WELCOME TO
VOL. 2 OF MY SERIES
EUREKA!
I HAVE FOUND THE
COOLEST COVERS IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD!
Each volume of EUREKA! brings you great original recordings
along with cover versions that are good, great or even better
than the originals. It's up to you to decide. I know what
you're thinking. You're thinking this series sounds
exactly like other series I have run over the years:
Battle of the Bands, Battle of the Banned,
Version Sacrifice, WWF Grudge Match
and Winning Hand. Well, you're wrong.
This isn't exactly the same. Those series
didn't include a picture of Peter Griffin!
you're thinking. You're thinking this series sounds
exactly like other series I have run over the years:
Battle of the Bands, Battle of the Banned,
Version Sacrifice, WWF Grudge Match
and Winning Hand. Well, you're wrong.
This isn't exactly the same. Those series
didn't include a picture of Peter Griffin!
Listen now to these confirmed classics and cool covers
and let me know which ones (if any!) you prefer.
and let me know which ones (if any!) you prefer.
Remember, ladies and gentlemen...
This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.
BANANARAMA
In 1976, "More, More, More," recorded by Andrea True, became one of the
best known disco hits of the decade. In 1993, those lovable banana girls,
the English dance-pop act Bananarama, once a trio, now a duo, covered
"More, More, More," and released it as a single from their album
Please Yourself. The ABBA-like, Europop single went top 25
at home in the UK and reached the top 10 in Portugal.
"More, More, More" - Bananarama
(Apr. 1993, highest chart pos. #8 Portugal/#24 UK)
ANDREA TRUE
CONNECTION
Nashville native Andrea True performed in dozens of adult films in Scandinavia
and New York before becoming a disco queen thanks to her international hit
"More, More, More" released under the stage name Andrea True Connection.
Initially the recording was released only to discos in the winter of 1975-76
but, when it exploded in popularity, Andrea's label, Buddah, released the
single to the public in the spring of '76. The record reached the top 3 in
the U.S. and in the UK. Here's Andrea performing her signature song
on the West German television music show Musikladen.
"More, More, More (pt. 1)" - Andrea True Connection
(June/July 1976, highest chart pos. #3 Cash Box,
#4 Hot 100, #3 UK, perf. on 1976 ep. of Musikladen)
TRAKS
Trax, a band based in Rome, is credited with giving birth to a new musical
genre called Italo-Disco. They did so in 1982 with their disco funk cover of
"Long Train Runnin'," the 1973 country rock hit by The Doobie Brothers.
"Long Train Runnin'" - Traks
(January 1982)
DOOBIE BROTHERS
Now here's the original version of "Long Train Runnin'" recorded
by The Doobies, a top 10 hit for the band in the summer of '73.
"Long Train Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers
(June/July 1973, highest chart position
#8 Hot 100/#9 Cash Box)
SINA FEAT.
VICTORY
VIZHANSKA
Indeep was a New York based electro funk dance group. Their claim to fame
is the 1983 club classic and top 10 R&B hit "Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life,"
a song that acknowledged the emerging New York DJ scene of the early 80s.
On the last day of 2019, German drummer girl Sina, along with our good
friend, Ukrainian singing sensation Victory Vizhanska,
released this cool cover of the song.
"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" - Indeep cover
by Sina feat. Victory Vizhanska (Dec. 2019)
INDEEP
Along with its success in the states, "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life"
was a top 3 hit in The Netherlands and performed well in the UK and
France. Indeep consisted of songwriter/producer Michael Cleveland
and sassy singing ladies Reggie Megliore and Rose Marie Ramsey.
Here now is Indeep doing their original version of "Last Night
a D.J. Saved My Life!"
"Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" - Indeep
(Feb./Mar. 1983, highest chart pos.
#10 R&B, #101 Bubbling Under)
STAY TUNED FOR MORE
TUNEFUL TAKEDOWNS,
MELODIOUS MAT MATCHES
AND BOFFO BEAT BOUTS
IN THE NEXT VOLUME OF
EUREKA!
Have a Shady day!
I like the Doobie Brothers and that's one of their better songs. Hope you're having a good weekend, Shady. -Kelly and Pat
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly & Pat!
DeleteThanks for hustling over to take the Early Bird title again this week, dear friend! Peter Griffin welcomes you. David Letterman welcomes you. Last (and least) Shady Del Knight welcomes you!
I'm happy to know that the hit by The Doobies rang a bell and pleased your ears in round 2 of Peter Griffin's series Eureka!.
Yessum, my weekend is off to a fine start thanks to you and my buddy Pat. Once again, it was nice of you to come early and spread cheer. Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend Kelly!
