Steve Shark Gets Under The Covers With Susanna Hoffs! Dept.

Th' IoF© prides itself on being the first to feature new talent, new discoveries in this business we call "the music"! Today, Steve Shark reveals the results of intensive internet research, often venturing into the Dark Web armed with nothing more that an Indiana Jones hat and a box of Bengal Matches! His discovery? Comely songstress Susanna Hoffs [left - Ed.], a talented lass with that elusive je ne sais quoi [Fr. "fuck knows" - Ed.] that today's Hit Parade demands! Over to you, Steve!

Cover versions! [gasps Steve Shark - Ed.] Some are so like the originals that there seems little point to them, whilst others are so different that they seem almost like new compositions.

When they work, however, they're often a thing of beauty that brings out the inherent qualities and merits of the original, whilst adding a different dimension to it. Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails is a prime example. It was already a great song, but Cash adds a bleak poignancy to it with his very personal interpretation. It's telling that many people think that Cash actually wrote it.

Personally, what I look for in a cover is affection for the song, no matter how the artist chooses to treat it and, if it doesn't work, there's always the original to go back to. Nothing's been lost.

The specific subject of today's screed has its origins in a Green on Red BBQ held in 1984. I have no further details, but I'm a huge fan of the band and I'd bet money that an extremely good time was had by all, with plenty of pills 'n' booze.

Members of Dream Syndicate, The Three O'Clock, Rain Parade and The Bangles [feat. Susanna Hoffs, left - Ed.] were in attendance, and during proceedings the idea of an all star covers band was floated. This resulted in a loose aggregation of Paisley Underground musicians under the name of "Rainy Day" - a nod to the Hendrix song that they later covered - and an album was recorded, with songs by Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, Big Star, The Velvet Underground, The Who and, of course, Jimi.

Over 20 years later, Susanna Hoffs (honorary IoF© babe) of Rainy Day - and, of course, The Bangles - got together with power popster Matthew Sweet [couldn't find a pitcher of this dude so here's another of La Hoffs, left - Ed.] and cut an album of 15 covers of 1960s songs. This was followed over the next 5 years by a further couple of albums which covered the 1970s and 1980s.

The range of material ranges from The Zombies through Mott the Hoople to The Go Gos, and many, many points in between. The songs are treated with my prerequisite of affection, as well as respect, while not being slavish copies. Above all, everyone sounds as if they really enjoyed themselves!

So, without any flim-flam, 'ows yer father or beating about the bush [steady now - Ed.], here's Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs [left - Ed.] with their "Under the Covers" albums. It's exactly what it sez on the tin - a veritable cornucopia of covers. Hell, even those jolly japesters the Ramones get immortalised here! All in all, 64 - count 'em - slabs of pop and rock goodness. If there's nothing you like here, I'd be surprised.

Cunningly entitled "Completely Under the Covers", this is the complete Sweet and Hoffs 4 CD set, with bonus tracks, complete with suitably poptastic cover art and groovy track descriptions - it's so fucking complete that it hurts! For added value, the Rainy Day album is included.

In response to requests from hundreds [Enis and Burgwyn Hundreds, Chowderhead, KY - Ed.], we've managed to source extra archival material for this piece in the form of photographical data we're pleased to present here in the spirit of musicological rigor. Unfortunately, no pictures of the guy - that guy - him - who contributed to "Under The Covers" was available at the time of going to press.

This post made tangible thru endowments from The Hy Averback Archive Of Forgotten Radio Voices, Boston, MA.