Cover songs retain their listening pleasure again... and again
The Kane County Chronicle, January 30, 2005

Cover songs retain their listening pleasure again... and again

By PAUL DAILING
Kane County Chronicle

If a writer covered someone else's manuscript, it would be considered plagiarism. Not so in the music world.

Cover songs are a staple in music's history. While many adore the singer-songwriter ideal, musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane and Aretha Franklin in part based their careers on other people's music.

So far, the business has not grown tired of cover, either.

Bands such as Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and Moog Cookbook have made careers out of warped, ironic covers of pop tunes — Me First in punk, Moog Cookbook with a Moog brand synthesizer.

Punk icons the Sex Pistols made their name in part with a thrashing version of "Steppin' Stone" by the Monkees. Even classical music is not safe. "Dave Goes Crazy" by the Toasters is a ska version of "Flight of the Bumblebee."

Covers may be thought of as silly things, or as attempts to capitalize on other, better musicians.

But think of this: Jimi Hendrix's flaming-guitar cover of the national anthem at Woodstock is considered one of the seminal moments of modern music.

Even the "Star Spangled Banner" took its tune from a British drinking song written in 1776.

While no one has ever said a concert violinist is "covering" Mozart, classical music also has a history of using other songs.

Antonin Dvorak built a career from turning Czech, Slavonic and Moravian folk tunes into symphonies and other pieces. Tchaikovsky incorporated Russian folk tunes and the national anthems of France and Russia into his "1812 Overture." Although that may be more "sampling" than a cover.

While covering is taking someone else's whole song, sampling is taking a part.

Sampling is taking snippets of other songs and incorporating them into a new tune. For example, hip-hop star Tone-Loc used the guitar riff from "Hot Blooded" by 1980s hair band Foreigner in his 1989 hit "Funky Cold Medina." Sampling dates back to Jamaican DJs in the late 1960s or early 1970s. They called the sample-heavy style of reggae music they created "dub."

Sampling has moved from dub to hip-hop and more recently to other types of music.

One extreme of sampling is interpolation, where a musician will take an entire song, remix it (change the speed, editing, pitch and tempo) and write new lyrics for it. One recent example would be last year's "Let's Go," a version of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" done by Trick Daddy, featuring Lil' Jon and Twista.

Devin Thompson of HiggyDiggy Productions, a small hip-hop, funk and jazz label from Joliet and Chicago, said interpolation has become more popular and profitable in the last 10 years or so in hip-hop.

"What you've done is kept the familiar tune that people know and it sells," he said.

Sampling is quick, easy and, unlike with covers, artists did not have to pay royalties if they record what they took.

However, a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati recently removed the distinction, requiring musician's to get a license if they wanted to sample another artist's music for their own recordings.

Band on the Run

St. Charles resident Tom Colton hates "Mustang Sally," but he knows it by heart.

"And 'Brown Eyed Girl.' You can't survive without playing that song," he said.

Colton has been in the music business for 28 years. He has a scattering of CDs and at least eight bands under his belt, ranging from his country rock/Americana-esque Kampfire Kowboys to Band on the Run, a Paul McCartney and Wings tribute group. He currently plays lead guitar for Kimberly Kane and Big Trouble, a band that mainly rocks out on other people's music.

"We play anything from Aretha Franklin to Liz Phair to Hole to No Doubt to Shamika Copeland," he said.

He said that cover songs, even "Mustang Sally," are a necessity to the gig musician, especially to suburban audiences.

"When they hear a cover song that they know, they're much more likely to get up on the dance floor and dance and drink and the club owners like that," he said.

Chicago is the place for original, experimental music, he said. Out in the 'burbs, people are more comfortable being comfortable.

While hoping he does not sound like "a sour old guy," Colton said the music scene currently is favoring cover bands over groups playing original songs. Bands playing 1980s music are popular now, and bands playing early 1990s material are growing in popularity. There also are plenty requests for 1960s and '70s standards from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and more.

"You can't lose with those songs," he said. "You just can't lose."

Record labels often think covers are a safe bet, too.

While they cost more in royalty fees, albums featuring a prominent cover pique the curiosity of potential album buyers, Thompson said.

"They'll say, 'Let's see if it's better, let's see if it's different,'" he said.

Especially if they think the musician will do it in a new way. Thompson, who is also a musician, said that album buyers would be more intrigued if he recorded a song by the metal band AC/DC than if a white musician did.

Cover bands are different from tribute bands, Colton said, in that tribute bands perform more than half of a musician's set is from one artist. Colton's first tribute band was Rooster, which did a Yes/Genesis/Who show in the 1980s, when the tribute bands first were making it big in the city.