Shady, I'm not #1 but as #2 I try harder! (wait, I don't really want to be called #2) Anyway I liked Bananarama much better than Andrea True...she was awful. I didn't care for the DJ song no matter who sang it but I have to give kudos to those cute kids, Sina and Victory. They are fun to watch! Thumbs up to the Doobie Brothers. Those are my fav pics for the post! I hope you're having a good weekend. I have a list of "to dos" a mile long and thankfully beautiful weather to get at least one of them done! Take care Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks for coming early to Peter Griffin's talent show, dear friend! Yessum, you're the 2nd place finisher in this week's race to Shady's Place. That means you take home the coveted "Silver Shady" statue along with a bag of treats for my sweetie Annabelle.
Right off the bat, you surprised and pleased me with your conclusion that the cover of "More More More" by the Banana girls was "more more more" enjoyable than the Andrea True original. I'm sorry you don't like the DJ song that features the sound of a toilet flushing near the end, followed by the girls exclaiming "Well, alright!!!" That part of the recording always makes me laugh. "Last Night a DJ" was a huge club hit in my neck of the woods. I danced to it often during my second stint as a swinging bachelor. :) Anyhow, thanks for giving credit to German drummer girl Sina and Ukrainian thrush Victory (still in exile in Poland, I believe) for their cover of the song. Thanks too for singling out The Doobies original of "Long Train Runnin'."
I hope you'll take Annabelle outside with you when you do your gardening this weekend. I'm sure she loves to sniff the breeze and pick up the scent of those llamas next door and the Yeti in the Woods.
Thank you again for dropping in, dear friend YaYa!
Hi Friend Shady! I actually prefer the Andrea True version better than the original of More, More, More. Doobie Brothers gets the vote for Long Train Running thought. Can't get over those pants in the Traks version. Fun fact, my father's first name was Italo.
ReplyDeleteWe are off to a memorial service for a good friend of ours who passed away at a way too young age (not even Medicare eligible yet!) and then daughter #2 and I are going to the Giants game but I wanted to stop by and say a quick hello to my buddy. Benny wags his tail too :)
Hi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for being so prompt, dear friend! Your third place finish means you grab the Bronze this week along with a box of Mike-Bones for my buddy Benny.
If I understand you correctly, you prefer the original version of "More More More" by Andrea True over the cover by the Banana girls. Thanks for letting me know. Yessum, I was shocked to see the beginning of that video showing a rear view of the Traks lead zinger. At first, I thought his bottom was nekked, but later, when I noticed the matching front section, I decided the pants were designed with provocative flesh tone patches on front and back. I think he was trying to come off as Rod "Don't Ya Think I'm Sexy" Stewart with that hair and that outfit.
Yessum, that is quite an interesting tidbit about your father being named Italo. Thanks for sharing! I am terribly sorry to learn that a close friend of yours died too young and that you need to attend a gloomy memorial service. I hope your spirits will be lifted when you take your daughter out to the ball game. I hope the Giants win.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Janet, and for letting me know that my buddy Benny is thinking about me. Take care of yourself and have a safe weekend, if not a particularly happy one.
The covers were actually good. Sometimes I don't care for covers because the original is almost always better. But these were good.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend, and delighted that your comment went straight through to my front page this time instead of being locked away in the spam dungeon. Thanks for coming!
I'm pleased that you found the covers worthy. Peter Griffin knows how to pick 'em. The only semi-negative thing I'd like to say about the Banana girls is that they do a fine job on their recordings and videos, but too many of them look and sound pretty much the same.
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Mary. Please take care of yourself and my buddy Falcor and have an excellent week!
I give Trax a lot of credit for showing that a Doobie Brothers song CAN be turned into a disco track. As to which I prefer would depend a great deal on whether I was at home chilling out or at a club out on the dance floor.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteI'm happy to see you, good buddy! Thanks for popping over to see what Family Guy star Peter Griffin is up to in the latest volume of his band battle series Eureka!
The Italian disco group Traks was active from 1982 to 1985, but I never heard of them until I stumbled upon this cover on YouTube. (I stumbled so hard that I barked my shin.) Apparently some of the band members had been working as DJs for years and often played The Doobies' "Long Train Runnin." They formed the act in order to record this cover of the iconic song. The lead zinger, Aax Donnell, seemed inspired by Rod Stewart's hit "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," because he looked and dressed the part. The Traks track was a major hit in Italy, France and Germany and reportedly cracked the top 30 on the U.S. Billboard chart in 1982, but the guys couldn't repeat their success with subsequent releases. The long train stopped runnin' and Traks was derailed.
Thanks again for joining the fun, good buddy Kirk. Have a great week!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteAndrea True Connection. WOW, that's a name from the past! I had nearly forgotten about the dance floor sensation, "More, More, More". I certainly didn't know about Andrea's wild side in the adult entertainment world. Now, I'm wondering, what other songs did she release because nothing comes to mind. The Banarama duo did a fine job but I prefer the original. Andrea's sensational vocal style sells the song better. I've always been a Doobie Brothers fan. I had no idea "Long Train Runnin'" was covered by an 80s band. The Italo-Disco band is new-to-me but I really dig their sound and they did a great job covering a classic. The last song in your line-up totally escapes me, as does the original band. I enjoyed watching Indeep. They look so pretty wearing high heels and party dresses. I certainly need to invest some time at YouTube to sample more of their music. I don't care what you call this series or who's hosting the gig, I just love this idea of featuring popular hit song by the original and then finding excellent competitive covers. Great post, great fun! Have a boogietastic week, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteIt's great to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming by!
