CH. 03

The Culture Of The Copy

Intro

This chapter of Clube da Esquina is dedicated to appropriation, and for that reason borrows the title from the work of Hillel Schwartz (1948). Published in 1998, The Culture Of The Copy makes a very particular sociological analysis around the notion of twins, of double or of replica in the context of popular culture, subjects that have occupied great part of the creative process of the Modern era. In the context of pop music, Jon Savage (1953) explored the subject of appropriation in a famous article published in an issue of the late magazine The Face. Starting from an analysis of album covers, The Age of Plunder featured the iconic work of designer Peter Saville (1955), Linder Sterling (1954) and Malcolm Garrett (1956). Leaving aside the visual character of objects, it is known that the history of sampling has dominated much of the current music industry, in which, more and less clearly, a new music is built containing traces of another. The third part of this radio show is structured upon a set of songs that came to question principles of originality but which definitely rival or risk surpassing its originals. In short, we’ll hear versions that don’t sound like a copy. Definitely not déjà vu!

Tracklist

  • Hal Willner Presents Weird Nightmare:
    Meditations On Mingus — Canon (Part I) (3:20)
    Original by Charles Mingus

    Nina Simone — Baltimore (4:37)
    Original by Randy Newman

    Dâm-Funk — 17 Days (4:42)
    Original by Prince

    Material — Cosmic Slop (5:15)
    Original by Funkadelic

    Goldie — What You Won’t Do For Love (4:16)
    Original by Bobby Caldwell

    Ol’ Dirty Bastard — Sussudio (4:19)
    Original by Phil Collins

    A Certain Ratio — Shack Up (3:13)
    Original by Banbarra

    Map Of Africa — Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys (2:53)
    Original by The Equals

    Anita Lane — Lost In Music (4:37)
    Original by Sister Sledge

    Big Star — Till The End Of The Day (2:14)
    Original by Kinks

    The Raincoats — Lola (4:01)
    Original by Kinks

    Butthole Surfers — The Hurdy Gurdy Man (3:57)
    Original by Donovan

    Big Black — The Model (2:34)
    Original by Kraftwerk

    Renegade Soundwave — Can’t Get
    Used To Losing You
    (4:32)
    Original by Andy Williams

    The Flying Lizards — Move On Up (5:27)
    Original by Curtis Mayfield

    Lloyd Cole — Romany Soup (3:54)
    Original by Tyrannosaurus Rex

    Carl Craig Presents Zoos Of Berlin
    Looking For Water (5:13)
    Original by David Bowie

    Young Edits — How We Walk On The Moon (6:57)
    Original by Arthur Russell

    Poolside — Harvest Moon (6:08)
    Original by Neil Young

    Pop & Eye — Being Boing (6:42)
    Original by Pet Shop Boys

    The Field — Everybody’s Got
    To 
    Learn Sometime (6:51)
    Original by The Korgis

    Momus — Because You’re Frightened (3:57)
    Original by Magazine

    Wall Of Voodoo — The Ring Of Fire (4:59)
    Original by Johnny Cash

    Safe — Hold You Tonight (2:24)
    Original by Tracy Chapman

    Robert Wyatt — Biko (4:37)
    Original by Peter Gabriel

    Swans — I Want To Be Your Dog (3:35)
    Original by The Stooges

    Fred Frith — Trains And Boats And Planes (4:52)
    Original by Burt Bacharach

    The Lounge Lizards — Harlem Nocturne (2:08)
    Original by Ray Noble

    Pascal Comelade — Like A Rolling Stone (1:49)
    Original by Bob Dylan

    The Young Gods — September Song (2:47)
    Original by Kurt Weill

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