Owenshire: Wendell Gee [R.E.M. cover]
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Artist: Owenshire
Track: Wendell Gee [R.E.M. cover]
Album: Remember Every Moment (2016)
Credits: Clive Butler (all instruments); Robert Muhlbock (all vocals).
Notes: gonna miss you boy
Instrumental: notboundtofollo...
Commentary:
CLIVE: My motivation for covering Wendell Gee was to actually have a go at singing it as it's a song that I can do a half-decent job of singing and it's within my vocal range. But, as is often the case, what might sound good in my head when I'm singing in the car or around the house sounds very plain when I listen back to an actual recording! So for that reason, it was a classic case of "stick to what you do best" and this idea was abandoned.
It's a bit of a no thrills backing track though I'm proud of the overall feel of the track. Sometimes when I'm recording myself playing guitar I get so uptight and I think this is reflected in the overall sound. Here, I made a conscious effort to play lazily and do it in one take and, in doing that, it has a kind of bluesy late night feel to it!
It's based purely on the Athens demo of the song not the actual album version, hence there being no piano parts and no banjo in the middle 8 (not that I own a banjo!).
ROB: I had no idea what Mike Mills was singing in the background of this song until I found it---of all places-in the comments section of a RUclips video: “We’re gonna miss you boy.” And right there, this song became richer for me: the idea of Wendell Gee affectionately referred to as “boy” gives the song an even more sentimental touch. As most people know, the song takes the name of a real person-a used car dealer, no less-and invents an entire dreamlike narrative around him: pulling strings that held trees? Building tree trunks with chickenwire to climb inside? Look, that’s the weirdest most abstract shit I’ve ever heard, but I still love the song, and it all works. Even the chorus seems fresh-you’d think in a world where the phrases ‘whistle while you work’ or ‘whistle while you walk’ are time-tested clichés that Wendell Gee’s version of “Whistle as the wind blows with me” would get bogged down in such predictability, but no-given the song’s title and ‘narrative,’ the lyric rises above. Heck, it’s even cliché itself to end an album with a ballad, but Wendell Gee’s appearance on Fables-banjo solo included--is both welcome and appropriately placed. It’s a tender song that closes a beautiful oft-misunderstood album.
![Owenshire: Pilgrimage [R.E.M. Cover]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qLr5WlF9Ksc/mqdefault.jpg)
I love digging around on YT!
Best cover (hands down) of one of my fav songs!
what a brilliant version - nice one
Nice cover. No one can do it better than stipe, but this was a very worthy listen...excellent cover
This song holds a special place for many R.E.M. fans, and sadly was rarely performed live by the band or even reinterpreted much by anyone over the years. This is easily the best cover of one of the band's most brilliantly melancholy songs, true to the original yet gives it new life. More people have to hear this!
Thank you sir! Thanks for all the compliments and the subscription. I love REM (obviously) and some of these are hit or miss. and ones I was so proud of 'way back when' I think haven't aged well at all! But still, the sentiment and love is always there and sometimes the covers do turn out really well. Again, thanks for the encouragement.
What a beautiful, faithful version of an REM masterpiece.
Call me crazy, but in my top 3 REM songs
Have the R.E.M. people been notified of your covers? If not, they should be. These songs need to be shared on the R.E.M. fan pages and by R.E.M. H.Q. social media asap!
+Jay Antani That's very flattering, so thanks. There was a time where I thought someone affiliated with the band might give us a shout-out on REMHQ or something, but Clive and I started posting these songs right around the time REM broke-up, so the band was no doubt busy with all that....and now they don't care much about the band at all. So Clive and I continue to do this for ourselves, and are happy when REM fans appreciate what we do--so thanks again.
+owenshire These are the best REM covers anywhere, period. And I'm a longtime fan. I know of what I speak. You guys nail these in sound and spirit and add your own touches very intelligently. BTW, when are those OOT songs coming out? ;)
+Jay Antani I was going to post the OOT ones near the 25th anniversary release in the fall. It's only 2 songs, but I think they're good. One's based from a demo, so that's the one I'm most excited about. Thx.
nice tribute brother, you nailed it. respect from australia. I was 17 when this album came out.
Thanks so much--thanks from Canada! You're a bit older than me, but not by much--I was 9 when Fables was released. But it's timeless....just like us ;)
Perfect.
Another insanely good rendition, Owenshire ... perhaps one of, if not in the top 10 fav songs of REM of mine of all time. Such a strange tale. Your cover had me goosepimpling like crazy. As you mentioned in other messages ... I approve of your doing renditions as true to the originals as possible. Do Country Feedback if you haven't already ... I think it's my favorite of all time but then again, I'd change my mind if King of Birds came on all of a sudden ... I think it's my favorite of all time too ... LOL ... not a single band in the history of my listening to bands has remained so imminently listenable over the years ... the songs *never* get old.
