President Barack Obama built his entire campaign on the premise of hope and change. Along the way, he’s realigned the musical tastes associated with the leader of the free world, as evidenced by his love of hip-hop and Al Green and invitations to acts like The Killers and Yim Yames to play the White House. Fun fact: President Bush only had a paltry 250 songs on his iPod.

In an effort to further play up his musical savviness (which undoubtedly translates to more votes in the Williamsburg region), Obama’s campaign has dropped its very own Spotify playlist. (We take 100% credit, btw.) Spanning 28 tracks, the playlist includes names like Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Wilco, U2, No Doubt, and Noah and the Whale. Find the entire thing below; Spotify users can access it here.

Hey, GOP frontrunners, the office of President is yours if you can name one Arcade Fire song.

Obama Campaign Playlist:
Different People – No Doubt
Got to Get You Into My Life – Earth, Wind & Fire
Green Onions – Booker T & The MG’s
I Got You – Wilco
Keep on Pushing – The Impressions
Keep Reachin’ Up – Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators
Love You I Do? – Jennifer Hudson
No Nostalgia – AgesAndAges
Raise Up – Ledisi
Stand Up – Sugarland
This – Darius Rucker
We Used To Wait – Arcade Fire
You’ve Got the Love – Florence and the Machine
Your Smiling Face – James Taylor
Roll with the Changes – REO Speedwagon
Everyday America – Sugarland
Learn to Live – Darius Rucker
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
My Town – Montgomery Gentry
The Best Thing about Me Is You – Ricky Martin, featuring Joss Stone
You are the Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
Keep Marchin’ – Raphael Saadiq
Tonight’s The Kind of Night – Noah and the Whale
We Take Care of Our Own – Bruce Springsteen
Keep Me In Mind – Zac Brown Band
The Weight – Aretha Franklin
Even Better Than The Real Thing – U2
Home – Dierks Bentley

Oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Obama’s smokin’ rendition of Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”:

In the world of Talib Kweli and Yasiin ‘Mos Def’ Bey, today is actually Black Star Friday. A clever play on words, yes, but the legendary hip-hop duo has also made Black Friday 2011 one of their most fruitful days in years, with a double dose of new music. Their new single, “Fix Up”, which was first debuted on The Colbert Report last month, was released digitally through iTunes this morning. Now, through their official website, Black Star have revealed plans for a new Aretha Franklin-inspired mixtape, with our first taste coming via an OhNo-produced track titled “You Already Know”. Stream the cut below and/or download your own mp3 for the price of an email address.

There’s no word on when the mixtape will arrive, so stay tuned for additional details. In the meantime, fans in Los Angeles and New York City can see the duo live in the coming days:

Black Star 2011 Tour Dates:
12/03 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia

In a business where so many “best of” albums seem more like generic cash grabs or straight up label fulfillments, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon is opting out of that cookie-cutter route and will instead take his new collection to a much more sincere and personal level. Songwriter, set for an October 24th release, will feature 32 remastered selections individually hand-picked by the man himself.

As for the title and how the songs were selected, the always classy Simon recently told NME, “I think of myself as a songwriter first, the recording artist and performer in me follow in the writer’s footsteps.” The two-disc set will not only include his more mainstream work, such as a live and more recent version of “The Sound of Silence” recorded earlier this year at Webster Hall, but lesser known tunes from throughout his storied career. Aretha Franklin’s cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – a favorite of Simon’s – will also be included. Peep the tracklist below for full details.

Songwriter will be available on October 24th via Sony/Legacy. Four of his classic studio albums will also be re-released in special remastered editions on the same day: One Trick Pony, Hearts and Bones, Graceland, and The Rhythm of the Saints.

Songwriter Tracklist:
Disc 1
01. The Sound Of Silence – Live at Webster Hall
02. The Boxer – Live at Central Park
03. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Aretha Franklin
04. Mother And Child Reunion
05. Tenderness
06. Peace Like A River
07. American Tune
08. Kodachrome
09. Something So Right
10. Late In The Evening
11. Train In The Distance
12. Hearts And Bones
13. Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War
14. Still Crazy After All These Years
15. Diamonds On The Sole Of Her Shoes
16. The Boy In The Bubble
17. Graceland

Disc 2
01. Obvious Child
02. Further To Fly
03. The Cool, Cool River
04. Spirit Voices
05. Born In Puerto Rico
06. Quality
07. Darling Lorraine
08. Look At That
09. Senorita With A Necklace Of Tears
10. That’s Me
11. Another Galaxy
12. Father And Daughter
13. Rewrite
14. Love And Hard Times
15. So Beautiful Or So What

The Queen of Soul, who just celebrated her 69th birthday in New York, is set to play a free concert on June 24th at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. She’ll be taking the Toronto Star Stage at Metro Square on the opening day of the fest, with the Toronto Jazz Festival Orchestra (directed by Guido Basso) backing her up and Jordan John & The Blues Angels as support.

Two dates for her May comeback have also been released – the 19th at the Chicago Theatre and the 28th in Niagara Falls. Grab tickets at Seatgeek, and stay tuned for more as it’s revealed. The Toronto Jazz Festival runs June 24th through July 3rd and features 1,500 musicians playing some 350 concerts at 40 locations.

Aretha Franklin 2011 Tour Dates:
05/19 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
05/28 – Niagara Falls, NY @ Seneca Niagara Events Center At Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel
06/24 – Toronto, ON @ Toronto Jazz Festival

Think about it. In a single week a hotly anticipated album can drop, festival rumors, no matter how legit or just plain entertaining, can begin to circulate, and a larger-than-life band can announce a string of tour dates. Then there the more unfortunate events. It seems like each loss we lose someone or something that means a great deal to us.

As usual, the list below illustrates this idea better than I ever could. It speaks for itself.

It’s only January, and we’ve already got a lot to look forward to. Stay tuned.

– Cluster 1 finally made its debut. Check out the first broadcast here.

– We published our list of the “50 Most Important Albums 2011″ to help you sort through the scores of new titles that will come out this year.

– The Strokes‘ fourth LP has an official release date.

– Panda Bear‘s Tomboy is slated for an April release.

– The first single from Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s fortchoming collaborative effort dropped. It’s called “H.A.M.” That’s reason enough to listen to it.

– Can’t wait for for PJ Harvey‘s new record to come out. Well, you’re in luck. Three tracks from Let England Shake surfaced this week.

– Broadcast vocalist Trish Keenan passed away.

– Aretha Franklin denied reports that she has pancreatic cancer.

– To commemorate the untimely death of Jay Reatard, the garage rocker’s Shattered Club said this week that it will offer unreleased material exclusively to its members.

– Bright Eyes announced a string of tour dates.

– Drake revealed a few collaboraters for his forthcoming record.

– Green Day will put out their interestingly titled second live LP soon.

– Remember when we told you that Daft Punk would be The Third Twin at a Spanish music festival? We were wrong.

– The Mountain Goats want to be on Law & Order: SVU, but they can’t do it without your help. Click here to find out what you can do.

– Lil Wayne did…um, okay, he did a lot of stuff. Too much to list in this post.

– Like Kanye, Snoop Dogg will offer fans tracks through a weekly online series, only his is called “Puff Puff Pass Tuesdays.”

– Eminem signed some big names to his record label.

– Basement Jaxx will score a sci-fi film.

– Vampire Weekend and The Black Keys “battled it out” for Stephen Colbert‘s Grammy vote.

– While we’re on the subject, Arcade Fire, Eminem, and Lady Gaga, among others, are set to perform at this year’s ceremony.

– Rothbury may or may not return this year. We’ll see.

– No, Coachella hasn’t revealed its lineup yet. In the meantime, get a load of these fake ones.

– Ask yourself, “At your first Bonnaroo, what was the first thing you witnessed that made you say ‘Wow, I’m actually here’”? Do it and you can win a fabulous prize in the latest CoS Giveaway!

– Be sure to help us win big at the Weblog Awards while you’re at it.

– Chris Coplan posted another thought-provoking edition of Nod Your Head.

– Cap Blackard interviewed Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club mainstay and all-around icon Chris Frantz.

– Karina Halle scored a great interview as well, with the ”‘architect’ of the turntable” himself, DJ Rob Swift.

– Michael Roffman offered his take on Weezer‘s recent nostalgia-heavy Chicago performance.

– The Decemberists are back with a follow-up to 2009′s The Hazards of Love. Read our official review, courtesy of Dan Caffrey, here.

– Did we make our best-of lists too early this time? Winston Robbins thinks so. Check out his review of Ghostface Killah‘s Apollo Kids, and then decide for yourself.

