GROOVY NOODLES
THE ELM TREASON NEWSLETTER NUMBER 56
MAY 13, 2022
ELM TREASON NEWS
A pretty light week in terms of anything new with the band.
Mixing continues on the band’s upcoming fifth studio album “GOING YESTERDAY.” A LOT of recording was done when Bobby was down in Texas last month. Pretty much, everything band-related has to do with work on the new album.
Andy remains in Texas with his wife for a couple more months… However, Andy is scheduling a trip back home to New York in June so the boys can take care of things that a band can only do in person.
Your Input: Cover it Up!
We’ve always loved this topic. Now, we want to hear from you.
What remake (or cover version) of a song is better than the original?
Hit that comments section! We’d LOVE to hear from you.
Birthdays This Past Week
Some birthdays we did not mention on our Facebook page…
Composer, producer and pianist Burt Bacharach celebrated his 94th birthday on Thursday.
David Gahan, lead singer for Depeche Mode, had his 60th birthday on Monday.
Singer Toni Tennille was 82 last Sunday.
Singer-songwriter Donovan turned 76 on Tuesday.
Eric Burdon celebrated birthday number 81 on Wednesday.
Bom Bom Boom
Drum kits come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors and configurations.
Dig these.
Our latest Facebook trouble
A couple of weeks ago, our own Bobby steel was banned from the band’s Facebook Group for 48 hours for posting a comment that supposedly incited violence and violated the platform’s precious “community standards.”
It didn’t. Dora the Explorer has more bite than his comment did.
(Thank you, Facebook, for protecting the innocent and fragile).
This past week, Andy Roman earned his own street cred by earning a 48-hour banishment.
What did he do?
On a Happy Birthday post for Lou Gramm, former lead singer singer of Foreigner, someone made the following comment:
“I wonder if he ever found out what love is?”
This is an obvious reference to Foreigner’s mega-hit “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Andy thought – obviously incorrectly – that it would be funny to respond with another Foreigner song title.
His response? “Why not? After all, he is a dirty white boy.”
Bad move, apparently.
That comment was tagged as HATE SPEECH and he was excommunicated from all Elm Treason page activity for two days.
Of course, our business is based on Facebook. It is where our bread is buttered… so for now, we remain there. We’d be screwing ourselves to leave just now…
We admit it.
Still … Zuck you, Facebook.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Staten Island dudes, Summer 2019
9 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
The RIAA starts counting streaming toward its Gold and Platinum awards, with 1,500 album streams equal to one album sale (a “unit”), and 150 song streams counting for one song sale.
11 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
David Gilmour and Nick Mason join their former Pink Floyd bandmate Roger Waters at the London 02 Arena performance of Waters’ The Wall tour, joining in on “Comfortably Numb” and “Outside The Wall.” It’s the first time they’ve played together since Live 8 in 2005.
14 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
John Rutsey, the original drummer for Rush, dies of a diabetes-related heart attack at age 55.
24 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Steve Perry officially leaves Journey.
45 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
The Sex Pistols sign with Virgin Records for £15,000 after being dropped by both EMI and A&M.
57 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
D.A. Pennebaker films Bob Dylan in one of the earliest – and most iconic (and often duplicated) – music videos ever shot, the famous “flashcard” clip for “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”
59 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
The first Rolling Stones recording session is held in London, where they record their first single: a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On.”
198 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is premiered in Vienna, Austria. Its final movement incorporates Friedrich Schiller “Ode to Joy” poem sung by four vocal soloists and a chorus. It is the first time a major composer has used voices in a symphony.
From the “Cool Pic” File
George Harrison and Bob Marley. Anytime these two are in the same frame, it’s a GOOD DAY.
Life According to Cash
Johnny knows….
Another Funny
OUR FACEBOOK GROUP
If you haven’t done so already, and you are on FACEBOOK, why not consider joining our private FACEBOOK GROUP “The Uptown Q?”
It’s far more intimate than our “regular” Facebook page. It allows us to interact with you guys FAR MORE than we can on the regular page. Plus, you won’t miss our posts that get lost in the all-powerful algorithm of Facebook.
We will be posting more behind-the-scenes band stuff, exclusive previews, performances available nowhere else… plus all the stuff that people dig about our regular page.
If you join, grab a free WELCOME PACK… and don’t forget to watch the introductory video at the top of the page.
Interested?
Hit this link:
OUR NEW ALBUM COVER CONTEST!!
Are you an artist who digs ELM TREASON music?
Do you think you might like to have a try at designing our very next album cover?
Would you like to know what these first two enigmatic questions are all about?
Does this shirt make us look fat?
(Wait. Scratch that last one…)
We want YOU to be a part of our next album.
Check out all the DETAILS HERE!
CONTACT US
Want to contact us directly with a guaranteed direct response via email? —> andy@elmtreason.com
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Copyright 2022 Realm Tones Music, LLC
I don’t know who did it better, the song “without you”, I’m leaning towards Harry Nilsson but bad finger made it famous way back when, oh yeah the comics are especially funny today, thank you
We thank YOU for digging into the newsletter each week. We’re lucky to have you aboard, David.
