Bauhaus‘ 9-and-a-half-minute-long debut single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” is considered by many to be the birth of goth-rock. Though others were making dub-inspired post-punk in the UK at the time, the horror movie-influenced lyrics really stood out in 1979. Though it only charted on the UK Indie chart – and that, only well over a year after its initial release – it had a massive influence on the subject matter and vibe of subsequent goth acts.
British alternative dance band EMF are not goth, of course. They are considered a one-hit wonder in the US for their 1990 US #1 “Unbelievable.” But, like so many British bands, they had more of a career outside of the US, where they had a few British Top 10s and a number of Top 40 hits. (Nothing as big as “Unbelievable” of course.) “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” doesn’t seem like an obvious song for them to cover a few years into their reunion (which began in 2022).
EMF haven’t undertaken the strictest cover here, in the sense that their new version is half the length of the original. Of course, much of the original is just a vamp.
It begins with similarly dubby percussion, with echo-y rim shots dominating the opening as with the original. At first the only major differences it seems are the acoustic guitar in place of an electric – which is quite a shock – and the effects on singer James Atkin’s vocals. The vocal effect is trippy and hints at what’s to come.
As the cover progresses, a bass part slowly gains prominence in the mix. Then the percussion changes from drums to beats and, around the three-minute mark, EMF go full on electronic dance music, turning the song into classic ’90s British dance-rock. It’s not what you would expect except that it’s very much EMF’s sound. It’s a fun reimagining of a foundational track from one genre as a completely different, and just as British, genre.
