There have been huge mix-ups within BBC Radio 1 lately, with Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton both announcing their departure from the radio station, taking with them a huge legacy and passion for music. So, what are we left with? Simply put, we’re left with the BBC Live Lounge, and if any of these products of the radio feature are anything to go by, then we’ll never need another reason to stick around.
Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepson) // Ben Howard
It’s 2012. The British public are still lying on the sun-drenched grass listening to the chilled, acoustic summer vibes of his debut LP Every Kingdom. For Ben Howard fans, the world of rainbows and butterflies had not yet disappeared, and they would not have complained if his next spell of music gave them more of the same. Indeed, the same was expected, which is what makes his cover of Carly Rae Jepson’s ‘Call Me Maybe’ so surprisingly brilliant.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPU8V-nvUEk&w=740&h=422]
At a time when his dark tones and electric guitars were yet to emerge, Howard’s decision to use that very format on such a catchy and innocent pop hit created a bridge between the contrasting sounds of his two albums in spectacular fashion. This also means that the cover is so original it could almost be mistaken for one of his own, right up until the chirpier and more recognisable chorus, which is something I am a massive fan of in the Live Lounge. The cover is constantly moving forward and is always interesting, at one point going from said chirpy chorus into a bridge that is very similar to that of a typical rock song, before going straight back into the chorus. It’s a cover that mashes together so many different elements that it almost shouldn’t work, but boy does it work well. In fact, everything comes together perfectly, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another Live Lounge that not only shadows the musician’s journey at the time, but also their incredible diversity and skill as an artist.
Words by Ashley Moss
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) // George Ezra
The best live lounge covers are those that you wouldn’t expect to work – bringing polar opposites together and doing it well can create something truly magical. I particularly love when a male singer takes on a song by a female, this being the case with George Ezra’s dreamy take on Cyndi Lauper’s pop classic ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’. Alongside that husky low voice of his, Ezra’s soft and bluesy guitar easily transports the listener from the stickiest of cheesy dance floors to warm summer countryside in the middle of August. This is a signature move of Ezra’s, with his debut album epitomising summer time for many, and he even takes the subject of the song’s title to heart when changing a lyric “oh, Ezra wants to have fun” – clearly showcasing to Radio 1’s listeners that a musician of such talent can play around and have fun with a song and still produce a flawless session.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK_mWnX4s64&w=740&h=422]
For me, this is definitely a standout of 2014’s live lounge covers and now means you can listen to what I would class as a definite guilty pleasure, without the shame of it all; Ezra redefines Lauper’s girly bubblegum pop in such a way that it could easily be a number one folky-pop hit, and is alike to listening to three minutes of pure summer bliss.
Words by Kirstie Sutherland
Black Skinhead Mash-up (Kanye West) // Catfish and the Bottlemen
Think of Kanye West’s egotistical rap music, and you wouldn’t think to associate it with the humble, scrawny, and dishevelled lads of Catfish and the Bottlemen. Put the two together, and the result is their Live Lounge mash-up. After only rehearsing it a couple of times, Catfish threw themselves into their own energetic arrangement. Effectively replicating the original’s guitar riff and effects, they began with the first verse of The Black Keys’ ‘Howlin’ For You’. They smoothly fitted in some of Kanye’s Black Skinhead; vocalist Van McCann shifted his vocal style and half-rapped, half-sang (through his fist) ‘it’s four in the morning, and I’m zoning / I think I’m possessed, it’s an omen’. The Bottlemen then slid into ‘Shoot The Runner’ by Kasabian, before slipping back into Kanye. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about Van rapping ‘homie’, but I decided I liked it so I’ll let him off. Anyone who can scream-sing like that, without being annoying, is alright in my book.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hATO4zxb6s&w=740&h=422]
McCann’s tone of voice created a total contrast to the original rap, screaming out the last lines of the verse with pure, raw energy. What’s lovable about Catfish is that they always emanate a genuine joy of playing music, often in a relaxed way such as in this session, where they were all just casually sitting down yet still managing to create a melodic racket. I think they gave Kanye a run for his money on this one – once again, they’ve proved themselves worthy of their ever-increasing success.
Words by Zia Larty-Healy
Slide Away (Oasis) // Jake Bugg
Jake Bugg’s interpretation of Oasis’ classic stadium rocker ‘Slide Away’ is absolutely sublime. Bugg converts an electric guitar track which features heavy distortion and turns it into a delicate finger-picking tune that screams Bob Dylan – it’s easy to see why he gets attached to the nickname of “Nottingham’s answer to Dylan” so often. It is testament to Jake that he can take such a well known song with so many different parts and turn it into his own. It is one of the greatest examples of the power the live lounge can have, in throwing in artists techniques and moulding a song to make it sound like one of theirs. This cover inspired me to pick up the guitar and try and mimic Bugg’s insanely fluid and skillful acoustic technique.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAriFwhPdA8&w=740&h=422]
Bugg never really gets enough credit for how much of an accomplished guitarist he actually is. However, Jake’s guitar playing isn’t the only great thing about the cover; the listener is subjected to his fantastic vocal range and he doesn’t even hit a single bad note. This is a truly great example of how amazing the live lounge can be when you couple great artists with great songs. You hear incredible things.