Fortunately, not only is the legendary singer cancer-free, she might have another two decades of performance time. Franklin has confirmed in a new interview with Access Hollywood that she never had pancreatic cancer, despite reports to the contrary. “There was just so many wild things out there and just so many things being said that weren’t true… I just felt I needed to address it a little.”

Although she did not elaborate on her actual health concerns, The Queen of Soul did note that doctors believe her recent surgery  “is going to add 15 to 20 more years” to her life.

Franklin also said she plans to resume touring May, which will include rescheduled dates from her canceled December performances. Good news all around.

To start this edition of Break Yo’ TV on a truly retro note, we turn our direction to the Gap. You will more than likely open one gift from the Gap (or Old Navy, or Abercrombie) upon Christmas morning. It will come in a long, brown, and unmarked box, and if you are under the age of nine, chances are you will be pissed it isn’t a train set or a Megazord (still waiting, Mom). But in the 90s, the Gap got me truly excited about the possibility of owning a sweater or a new pair of jeans. How? Because they got the ever-hip Everclear to rock their commercials with an alt-rock rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Complete with jittery ’90s style cuts, humorous resizing with computers, and punk rock antics, this commercial definitely had me slightly excited as a small child for the Gap…even if it was only a cover song.

The next ad keeps us right in the ’90s, as it butters us up to head out to Target and buy our children an original Nintendo gaming console. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind this happening nowadays, but this commercial goes about hustling Nintendo the wrong way. This beloved 30 seconds of television stars none other than Aretha Franklin (second article on commercials I’ve written with the diva).  In the commercial, Franklin is seated in the back seat of a car. Obviously, she’s rich, and therefore does not need to drive herself around when the roads are so icy.

Franklin gazes out the window longingly, looking at shoppers, shop windows, Christmas trees, and the snow on the pavement. Superimposed over the scenery is an image of a small girl (presumably Franklin’s daughter) peering out a window with anticipation. Franklin sings some soulful mumbo-jumbo about “bringing Christmas home,” and when she arrives home, immediately hugs her daughter.  No exchange of the Nintendo is made, but it cuts away to a cliché male voice saying, “This holiday, bring home Nintendo.” Right before another commercial for soda comes on, though, Franklin hugs the girl for a few more seconds, showing parents everywhere that their children MIGHT appreciate them if they get to play Super Mario Brothers on Christmas morning.

This next commercial was just too good to pass up. During my “research” for this article, I stumbled across some Dr. Dre-casted Christmas ads. Obviously, I had to click on them and at least watch them. I’m not sure if these ads brought families together, convinced anybody to buy The Chronic, or helped Dre boost sales, but nevertheless, they embody that amazing Christmas spirit that Americans seem to embrace (that spirit is commonly referred to as “capitalism”). The first ad contains some smooth g-funk beats as the camera pans down from some mistletoe to Dre embracing a young female. The two kiss, and are then interrupted by the most obnoxious Rasta voice imaginable posing the question, “What makes Christmas better?” Dr. Dre gazes up in deep thought as the camera pans back to the mistletoe, which is now attached to a phat and sticky leaf of chronic. “The Chronic from Dr. Dre!” the Rasta says. The next ad is merely a pan around a Christmas tree to reveal another chronic leaf, with a Dr. Dre ornament hanging from it. “The Chronic,” a female voice says, “the gift that keeps on giving.” She’s certainly got that part right about the holidays.

Now, what would any article on Christmas commercials be without an ad from Coca Cola? Coke has been on top of the Christmas spirit since advertising has existed, and has even been able to brand themselves as the soda of the holiday season. If you don’t believe me, watch Ernest Saves Christmas. If you don’t feel like watching Ernest, I will say my local grocery store had a large Santa built from Coca-Cola boxes on display. Either way, Coca Cola’s most classic and most obnoxious Christmas ad campaign is their numerous renditions of “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” a song that Oasis would rip off later in life. In the ad from the ’70s, Coke makes a valiant effort to show as many different ethnicities of people as humanly possible in the first three seconds to show how united we are around the holidays. As the camera zooms out from all the diverse singers holding candles, their shape goes on to form a Christmas tree, showing we are all united by our ownership of Christmas trees and mutual love of Cola. Good to know everybody else out there is just like me: fat, loaded with sugar, and unhealthy.

The next ad I had to bring up because recently it has driven me crazy how this song has become “the Honda song.” Many of you who read this site regularly may or may not be tired of Vampire Weekend, but I can tell you I am now certainly tired of their new song “Holiday.” Upon singing this at work one night, my boss said, “God dammit, Honda!” blaming the car company for the song being stuck in my head. I just genuinely like the song, but now, Honda has made it impossible. In their newest ad campaign, we get to hear the opening of “Holiday” as people move around in an animated fashion, rocking ugly sweaters, ice skating and drinking cocoa, all in a fake, digital Christmas environment. People are informed of how this holiday season, they will save huge on Hondas, and then we are sent off with the final chorus of the song. Commonly, it gets stuck in my head upon watching this ad, and it’s even worse on the radio! The ad clearly states due to this happy song, the Honda will have happy drivers, but I’d like to see some proof of this. It’s the most indie advertisement since Phoenix sold Cadillacs.

Every Christmas season, we have to be ready for the whole nation to become the North Pole. In every store, there are Christmas decorations littered all over, various sales displays themed around the holidays, and plenty of products that sell out for Santa. It’s to butter everybody up for the season, and I will say as a consumer, it truly does affect me a bit. Even though I hate the ads and the message they generally send to America, it does get me a bit excited to know soon I will be with my family, enjoying several of these products and the comfort of a fire near the Christmas tree. The ads may deliver the illusion of completion during the holidays, but nothing is better than actually experiencing it with your family, no matter how many shitty commercials you must watch together. Happy Holidays, everybody; enjoy and be safe.

You can find the first part by clicking here. Keep an eye out for additional posts next week as well.

And be sure to keep checking out our site. As you can clearly see, December has gotten off to a great start. We intend to end it, and the year in general, on a high note.

– Consequence of Gorillaz, anyone? Damon Albarn and co. pretty much dominated our headlines this week, with everything from retirement rumors to new album details to, um, Olympic-related updates surfacing within a few days of each other. And I almost forgot to mention the new video with Snoop Dogg. And the scavenger hunt.

– Coachella doesn’t arrive until next spring, but we’ve already started our lineup predictions.

– Sir Paul McCartney made Saturday Night Live watchable.

– Robert Plant told us not to get our hopes up for a Led Zeppelin reunion anytime soon.

– Big comebacks: Jeff Mangum appeared in public, Godspeed You! Black Emperor performed for the first time in six years, and Rammstein delivered their first U.S. performance in a decade.

– Michael Jackson‘s new single, “the 2010 version of ‘Thriller’,” dropped.

– Peter Bjorn and John‘s forthcoming LP now has a release date.

– While we’re on the subject of Swedish indie stars, Jens Lekman wrote a song about stalking Kirsten Dunst.

– Heather Mills took credit for putting The Beatles‘ catalog on iTunes.

– Q-Tip clarified a few things about the upcoming A Tribe Called Quest documentary.

– On a sad note, Aretha Franklin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

– Judas Priest announced their final world tour. Ever.

– Pete Doherty is set to make his acting debut soon.

– Need tips for Bonnaroo? Well, you’re in luck.

– Raekwon‘s s new LP is allegedly due out next year.

– The Cars put out even more new material. These guys haven’t been this productive in a long time. Twenty-three years to be exact.

– Pearl Jam announced plans to host their own music festival.

– Want special-edition Daft Punk headphones? Okay, but it’ll cost you.

– The new Death Cab for Cutie album now has a title.

– R.E.M. jumped on the holiday single bandwagon.

– Watch this clip of Feist and Broken Social Scene performing “I Feel It All” together.

– Don’t watch this Kings of Leon video.

– Chris Coplan reviewed Ryan Adams‘ latest effort. Coplan also took on lists in the latest edition of Nod Your Head.

– Ted Maider shared his thoughts on deadmau5′s 4 x 4 = 12.

– Jónsi has finally made his solo debut. Find out what David Buchanan had to say about it here.

– Ted Leo and The New Pornographers played NYC’s Terminal 5. Alex Young and Kelly Staskel were there.

– We debuted our podcast this week, something we like to call Audiography.

– Derek Staples interviewed Gang Starr‘s DJ Premier.

– Harry Painter sat down with Thomas Ross Turner of Ghostland Observatory to discuss, well, lots of different things.

