Saturday 15 December 2018

Hey, fellas, have you heard the news...

You can’t keep a good song down, that’s what I used to think.  However, having heard a few ruined by having all the guts taken out and incorporating a simpering female vocal to soundtrack an advert, I’ve changed my mind about that statement.

But this isn’t one of those songs.  I haven’t yet heard a bad version, and hope I never will. 

Here are four renditions of 'Leaving Here' and, I hope you’ll agree, they’re all excellent.

THE BIRDS


As it happens, I heard these four versions in the wrong order.  The first time I came across 'Leaving Here' was on a mini-album of tracks by British r’n’b group The Birds released on Edsel in the mid-80s.  I'd never heard of the Birds before then (only the Byrds) and had been unaware that a certain Ronnie Wood played guitar for them before his time with the Faces and the Stones.  There's loads that can be said about Ronnie but I'll offer something a bit more random....  it's about a jacket.  Whenever I think of Ronnie, I think of my friend H and how jealous I am of an item of clothing she owns (and sometimes wears).  It’s a gorgeous slim-fitting, striped boating jacket that used to belong to Mr Wood himself!  It came into her possession through a friend of hers who just happened to be married to Ron’s brother Art, and it looks a bit like this... 

She lets me stroke it from time to time.

Alongside Ron Wood in the Birds line-up was vocalist Ali Mackenzie.  Some years ago I was lucky enough to enjoy the brilliant Small Faces tribute band, The Small Fakers, perform the whole of 'Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake' (complete with Stanley Unwin’s nephew there, narrating the relevant bits) at the 100 Club.  As the night drew to a close, Ali Mackenzie joined them on stage to give us a few extra numbers by the Birds, including this song.  It was as close as we were going to get to the real thing (both Small Faces and Birds) and I loved every minute. 

MOTORHEAD


Some time after discovering the Birds’ version and thinking it was their song, I must have heard it by Motorhead, although I’m not even sure I put two and two together at the time and certainly didn't know of its true origin.

Motorhead transcended boundaries when it came to musical genres, didn’t they?  Research tells me they recorded this in December 1976 and it was due to be released as a single by Stiff Records, but they were still under contract to United Artists at the time who prevented its release (in spite of UA’s refusal to issue Motorhead’s debut album).  So it didn’t make it as single at the time, although it did turn up on the eponymous Motorhead album on the Chiswick label the following year.  

I missed out on seeing Motorhead in 1978 when they played our local venue; I was only 14 and they were far too hairy and scary.  My sister went, though, and said it was so loud she thought her ears were going to bleed.  At least Mr SDS and I did once wave to Lemmy across a street in Notting Hill (and he waved back, bless him!)

EDDIE HOLLAND


Eventually, I got to listen to the original!   Eddie Holland released it in 1963.  Eddie was of course one third of the Holland-Dozier-Holland song-writing and production team responsible for many Motown hits. A far better informed friend of mine who knows his '60s soul introduced me to it, and it's great to hear the purity and power of the song's first appearance complete with brass, having only heard others' versions first. 

THE STRYPES


And finally, I heard a much more recent version when highly revered and incredibly young Irish band The Strypes, who had a penchant for the retro sound of bands such as the Yardbirds and Dr Feelgood, recorded it for their 2012 EP 'Young Gifted And Blue'.  They were all still in their teens, but the song itself, by that time nearly forty years old, suits them perfectly.  I found out in the course of writing this post that only a few weeks ago they announced that they were breaking up.  I guess they just packed in so much at such a tender age and I'm not sure where else was left for them to go, so I can understand and respect them for that.

Before I finish here, an honourable mention should also go to the Who who recorded an excellent cover, just as you'd expect.

So, I just have to hope no-one comes along and spoils it now... I don't think a soft tinkly piano version with a withering sing-song vocal would really cut it.

17 comments:

  1. You're right, four great versions. I was prepared to get sniffy about the last one, but it's really fresh and crisp. Thanks.

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    1. Glad you liked them too. Just such a good song. I've a lot of time for the Strypes. Fresh is right!

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  2. Cracking post C. I saw the Strypes on the tv (Glastonbury I think) and there was part of me that thought 'aw bless' but they do seem to mean it.

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    1. Ah thanks SA. There was an excellent BBC Four documentary on them by Julien Temple a while back (Best Thing Since Cavan) which really did them credit. Towards the end, Elton John was raving about them and seemed keen to get them down to London - and I was worried about them losing something in the process - becoming mainstream and styled away from what they were originally about. But I heard that they carried on playing a lot of small gig venues and kept ticket prices low when they could and I liked that about them. Can't imagine what it must've been like, though, being in a band with your mates when it becomes successful, while you're still essentially 'growing up'.

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  3. Evident from this post you are a fan of the song, especially because you shared in 4-5 different versions :) I like the 1965 Birds version. Is it just me, the opening riff is reminiscent of Deep Purple's iconic Smoke on the Water from 1972?

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    1. Yes, I like it a lot :-) There are only a few other songs I can think of which could take the same treatment.
      I know what you mean - perhaps because a lot of those '70s rock songs took their influence from earlier r'n'b?

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  4. It could so easily be, though! I had no idea of its Motown roots at first either.

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  5. I love theses compare and contrast kind of posts and am currently struggling to decide on my favourite as they all bring something different to the party. I'll say the Birds version (like you I only knew of the Byrds) today but it might change by tomorrow. Love the additional snippet about the jacket - Rock and Pop family trees eh? If I had the time to do the research, it makes for fascinating reading. Great post C.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the comparisons. For me too the Birds the favourite version, I wonder if it's because I heard that first or if it's for another reason, I don't know.

      I loved the jacket (very mod) before I knew of its provenance. My friend is not the starstruck type and was quite unfazed about its previous owner!

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  6. PS - It also reminded me of something and I've just worked it out - Born To Hand Jive from the film Grease.

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  7. Love this song in its many guises, and this snaking, serendipitous post. For completists, here's a link to the early Who version.

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    1. Thanks Martin, and for adding the link (good idea!) I suspect you're a big fan of that version too.

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    2. Of course. Striking how close the Strypes version is to the Who version.

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    3. Yes, agreed - I'm guessing that's the one they probably heard first.

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  8. Such a great song. I pair it with Fortune Teller / another shindigger.
    May be able to help you on the jacket front...

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    1. Oh yes, that's a good one too, thanks for the reminder!
      Intrigued about the jacket thing....hmm?!

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