She & Him put a spell on you
This isn’t brand spankin’ new, I know, but I’m trying to catch up!
When I heard about this cover, I knew Zooey was a good bet for pulling it off. She seems to have a healthy reverence for the past, and I think you need that for a song like this. That being said, I’m not crazy about this. It’s okay, and I certainly don’t think it’s bad. It’s a difficult song, and when it’s been covered so definitively by someone like Nina Simone, you’re going to find yourself in an uphill climb.
Yes, I’ll admit it, I prefer Nina’s cover to the original by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Not that Hawkins’ version isn’t iconic or interesting – it is. I suppose Nina is more my speed. I can listen to her gorgeous take again and again and again, and I’m absolutely floored by it every single time. Given that fact, this version by She & Him ends up as more of a curiosity than a classic in my book.
Zooey & Mr Ward have released their version as part of a Starbucks compilation (insert obligatory eye roll here) called Sweethearts 09. Other covers include A.C. Newman covering A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ (really???), Katy Perry covering Sam Sparro’s ‘Black and Gold’ and fiancé Ben Gibbard’s Death Cab For Cutie fittingly taking on The Cure’s ‘Lovesong’.
She & Him – I Put A Spell On You (Courtesy of the Hype Machine)
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Nina Simone – I Put A Spell On You
From Anthology
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Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You
From I Put a Spell on You: The Best of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Tags: she & him
Meh. I dig Zooey and Matt, but this doesn’t do much for me. She nails the vocals, but I just don’t buy the feeling.
I agree with your assessment; the original is cool and novel, but Nina just takes the song somewhere else (great arrangement too).
Where do you come down on the CCR version?
Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss did an amazing live version a few years ago at the Basement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEozb8J-2l8
Jay -
Good question. I dig it but I’d say it also falls into the ‘curiosity’ category. Nobody tops Nina.
Vivada –
Thanks for linking to that. It won’t be making it to my favorites list any time soon, but at least he sang it with some soul, some passion.