Ever worse, The Detroit News quotes Dr. Diane Simeone, director of the multidisciplinary Pancreatic Tumor Clinic at the University of Michigan, as saying it is the only major cancer with a prognosis in the single digits, and those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have a 5 percent chance of living five years. “It has the worst prognosis of any major human malignancy. It is the most dreaded cancer to get.”

Fortunately, Franklin can look to Apple CEO Steve Jobs and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who have both recovered from pancreatic cancer.

Our best wishes go out to Franklin and her family. As always, stay tuned for more updates as they’re announced.

Well, one reason is the music. While this seems like a harmless gimmick, I think it is downright evil. The most amazing quality of music is the sensory revolution that allows songs to get embedded in your memory. Tunes can be playing on loop and repeat for days (if not years) in your head. Tim Robbins’ character in The Shawshank Redemption understood that one, but he was singing Mozart in his head, and not a song about fast food.

Commercial jingles are a major industry in this country, and, quite frankly, I think I should try getting a job in that field. The songs are short, catchy, and lyrically stupid. I could make a killing. Without further adieu, I give you a compilation of some of the catchiest yet worst jingles ever, all of which have been embedded in my mind for years. Ironically, I may not even endorse these products…but I’ll always remember the songs.

McDonald’s – “You Deserve a Break Today”

The best place to start off with is McDonald’s. Before McDonald’s had jingles like “I’m Loving it” and “You Get More for Your Money”, they had a commercial that was a borderline Disney sing-a-long. “You Deserve a Break Today” was one of the most well received commercials in advertising history. While it was rumored to be written by Barry Manilow, it was actually written by two guys named Kevin Gavin and Sid Woloshin, whose names on Google bring up nothing but McDonald’s credit. Their song is also available in a beautiful R & B version, which is more retro than anything else I have ever seen from the evil French fry clown.

“You Deserve a Break Today” was a national sensation back in the 1970s, and made this multi-billion dollar machine look like the happiest place to eat on Earth. I mean, just look how happy everyone is as they mop, grill, and serve…all things that don’t tend to make your average employee happy. We all know today that when we deserve a break, it isn’t with a Big Mac, but at least we can still sing the song at work when it’s time to clock out (I know I always do).

Dr. Pepper – “I’m a Pepper”

The 70s seemed to be a good time for quality jingles, because this next one was also a national sensation. Sometime ago, Dr. Pepper prescribed the nation the song, “I’m a Pepper”. In this song, a guy with a really bad haircut and McLovin vest leads the townsfolk in song as he tells us to join his “original crowd” and “be a pepper too.” I’m not buying it, though. This guy is a creep. In fact, he starts off by telling a group of children to follow him and his sick cult of peppers. Not to mention he walks like a jackass. Everyone breaks out into spontaneous dancing as he informs us, “I’m a pepper/He’s a pepper/She’s a pepper/Wouldn’t you like to be a pepper too?” Camera zooms out and we all suddenly want to be a pepper and drink the beverage. I just want to listen to that song some more, so maybe, just maybe, it will get the fuck out of my head.

Aretha Franklin – “Joy of Pepsi”

Soft drinks have always been on point with their advertising. Ever notice this? Pepsi is by far the most ahead of the game. Whether they get Britney Spears to dance through the decades, or they get a bunch of Queen look-a-likes to sing a Mountain Dew-themed parody of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, they always have me singing their songs. The reason Pepsi is so on point with their advertising is this….they are the drink of the “next generation.” With that in mind, Pepsi has always tried to be flashier, hipper, and catchier with songs than everybody else. By far, the most successful Pepsi song, at least while I’ve been alive, has been “The Joy of Cola”. Usually, these commercials involved an adorable, curly-haired girl (who may or may not have looked like Linda Blair). However, she seemed possessed by the spirits of Italian mobsters and Aretha Franklin, among others. Various stars also sang the song such as Spears, KISS, and Franklin herself. The joy of Pepsi on my tongue is something I still appreciate, but the constant playing of “Bah bah bah bah” and image of a creepy girl in my head as I drink it is not.

Oingo Boingo – “This Bud’s For You”

Alcohol is never in any way different; despite the fact minors can’t endorse it. My brother could sing an entire Southern Comfort ad at the age of nine. And when a media exec spoke to my fourth grade class, he sang “Tap the Rockies,” and we immediately responded with a loud, “Coors Light!” Budweiser had by far the best and most successful ad campaign some time ago. Their song, “This Bud’s for You”, has been played in numerous styles, including one rendition by Oingo Boingo, which is arguably better than any music video from the ’80s, only because it proudly promotes beer. Two window washers discover this Oingo Boingo party and when the Budweiser plane arrives on the scene, with a large bottle attached to it, you know you have every reason to be stoked (or ashamed that this generated several bellies). The late 1999 version was equally as catchy, but with less jarring visuals, and made Budweiser the beer for us common folk. Damn you, Budweiser, for your catchy songs, eye-popping visual aid, and my drinking problem.

Andrew W.K. – “Give Me a Break”

The only thing better than drinking, though, is eating. Food advertisements (other than fast food) are so enticing to me, and when I find myself craving the product I just witnessed being enjoyed by celebrities and shitty actors, I have an understanding of how advertising works. However, it’s even worse when I crave food and then have an obnoxious song stuck in my head, complete with visuals of somebody sincerely enjoying a tasty morsel. I don’t think any jingle of my generation will be able to top Kit Kat’s. Those bastards have been asking for a break for well over a decade now, and yet somehow, The Office’s Andy Bernard can’t seem to get the song right. While several renditions of this song have been created over the years, none of them got stuck in my head worse than the Andrew W.K. version, which features a news team enjoying their commercial break with spontaneous dancing. That doesn’t seem like a break to me at all. But something about the use of keyboards causes songs to cling to my brain (see: MGMT – “Kids”).

Crossfire

Speaking of keyboards….check out this rendition of my all time favorite commercial jingle ever on piano, which I continue to sing nowadays only to annoy co-workers and people I don’t like.

I’m sure anybody over the age of 30 will not be familiar with the commercial for Crossfire, a board game in which you lost all the pieces to upon opening it (and a game that I once found for almost a 100 bucks on eBay). Crossfire was a stupid game that was only fun for a couple of tries, namely because the game was like a sub-par version of air hockey. The only reason this game ever comes up in discussion nowadays is because of its hilarious commercial and epic jingle. It includes two pint-sized baddies, both rocking leather jackets, who fly into a fiery arena. The game descends from the sky and (somehow) the kids play it as it hovers in midair, all while the hilariously cheesy 90′s track blares over the sound of the game. When one player finally loses, the music swells, a high-pitched voice sings “CROSS FIIIIIRRRREEE!” and the other boy vanishes. This was one game I didn’t want to get caught up in, but I sure got caught up in the damn song.

There are so many commercials to name here, and I’m sure I could have gone on forever. As time continues, several conglomerate companies will continue to sell us crap we feel necessary to own, and they will continue to write songs to accompany their imagery that we don’t want to hear. Unfortunately, some of us will remember those songs forever, and be plagued with them within the catacombs of our brains. Sorry folks, we aren’t getting a break any time soon.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Following a canceled performance October 27th at Charlottesville, VA., and her subsequent admission to Detroit’s Sinai Grace Hospital October 30th for a brief stay, the Queen of Soul has postponed all performances and appearances until May 2011. While an exact diagnosis remains undisclosed, a press release confirms Franklin’s desire to resume touring: “Ms. Franklin is resting comfortably at home, but is very anxious to get back on the road to perform for her countless fans around the world.”

Aretha,

From all of us at Consequence of Sound, we look forward to your healthy, boisterous return.

This got me thinking about so many contemporary songs that feature samplings or interpolations of previously recorded material. In today’s musical landscape, the use of another’s material is a bit ubiquitous and, at times, overwhelming. When samples are used with skill, the listener often doesn’t even realize that the song isn’t truly original; so, it’s almost forgivable (to a point) when mistakes like MIA vs. The Clash pop up.

Despite today’s prolific tendencies of borrowing, this is by no means a new phenomenon. Instead of sampling, artists just simply covered songs, especially if they had to fill up space on an album. Many times, though, the cover song became bigger than the original, to the point of overshadowing the original songwriters or performers. Below is just a small sampling.

“Crazy” – Patsy Cline / Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson wrote “Crazy” in 1961. At the time, he was a songwriter named Hugh, working his way up as a journeyman by providing material for artists like Faron Young and Billy Walker to perform. Patsy Cline, however, was one of the biggest names in country music. After years of developing his craft as a songwriter, Nelson’s “Crazy” would be the song that clinched it.

