Cover Tune Aggravation

[alantig]

Periodically, I get a bug to record an instrumental version of a song (mainly because I don't think I can sing well enough to do vocals). For the past couple months, off and on, I've been working on one that I've wanted to do for quite a while. I'm not going to name the song yet, mainly because I don't want to get swamped by better versions.


One of the challenges in doing this is finding the character of the song as I want to do it. It's rarely a straight rehash of the recorded version. This on is a classic. The original artist did an arrangement on TV that I really like, so that was kind of the basis of what I'm doing. For the melody, there's a twist in that the original is pretty awesome, but there's also a cover version that I really like that changes the melody somewhat, there's the live version that's slightly different, and there's a duet version with the original artist and the artist who did the cover version I like. But what I want to do is not strictly faithful to any of those.


So, I worked out some of the bits that were different than the sheet music and get the backing tracks recorded. I was working out the melody differences again.


This is where the aggravation comes in.


I found a live version by the cover artist. Really soulful, just gorgeous.


And much slower than the version I based mine on. Which gives some of the melody a chance to breathe a little more.


Son of a …. So now I'm torn - finish the version I started? Scrap it and redo it slower - not as slow as this version, but slower than what I did? Or just do both of them?


Sometimes I think I think too much about this stuff….

 

[sergiodeblanc]

One of the challenges in doing this is finding the character of the song

As your muse I advise you to go "Weird Alan" on that sh!t. Change some of the lyrics, add some puns, and get back to me.

 

[László]

As your producer I advise you to play the version you play best on.

 

[toothace]

Let your fingers do the talking! If it's the tune I think it is, you can't do it no wrong!

 

[JustRob]

Do it like no one else has done it before. I love covers done in completely different styles from the original. Metal done bluegrass style. Country done punk. Classical done metal. Dub step me a Patsy Cline tune Alan. :laugh: You'll be at the top of my playlist.

 

[MOBirds]

I think it's really all about how you create. I usually have a bit of a reiterative approach when recording music. So, if I were in your shoes, I'd do both as close as I could get to the source you're using. Then I'd spend weeks comparing and fiddling around until I came up with 3rd version that has much more of me in it - rather than me pretending to be someone else. I play one grunge song that original is distorted with guitar solo through wah pedal. My version is completely acoustic now, with a bit of a sliding technique on the acoustic solo. Doesn't sound anything like original, but it sounds a lot like me.