the dance floor vibe, but still sound like a live band, and not a processed piece of music. However, as the recording process progressed, our musical ideas started to move in new directions. After working this song out in the studio, we’re really looking forward to playing it on stage and seeing how the crowd reacts (and we’ll be able to spot the all the hot single ladies)!

But who needs hot single ladies when you’ve got organ swirls, poppy Motown backing vocals and a singer who goes by “Sweet” Willy Jive? Enjoy.

Peculiar Gentlemen – Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) (Beyoncé) [more]

This mp3 may be freely shared with the artist’s blessing. Post it on your blog, send it to your friends, tweet it to the world. When you share this however, please include a link to this site. Cover Commissions is a monthly occurrence, and the more attention this project draws the more exciting we can make future installments.

We’ve fallen a bit behind on our Cover Commissions her at Cover Me, but we’re not about to let November slip away without a new artist! In fact, Commissions is about to kick into high gear this week, beginning with a Cover Me song debut later this week (song hint: it’s not about married men…). Then, getting us back on track, another poll’s coming your way next week for December’s Cover Commissions.

But first…

Brady Harris first came to our attention with his acoustic-blues cover of Snoop Doggy Dogg’s “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?),” which you can still download here. That led us to his 2007 album Cover Charge, where he takes on everyone from the Vines to Madonna. We’ve got a couple selections from that record below, but to whet your appetite you should first watch this video of him putting together the Clash’s “Jimmy Jazz” with Babyshambles’ “Fuck Forever.”

Brady’s been around much longer than that though, releasing his first album in 1993 (No Place Like Gone, with his band-at-the-time the Solid Goldstein). An emerging solo career soon led him from his native Texas to North Hollywood, where a series of albums won him accolades from the Los Angeles Times, the NXNW Music Festival and a long list of others. In the early part of this fast-fading decade he even won the Pontiac Vibe Car Commercial Contest, using the prize money to (what else) produce another record, the critically acclaimed Lone Star. His most recent is North Hollywood Skyline and is well worth a listen or ten.

Right now though, we don’t care about his original stuff (sorry). Here’s a sampling of the way this guy nails a cover.

Brady Harris – Like a Virgin (Madonna)
Brady Harris – Ace of Spades (Motörhead)

Now, the important part. As regular readers will have already guessed, Brady has graciously agreed to record a special cover just for this blog. What song? You tell him!

Below are ten songs. Click on any one to listen to the original. Then just pick which one Brady should cover in the poll on the right! The winning song get the Brady Harris treatment which, as you now know, is quite something.

Enough talk though; this month’s almost over. Presenting…

The Contenders
The Beatles – Glass Onion
The Beatles – Your Mother Should Know
Blondie – Heart of Glass
Ian Brown – Dolphins Were Monkeys
Cheap Trick – Come On, Come On
Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
Grace Jones – I’ve Seen That Face Before
Oasis – Hello
Kevin Salem – Lighthouse Keeper
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.