The song, as sung by Cline, is very obviously a ballad. However, Nelson’s original version somewhat defies a simple categorization. “Crazy” is not written like a traditional country song. Nelson borrowed heavily from jazz and classic pop songwriting when composing the tune. The verse and chorus smoothly meld into one another rather than standing rigidly separated like in most country songs. This jazz-like lean is most often recognized when Nelson performs the song live, never performing it the same way twice.

Originally intended for, but declined by, Walker, Nelson managed to get a demo of the song to Cline after meeting her husband, Charlie Dick, at a Music Row watering hole. Nelson’s style of speaking his lyrics rather than singing them did not sit well with Cline, who rejected the song upon initially hearing it. After her producer, Owen Bradley, rearranged the song as the ballad we’ve become familiar with, Cline fell in love with it, recording the vocals in a single take. Though it didn’t have the success of her previous hit, “I Fall To Pieces”, the song did signify Cline’s return to music after surviving a near fatal automobile accident. “Crazy” was released in 1962, peaking at number two on the country charts.

I remember as a child hearing stories about Cline (or someone in her camp) stealing this song from Nelson. I can’t remember if it was just my grandfather spinning a yarn, a Jessica Lange movie filling in my historical blanks, or what, but I found no such evidence indicating those sentiments. In 1993, Nelson said that he felt Cline’s version was his favorite song of his that anybody had recorded. Maybe at the time he got a little less than what he thought he should once the song became a hit. Regardless of any of the fine print, the success of Cline’s version not only cemented Nelson’s reputation as a songwriter, but it also opened the door to his own recording career. Based on the success of “Crazy”, Liberty records signed Nelson to his own recording contract.

“Head On” – Pixies / The Jesus and Mary Chain

Admittedly, this one might be stretching it somewhat, as most people might not even realize that an alternate version of this song exists. “Head On” originally appears on the Jesus and Mary Chain’s 1989 album, Automatic. Engineered by future shoegaze mastermind Alan Moulder, the song features the signature feedback sound that JAMC were known for, and it ups the tempo into a fabulous pop song. The ambiguity of its lyrics can give the impression that the song could either be a boy-meets-girl ditty or a psychedelic drug experience swirling around your head.

The true ambiguity of the song comes from the Pixies’ cover version. Around 1990, a year or so before the Pixies would release their fourth album, Trompe Le Monde, they had begun covering “Head On” in concert. The original version of the song started to achieve a moderate level of popularity on modern rock radio on its own merits, but with the Pixies covering it, an argument could be made that the song received a Colbert style “bump.” The Pixies version became slightly famous for the video and the production behind the making of the video. The band had agreed to provide a video for the single only if it was recorded live. Using 12 cameras divided among the four band members, the song was played, the video was recorded, and everybody was happy. I don’t know the reason for the band’s (or perhaps Black Francis’s) stubbornness regarding the making of the video. Maybe it stems from a time when the band was covering “Head On” during a show, and Francis looked down into the audience to see Jim and William Reid, the song’s writers, looking back at him. True story.

“There She Goes” – Sixpence None the Richer / The La’s

This misconception is more an American mistake, as I find it almost impossible to believe that anyone in the UK would not know that the La’s originally performed “There She Goes”. Originally written by Lee Mavers and performed by his band The La’s, the song was released at least three times before it finally achieved any kind of chart status. In fact, the third version was a remix by Steve Lillywhite, who produced the band’s self-titled debut in 1990. Helped by the song’s inclusion on the album, the band finally had a taste of success, peaking at 13 in the UK and just barely missing out on the US Top 40.

The song’s popularity throughout the 90s is most evident by its inclusion on at least four soundtracks from the era. The soundtrack to So I Married An Axe Murderer features both the La’s version and a Boo Radleys version, which bookend the album. Despite appearing in Hollywood heavy-hitters like The Parent Trap remake, Mavers found his biggest success when Austin, Texas, band Sixpence None the Richer included a version on their self-titled third album. The Sixpence version broke the US Top 40 and the Top 10 on most AOR charts. To this day, this is the version you will most likely hear on US AOR/Adult Contemporary radio stations. The Sixpence version also achieved a boost in popularity after appearing on yet another soundtrack, one for the film Snow Day. I find it darkly ironic that so many family oriented films have chosen to use a song that at one point in its history was accused of being an ode to heroin.

“I Want Candy” – Bow Wow Wow / The Strangeloves

The Strangeloves were a “band” comprised of 3/4 of the songwriting team behind “I Want Candy”.  The song was written by Bert Berns, Richard Goettehrer, Jerry Goldstein, and Bob Feldman, all of whom (sans Berns) were the Strangeloves. Assuming the personalities of three Australian ex-sheep-herding brothers named Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange, The Strangeloves recorded their hit in 1965. Oddly enough, though, all writing, recording, and performing credits are under the band members’ real names. The alter egos were just for publicity.

The song achieved a second bit of recognition when, later in the same year, Brian Poole and his band the Tremoloes hit the UK Top 25 with their cover. However, the song’s biggest boost in popularity came not from the mod scene or the swingin’ hipsters of the 60s but rather from new wavers of the early 80s and a cover version by a new British band, Bow Wow Wow.

Bow Wow Wow was a project assembled by Malcolm McLaren, the guiding force behind the Sex Pistols. Never one to shy away from exploiting the sexuality of a teenager, McLaren discovered his singer, a mohawked Annabella Lwin, in a launderette at the tender age of 14. With dollar signs in his eyes, he absconded with the Ants from Adam and the Ants to round out Bow Wow Wow’s lineup, leaving Adam all alone. The band had a series of minor hits in the UK, but “I Want Candy” was pretty much their only success State-side.  Appearing ubiquitously on “One Hit Wonder” lists and “Best of the 80s” types of countdowns, “I Want Candy”, with one of the most recognizable intros since the hand claps on “Car Wash”, may have provided Bow Wow Wow with a bit more immortality than it did the song’s creators, but I would place bets that Annabella is back doing her delicates at the launderette.

“After Midnight”/“Cocaine” – Eric Clapton / J.J. Cale

Clapton has recorded at least three J.J. Cale songs throughout his career: “Cocaine”, “After Midnight”, and “Travelin’ Light” are the most important three. The first two are so closely associated with Clapton that, unless you read the liner notes, you may never have even thought that they weren’t his songs. “After Midnight” was on Clapton’s solo debut in 1970 and immediately became a hot single for the guitarist.

An upbeat, slightly funky number, “After Midnight” features Clapton leaving the experimentation of Blind Faith and the heaviness of Cream behind for a smoother, simpler approach. Cale first recorded a demo of “After Midnight” four years earlier in 1966, which features Cale’s signature laid-back feel. When listening to Cale’s playing, it’s easily as relaxed as any of Clapton’s work. And when listening to Clapton, especially during this period, the influence of Cale is greatly felt.

When Clapton recorded his version in 1970, Cale, apparently, was totally unaware. Dirt poor, scraping by, and barely able to feed himself, Cale was nonetheless pleased to begin receiving royalty checks. In fact, Clapton’s success with Cale’s song led Cale back to the studio to record his own music once again. Cale’s own re-recording of “After Midnight” even managed to chart on Billboard at #42. Clapton would re-re-record the song for a Michelob beer commercial in the late 80s.

Ten years after penning “After Midnight”, Cale wrote “Cocaine” for his 1976 release, Troubadour. The style and arrangement on Cale’s and Clapton’s versions are pretty much the same, with the only major difference being that Clapton’s is a bit cleaner, Cale’s a bit rawer. The famous guitar riff opening the song (and carrying it throughout) is a bit grittier on Cale’s version. His songwriting allows for the music and lyrics to live on their own terms and provide the listener with a chance to absorb both. The message is rather clear in its anti-drug position; however, Cale is careful not to beat the message over the listener’s head. Clapton said once “…from a distance…it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.”

Produced by Glyn Johns and appearing on Clapton’s 1978 Slowhand, the song was originally a B-side to “Lay Down Sally”, only to be re-released as its own single in 1980. “Cocaine” became one of Clapton’s (and by default, Cale’s) biggest hits, eventually becoming a concert staple and a fixture on contemporary classic rock radio.

“Me and Bobby McGee” – Janis Joplin / Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson, much like his friend Hugh “Willie” Nelson, began his career in country music as a songwriting journeyman. The first recording of his song “Me and Bobby McGee” was actually by fellow country songwriter Roger Miller in 1969. Kristofferson himself recorded it for his self-titled solo album in 1970. There have been countless cover versions of this song, mostly by country artists; however, none stand out as much as Janis Joplin’s, featured on her final album, Pearl.

