I have never seen the HBO series True Blood. Maybe I’m reticent to get sucked into the current vortex of popularity created by the return of vampires and zombies in pop culture. I don’t know, but I have never felt a strong desire to watch the show. Maybe that will change.
One thing that might make me switch on True Blood is their use of music in the show. Apparently, each episode is titled after a piece of music that is used in that show. I came across one such piece of music created for an episode that really piqued my interest. It’s a remake of the 1964 hit She’s Not There from the classic 60’s British Invasion band, The Zombies, performed by my favorite, Neko Case, and the provocative Nick Cave. I immediately knew that this would not be your typical cover/remake.
Normally, I wouldn’t even want to hear a remake of a song like She’s Not There. It has held up spectacularly well over the almost 50 years since it was released, as do several of The Zombies’ other songs. Probably why they still perform and tour after a half decade. But the idea of these two performers singing it expressly for a vampire series brought up some the possibility of something different than a straight cover.
And I was right. It has a creepy Cajun bayou thump in its bass and with Nekos’s voice soaring over Cave’s growl, it makes a compelling cover. Old yet new. Like a vampire, I guess.
So, here I am, despite my protests, endorsing a song made for vampires originally sung by zombies. Here is the new cover with Neko and Nick (hey, that’s kind of catchy) and, if you’d like to compare, the original from The Zombies.
Redtree Times 