Following on from Bob Dylan’s suggestion we should write his autobiography, Pulp are currently running a competition to find the best cover version of one of their tracks:

During the process of learning to play the old songs again we have been consulting the cover versions posted on-line… Vote for your favorites by ‘liking’ them - or upload your own rendition if you think you can do better.

There’s even “a musical prize” for the winner.

As “Common People” is Pulp’s best known song and the one that appears to encourage most cover versions (will anyone surpass William Shatner’s version?) here are 8 covers of “Common People” - just a small selection of the many videos so far uploaded onto the site. If you want to see more, vote for your favorite, or think you can do better check here.
 

William Shatner’s cover of ‘Common People’ as a Lego animation by niblickthe3rd 
 
More Pulped versions after the jump…
 

 
I’d truly like to hear a collaboration by these two. Why not ?
 
Previously on DM : Metzger on Terry Riley
 
Thanks Ned Raggett via Brassica

 
As If by wizardry, you have now found yourself deposited in the virtual trailer park that is Dangerous Minds, sitting in front of the Double Wide inhabitatified by Nate Cimmino or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Come on in, sit down for a bit, and gulp a couple of cold DMRH 40’s. Oh yeah, don’t trip over that old box o’ records when you come in….
 
01. Shel Silverstein-You’re Always Welcome At Our House
02. Chico Hamilton- Conquistadores ‘74
03. Joe Cuba- Oh Yeah
04. Chris Montez- No, No, No
05. Chris Montez- The More I See You
06. The Flamin’ Groovies- Shake Some Action (Capitol version)
07. Gary Valentine- The First One
08. The Monochrome Set- Avanti (10 Dont’s For Honeymooners)
09. Dana Gillespie- You Just Gotta Know My Mind
10. Dana Valery- You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies
11. Sandie Shaw- Your Time Is Gonna Come
12. Nicolas Comment- Je Te Voeux
13. El Chicle- La La La
14. Banquet Of The Spirits w/Cyro Baptista- Chamiel
15. Savage Republic- O Adonis
16. McDonald & Giles- Suite In C
17. Happy Thought For The Day 
 

 
Download this week’s episode
 
Subscribe to the Dangerous Minds Radio Hour podcast at iTunes
 
Bonus Video:

Cyro Baptista & Beat The Donkey

 
Man Test was a British TV program where famous people are asked a series of questions on their private lives, and asked to rate their feelings on certain topics from one to seven. The overall score will determine whether a person falls more into the “masculine” or “feminine” category. Where do you think Henry Rollins lands? The answer may surprise you.

Richard recently stated that it was vogue-ish to hate on Rollins. About as vogue-ish as it was to idolize him in the 80s and 90s? Personally I have mixed feelings about Hank - I do like him, but think he is also capable of massive dick moves. The infamous clip of Rollins “confronting” a group of young people (known in some particular circles as “hipsters”) in a NY café is a great example - his confrontational stance makes the situation much worse and he makes a lot of unjustified assumptions about these kids, assumptions that could very easily apply to him too. Being over-tattooed is definitely one.

On the other hand, I’ve only just recently watched The Henry Rollins Show, as it never aired in the UK as far as I knew. To my mild surprise I like it and him. He comes across well, though that would be the point of having your own TV show I guess. But Rollins is an excellent interviewer, holding back on inserting his own ego into conversations and good at creating rapport with his guests. The Werner Herzog and Steve Buscemi interviews are good examples. I don’t even mind his rants on the show, which is more surprising as I am not a fan of his stand up. It’s hectoring, and not as insightful or as clever as he thinks it is.

Man Test gives some surprising insights into Henry Rollins’ character. The show, from 2000, asks him some direct questions about his love and family life, which he is not afraid of answering openly. Rollins is not a man who wears his intelligence lightly, which works against him sometimes, but he is definitely an interesting character. Personally, I would like to know if he is a fan of TLC’s “No Scrubs”?
 