I do dog Nilsson’s version of the song. A HUGE HIT, obviously… but for me (Andy), I just love Badfinger’s version. Love their arrangement… although the way Harry extends the notes on the chorus is OBVIOUSLY the song’s strength and emotional tug.
“Blinded by the Light” . Always liked Manfred Mann’s version better than Springsteen’s. Sorry Bruce. 😞
I (Andy) am with you, Mike.
Bruce will just have to understand.
….Janis Joplin’s version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby Mcgee”…agree?
Agree! <3
Yes. Agreed.
Signs by Tesla. Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann. Diamonds and Rust, Priest.
Thanks for the laughs!
Signs by Tesla….pretty awesome! <3
Hi Cliff! You are VERY WELCOME. The pleasure is all ours. It is great to have you out there.
You’ve got three killer cover versions there. For me (Andy), I think the Judas Priest cover is definitely better than the original. Same with Manfred Mann’s cover of Bruce…. I dig the original version of SIGNS a lot, so I’m willing to say that Tesla’s cover is at least AS GOOD as the original. 😉 LOL.
Rock on. Thanks!
I think number one has to be Jimi Hendrix All Along the Watchtower. Even Bob Dylan knows it. Number two is a toss up between Janis Joplin’s Me and Bobby McGee and Amy Winehouse’s Valerie. The rest of the top five are already commented on below, any order really.
Dylan has even said that he has altered his own version of the song to more closely resemble Jimi’s approach.
I (Andy) dig both of your other picks, too. Amy had a marvelous voice. I would have loved to see where here musical journey would have taken her.
Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends.
Alice Cooper – Hello Hurray
In the “Maybe not better but just as good for sure” pile:
Elton John – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Eric Clapton – I Shot The Sheriff
It’s funny… I (Andy) know that the Cocker version is a cover of the Beatles tune… but it is one of the few covers (for me) that I do not equate with the original at all. I have always thought of it as its own song. Not sure why. Not even sure I can rationalize that line of thinking. After all, that’s what the point of this exercise is… I love Cocker’s version, no question. Great arrangement. Great approach. (I’m happy not to make sense here).
All your picks are tasty.
So I believe most any cover from disturbed hits, but my favorite is actually the cover of the song shout from their first album… it’s almost the same exact song except they were able to translate the notes into more of a heavy sound without ruining the integrity of the original. Also because of my 5 year old I actually like the “let it go” cover from new found glory too. Much better than the original.
Sound Of Silence cover by Disturbed gets me every time I hear it. <3
Hi Carolyn! That is ALWAYS one of the most mentioned cover tunes whenever the topic comes up. It’s a great one, no doubt about it.
Great cover version. Love it!
Hey, Kris! Love your input.
I (Andy) don’t care for the original version of the song very much (I’m probably in a minority here), and the song itself has never been a favorite of mine, but Disturb’s cover is far better, in my humblest opinion.
Beatles version of Twist and Shout. Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s Somethin’ Stupid
I (Andy) love the original by the Isleys. Smoother, more soulful… but the Beatles version is just pure raucous rock and roll. I agree with you.
Also agree with you on the Sinatra duet.
The Cramps’ version of Elvis Presley’s, Fever.
Such a great tune covered so many times by so many different artists in so many different ways.
Yes, I (Andy) DO dig The Cramps version very much.
I love John Denver, but Amos Lee’s version of Some Days are Diamonds is wonderful!
Love the drum sets. Some of the birthdays this week make me feel ancient.
Those drum sets are a trip. I (Andy) have to wonder how many of them are actually workable in terms of, say, a live gig or recording. Even if they weren’t, they LOOK good.
Not ancient, Katie. Not at all.
Experienced.
Accomplished.
Wise.
Well-versed.
learned.
Cultivated.
NICE pick. Had to refresh my (Andy) ever-foggy memory of that one. Did not remember how that cover sounded.
You may be absolutely correct. 🙂 Great job, indeed.
Elvis Costellos version off “SHE” for me is way better than the original.
Very good selection, Martin. I love that your pick is a bit off the beaten path. It’s a great rendition.
Thank you, brother.
So many to choose… I love Emma Louise and Husky singing Sound of Silence and a favorite at the moment is James McMurty singing The Messenger by Ray Wylie Hubbard..
I (Andy) had to seek out the Sound of Silence cover. I wasn’t familiar with it, Ellen. VERY COOL. Thanks for that one!
I love Cake’s version of Mana Mana better than the Muppets 🤣
LOLOL! Hard to argue that one… although I (Andy) do visit Youtube every now and again to watch the original Sesame Street version from 1969.
Lilacs remake of Ozzy and Lita ford’s close my eyes forever.
Excellent picks, Lee… particularly the Lita Ford cover.
Thank you!
Hooked by a Feeling by Blue Suede. A ooga Chakka oogo chakka
They definitely made that song their own.
London Grammar cover of Purple Rain
Zucchero cover of Whitcheter linesman
Oooh, both of those are VER Y GOOD… I (Andy) especially agree with the PURPLE RAIN cover. Not easy songs to cover.
Thanks, Shirl!