Tracy Chapman Archives

Jim O’Rourke Slows Down Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” into a 33-Minute Epic

Posted by Brendan Shanahan at 9:00 am No Responses »

Apr 132021

Just hearing the opening riff to Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has an instant calming effect. The lyrics kick in, and you’re on a joyful soft rock journey for the next five minutes. Or, in Jim O’Rourke‘s case, 33 minutes.

This cover by the experimental musician, recorded live in Japan in 2002, uploaded to YouTube in 2016, and brought into wider view by a in a Washington Post article last week, lulls you into a false sense of security. The classic riff starts us off, and it seems like it’s going to be a straightforward cover, but after a minute or so, the riff starts to be looped, just out of sync of the main melody. By six minutes, the loop has started to turn into a swelling drone, filling your ears and blocking out the rest of the world. By the half-way point of this 33-minute (!) track, the riff has disappeared, with a new droning tone and guitar melodies swirling around the space. Continue reading »

Quarantine Covers 7: Sheryl Crow, She & Him, Kurt Vile, St. Vincent, and More

Posted by Ray Padgett at 10:31 am No Responses »

May 192020

Amy Helm – Twilight (The Band cover)

Quarantine Covers: Watch Ben Gibbard, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, and More

Posted by Ray Padgett at 3:30 pm No Responses »

Mar 232020

Many musicians, unable to go on the road, have taken to performing concerts in their home in the past week. Personally, I have spent a huge amount of time watching various these live streams. The performances have been moving and powerful, an unusually intimate way to see some of your favorite musicians.

Many such shows have included covers, songs that feel right to sing right now, like John Lennon’s “Isolation” or Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” So I decided to round up some of my favorites below.

Unfortunately, many live stream platforms don’t archive the content, so if you miss it live, it’s gone (another reason to watch these streams!). But plenty of great covers have remained online. Check ’em out below, and let us know in the comments what others we shouldn’t miss. Continue reading »

Kanye West’s “Sunday Service” Is Turning Into a Religious Cover Songs Project

Posted by Nico Hughey at 12:00 pm No Responses »

Aug 092019

Since January, Kanye West has been exploring the spiritual side of popular songs at invite-only concerts on the West Coast he’s dubbed “Sunday Service.”

The concept is elaborately simple: take a song that everyone knows, fly in an entire choir (known as The Samples) to a new location each week, and have the choir perform the song with new lyrics and a decidedly gospel feel. Bands such as Nirvana and No Doubt as well as artists Sia, Tracy Chapman, and Chance the Rapper among many others have all had their songs gospelized by West and his amazing choir. “Don’t Speak” becomes “Lord Speaks,” “Fast Car” becomes “Great God,” etc. West has gospelized a few of his own songs, and the entire project is rumored to be a preview of West’s upcoming album Yandhi (release date still unknown). Continue reading »

Which of These Two Viral Dance Covers of “Fast Car” Is Better?

Posted by Ray Padgett at 9:30 am No Responses »

Mar 172016

The New York Times this morning reported what they called “an exceedingly strange case of simultaneous musical inspiration”: two totally separate dance covers of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” released a week apart. And both are going viral in Europe. But are either of them any good? Continue reading »

Quiet Loudly Release Covers Album, then Break Up

Posted by Mike Misch at 10:00 am 1 Response »

Jul 102014

Covers albums are commonly filled with songs that have special meaning to the band and often had an impact on the members. “Break-Up album” usually refers to a collection of songs dedicated to the end of a recent, often painful, relationship. Brooklyn band Quiet Loudly missed both of those memos. Their album is filled with songs chosen at the whim of a few fans who pledged a certain amount on the previous album’s Kickstarter, and the “Break Up” referred to is the band itself. Continue reading »