“Paint It Black” is known as the song that brought the sitar to Western music. Though it wasn’t the first song to use it, it was the first big hit to feature it. It was such a big hit that it out-sold arguably The Stones‘ biggest song, “Satisfaction,” in the UK and Australia. This is kind of mind-blowing because it feels like “Satisfaction” is a much bigger song. (Total streams are on the side of “Paint It Black,” which is also kind of shocking.)
Los Dedos (“The Fingers”) are a Spanish-British surf rock trio (yes, that’s a thing apparently) who have been releasing music for five years. They are unabashedly surf, name-dropping Dick Dale, among others, on their Bandcamp page.
Sometimes there are covers that seem obvious only once they are realized. Sometimes you hear a new cover and you think “That’s so obvious, why didn’t anyone ever do that before?” I had that reaction to Los Dedos’ instrumental cover of “Paint It Black.”
In Los Dedos’ hands, the famous opening is a surf guitar instead of a sitar. There’s suitable reverb but it’s unmistakably “Paint It Black.” But then the drums kick in and it’s definitely surf music, complete with heavy tremolo on the guitar. The verses make so much sense, and when guitarist Willy Malo fully channels Dale’s playing during the pre-chorus it seems like this cover must have existed already. On the chorus there’s a classic double beat to complete the transformation.
It’s an extremely fun version of the song that feels like it should have existed forever.
You are right a surf rock Paint it black cover feels like something that should have always existed, and the cover by Los Dedos is nice. Thanks for making me aware of it.