Words by James Dudley
Do I Wanna Know (Arctic Monkeys) // Hozier
When Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known simply as Hozier, visited Fearne Cotton in the Live Lounge back in September last year, he chose to tackle one of Arctic Monkeys’ latest and most popular tracks ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ from their 2013 album AM. And tackle it he did. By replacing heavy drums with plucking guitars, Turner’s indie-frontman tones with his own soulful vocals and adding a stirring cello and harmonising female backing singers, Hozier produces an entirely reformed track that sings just as strongly as the original, and plucks on your heartstrings even more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J0uAPipJ7Q&w=740&h=422]
Pairing a minimal instrumental with the emotionally-charged, melodic vocal that so many have come to love during Hozier’s recent rise to fame, the tone of the track is changed entirely. Where once was a pounding, look-at-me anthem is now a dulcet lullaby which, in turn, makes Turner’s ever-crafted lyrics even more poignant, more powerful, and more passionate; a new, more pleading quality is brought to favourite lines “I dreamt about you nearly every night this week” and “was sort of hoping that you’d stay” with a new emotional hit that you just can’t shake, even after the song is long over. By formulating such a unique new interpretation of an immensely popular track, Hozier cements his session as one of the most successful and memorable ever to come out of the Live Lounge.
Words by Amie Bailey
What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction) // The 1975
Matty Healy and co.’s take on this boyband sensation’s debut hit is undeniably one of the most original reworks the Live Lounge has ever witnessed. September 2013 marked the release of The 1975’s eponymous debut album, making a visit to Radio 1 at this time an absolute must for the Manchester quartet. However, one of the more unexpected events within their promo campaign was the receipt of a tweet from teenage heartthrob and boyband superstar Harry Styles, as he advised his millions of followers to buy the record. Despite The 1975’s frontman Healy claiming the band’s Live Lounge cover choice to be nothing more than a coincidence, the shameless plug from pop star Styles can’t have been bad for sales.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVXmzHY1lU&w=740&h=422]
Coincidence or not, the four-piece returned the favour by changing up One Direction’s breakthrough hit to create an atmospheric wonder. Any band capable of transforming a fun, upbeat pop track into a rolling piano ballad oozing with emotion is undoubtedly worthy of praise. Healy managed to fill the catchy lyrics with depth and meaning, teamed with a slowed down tempo, tinging the track with an R&B feel.
And if The 1975’s album charted at number one the very Sunday after, this cover surely had nothing to do with it.
Words by Rebecca Rhodes
Fast Car (Tracey Chapman) // Sam Smith
I have long been a lover of the Radio 1 Live Lounge. I have also loved the song ‘Fast Car’ for a long time too. Oh, and Sam Smith is one of my favourite artists. So, naturally, this cover caught my attention from the off. So many people have covered ‘Fast Car’ on YouTube and talent shows, but many of them don’t seem to capture the rawness that is the essence of the song. This song requires a soulful voice that can express the subject matter of longing for a release from a family of poverty and alcoholism. Tracey Chapman sets the standard high, but Sam Smith meets it.
Sam has raw emotion in his voice, the kind that makes you connect with every word of the lyrics. Sam’s version is at a slower tempo, which I feel makes it just as good as the original, but in a different way. Because it’s such a meaningful song, the way Sam sings it makes it even more captivating, and his amazing range means that he builds the song to show his incredible vocals to great effect, but still keeping the emotion that Chapman intended. Perfect.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA4FtHUKVPE&w=740&h=422]
Of course as the title suggests, all of these covers are done live. I have Sam Smith’s album In The Lonely Hour on pretty much every playlist, and this cover sounds as flawless as the album that brought Sam to win four Grammy’s. Artists in the charts get questioned about singing live nowadays, but this cover shows the talent Sam has to interpret such an iconic song in such an effortlessly brilliant way, and all live as well. For me, this cover just shows why this song is so amazing, and equally why Sam Smith is a one of the best talents in modern music. Not bad for a cover, I guess.
Words by Charlotte Roszko
Dancing On My Own (Robyn) // Kings Of Leon
When given the idea of “The best of the BBC Live Lounge” I instantly knew I could not write about any cover other than this. BBC Live Lounge enables us to see any given artist take a song of another genre and put their own spin on it, and I feel that this cover encompasses this concept entirely. Kings Of Leon, internationally successful rock group, take on Robyn, Swedish dance artist. Should produce something interesting, right? The answer is of course yes, and more. The original track, 2010 electro-pop hit ‘Dancing on my Own’ combines repetitive electronic beats with a heartbreaking tale of unrequited love, yet somehow the poignant story seems to be drowned out by hyperactive synth and high pitched vocals. Not that the original isn’t an absolute tune, yet it is the kind of thing you dance and sing along to, overlooking the story behind the lyrics. The cover however, makes it impossible to ignore the melancholic nature of the words, with Caleb Followill’s voice crooning the sorrowful lyrics over slowed down riffs and relaxed drum beats, adding a whole layer of meaning to the original.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ-vU28uPb0&w=740&h=422]
In true Kings Of Leon style, the backing builds up over the song to a powerful climactic chorus, and the song comes to an end with a soaring guitar riff echoing the melody of the song. If you’re even a slight fan of the original, or have ever experienced anything remotely like unrequited love, this cover is a must listen.
