By Keith Walsh
It takes courage to cover David Bowie, as he set an almost impossibly high bar for performance and inspiration. Here’s a tribute that’s worthy of the legend. Out of Cleveland, Ohio (the birthplace of rock and roll, as they say) She 1 – Him 2 deliver an electro version of “Fame” that capitalizes on all of the original’s funkiness, with an enhanced synthesizer presence. Guitar work by Steven Siebold (Hate Dept/Pigface) is pleasantly grittier than the original while vocals by project leaders Evan Nave and Cassie Bishop play up the sinister nature of the lyrics.
Production by Michael Seifert (Tori Amos, Paul Simon, Regina Spektor, et al.) is immaculate, with some trippy echo effects and a solid dance groove. This tune is perfect for the dance floor, but I’d also love to hear it blasted through towers of speakers in a live setting.
They’ll be talking about the legend of David Bowie 500 years from now. His 1975 hit, “Fame,” co-written with John Lennon, is from “Young Americans,” his foray into ‘plastic soul,’ right in the middle of his run of classic albums starting with Hunky Dory (1971) and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972) and ending with Let’s Dance (1981). I would argue that all his albums are classics by now, but Bowie’s astonishing run of innovation in the 70s is worth mentioning.
This new version does justice to the original while avoiding an exact duplication. There’s a fun video that shows Nave (formerly of Lestat) and Bishop (of Shy Moon) hamming it up for the camera. The video was made in two locations without the other’s participation. It’s a wonderful tribute to the legendary chameleon that captures the spirit of his work and a great summer tune.
She 1 – Him 2 On YouTube
She 1 – Him 2 On Bandcamp
David Bowie dot com
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