No Imagination - Blondie cover

[Nick / odh]

Been working on another cover.  Missed the deadline for the Recyclefest, not sure it's enough of a difference of genre to have qualified anyway.

Blondie's Plastic Letters album was a massive thing in my adolescent life at around 14 years old.  I had a massive poster of Debbie Harry on my wall.  The album is still one I listen to a lot has some brilliant tracks (to my mind, and with the exception of Denis-Denis, which I always hated).

The vocal I was going for here was inspired by the Sonic Youth version of the Carpenters Superstar (on the Juno film soundtrack).  Didn't get there really.

Not especially happy with this final version, everything is too loud and too quiet at the same time.

Comments appreciated...

No Imagination

Cover of Blondie song from Plastic Letters LP
Recorded onto Zoom R16
Keys, drums & bass tracks off of BOSS DR5
Guitar using my new Biyang AD10 Analogue delay pedal (on one of the tracks)

--------------------------------------------------
"No Imagination" by Blondie
--------------------------------------------------

Eyes that tell me "Baby, you don't need no invitation"
Let me smoke another cigarette before I make a move
I can see me in the morning; losing my direction
Deep inside my overcoat, looking for the door
I don't wanna stay with you. I just wanna play with you
One sweet abbreviation sleeping like the dead
You think you're pretty, well, so do I. You came to me but, passion eyes
Got no imagination to clutter up my head

Eyes that mirror innocence and cannot sense the changes
Lets have another drink, dear, before we get deranged
I can see me in the morning; avoiding your detection
Slowly down the staircase, looking for the door

All is fair in love and war but I don't want your love no more
One sweet abbreviation sleeping like the dead
You're fragile and you're very green, conditioned by a milk machine
Got no imagination. Got no imagination. No

Take a walk, kid

Eyes that tell me "Baby, you don't need no invitation"
Let me smoke another cigarette before I make a move
I can see me in the morning; losing my direction
Deep inside my overcoat, footsteps for the door

[Geir]

except for a bit to low vocals (and  tad to high drums) I think it's fab !!!

Great work !!!

[cuthbert]

I'm not familiar with the original, but I love your arrangement and vocals! I don't see why this wouldn't qualify for RecycleFest, but it's ultimately your call.

And I agree with Geir - this sounds great as is, but would be even better with just a couple of level tweaks.

[launched]

Braw, tell yer maw!! I used to looooove Debbie Harry when I was a kid.

[Ferryman]

Sonic Youth and Debbie Harry? What a great combination! I love both of them (but in slighty different ways...). Saw Blondie on their first UK tour and again in about '82. incredible.

Loved what you did with this, really great what the guitars are doing, especially the one in the RH channel. The vox are a bit low for me as well - perhaps brighten them up with some high end eq because they are quite low. But an inspired interpretation, well done!

Cheers,

Nigel 

[Nick / odh]

Saw Blondie on their first UK tour and again in about '82. incredible 

Jealous of that, would've loved to been there.  First gig I remember going to was Vice Squad in 1980.

I did a new mix last night with the vocal more forward, replaced the above.

[oldrottenhead]

vox sound great to me, must be the remix im hearing. i had that album but old age and senility means i cant recall it. this is great.

[chip withrow]

Sort of a Velvet Underground/Bowie/Blondie mash-up. Which means, to me, brilliant fun. I like the mix of arena-rock guitar and drums and baroque keyboard. I vaguely remember the original, but even without the context, I would still dig this a lot.

[Geir]

it's hard not to love this :

[Rata-tat-tat]

Well this was a very good suprise. Also loved Blondie... I must say it is a very brave undertaking to try a female vocalist style. You've done it well my friend. Keep em comming.