Words by Paula Lacey
Little talks (Of Monsters And Men) // Lianne La Havas
There were certain songs on the Live Lounge 2013 album that jumped out at me straight away as I scanned the back of the CD. Lianne La Havas’ cover of ‘Little Talks’ was not one of these songs. Instead, it was a song that gradually became a vital part of my existence upon first listening, and a new permanent fixture in my music library, reserved for pretty much any mood I find myself in. I feel that with a lot of covers, people try too hard to make it different, or interesting in some way. This cover explores the simplicity of a guitar, a piano and a beautiful voice, and focuses on expressing the emotion behind every word.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhkuvkaTt3Q&w=740&h=422]
The slow tempo and La Havas’ ghostly perfect voice reflects the story that’s being told, although it is an ambiguity and unclear whether the singer is a woman being comforted by the ghost of her dead husband, or if it is she who’s inventing his voice in her head. There are moments of absolute silence where the buzzing of the room can be heard, which to me not only conveys it’s authenticity but adds to the lonely feeling of an “empty house” that’s shown in the lyrics. I never understood the true beauty in the lyrics of this song until it was covered, and this is why to this day it remains one of my most listened to and strongly admired tracks.
Words by Megan Rees
F For You (Disclosure feat. Mary J Blige) // Bombay Bicycle Club
Bombay Bicycle Club bring their limitless talent to reinvent Disclosure’s dance hit ‘F For You’. A fresh guitar riff kick starts the song and establishes a steady beat. The familiar lyric “I’ve been infected with restless whispers and cheats”, sung by frontman Jack Steadman and an entourage of backing singers, locks beautifully into place. This infectious lyrical cycle repeats until the title lyric is introduced. Underneath “because I played the fool for you” the percussion begins to build and Bombay’s laidback and jazzy approach to the song really takes hold. Liz Lawrence lends her voice to Mary J Blige’s part and captures the song brilliantly. The brass section leaps into the song and brings another level of depth and groove which leads us back to the chorus. Jack Steadman performs a heroic keyboard solo over the chorus and takes us back to Liz Lawrence’s vocals.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1diAVnzPnBA&w=740&h=422]
In this spectacular cover, live lounge and indie veterans Bombay Bicycle Club go above and beyond expectations. They produce a soulful and jazzy take on a recent dance classic and they execute it so well. A cover so infectious that I’m sure you will return to it over and over again.
Words by Frances
Goodbye Kiss (Kasabian) // Lana Del Rey
Flashback to April 2012, when a newly brunette Lana Del Rey graced the BBC Live Lounge. In her mini set, Lana performed her rendition of Kasabian’s ‘Goodbye Kiss.’ Quite simply, it is my favourite Live Lounge cover. A few months earlier, Kasabian covered ‘Video Games’ quite spectacularly at the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Student Tour 2011, starting this indirect music friendship. But Lana’s cover will always be my favourite.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrgk60YRtxo&w=740&h=422]
For me, the magic of this cover exists in how it is made so timeless by Lana Del Rey. I hadn’t heard Kasabian’s original before listening to Lana’s cover, so I didn’t have anything to compare it to; and yet, her voice stood out so prominently as a carrier of an original that could have been 50 years old, never mind the one year the song really was. Her voice of a tortured soul emphasises the sheer sadness that is left untouched in Kasabian’s version, bringing a whole new depth to the song. The gentle guitar chords and the delicate piano notes add a dreaminess to the cover, leaving an effortless style that Lana Del Rey’s music is known and loved for.
This was the Live Lounge that made me love Live Lounges, the song that made me understand that covers can be completely different to the original but still quite perfect.
Words by Caitlin O’Connor
Roxanne (The Police) // Royal Blood
Royal Blood have been taking the world by storm lately. For a band that started out in 2013, they have already managed to make an influential name for themselves within the rock community and music in general, winning the Best British Group Award at the 2015 Brit Awards.
One thing that Royal Blood are extremely gifted with is their ability to take a song as their own. Especially when it comes to artists that you wouldn’t generally associate with their guttural sound. We’ve had flawless covers of recent popular songs, such as Lana Del Rey’s ‘West Coast’ on a Dutch radio station, and Pharrell William’s ‘Happy’ on a previous Live Lounge session. But it’s their cover of the classic Police track ‘Roxanne’ that really showcases their talent as both musicians and appreciative music fans. As with a majority of their covers, they keep the essence of the original track, but overlay distorted guitars and pounding drums to give the song a new lease of life. This extra added filth really accentuates an already legendary track by an equally legendary band.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ1-Tcgcvm4&w=740&h=422]
I hope that they’re invited to the Live Lounge more often, as they always seem to leave everyone speechless whenever they’re asked to perform on the show.
Words by Sophie McEvoy
[Compiled by Ashley Moss]