Hey, what's goin' on, Dialophiles?
Tonight’s post can best be enjoyed when experienced by two loyal Radio Dial fans simultaneously… why? Because it’s a special edition of Two-Fer Tuesday! Instead of two songs associated with the same act, tonight the Dial brings you two jazz-influenced covers of early '80s pop hits. A double bill, if you will!
The first tune on the docket tonight is "Kiss on My List", as recorded by indie pop duo The Bird and The Bee.
Formed in 2006 and featuring vocalist Inara "the Bird" George, along with multi-instrumentalist Greg "the Bee" Kurstin, The Bird and The Bee formed due in part, to a common love of jazz standards. Since then, the duo has released three LPs, including their 2010 release Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, which also features their takes on hits like "Private Eyes" and "Rich Girl".
In turning the original 1981 Hall & Oates smash into a dreamy electropop/jazz hybrid, Inara and Greg expose a sense of playful sexiness largely hidden in the iconic top 40 classic.
Tonight’s post can best be enjoyed when experienced by two loyal Radio Dial fans simultaneously… why? Because it’s a special edition of Two-Fer Tuesday! Instead of two songs associated with the same act, tonight the Dial brings you two jazz-influenced covers of early '80s pop hits. A double bill, if you will!
The first tune on the docket tonight is "Kiss on My List", as recorded by indie pop duo The Bird and The Bee.
Formed in 2006 and featuring vocalist Inara "the Bird" George, along with multi-instrumentalist Greg "the Bee" Kurstin, The Bird and The Bee formed due in part, to a common love of jazz standards. Since then, the duo has released three LPs, including their 2010 release Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, which also features their takes on hits like "Private Eyes" and "Rich Girl".
In turning the original 1981 Hall & Oates smash into a dreamy electropop/jazz hybrid, Inara and Greg expose a sense of playful sexiness largely hidden in the iconic top 40 classic.
When
they insist on knowing my bliss… I tell them this…
When they want to know what the reason is…
I only smile when I lie, then I tell them why…
Because your kiss, your kiss, is on my list…
When they want to know what the reason is…
I only smile when I lie, then I tell them why…
Because your kiss, your kiss, is on my list…
Now, the other half of tonight’s musical pairing brings
us to Mandy Moore's take on Joe Jackson's piano ballad, "Breaking Us in
Two". Joe's original peaked at #18 in 1983, the second single from his
iconic Night and Day LP which also
contained his #6 hit "Steppin' Out".
Mandy's rendition is extracted from her 2003 LP Coverage, a covers album featuring a rather mature and diverse selection of songs from artists such as Carly Simon, XTC, Elton John, and Joan Armatrading.
Moore's "Breaking…" possesses a relaxing, jazzy quality... successfully distancing the singer from her teen pop beginnings. While the arrangement mimics the Jackson original rather closely, the instrumentation has been beautifully embellished with sitar, vibraphone, and even a glockenspiel. Then there’s the way Mandy’s silky vocals glide over the lyrics in a way that Joe’s never could... simply breathtaking.
Mandy's rendition is extracted from her 2003 LP Coverage, a covers album featuring a rather mature and diverse selection of songs from artists such as Carly Simon, XTC, Elton John, and Joan Armatrading.
Moore's "Breaking…" possesses a relaxing, jazzy quality... successfully distancing the singer from her teen pop beginnings. While the arrangement mimics the Jackson original rather closely, the instrumentation has been beautifully embellished with sitar, vibraphone, and even a glockenspiel. Then there’s the way Mandy’s silky vocals glide over the lyrics in a way that Joe’s never could... simply breathtaking.
Don't you feel
like trying something new?
Don't you feel like breaking out or breaking us in two.
You don't do the things
that I do... You want to do the things I can't do... Always something breaking
us in two. Don't you feel like breaking out or breaking us in two.
We here at the Dial always enjoy discovering and sharing fresh interpretations of classic tracks. Keep it tuned here for more of the same, in addition to even more underplayed hits of the past. Thanks for listening… and watching… and reading!
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