Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Ghetto Classics - Ricky Valentine
2. Crazy In Love - Snow Patrol
3. Mrs Robinson - The Lemonheads
4. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Uminski
5. Satisfaction - Whomadewho
6. Rock Your Body - Kiko, S. Deschezeaux
7. Smells Like Electro - Dsico That No-Talent Hack
8. One Nation Under A Groove - Chaka Demus & Pliers
9. Roxanne - Aswad
10. Can't Stand Losing You - Steel Pulse
11. Song 2 - Earl Zinger
12. Beat It - Senor Coconut
13. Sound Of Silence - Lambeth Community Youth Steel Orchestra
14. Two Tribes/Relax - London Symphony Orchestra The Royal Choral Society
15. I Will Survive - Usha Uthup
16. Son Of A Preacher Man - Sylvie Vartan, Axelle Red
17. Take Me Out - Scissor Sisters
18. Jump - Aztec Camera
19. Walk This Way - Hayseed Dixie
20. The Sunshine Of Your Love - Spanky Wilson

Disc 2:

1. Here Comes The Sun - Nina Simone
2. Summertime - George Benson
3. Satisfaction - José Feliciano
4. Teenage Kicks - Nouvelle Vague
5. Thinking Of You - Paul Weller
6. Twisted - [re:jazz]
7. White Lines - Barefoot
8. Frontin' - Jamie Cullum
9. People Make The World Go Round - Chosen Few
10. Express Yourself - Byron Lee & The Dragonaires
11. Fever - Susan Cadogan
12. Seven Nation Army - Nostalgia 77
13. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee - The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain
14. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Booker T & The MG's
15. Young Hearts Run Free - Nancy Wallace
16. Boys Don't Cry - Victor Malloy
17. Free Fallin' - Kings Of Convenience
18. Purple Rain - Basix
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26874 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-16
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Running time: 150 minutes

Album Description
Tom Middleton's recordings as Cosmos, Global Communication and The Jedi Knights (alongside Mark Pritchard) have consistently broken new ground in electronic music. So when Tom decides to research into the arcane art of the cover version, you have to expect the unexpected. As you would expect from a man who combines an encyclopaedic musical knowledge with a particularly wry sense of humour, the sublime and the ridiculous are both well represented. From Nina Simone's soulful take on the Beatle's "Here Comes The Sun" to the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain's warped version of Ms Dynamite's signature tune, this double CD entertains and enlightens in equal measure. Across these 50 tracks are examples of musical genius, sheer bravado and pure folly. You be the judge of which is which.

Customer Reviews

Great fun cd
Has some real classics, particularly the electro version of Nirvana's smells like teen spirit and snow patrol's crazy in love. Scissor sisters do a great Franz Ferdinand track too. Not particularly groundbreaking, but a great CD none the less, especially if you like quirky versions of your favourite songs!

Chop it to suit...
Some are amazing, some are ropey, none leave you without an opinion. I really liked everything except the questionable reggae covers - but then I don't like reggae. I loved the laid back jazzy covers on CD2, the electro covers and the guitar covers on CD1 - but then I like guitars and electro. The LSO version of Relax is brilliant and the biggest gem on the album.

One of the best touches is that the tracks are sequenced rather than mixed, this means that the album is ideal for sticking on your itunes/mp3 music library where you can cut out and keep the tunes that you like and chop the one that you don't.

It's a great buy and I'd reccomend it to anyone with a taste for something different.

Info from sleeve notes
"An album of Crazy Cover versions you say?" It's an instant conversation starter. Pop these two discs on and you'll get reactions. The office will be divided in opinion.The shop, salon, restaurant, bar and hotel staff will keep getting pestered for CD information (trust me I've witnessed it.) And your neighbours will either want to gatecrash the party or have you evicted for noise pollution. Just watch the Marmite effect spread across a room!

Rocking RnB, Punked up Electro and Bleep Grunge versions get the party started on CD1..no messing about..it's air guitar time! Then an exotic mash up of Reggae Rock, Latin Boogie, the sound of Steel Drums and Bollywood Disco. Finally some Electropop Folk, Bluegrass Rap and your ready for a slice of raw Funk Rock to finish off the party session.

CD2 is a much more chilled and easy affair. A sophisticated cocktail of Jazz Rock and Rap, Folk Disco and Reggae Soul with a splash of Purple Accapella.
As you can see and hear I like mashing up styles and confusing the listener with familiar songs in very unfamiliar contexts.
Sometimes good, sometimes daft, occasionally genius. I'm enjoying this for more than simple entertainment value. There's psychology, science, art and entertainment all blended together in this covers experiment. Give it a try. Hope you enjoy it.