Joplin recorded the tune in October 1970, just a few days before her death. As a friend and lover of Joplin’s, Kristofferson had presented the song by singing it to her. She was taught the song by fellow singer Bob Neuwirth and recorded it with her group Full Tilt Boogie in the fall of 1970. Kristofferson was unaware of Joplin’s cover until he heard it a few days after she passed away. He claims that the song was not written for Joplin but that to this day the song is and will be associated with her. Her version of the song became only the second posthumous single in US chart history to hit number one (following Otis Redding’s “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay”).

“Respect” – Aretha Franklin / Otis Redding

Originally written in 1965 by soul legend Otis Redding, “Respect” was composed just as the artist was finishing up his third (and most critically acclaimed) album, Otis Blue. The song’s story is basically of a man pleading for respect from a woman (possibly a gold-digging, over-demanding woman, but I may be reading too much into it). Written as a blues number, Redding’s performance is far funkier than the Franklin version and even comes off a bit more aggressive. Redding’s phrasing often stagnates slightly between verses, delivering the pleading theatrics of the song’s protagonist, whereas Franklin’s impassioned rendering of the song takes the same lyrics and turns them into the strength of a woman announcing her independence and freedom.

Redding managed some chart success, breaking the Top 5 on the Black Singles chart and even crossing over to the pop charts for a second time (following the earlier chart success of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”), peaking at #35. True success for the song was found, however, with Aretha Franklin’s recording in 1967. Atlantic Records producer extraordinaire Jerry Wexler took the song to Franklin after hearing Redding’s version. Smelling a hit record, Wexler tweaked the Redding track ever so slightly. There were no lyrical changes, but the producers added a bridge and included King Curtis on saxophone. The overall production was far smoother at Atlantic Records than it was for the Stax production of Redding’s tune, helping to boost its popularity amongst the white audience.

The genius of this song is in Franklin’s delivery. The meaning the listener derives from listening to her version is a complete 180 from the original.  Where Redding’s song was more of a plea from a man to his significant other, Franklin’s version became a rallying cry for women and the feminist movement (and, to a lesser extent, the Civil Rights movement).

Franklin recorded “Respect” on February 14, 1967. Four months later at the Monterrey Pop Festival, Otis Redding, while introducing the song, described it as the song “that little girl done stole from me.” Joking of course, Redding knew the effect that Franklin’s version of his song had. As a result, Redding pretty much gave the song to Franklin (though I am sure he kept the writing credits). It almost begs the question as to just how many in the Monterrey audience knew that Redding had originally penned “Respect”.  Six months after his performance at Monterrey, in December 1967, Redding was killed in a plane crash. In the spring of 1968, Franklin claimed two Grammy awards for her recording of “Respect”. It is her recording of “Respect” that also appears on all of the “Greatest Songs” lists and was even inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2002.

“All Along the Watchtower” – Jimi Hendrix / Bob Dylan

To say that Bob Dylan is one of the most prolific songwriters in music history is an understatement’s understatement. Dylan wrote so much material in the 60s that it almost seemed as if any and every artist on CBS’s roster at the time had to cover at least one of his songs. Despite so many covers, more often than not, the listener was well aware that a Byrds or Baez song on the radio was originally penned by Dylan. Of all of Dylan’s songs (there are approximately 17,345,298, give or take eight), “All Along the Watchtower” stands out from the others not so much because of who wrote it but rather who performed it.

The original recording first appeared on Dylan’s 1968 comeback album, John Wesley Harding. After taking time off to recover from a horrific motorcycle accident, the songs on JWH marked a significant change in Dylan’s songwriting and topicality. Settling into family life, Dylan turned away from the excesses of the city and began to slow things down a little. He even began exploring biblical themes and imagery.

Dylan’s recording of the song was made on a single day in November, 1967. Five takes later, the song was completed by splicing in elements from the third and fifth take. “All Along the Watchtower” was the session’s first track and the second single released from John Wesley Harding. This recording session stands in stark contrast to Hendrix’s recording of the song.

Less than a month after Dylan released John Wesley Harding, Jimi Hendrix commented to Dave Mason of Traffic how he wanted to do a version of Dylan’s song. A few days later, the two men (along with Hendrix’s drummer Mitch Mitchell) entered the studio to do just that. Dylan’s slow-paced, relaxed number was about to get a facelift of raging guitar and psychedelia that would change the song’s appearance forever. The Jimi Hendrix Experience began their cover version in late January 1968.

Hendrix’s session was so chaotic and frustrating that bassist Noel Redding split the studio midway through, leaving Dave Mason to fill in. However, according to session engineer Eddie Kramer, Hendrix ended up playing the final bass part. In less than five days, the recording was complete and the problems began. Hendrix was immediately dissatisfied with the result of “All Along the Watchtower” and began re-recording and overdubbing parts. As he went on, he got increasingly frustrated and unhappy with the product. What began as a four-track recording ended up on a 16-track machine. Everytime Hendrix would listen to the recording, he would hear new nuances and subtleties that he would want to incorporate. The finalized version was released in September 1968, almost eight months after recording began, a far cry from Dylan’s single-day recording session.

The biggest culprit in mis-identifying Hendrix over Dylan as the song’s author is probably Dylan himself. Dylan once described his reaction to the Hendrix cover: “It overwhelmed me…He found things that other people wouldn’t think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using.” The first time Dylan performed “All Along the Watchtower” live was in 1974, four years after Hendrix’s death and a full seven years after the initial recording. Of the live performance, Dylan said, “I liked [Hendrix’s] record of this and ever since he died I’ve been doing it that way…I always feel it’s a tribute to him.”

“Hound Dog” – Elvis Presley / Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton

“Hound Dog” differs from the above songs most significantly in that neither the first performer of the song, Big Mama Thornton, or the performer who is most famous for it, Elvis Presley, actually wrote it.  The song was written by Jerry Leiber and Michael Stoller in 1952 for Thornton and was also the first record the songwriting team produced themselves. Thornton’s recording hit number one on the Rhythm & Blues charts in March 1953 and stayed there for over two months. In April 1953, five separate country versions for five separate labels were recorded. The song’s popularity was undeniable.

Thornton’s roots in the blues and jazz worlds lent perfectly to the call-and-response improvisations she added during Pete Lewis’ guitar solo. She even suggested the band bark and howl like dogs as the song ended. With her flexible phrasing and altering syncopations on top of drummer Johnny Otis’s (father of guitar legend Shuggie Otis) solid backbeat, Thornton would hop from the upbeat to the downbeat, stressing different parts of each line, never repeating where she would place the accent. With her straight to the point, no-nonsense delivery, Thornton belted out the innuendo and double entendre-laden lyrics. During the recording session, a Habanera variation as well as a Habanera-mambo arrangement were also recorded.

By the time Presley recorded his much more sanitized version of “Hound Dog” in 1956, numerous covers, sequels, follow-ups, and rip-offs had already filled jukeboxes and record shelves.  Ironically, because of all the other versions of “Hound Dog” around, when Presley made his famous recording, he was apparently unaware that Thornton’s recording even existed. History has shown us that countless black artists were robbed by white artists. However, in this case, I don’t think that was Presley’s intention.

Presley had based his version of “Hound Dog” not on Big Mama Thornton but on a cover version by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Bell had rewritten the lyrics slightly in an effort to appeal to a broader audience, and as a result, much of the original sexuality of the song was rendered limp. In yet another twist of irony, Presley was playing as a second billing in, of all places, Las Vegas. While in Vegas, Presley and his band would catch the Bellboys set nightly, and he eventually asked Bell for permission to cover the song. Presley’s version went on to top the charts until it was replaced by another Presley song, “Love Me Tender”.

Though Presley’s version of the song is certainly the most famous, much of its fame is not due to the recording but rather to its performance. Presley’s first performance of “Hound Dog” was on The Milton Berle Show. It was this performance that featured Presley vamping at half-tempo while staring at the audience, all the while rotating and thrusting his hips. It was here that “Elvis the Pelvis” was born, and it was here that Presley managed to restore, both physically and visually, the lyrical sexuality of Thornton’s original.

That reunion includes new material, and that new material will be here in a month. Yesterday, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark announced the release date for its first new album since 1996. The LP will be called History of Modern, and it comes out September 28th on Bright Antenna Records. The album is OMD’s 11th, and was mixed by Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Foals). Signaling a return to early ’80s form, Peter Saville designed the record’s artwork (see to the right).

