Good afternoon, in contrast to my previous publication, I invite you to enjoy three interpretations of excellent quality, and this time through covers of three of my favorite songs by Michael Jackson, Steely Dan, and the group Scandal featuring Patty Smyth. The songs covered are Human Nature, Bodhisattva and The Warrior.
Human Nature.
Miles Davis and Chaka Khan, cover and take over the song Human Nature, which is one of the best songs of the famous and legendary album Thriller by Michael Jackson.
The song was written by Steve Porcaro (composer, keyboardist and founder of the rock band Toto), and John Bettis (songwriter for The Carpenters, Madonna, Diana Ross, and Whitney Houston among other artists). The song has been covered by Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, 2Cellos, Toto and many other artists.
The interpretation of this song at the Montreux Festival in 1989 by Miles Davis and Chaka Khan is out of this world, full of improvisations and musical exquisiteness, a mix of Jazz, Pop and R&B, a real gem.
In this song the night is a seductive setting and the protagonist of the story looks at the lights of the city and is naturally inclined to explore his surroundings and pursue his attractions to take a bite of that apple, which symbolizes knowledge, curiosity and temptation.
It hints at the story of a couple who have just met in a tumultuous romantic relationship, such experiences are more or less inevitable, as they are also the result of human nature.
Bodhisattva.
The legendary group Toto covers a classic of the excellent rock and jazz rock group Steely Dan that is characterized by its ironic lyrics. In other words, masters of music covering other masters. It is a lighthearted song that seems to be played by jazz musicians.
This song is included in Steely Dan's second album Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) and was composed by Walter Becker (bassist) and Donald Fagen (keyboardist).
According to Buddhists, a bodhisattva is someone who is committed to soothing our suffering and blessing us in all circumstances. A bodhisattva lives with dignity and courage and is compassionate to everyone no matter where they are. This person has attained enlightenment as the Buddha did.
The song is a parody of how we westerners perceive eastern religion. It is a satire towards materialism that reflects an ignorance between Japanese and Chinese spiritual traditions, but the instrumental and vocal performance is impressive. This version is much faster and more unrestrained than the original version.
The Warrior.
Scandal featuring Patty Smyth was a group that in 1984 conquered the United States and part of the world with their song The Warrior, a classic of the 80s. Unfortunately this group dissolved due to internal discussions, although they have returned several times in the last thirty years, believe me it is a group to reividicar, and especially the work of the talented Patty Smyth.
Since 2018, I have heard and seen impressive performances of what for me is the best cover band worldwide, which dares to cover any kind of genre, is the Australian group Hindley Street Country Club (HSCC) established in 2017 by Constantine Delo and Darren Mullan.
All the musicians involved, without exception, are capable of leaving more than one person open-mouthed with their brilliant interpretations of cover versions of songs that in some cases surpass the originals. There are many singing voices that over the years have come and gone from the group, standing out for their talent, beauty and charisma. The production and performance in the Hindley Street Country Club (HSCC) videos is impeccable.
This group visits schools to meet with students and explain all facets of the music industry, then they record and film a live music video with the students involving them in both performance and production, learning about these processes.
Among so many to choose from I decided to show you this one from the group Scandal featuring Patty Smyth performed by Pina Del Re.
A man who runs away from love and a woman who knows that she likes him and he likes her, an invitation to spend the night with passion, a warrior who fights for victory and survives the anguish, survives and wins in love! How many times I thought this song was about something else, for not paying attention to the lyrics.
Many thanks to
@ablaze for proposing this brilliant initiative that allows us to enjoy and share the music we love. In this 89th week, check out this post by
Best regards.