Henry Rollins - Man Test Part One
 

 
Henry Rollins - Man Test Part Two
 

 
Mariachi Cabos take one of the most overblown rock songs of all time, Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall,” and turn it into the simple punk anthem it should have been in the first place. Cabos, you rock!

 
Mariachi Cabos do “Beat It” sounding like The Ramones with a trumpet player.

 
This, as DM pal, film-maker Alessandro Cima, writes: “might be the most beautiful film you will see all year.” It’s Derek Jarman’s Broken English, his superb interpretation of three tracks by Marianne Faithfull -  “Witches Song,” “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” and “Broken English”.

As Mr Cima writes:

The montage and superimposition going on in this film is simply stunning.  It’s full of dark pagan ritual, sex, violence, romance, adoration, and mystery.

 
Via Candlelight Stories
 

 
This video footage is from a 1975 Bruce Springsteen concert at Widener College in Chester, Pennsylvania. Bruce is performing “Wings For Wheels” which was an earlier version of what was to become “Thunder Road.” It’s the only known filmed document of Springsteen performing the song.

In my opinion, this is sweeter and less bombastic, with a bit of the Spanish Harlem flavor of “Rosalita”, than what the tune eventually evolved into. Not to say that “Thunder Road” isn’t a classic.
 

 
With the news that Azerbaijan has triumphed at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Running Scared” performed by Ell and Nikki, voted Europe’s favorite, I was reminded of a previous Azerbaijani purveyor of cheesy pop, Gaya, a fabulous singing quartet, who were one of the most successful in Soviet-Azerbaijani during the 1960s and 1970s. Qaya mixed modern beats with traditional Azerbaijani music, and their songs could easily sit (if not win) in today’s Eurovision; or, be piped anesthetically through shopping malls department stores.
 

 
More classic songs from Qaya, after the jump…
 
With thanks to Iya Vinogradova
 

 
Made in 1995, at the height of “Brit Pop” (that much hyped re-imagining of the 1960s), Pulp: No Sleep till Sheffield follows the band on their tour of the UK, which culminated with a gig in Sheffield, the Pulp’s hometown.

While best known for its stainless steel, cutlery production and incredible greenery (with 2.5 million trees, the highest ratio of trees to people of any city in Europe), Sheffield is also famed for its wealth of musical talent, a list which includes Joe Cocker, Def Leppard, The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17, ABC, Richard Hawley, The Longpins, Moloko, Arctic Monkeys, The Long Blondes and, of course, Pulp.

Though associated with “Brit Pop”, Pulp were formed in 1978, and had released 3 albums, by the time of their breakthrough record His ‘n’ Hers in 1994, which announced a band of talent, originality and wit. This was followed in 1995, by the equally brilliant Different Class, which delivered one of the decade’s greatest pop songs,  “Common People”.

This summer, Pulp tour the Festivals, starting on May 27 at Primavera Sound, Barcelona, followed by the Isle of Wight Festival on June 11, and T in the Park on July 10. For full details check here.
 

 
Previously on DM

 
Bonus clip of Pulp’s legendary performance of ‘Common People’ at Glastonbury 1995, after the jump…
 

 
The “14 Hour Technicolor Dream” be-in which took place at Alexandra Plaza Palace in London was the English art and music community’s answer to the San Francisco acid tests. It was intended to raise money for counter culture newspaper the International Times which was facing an obscenity trial but it ended up being a financial bust.

No one seems to be absolutely clear as to every musician that played the event. There were dozens invited but not all showed. Among the ones that did were The Soft Machine, Arthur Brown, Yoko Ono, The Flies, The Move, The Pretty Things, Pete Townshend, The Deviants and Pink Floyd. Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon were in the audience.

What Is Happening? made for British TV show “Man Alive” focuses on the audience, dancers, performance artists, gawkers and the event in general. While it’s not a concert film it still has the energy of rock and roll.