July 24, 2012

Link

Boy George has released a new tune: a cover of the viral hit "Video Games" by Lana Del Rey. His version of the song is more twangy than the original.

The music video for the cover is described as a "story of young love in bleak Britain." A message accompanying the video adds that the "story is to be continued."

He sounds good.

He's reportedly working on an album of covers. ''Video Games'' is the first single off the untitled project.

Identity said:

He's reportedly working on an album of covers.

I thought Culture Club was supposed to be recording an album.

Lammastide said:

He sounds good.

How does he sound good? He sounds horrible to me, raspy and hoarse with no range and unable to hold a note. I really don't understand why people praise his voice so much. What are people hearing?

His vocal is without emotion. It totally takes the emotion out of Lana's song. It's just bad karaoke to me.

As for Culture Club, he's always hated the other members of CC. I doubt he would be able to get along with them long enough to do an album.

I'm not familiar with the original...but I do think he sounds good. Very bluesy...I've always loved Georges voice. Yes, it's not the same as it was, but I still think he has a lot of soul.

MickyDolenz said:

Identity said:

He's reportedly working on an album of covers.

I thought Culture Club was supposed to be recording an album.

There has been no news on the Culture Club reunion album which, in all likelihood, never began. The covers album will supposedly be available on George's official site.

The original was too incredible for any cover to surpass or match it. Lana has a nuanced voice that most artists don't have.

I love Boy George but this is pretty generic.

Glindathegood said:

Lammastide said:

He sounds good.

How does he sound good? He sounds horrible to me, raspy and hoarse with no range and unable to hold a note. I really don't understand why people praise his voice so much. What are people hearing?

His vocal is without emotion. It totally takes the emotion out of Lana's song. It's just bad karaoke to me.

As for Culture Club, he's always hated the other members of CC. I doubt he would be able to get along with them long enough to do an album.

At this point in his career, it's the very frailty that you point out that I do like. With respect to this particular track, I'll let Lana cover dynamism; I'm digging George, rather, for a fatigued wisdom. I think both work fairly well here.

[Edited 7/26/12 18:50pm]

Lammastide said:

At this point in his career, it's the very frailty that you point out that I do like. With respect to this particular track, I'll let Lana cover dynamism; I'm digging George, rather, for a fatigued wisdom. I think both work fairly well here.

[Edited 7/26/12 18:50pm]

So you enjoy poor singing? That doesn't impress me at all. You say at this point in his career, but he's not that old. It's not like he's in his 70's or 80's, he's only 51. Other singers around that same age like Simon Le Bon or Cyndi Lauper don't sound like this. It is purely because he destroyed his voice with drugs and cigarettes. Everyone criticized Whitney Houston's voice right before her death and basically booed her off stages when she sounded this same kind of way. Why the double standard for Boy George?

I like his voice on this song. I like the edge to it. I, however, hate the arrangement of this song. The original had all of this sparseness and runs in it that gave such a great atmospere and emotion to the song. By playing it on the meter, all of what made the song so good is gone.

Identity said:

MickyDolenz said:

I thought Culture Club was supposed to be recording an album.

There has been no news on the Culture Club reunion album which, in all likelihood, never began. The covers album will supposedly be available on George's official site.

At the end of last year, Culture Club did some live shows in Australia and there was an Australian news clip showing them in the studio, working with producer Steve Levine (who was their original producer from '82-'84). They seemed to be getting along and in the midst of recording an album. However, I've heard nothing about it since then. I'd be really disappointed if nothing comes of it.

I was unaware of any recording sessions the band started last year. Thanks for the correction and added bits of info.

...

[Edited 7/27/12 10:41am]

duggalolly said:

Identity said:

There has been no news on the Culture Club reunion album which, in all likelihood, never began. The covers album will supposedly be available on George's official site.

At the end of last year, Culture Club did some live shows in Australia and there was an Australian news clip showing them in the studio, working with producer Steve Levine (who was their original producer from '82-'84). They seemed to be getting along and in the midst of recording an album. However, I've heard nothing about it since then. I'd be really disappointed if nothing comes of it.

They did a show in Australia, but Jon Moss did not appear. They said he had a back injury and was in the hospital, but no update was ever given by George on his website as to whether Jon recovered or more information about Jon's illness/injury. They did a tv interview on Australian television to promote the concert but it all seemed very awkward. They did not seem like they were getting along so great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTZuTtr0fCU

Here is a recent interview with George. He seems like he's trying to get out of the reunion. He mysteriously says there are complications and he will make a decision about this reunion in a month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzfOUtcgWGw&

I don't even get disappointed anymore when George doesn't do something he promised. It's just what he does. He just spews out so much B.S. and most people just believe it and never challenge him. But I just think he's an idiot. He hates the other guys, he's never expresses anything but negativity about them. If he agreed to do it, it was all about the money not because he cares about the band.

He'd just ruin the old songs with his horrible voice now so I guess it's just as well if it doesn't happen. They previously did a reunion in the 90's which was pretty good since his voice was semi-decent then. But I don't think a reunion now would be that great. It would just be his crappy vocals and him bitching out the other guys.

Glindathegood said:

Lammastide said:

At this point in his career, it's the very frailty that you point out that I do like. With respect to this particular track, I'll let Lana cover dynamism; I'm digging George, rather, for a fatigued wisdom. I think both work fairly well here.

[Edited 7/26/12 18:50pm]

So you enjoy poor singing? That doesn't impress me at all. You say at this point in his career, but he's not that old. It's not like he's in his 70's or 80's, he's only 51. Other singers around that same age like Simon Le Bon or Cyndi Lauper don't sound like this. It is purely because he destroyed his voice with drugs and cigarettes. Everyone criticized Whitney Houston's voice right before her death and basically booed her off stages when she sounded this same kind of way. Why the double standard for Boy George?

First of all, surely I needn't point this out, but what constitutes "poor" singing is subjective. Joni Mitchell's voice since, say, 1980 sounds like she's been gargling turpentine daily, and Billie Holiday at her highest couldn't (or at least wouldn't) hold a note if it were demanded of her at gunpoint. You'd be hard pressed, however, to amass a significant body of listeners who'd characterize their signature sounds as anything less than treasure.

You're perhaps quite correct that George's voice has transformed largely due to his abuse of substances. Honestly... that's beside the point. I like the match of its shortcomings with material, the pathos of which is actually benefitted by them. Not everything needs to sound like something from Dream Girls.

As for some Whitney/George double standard, I can't help ya. You'd need to bounce that off of someone whose been praising George and dissing Whitney. That simply ain't me.

[Edited 7/27/12 22:26pm]

Glindathegood said:

Lammastide said:

At this point in his career, it's the very frailty that you point out that I do like. With respect to this particular track, I'll let Lana cover dynamism; I'm digging George, rather, for a fatigued wisdom. I think both work fairly well here.

[Edited 7/26/12 18:50pm]

So you enjoy poor singing? That doesn't impress me at all. You say at this point in his career, but he's not that old. It's not like he's in his 70's or 80's, he's only 51. Other singers around that same age like Simon Le Bon or Cyndi Lauper don't sound like this. It is purely because he destroyed his voice with drugs and cigarettes. Everyone criticized Whitney Houston's voice right before her death and basically booed her off stages when she sounded this same kind of way. Why the double standard for Boy George?

You are right.

All of us who enjoy his voice still are wrong.

Hope this solves things for ya.
Thanks for playing along.