You can hear some of the album at various Internet outposts right now. Spin.com, which interviewed McCluskey, has a stream of opening track “New Babies: New Toys”, while another cut called “If You Want It” — the U.K. single — has a music video out. Scroll down to access both.

The U.S. single is pretty exciting in its own right. Appearing only on the U.S. version of History of Modern, “Save Me” closes out the album and features none other than Aretha Franklin. Not the most predictable collaboration, is it?

Oh, and by the way, the Spin.com interview just happens to point out OMD, which hasn’t played in North America since 1991, is “in talks to play next April’s Coachella festival.”

OMG? Commence Aretha Franklin rumors immediately!

Calm down for a second, there’s more. History of Modern is currently available for pre-order at OMD’s webstore in a few different forms. Fans can buy a limited edition box set with a bunch of cool stuff, an autographed CD or vinyl, or a bundle with the CD/vinyl and a t-shirt. All pre-orders include an mp3 download of the Franklin track.

History of Modern Tracklist:
01. New Babies: New Toys
02. If You Want it
03. History of Modern (Part I)
04. History of Modern (Part II)
05. Sometimes
06. RFWK
07. New Holy Ground
08. The Future, The Past, and Forever After
09. Sister Marie Says
10. Pulse
11. Green
12. Bondage of Fate
13. The Right Side
14. Save Me (featuring Aretha Franklin)

Despite the cover song’s negative associations, rock and roll has greatly benefitted from and was largely built upon the practice of borrowing material and recording alternative versions. As a result, the rock and roll canon is absolutely loaded with cover songs. Case in point, Rolling Stone‘s infamous countdown of the 500 greatest rock songs of all time features 13 songs in its top 100 that had been previously recorded by other artists. Without these classic re-recordings, and others included here on our list, our world would be a much poorer place. And that’s what this list is all about. (You won’t find that killer version of “Free Bird” you heard back in the summer of 1984 in Key West on open-mic night in that dive bar at that time in your life when you were wearing headbands, dabbling in glassblowing, and carrying a pocket-size copy of the Kama Sutra around. So don’t get worked up when you don’t find it here.) These are the very best of the redos-songs that reached their true potential on the second, or even seventh, go around. Consequence of Sound gives you our top ten cover songs of all time.

10.  Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground” (Original Recording by Stevie Wonder)

Stevie Wonder is a difficult (damn near impossible) act to follow. Wonder, who began as a child prodigy for Motown, has done more for funk music than just about anyone this side of James Brown and George Clinton, so maybe it’s fitting that the band that had the collective balls (not to mention tube socks) to cover “Higher Ground” was the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who have acted as the unofficial caretakers of funk rock for nearly three decades. Anthony Kiedis & Co. remain fairly true to Wonder’s rollicking version but amplify the proceedings with bouncing guitars, banging drums, and the track’s signature group choruses. Is some of the political and spiritual message lost in this remake? Maybe. But it just rocks too hard to worry about. An’ Stevie knows that, uh, no-body’s gonna bring me down.

9.  Johnny Cash – “Hurt” (Original Recording by Nine Inch Nails)

I wonder if Trent Reznor somehow knew he was working on a Johnny Cash song when he wrote and recorded “Hurt” for his own masterpiece, The Downward Spiral. Regardless, Reznor openly admits that the song doesn’t really belong to him anymore. Under the careful guidance of legendary producer Rick Rubin, Cash resurrected his career late in life with a series of unlikely cover songs, none more surprising then this reworking of Nine Inch Nails. On “Hurt”, Cash manages to take a song about youth’s isolation and despair and transform it into a personal confession of an old soul who is not long for this world. The song carries the most emotional weight when coupled with director Mark Romanek’s dark and affecting music video, which was shot in the ailing star’s Tennessee home. In the video, Cash’s frailty is both visible and audible, as his hands and vocal chords tremble; his regret becomes palpable. The listener/viewer feels like he or she can reach out and touch both life and death at the same time. “Hurt”, strange as it may seem, could very well become The Man in Black’s most enduring legacy.

8.  Elvis Costello and the Attractions – “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (Original Recording by Nick Lowe as a member of Brinsley Schwarz)

Elvis Costello’s penchant for writing biting and scathing songs with a poison-tipped pen made him a unique brand of songwriter when he emerged in the late seventies, but the song that will most likely go down as his finest came from a different pen all together. UK new wave icon and Costello’s long-time producer Nick Lowe allowed Costello to have a go at Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and included the version as a b-side on his own single, “American Squirm”. Costello’s b-side cover ended up becoming the hit, and the song has belonged to Elvis ever since. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” features the glowing guitar, the driving drums, and that smart ass sneer that came to define Costello on his classic records. This song is three and a half minutes of the blistering best that new wave/pub rock has to offer, and there’s nothing funny ‘bout that.

7.  Jeff Buckley – “Hallelujah” (Original Recording by Leonard Cohen)

Jeff Buckley, like so many great artists, was taken away much too soon. Less than three years after the release of what would be his only proper studio album, Grace, Buckley drowned in a tragic swimming accident. While fans will never know what this talented, young man might have gone on to create, we are left with one masterpiece that hints at what would have been a remarkable future. Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is one of the great vocal performances of the last 20 years. Accompanied by only a simple guitar part, all the power of this song comes directly from Buckley. His voice whispers and soars, and the listener can hear him strain and struggle for every note as he nears each chorus. It’s so rare when a singer can create that sort of tension-that feeling that something significant hangs in the balance-in something as unassuming as a song.

6.  Jimi Hendrix – “Hey Joe” (Original Recording by Billy Roberts)

Did you know that “Hey Joe”  isn’t a Jimi Hendrix original? I confess that for years I simply assumed that Hendrix was the sole genius behind this tale of infidelity, murder, and flight. But all writing credits and registered copyrights aside, I think it’s fair to say that “Hey Joe” has become a de facto Hendrix song. “Hey Joe” was the first single ever released by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and it holds the ineffaceable distinction of having been the final song played at Woodstock. And it also isn’t the greatest cover song Hendrix ever recorded. How’s that for foreshadowing?

5.  The Animals – “House of the Rising Sun” (Traditional)

Part of the mysterious quality of “House of the Rising Sun” stems from the fact that artists and musicologists alike can’t quite agree on where or how this song originated. The Animals began playing it as their set closer while on tour with Chuck Berry in 1964. The song proved so popular that the band went into the studio to capture it once and for all on record. After only one take, the band had the version that would become arguably the world’s first folk-rock song. I don’t mind admitting that this song has always creeped me out. Eric Burdon’s howling vocals suggest a man possessed by some demonic force, and the backdrop of Alan Price’s hypnotic organ playing completes the chilling effect. Never has pop music better captured the vibe of a soul being tormented and haunted by past transgressions. The Animals’ version of “House of the Rising Sun” is one of the building blocks of rock as we know it.

4.  Joe Cocker – “With a Little Help from My Friends” (Original Recording by The Beatles)

I used to tune into reruns of The Wonder Years each afternoon to hear the theme song’s abridged version of Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends”. (Okay. I also wanted to know if there was any veracity to the rumors that Paul Pfeiffer actually grew up to become Marilyn Manson.) Cocker’s energetic (bordering on spasmodic) rendition of the Fab Four’s more subdued version is one of the touchstones of rock and roll. A large part of the appeal is that the song is really a performance piece-a theatrical stage for Joe Cocker to do whatever it is that Joe Cocker does. Watching Cocker perform “With a Little Help from My Friends” is almost a rite of passage for music fans. He staggers about stage, throwing wild fits and unleashing some of the most primitive sounds the human body has ever produced…and somehow it just works. ( For a comedic take on Cocker’s unique stage mannerisms, track down a clip of John Belushi’s hilarious and spot-on imitation performed on Saturday Night Live.)

3.  The Beatles – “Twist and Shout” (Original Recording by the Top Notes)

Long before a lip syncing Ferris Bueller was a twinkle in John Hughes’s eye, “Twist and Shout” was making young people, well, twist and shout, as “Beatlemania” swept across America. “Twist and Shout” was the very last song recorded during the Please Please Me sessions. Producer George Martin saved the song for last due to the vocal strain it put on an ill John Lennon. The band was only afforded one take before Lennon’s voice gave out, and the resulting recording holds an indelible place in rock and roll history. Lennon’s raw and ragged vocals set a precedent for what rock and roll singing could be. The perfect voice hitting all the right notes was no longer the priority. Hell, you could scream, wail, and shout if you wanted to…and John did just that.

