The Shadowy Version #2

This is the second installment of "The Shadowy Version," a regular column featuring the covers of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and the original versions. I had planned to feature one of my favorite SMOASP covers, but WFMU took the wind out of my sails with this post, which features not one, not two, but seventy-nine versions of the song "Popcorn." Still, I was pleased to see that my library contains a version not found on their list, which empowered me to persevere. The original, along with a German language version (though I could have asked my girlfriend for a translation, even someone with a cursory knowledge of German should be able to glean the subtleties from a line like "Popcorn ist es gut.") is posted below.

Also included is a cover of Gene Pitney's Eastern-tinged "Mecca," a simple pop song with a wonderful arrangement and ballsy lyrics comparing his girl's house to the holiest of Moslem shrines. It's doubtful someone could write a song like that these days without a load of socio-political baggage attached. I'd like to think there's a missing verse comparing her room to the Masjid al-Haram, but I realize that's wishful thinking. The Shadowy version is a rollicking, upbeat affair. I love Brian's solo in here, subtly changing from the staccato picking of the verse to fuller, more sustained notes. Though his guitar work in Shadowy Men is almost completely un-effected, small nuances in his playing allow for clear delineation of sections.

Hot Butter -- Popcorn
Antoine -- Popcorn (German Language Version)
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Popcorn

Gene Pitney -- Mecca
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- 13 (Mecca)

The Shadowy Version #1

This is the first in a series of posts chronicling the extensive collection of covers from the mighty Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. Steve Albini said they were the only band he'd be willing to record for free. SMoaSP has always been a favorite around the Hall of Owls. Our last road trip to St. Louis started with the most democratic of ideas: everyone gets one cd to play in the car, and then the next person chooses a cd and so on. By the second day we had all decided to listen to Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, the Luck of the Hook for the remainder of the trip. Like most folks, our familiarity with the band began with Kids in the Hall, though it quickly developed into something far more deep-rooted. The Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were always relevent, whether it was the first nice day of spring in 1997 or during a late-night drive in 2004. Their cover songs were often standards, but were made new when suffused with the light-hearted mischief that characterized their sound.

We'll begin with two songs from the second side of Savvy Show Stoppers. "Summer Wind," written in 1965 by Henry Mayer and Johnny Mercer, is a crooner standard. The Shadowy version is arranged simply: two guitars, one lead, one rhythm; Reid's sharp, bouncy bass; and a simple brush beat. It's straightforward and unpretentious. "Misty," a piano jazz standard from 1954 and the subject of an early Clint Eastwood-helmed film, has been covered by hundreds of musicians. The Shadowy version has the light touch and sweet romance of a high school prom.

Johnny Mercer -- Summer Wind
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Summer Wind
Erroll Garner -- Misty
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Misty