I truly have two minds about my covers (remember I'm just the singer; Clive does the instrumentals)--the first is I feel they are bland and pale imitations of the originals. However, when I try to branch out and do something weird, I end up losing what made me love the song in the first place. I suppose the only compromise is when I add extra harmonies here and there--sometimes subtle and sometimes, well, a lot. I never claimed I was "reinventing" these REM songs; I'm just a guy who believes he's the world's biggest REM and just loves to sing. As for the band, I couldn't agree more: I love REM so much I want to do a VLOG video (as corny as that sounds) discussing their music, but I just haven't gotten around to it. I just view them as the all-time perfect indie band: fashion, artwork, politics, music, lyrics, integrity--you name it. They excel(ed) at every fucking level. And weirdly enough even with how accomplished they are, I STILL find them underappreciated. I see kids wearing retro indie T-shirts here and there (ie: Smiths, Joy Division)--shit that they sell at Hot Topic, but REM doesn't seem to fit into "mall punk" esthetics. I NEVER see REM shirts---ever (and yet I own about 6 and regularly wear them). Moving on, my King of Birds cover has not stood the test of time, to my ears anyway, and I may do Country Feedback someday but I tend to stick to 80s REM. Okay, later.
Beautiful work. This and Let Me In my favorite REM songs. It's no easy feat to even come close to sounding like Michael, so unique is his voice, but you managed it. Must've been kind of a thrill to play this back to yourself the first time.
That's very kind of you, so thanks. As for your comment--when I finish a song, I do feel really good and feel the results stand tall...BUT after times passes--for whatever reason--I always notice flaws or things that could have been sung better. It's rather annoying actually, but that's life I suppose. Thanks again, RM.
Thank you so much for the loving comments you wrote about this song. It's always been one of my favorites and Fables is probably my favorite REM album. I link the song in my mind to a Garrison Keillor "fable" about an older man who lived a completely conventional life and then one day, just disappeared. All of his family were bewildered and couldn't believe their always steady, predictable "Wendell" could do something so unexpected. And one day they read an article about a rogue band of sailors who were occassionally spotted in unlikely places around rhe world. They were stunned into a deep undetstanding when they saw, in the grainy, black and white photo included with the article, "Wendell", wild hair, leather-tan skin and wearing dark sunglasses, sitting in the back row amongst the sailors. I love that story I tell myself about Wendell!
Thanks for this. That story works very well, actually. It's really such an evocative song. Fables really is their best album.
"Fables really is their best album" Always felt that way, but never heard anyone else say it. Even the band seemed to consistently shy away from commenting on its specialness. Thanks...
@@gordongrant444 I tend to judge REM albums by how many songs I tend to skip. Don't get me wrong: I love them all, but certain songs you have to be in the mood for, and pound for pound (or is it song for song, lol) Fables is always the album where every damn song is great. Great opener, great follow up, great pivotal song 3 (I never get sick of Driver 8)--and here's where most albums come down a bit, but Life and How To Life it is amazing, and Kensey is basically one of my top 3 REM songs (which probably says more about me than the album, lol). and of course, to me anyway, side two is just as strong. Good Advices, Auctioneer, heck--I don't need to tell you. I can't say the same about Reckoning or even Murmur. I really can take or leave We Walk and West of The Fields. I also don't care for Rockville or Camara. Again, song for song, Fables is just fantastic. But it takes a certain kind of fan, lol. :D
Gonna miss you boy(s)...
👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿💛
Nice work Owenshire. There are several things I like: the electric guitar, the lush vocal harmony, and (of course) the choice of material. I’m on the verge of performing this song and I find some inspiration in your interpretation here. Rock on!
Thanks Robert. As I've said, the instrumentation is all Clive, so I can't take credit for that, but I am the singer, so I'll own up to the voice, lol. I'm a tenor by nature so this was a bit low on the verses but didn't come off too badly. Send me a link if you post your own cover. Take care. RM
I'm agree with Jay Antani ;)
Thank you!
1. It's "when he climbed on it, it sagged". 2. Good singing. 3. My favorite song. 4. It's from "fables of the reconstruction", there was no album "remember every moment" to my knowledge, though one of Stipes relatives once said that that's what R.E.M stands for.
I think Remember Every Moment is the name of this arists album.
I too am a proponent of the "it sagged" theory, but I think you and I are in a very small minority .... I don't think there are any official lyrics from early REM, are there? This of course is one of their many charms ...