2.  Aretha Franklin – “Respect” (Original Recording by Otis Redding)

It’s difficult to think of Aretha Franklin as anything other than the “Queen of Soul,” but the ultimate diva’s career began in anything but regal fashion. Franklin struggled for nearly a decade as a jazz singer before she found her niche working with the producers and songwriters at Atlantic Records. In 1967, Franklin laid claim to her future royal title when she recorded a groundbreaking version of Otis Redding’s “Respect”. The cover, complete with a feminist makeover, would go on to become Franklin’s signature song and go down in history as arguably the best vocal performance ever.

1.  Jimi Hendrix -  “All Along the Watchtower” (Original Recording by Bob Dylan)

After hours of narrowing down lists and wrestling over which song belongs where in the final countdown, I appreciate Jimi making the number-one spot a no-brainer. The original recording of “All Along the Watchtower” first appeared in 1967 as an ear-catching but relatively tame, acoustic fable on Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding. In January of 1968-after getting hold of Dylan’s version through a publicist-Hendrix entered the studio and began formulating his own take on the song. After several months of tweaks, overdubs, and complete overhauls, Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” was released on Electric Ladyland. Tour de force doesn’t even begin to describe this recording. Hendrix’s guitar work manages to sound both revolutionary and primal at the same time, and his vocals, which he was often self-conscious about, resonate and give this strange rendezvous between a joker and a thief an apocalyptic sense of urgency. It’s no wonder Dylan has been playing Hendrix’s version ever since. When Jimi Hendrix covers you, apparently, you end up covering him.

Honorable Mention:

The Byrds - ”Mr. Tambourine Man” (Original Recording by Bob Dylan)
Eric Clapton – “I Shot the Sheriff” (Original Recording by Bob Marley & The Wailers)
The Clash – “I Fought the Law” (Original Recording by Sonny Curtis and The Crickets)
Cream – “Crossroads” (Original Recording by Robert Johnson)
Led Zeppelin – “You Shook Me” (Original Recording by Earl Hooker and Muddy Waters)
John Lennon – “Stand By Me” (Original Recording by Ben E. King)
Nirvana – “The Man Who Sold the World” (Original Recording by David Bowie)
Elvis Presley – “Hound Dog” (Original Recording by Big Mama Thornton)
Rage Against the Machine – “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (Original Recording by Bruce Springsteen)
Santana – “Black Magic Woman” (Original Recording by Fleetwood Mac)
Stevie Wonder – “For Once in My Life” (Original Recording by Jean DuShon)

Topping this year’s bill are Pearl Jam, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison and Lionel Richie. That not enough? Okay, how about the Allman Brothers Band, Anita Baker, B.B. King, My Morning Jacket, Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes, Band of Horses, The Dead Weather, Darius Rucker, Widespread Panic, and some guitarist known as Jeff Beck? Well, if you’re not one for the classics, then maybe some local flavor is your thing, as more than 80 percent of the lineup hails from Louisiana. This includes, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Pete Fountain, Dr. John, Juvenile, Trombone Shorty, and Buckwheat Zydeco. The rest of next year’s acts can be found here.

For those ready with Sharpies and calendars, the festival goes down April 23-25 and April 29-May 2. Oh, that seems like as good a time as any to hit up New Orleans. Right? If you agree, weekend passes will go on sale later today (Dec. 15th) via Ticketmaster.com.

“Ladies and gentlemen, put your working class hands together for the hardest working band in the land…The Commitments!” -Jimmy Rabbitte

Opening this cinematic masterpiece, Roy Head & The Traits’ “Treat Her Right” plays over the credits as well as the surrounding shots of inner city Dublin. The film centers around the main character Jimmy Rabbitte, a music lover with no end in sight. Brilliantly played by Irish actor/musician Robert Arkins, Rabbitte’s sheer confidence and shrewd businesslike demeanor play heavily into how the film unfolds. His best friends include guitarist Outspan Foster (played by Glen Hansard, guitarist of The Frames and The Swell Season) as well as bassist Derek “Meatman” Scully (played by guitarist Kenneth McCluskey). Jimmy has returned from a trip across the country and convinces his two friends to leave the band they’re currently in because their singer “doesn’t have any soul.”

“What do you call yourselves?” -Jimmy Rabbitte
“And, And, And.” -Scully
“And, And, fuckin’ And?!” -Rabbitte

After a performance at a friend’s wedding commences, Rabbite and the others discuss different types of music, as well as band names, that aspire to where they come from and what reflects on the working man; soul. Soul music, as described by Rabbitte, is the working man’s music, the gears and grunt of the overall lifestyle…”ridin’, screwin’, fuckin’.” He also explains that the best 60′s bands always were “The somethings…” and that they should follow suit. Soul begins to engross the characters and proves to be the foreshadowing of what the rest of the film aims to do; lift the spirits of the people and give something universal to the North Side Dubliners.

Backtracking a bit during “And, And, And’s” performance at a friend’s wedding, the three characters spot a wildly drunk patron grab the microphone and wail as loud as possible into it. Rabbitte immediately takes a liking to this and eventually meets up with him during his day job at a car wash. He turns out to become the band’s lead singer, Declan “Deco” Cuffe (played brilliantly by 16-year-old Andrew Strong). At first he seems to balk at the idea of performing live. Rabbitte assures him though that his voice is genuine and that he’s “got a great set of lungs.” Initially hesitant at first, he then accepts Rabbitte’s offer to join the yet-unnamed band.

Over the course of the film’s next crucial scenes, we witness Rabbitte’s hilarious auditions take place as he looks for the rest of the members for his band. His father chimes in from time to time and asks him to sing for the band (played by legendary Irish actor Colm Meaney) as well as share his complete love for Elvis Presley. Bagpipe players, acoustic troubadours who sing songs about the KKK and Slash-lookalike heavy metal guitarists dominate the Rabbitte family’s living room. All the while Jimmy feels the daunting pressures and hard work associated with getting a band going, while hilariously asking that “rednecks and South Siders need not apply.”

Eventually, saxophonist Dean Fay (played by Irish sax player Félim Gormley), drummer Billy Mooney (played by Dick Massey) and pianist Steven Clifford (played by Michael Aherne) join the ranks of the fledgling group. After a night of all out drinking (complete with heavy handed criticisms of art-school music), the men welcome the group’s ladies to the forefront, backup singers Imelda Quirke (played by Angeline Ball), Natalie Murphy (played by Hothouse Flowers singer/member Maria Doyle Kennedy) and Bernie McGloughlin (played by Bronagh Gallagher). It is here while on the train ride home, Rabbitte describes in full detail the possibilities of becoming a soul band. With the entire band singing along to The Marvelettes’ “Destination: Anywhere”, it looks for the first time the entire band is united in their personal cause to bring soul to the sufferers of Dublin’s hard working lifestyle.

While preparing the band for their foray into soul, Deco, Dean and the others witness a performance on television of James Brown back in the 60′s. Seemingly confused at first, Dean asks Rabbitte, “Do you think we’re a little white for this sort of thing?” Rabbitte responds with the most important message of the movie:

“Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I’m black and I’m proud.” ~ Rabbitte

Eventually after a humorous meeting with the group’s charismatic trumpet player and veteran musician, Joey “The Lips” Fagan (played by Irish stage actor Johnny Murphy), Rabbitte and the rest of the band come up with the band name, The Commitments. Soon afterward, the band finds a practice space and begins belting out the soul number, Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally.” The rehearsals become rough and ragged, but Rabbitte’s confidence and Fagan’s leadership ultimately consume the band and they become a tightly-knit band.

During the band’s first gig at an anti-heroin campaign, the band show signs of nervousness and stage fright. However, they are able to win the crowd over with scorching versions of Otis Redding’s “Mr. Pitiful” and Mary Wells’ “Bye Bye Baby,” (Maria Doyle Kennedy absolutely kills it here.) It is also here however that Deco starts to show signs of severe egotism, going as far as to ask, “How d’yee like me band?” With that said, bassist Scully then is electrocuted onstage and ends the band’s first set prematurely.

For the next few scenes, The Commitments are shown rehearsing and showing the band’s progress from scrappy Irish kids to becoming an aspiring soul band. However, the cracks begin to show themselves within the band and become more and more prominent as the film continues. At the band’s next gig, Deco and drummer Billy Mooney get into an onstage argument which foreshadows much more damage to follow. Afterward, the band launches into an weeping version of James Carr’s version of “The Dark End Of The Street,” complete with epic Deco face changing grunts and moans. The crowds begin to pay more and more attention to the new “saviors of soul” and begin attracting larger crowds hungry for the music that defines them.