"The band that started packing the clubs in the early '80s was a band called Fayrewether," Colton said. "They were from Ohio. They did a Genesis tribute. The guy who did Peter Gabriel, he looked like him, he played like him."

While Colton said he is happy performing covers and some original compositions with a talented band, he still toys with tribute band notions.

One idea is to do a Brian Setzer tribute band, honoring the work of the once and future front for the Stray Cats and former head of the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

"It might be fun for me to do, but it might be a hard sell," he said.

Longevity is rare for a tribute band, said. And a good tribute act is difficult to pull off.

"It can be a joke or it can be real good," he said. "If you look like a fake Elvis, it doesn't work."
 

What's New?

Let's do it again!! - Tom Colton, January 2000
In May, 1999, we began recording our 2nd CD. We started recording tracks at Sound Dog Recording in Chicago, and then moved to Star Trax in Crestwood, Illinois.
Star Trax was founded by Jeff Luif twenty years ago, the same Jeff Luif who mastered our last CD, somewhere blue. Jeff's claim to fame is engineering and producing E'Nuff Z'Nuff 1st record and he presently works with them on an ongoing basis. He's also worked with Cheap Trick, Janet Jackson and many other recording artists. Better than all that, he's a great guy to work with. His comfortable demeanor and style are welcome, especially when recording difficult tracks(which there were plenty of).
This new release, which we call Stand Still (no particular reason for that title) is more and more of the same style of music that Kampfire Kowboys are known for. What's more interesting is that Brian Tedeschi contributed a smooth, direct lead guitar that compliments my acoustic and rhythm guitar work. A few months ago Dave Piper purchased a classic Fender Bassman combo tweed amplifier that made his Fender Jazz Bass sound perfectly round. Trying to find the right microphone to use while recording Dave's bass lines was a fun and interesting experience. All throughout this CD, you will hear that classic bass sound and Brian's searing and melodic guitar leads. I have my favorite guitar and bass lines on the CD, I'm sure you will find your's!
As far as the vocals go, that would be my responsibility. Jeff and I both decided to go all out and mix vocals up front (louder, OK?!). This time around we recorded everything on ADAT (digital) and we tried different microphones, effects and levels to get the mix just right. So, you may notice some vocal differences in clarity and tone.
Mixing down everything (my favorite part )is now complete. There are 13 tracks of new original Kampfire Kowboy songs. I have contracted Tomi Tranchita from TST Manufacturing to complete the artwork and deliver the goods. This should all happen by the end of February, 2000. (Hey! less than a year).
As far as the new songs go, well, that's up to you. Even though I cherish and respect every song I write, I do have my favorites; however I'm sure you will have your favorites as well. There are lots of western themes on Stand Still. I find myself engulfed in some sort of composers time machine. I have no explanation for it but I really enjoy singing and performing these new songs. Every song on this CD has its own life thanks to everybody involved. "Ya know if ya do it alone, you'll never get it home."
Recording in a studio can be both magical and frustrating; however it's now time to wrap it up and start performing. We all look forward to seeing all our fans again. Please check out The Tin Can Man Corner for more concert and updated news.
Thanks for listening!

Previous Updates

Kickin' it up a notch - Tom Colton, April 1999
The time has come to move on into some new territory! I am very pleased and proud to announce that the Kampfire Kowboys will be back in the studio beginning in May to record our second CD. We are very fortunate to acquire the services of engineer David Axelbaum. Just a few years ago, David founded SoundDog Recording Studios, Inc. in Chicago. He utilizes and combines vintage recording techniques with new state-of-the-art digital equipment that captures a unique sound for the new millennium. Apart from his commercial success in the industry over the years, David also has engineered for various popular recording artists such as Bob Seger, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winters and blues artist Koko Taylor. We should be in good hands! Our new CD is yet to be named and should be released by early 2000! Stay tuned for more info.

Pulling the plugs - Brian Tedeschi, April 1999
Yes, you heard it right. We're pulling the plugs.....right out of our guitar amps and into the unplugged scene. We have just worked the final songs into an acoustic set that we will be performing in pubs around the area this summer. Our acoustic debut will be at McNally's Pub on Main Street (Rte 64) in downtown St. Charles, IL on Wednesday, May 19th 1999 at 9:00 pm. This is a very cool and popular place located just east of the Fox River. We hope you will take this opportunity to come out to kick back and have a drink with us...oh yeah, and listen to some of our new music too. After all, the drinks are on us! (just kidding)

Are you interested in what has been going on? Check out
Tin Can Man Corner and find out.

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