Sometimes it is possible to judge the quality of a song by the artists who cover it. Lovesong by The Cure is one of those songs. It has been covered by a variety of artists, even appearing on the soundtrack of the movie ’50 First Dates ‘ and being sampled by Perfect Circle on their track ‘Diary of a Madman’. The question this raises is whether these covers bring something new to the song. To examine this question properly we have to begin with the original by The Cure.
Cure lead singer Robert Smith wrote this as a wedding present for his fiancée, Mary Poole, shortly before they got married in 1988. Smith has remained steadfast in his devotion to Mary, whom he met at school when he was 14. He credits her with saving his life by pulling him out of the abyss when he went through some self-destructive periods.The lyrics were inspired by the constant touring Smith had to go through with The Cure. He wanted his wife to know that no matter how much he had to travel and perform, he would always love her. This contains a hidden lyric from another song. Robert Smith half-sings/speaks “Fly me to the moon” after the second chorus, before the middle guitar solo. In the US, this was by far the biggest hit for The Cure.
Adele recorded this on her 2011 album 21. She explained to The Sun why she covered it: “My first gig was the Cure in Finsbury Park, which my mum took me to as she’s their biggest fan.” Having a female voice sing the song changes the dynamic. Adele was suffering from some vocal difficulties when she recorded the song. “My voice had gone, which I was a bit kind of paranoid about, but it actually suits the song really, really well,” she said. This version also changes the instrumental mix to great effect.
It is always helpful when those attempting covers show their influences. Canen (pronounced ‘cannon’) is a Boston and Ithaca based singer-songwriter, who performs jazz standards, vintage classics and indie pop. She says ‘I’ve been listening to a lot of Adele lately and this has always been one of my favourite songs by her. I felt like just doing a one-take cover today because I am way too lazy to record other instruments (thank you karaoke, you’re wonderful). Anyway, I hope you enjoy! xx canen’ I think she brings out the haunting melancholy of the song.
Finally taking the song in a completely different direction are the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra. Enter a brass section and a salsa beat. Often when the instrumentation is arbitarily changed the melody can feel as those it at odds with it. In this case they just about carry it off. They are an 11-piece salsa group who plays dynamic, dura arrangements of indie rock tunes. No bananas in the hair; this is innovative salsa with a new, vibrant aesthetic.