While the band’s popularity begins to rise, drummer Billy Mooney abruptly quits the band due to his intense dislike for Deco. Rabbitte is furious with Mooney’s decision but nonetheless lets him go. Facing a daunting task to venture forward, Rabbitte decides to break the band’s tough-as-nails roadie, Mickah “Don’t Fuck With Me” Wallace (played by Dave Finnegan) as their new drummer and the results are downright hilarious. After a few sessions with Wallace on the kit, The Commitments tear it up again at their next gig with dazzling performances of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle” (available on the Vol. 2 soundtrack) and Aretha Franklin’s “Chain Of Fools.” During the band’s gig, Rabbitte is roused up by some loan sharks who demand money from him in return for borrowing PA equipment for the band. While the loan sharks threaten to steal all the band’s fortunes, Wallace jumps offstage from his kit and pummels all three of the sharks while giving the money back to Rabbitte. Easily the best scene in the movie and proves to be the climax for this hard-working band.

Sadly all good things do come to an end and by the time Wallace’s heroics come into the fold, the band resemble nothing more than a pile of splinters. Dean explores jazz music (much to Rabbitte’s dismay), all three backup singers begin fighting over sleeping with Joey “The Lips” and Deco is offered an opportunity to sing with another band. With word that Wilson Pickett will join the band onstage at their last gig, The Commitments band together for one last outing with awesome performances of Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness,” Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” and their closing number of Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour.” While the group put on their finest hour of musicianship, as well as receive an offer to record through Eejit Records, the band break up amidst a sea of arguments, brawls and jealous egotism…all with Rabbitte watching in disgust saying “fuck the lotties, fuck ‘em.”

The film ends with a personal dialogue between Jimmy Rabbitte and Joey “The Lips” discussing the failing of the band as well as Rabbitte’s accusations of Fagen being a liar:

“Look, I know you’re hurtin’ now, but in time you’ll realize what you’ve achieved.” -Fagen
“I’ve achieved nothing!” -Rabbitte
“You’re missin’ the point. The success of the band was irrelevant — you raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it’s poetry.” -Fagen

In the final scene, a montage shows the aftermath of the band’s members venturing into other musical territories as well as with a mock interview of Rabbitte with Rolling Stone over the bookend of Roy Head & The Traits’ “Treat Her Right” during the closing of the credits. With the journey of arguably one of the finest musical films ever made, Alan Parker’s The Commitments is a musical joyride through the beauty and the breakdown of Dublin life. Soul is used as an escape; a getaway for those afflicted with the crippling of the endless working class days. What Rabbitte fails to see at the time of the band’s demise comes to fruition throughout the film. With the film’s soundtrack in check, not just the North Side Dubliners earn a piece of soul, but the gift is shared by everyone who desires a getaway and a simpler, honest approach to the world. If only Rabbitte could see his work now, The Commitments over time seem more and more relevant with each passing year. Simply put, Roddy Doyle is a genius and The Commitments never gets old.

And as always with these types of things, HBO plans to broadcast a special airing of the festivities at some point in the future.

Sam and Dave

“Soul Man”

It’s a shame that several bizarre brushes with the law and a less than flattering mugshot may be how the public remembers James Brown. For those of us who can look beyond his later misdeeds, Brown remains “The Godfather of Soul” and an inspiration for sixties soul, seventies funk, and eighties rap. Brown was to soul what Little Richard was to rock: an injection of raw energy and excitement into the 50s scene. Brown was one of the first to combine explosive vocals with an equally intense stage presence. Check out the video below of “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and tell me how in the world Brown manages to sing and dance like that simultaneously. He wasn’t the “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” for nothing.

James Brown

“Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”

Aretha Franklin has arguably the best singing voice in modern recording history. And it’s not merely because she has the powerful pipes to hit notes and pull off difficult songs that others won’t even attempt. Franklin’s voice is so special because it draws from and encapsulates so many elements of the African American experience: southern gospel, the delta blues, and even black dialect. And it’s so organic; it comes as naturally to her as breathing-that sound and style of delivery that so many others have tried to emulate.

It’s also interesting to note that Franklin wasn’t immediately anointed the “Queen of Soul.” She struggled as a singer, primarily jazz, for nearly a decade until she found her niche working with the producers and songwriters at Atlantic Records in 1967. A few short years later, Franklin was the most successful singer making records. Her signature song, “Respect,” was originally penned by fellow soul singer Otis Redding. Franklin gave the song a feminist makeover, and she has never looked back.

Aretha Franklin

“Respect”

Soul is a force that can light a room. The force radiates from a sense of selfhood, a sense of knowing where you’ve been and what it means. Soul is a way of life-but it’s always the hard way. ~ Ray Charles

The hard way certainly seems to be a fitting description of the path Ray Charles took in becoming one of the most prolific recording artists in history. After glaucoma left him blind at an early age, Charles turned all his focus to mastering the piano and several other instruments. His “genius”-or what Charles might consider the result of years of tireless work-was his ability to combine elements of gospel and blues music in ways never done before. His gruff voice and signature piano continued to move and delight fans in concert until his passing in 2004.

Ray Charles

“What’d I Say”

The 60s were the golden years of Motown Records in Detroit-a decade that saw the small record label grow into the most successful hit-making machine in music history. African American founder and owner Berry Gordy offered artists with a polished brand of pop-soul and a squeaky-clean image, and fans ate it up. The Motown roster of artists was a star-studded lineup that included, among others, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, Mary Wells, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

The two most dynamic stars to emerge from Motown’s stable of artists were Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Wonder began recording for Motown when he was only twelve years old. In his teens, he focused more on soul ballads. By the time he was in his twenties, he was recording songs such as “Superstition” and “Living for the City,” which featured political and social commentary. Gaye, “The Prince of Soul,” had a similar career path with Motown. Early on he had a string of hits recording duets with Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell. However, the world didn’t witness Gaye’s true potential until he turned away from the Motown process and focused on writing and producing his own work. The result was landmark albums such as What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On. Both albums remain popular today nearly thirty years after Gaye was fatally shot by his own father.

Stevie Wonder

“Superstition”

Detroit wasn’t the only American city producing its own variety of soul music in the 60s and 70s. In the “Windy City,” artists like Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions, and The Dells honed the laid-back, gospel-influenced melodies of Chicago Soul. The O’Jays and The Delfonics tinkered with the elaborate string and horn arrangements that became the signature of Philadelphia Soul. However, Stax Records, located in the Memphis neighborhood known as Soulsville USA, was the only label to truly rival Motown. Memphis Soul was grittier and more stripped down than the pop-soul of Detroit. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam and Dave were some of the more notable artists recording for Stax.

Wilson Pickett

“Mustang Sally”

Otis Redding was the best soul singer ever, period. It blows me away how he could take a rock and roll song like the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and put his soul stamp on it. But my favorite Otis Redding song, and the one he’ll be remembered for, is “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” He recorded this masterpiece just three days before his life tragically ended in a plane crash in Madison, Wisconsin. Even more haunting is the fact that Redding wasn’t finished with the song. The final verse, which he whistles, was simply a placeholder until he finished the lyrics. Over forty years and millions of listens later, it’s difficult to imagine that song ending any other way. But this unfinished version is the only one we have, given to us before its time just as Redding was taken before his. A sad instance of art imitating life. And a beautiful song.

Otis Redding

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”

According to Fox News, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen are among the musicians who have been invited to perform on inauguration day, while The Dead, the Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus are head the acts rumored to be playing at any one of the official balls and events leading up to it.

If Springsteen does make an inauguration day appearance, it could be just one of many shows he will perform in Washington over the course of the week. In fact, according to The Washington Post, the Boss is already confirmed to perform a free show on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on January 18th.

Of course, like any good music extravaganza, one doesn’t have to be part of the official festivities to get in on the fun. For one, Elvis Costello and Sting are already confirmed to be playing the “unofficial” Creative Coalition inauguration ball, while Ted Leo and Andrew Bird lead the indie charged bill holding down the The Big Shoulders Ball at the Black Cat on January 19th.

Still not enough for you? Have we mentioned Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, George Clinton, The Temptations, Sam Moore, and Dionne Warwick are just some of the others expected to make an appearance at some point during the week? And even then, we’re still probably only scratching the surface…

If anything, Barack Obama’s inaguration will be bringing the music to the nation’s capital for at least one week. So if you weren’t lucky enough to score a ticket to the actual ceremony, sip the bubbly and take in one of these shows!