Yessum, "More More More" by The Andrea True Connection, Andrea's signature song, is one of the biggest hits of the Disco era. It was used in the OST of one of my all-time favorite movies, The Last Days Of Disco (1998), which I urge you to watch if you can find it. The former adult film star didn't have enormous success with her subsequent releases. That same year, her medley "Party Line/Fill Me Up/Call Me" made the top 10 on the U.S. Club chart, and I remember her 1977 hit "N.Y., You Got Me Dancing" which reached the top 5 on the Club chart and top 30 on the Hot 100. Actually, some critics questioned Andrea True's vocal ability. Her producer, Gregg Diamond, indicated that her vocals were "fixed in the mix" through the use of a tape delay process.
I'm pleased that you like both versions of "Long Train Runnin'" offered in my mock Battle of the Bands.
The Indeep song was huge in my neck of the woods. I danced to it countless times during my second bachelorhood. Yessum, the female lead zingers were cute and gussied up for the official video. Don't miss the sound a a toilet flushing that follows the DJ rap near the end of the song. Everybody in the clubs used to love that part and holler when they heard it. the Indeep group was not super successful either, but they did score another biggie on the heels of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life." The equally streetwise R&B dance single "When Boys Talk" reached #16 on the Club chart in 1983 and was another very popular sound in my region.
As you recall, Victory V, the carrot-top thrush who sang the cover of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life," is the girl who needed to dodge Russian missiles earlier this year, leave her happy home in Ukraine, hop a train with her mother and kitty and seek asylum in Poland.
I'm so glad you appreciate my series comparing originals and covers. Thank you again for coming over and have a wonderful week, dear friend Cathy!
Doobie Brothers have been around a very long time.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, good buddy!
You're right. The Doobies have been around 50+ years and, unlike some vintage groups and bands, are still active with founding members in the lineup. I hope you enjoyed the hybrid clip that includes performance footage of the band "then and now."
Have a great week, good buddy Alex!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteI was actually thinking about Andrea True's "More, More, More" earlier. I've been in a 70's mood and that song popped up into my head. Glad this was the first song! I am not familiar with the cover, but you can't go wrong with Bananarama. They're fun and they didn't disappoint with the covers.
I'm only familiar with the originals, but these covers are gold. I love when covers do the original song justice. :)
I'll be singing "More, More, More" some more. Gee, thanks for getting that song further stuck in my head. :p
Have a great Tuesday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteIt's great to see you this week, dear friend! I'm happy to know that Peter Griffin implanted an earworm in your noggin - namely the disco smash "More More More." I'm pleased that you gave the cover by Bananarama a thumbs up, and that you enjoyed the other song pairings in the post. Let's keep Vickie V in our thoughts, because she was uprooted from her comfy Ukrainian flat by the Russian invasion.
Yessum, I hope all three songs get stuck in your head on repeat as you proceed through the week. Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend JM!
Hi, Shady!
DeleteI think the next time I see Tommy, I'm going to have to play "More, More, More" for him. Hopefully that will be his little earworm too. It could be fun. :) I got a new phone, so as long as I can connect to WiFi, we'll be able to listen!
I will definitely keep Vickie V in my thoughts. I keep all of Ukraine in my thoughts and prayers. I'm praying it's over soon and that we can help them rebuild.
Have a great Wednesday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for returning to chat, dear friend! Yessum, it would be nice if you and Tommy shared an earworm song. "More More More" is certainly one of the catchiest tunes of the Disco era, and I like the updated version released 17 years later by Bananarama.
Thanks for keeping Vickie V in your thoughts. Let us also remember that Sergey Sershen and Daria Zaritskaya, the Ukrainian rock duo S&Z, also had their lives and career disrupted by the Russian missiles.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
How did I never hear Bananarama until today? Hmm. Let's see, 1993...working, raising boys, building a house. I don't think musical exploration was included in that list. I probably had the radio on in the background and didn't pay attention.
ReplyDeleteWell that group was quite sparkly, so I'm glad you put their video in at the top. Thanks again, Shady!
Hi, Cheryl-Lee!
DeleteThanks a lot for dropping by, dear friend!
Wow, if this is your first exposure to the Banana girls, then you've missed quite a lot. They have been recording and performing since 1981, more than 40 years, and they are listed in the Guinness World Records book for having achieved the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. If you run through Bananarama's hits on YouTube, I'm sure you will find several that are familiar to you.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Cheryl-Lee!