Here’s a cover for the list that I realize might not be my most popular pick. I’m well aware that it is purely about nostalgia and time and place. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
When I was very young, I had a vinyl collection, mostly 45s, and mostly records connected with storybooks from the Walt Disney and Sesame Street family. I don’t know what age I was, but definitely before ten years old, I received my first “real” music record from one of my cool aunts, probably my Aunt Kathy. It was, as you might have guessed, the 7” single of Human League’s “Don’t you want me”, backed with “Seconds”. Of course, I didn’t know then that it was the fourth single to be released off the synth pop group’s third album, heck, I didn’t even know what synth pop was, but I played it all the time, along with its B-side, and danced around my little bedroom like a maniac.
Just under a decade or so later, I had just graduated high school and was wondering what to do with my life. I was quite deep into music, this new alternative stuff, mostly of the baggy, madchester persuasion, and one of my favourite albums of the moment was “Spartacus”, the debut album by The Farm. My friend Andrew Rodriguez got a copy of the sophomore release, “Love see no colour”, for Christmas, which he promptly recorded for me. I won’t lie. I was a bit disappointed with the first few songs but then, there were some higher moments, and then, six songs in was a cover of this song from my youth. I fell in love with it all over again. I only later learned that the cover was originally recorded for an NME-related compilation called “Ruby Trax” a few years later when I picked it up in a used CD store on McCaul street in Toronto.
Despite being recorded almost a decade apart, the two versions are not all that far apart in sound. The Human League’s “Don’t you want me” is definitely more synth heavy and mechanical and The Farm’s cover has more guitar work and some synth flourish to plug the gaps left by the austere original. Nevertheless, both are quite dated sounding today. Again, definitely time and place. And if I hadn’t been there for both originally, this post might not have happened at all.
Thoughts?
The cover:
The original:
For the rest of the 100 best covers list, click here.
14 replies on “100 best covers: #83 The Farm “Don’t you want me””
[…] << #85 | #83 >> […]
LikeLike
Like you said, they’re not all that dissimilar.
Normally, the tiebreaker would go to the tune with more guitar, but I think I’ll go with the original this time.
Creepy lyrics either way!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha. A little Every move you make?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Precisely – sounds like a nice tune until you start paying attention to the words!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Man, I’m remembering CFTR outta Taranna playing a version of this song (no idea who did it) but it was Don’t You Want Me Miroslav instead… haha of course my memory could be faulty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha. I don’t remember that one from CFTR but they did have some hilarious parodies on there.
LikeLike
I tried Googling it and didn’t find anything. That one may be lost to the mists of time…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aye – not too dissimilar, but I like that they’re clearly having fun with it. So, as much as I’d go with the original, The Farm get bonus points for the video.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Farm were one of those bands that I feel were having fun all the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] << #83 | #81 >> […]
LikeLike
Haha. I have a copy of that Human League 45. Picked up in Canton, OH in 2017 for $1. I was a little late to the party but I’m glad I made it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I still had that 45. Lord knows where it is now.
LikeLike
Maybe it’s the copy I bought!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wouldn’t that be something!
LikeLike