Spring is almost here in the Northern Hemisphere. The days are lengthening and generally getting brighter. Some people see their thoughts turning to love, but not everyone’s! Post-punk veterans The KVB are thinking about loss and darkness in the form of a cover of “Black is Black.”
The song’s original version was created in London for Spanish band Los Bravos in the ’60s. There was a novelty element to this, as Spanish bands tended to stay in their own local market, but Decca records felt that they could break out internationally. The were fronted by Michael Kogel, a German with matinee idol looks and very flexible hips. What Kogel could not do, at the time, was speak or sing in English. So the songwriters created something with a simple, universal theme (the pining for a lover), and words mainly of one syllable, with the occasional venture towards two. Kogel could perform it phonetically. The tone was upbeat and the key major, despite the negative message. The song became the first hit for a Spanish pop band outside Spain.
It is not clear how “Spanish” it was, though, or what contribution the original members of Los Bravos made to the recording. Recorded in London, where the Musicians Union was strong at the time and the Spaniards were not members, there were definitely “contributions” from the session artists of the time. Many other versions followed. A disco version of the song was a hit for Belle Epoque, a band from France. In the video, the singers look uncertain of the lyrics, but certain of their love for their disco outfits and moves. With lyrics as simple as they were, bands from around the world have recorded the song, and it has been translated into many languages, being as simple to translate as it was to write.
Kat Day and Nicholas Wood are musical sophisticates, and native English speakers, so they take a different tack entirely. It is a song of loss, with no obvious sign that the situation in going to change. They move to a minor key, and use their experience in shoegaze to create a darker soundscape. After all, they are feeling sad. Both members of the band carry the singing duties. Is one supporting the other during the difficult period of the breakup, or is the lost one important to both of them, part of a joint relationship? Despite the negative tone and delivery there is, nevertheless, some levity. A surf guitar moves through the arrangement, reminding us of the song’s ’60s roots. This is an area The KVB know well, with their version of “Taxman” being a highlight of our Revolver feature. Perhaps psychedelia will bring back the lost one.
