Gonzo: Ayo
Blerd: Sup homes?
G: I believe that I’m up this time around, yeah?
B: Yessir. Pressure’s off me!
G: Alrighty!
B: Rubs hands together with excitement
G: Well, something that always helps me out of a dire mood is that dynamic duo of pop…
B: Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes?
G: that blue eyed soul from the city of brotherly love…
B: Air Supply?
G : Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the convo…the one, THE ONLY…HALL & OATES!
B: McFadden & Whitehead!
  DAMN IT
G: All good guesses!  (not really)
B: Pshhh. I should get points for trying.
G: I’ve got a point for you right here!
B: Wait. Did you just kinda sorta insult yourself?
G: Hmm..possibly.

B: So, yeah, Hall & Oates. This is a weird one.
G: Why weird, hombre?
B: Because i have to remind myself that this is the original version!!
G: Yeah
B: It is a little stripped down, and dare i say, underproduced?
G: The organ is real gospel-y. It does seem kinda demo-like in a way.
This was an album cut, never released as a single.
Oh wow -so this is from the Voices album, released in 1980. Which had this as an alternate cover:
B: That is actually the cover i remember. The black and white one was unfamiliar to me till recently.
(although it makes way more sense given the title of the freaking album)
The b&w cover at least makes some attempt to play with the theme of the title. Granted, not a great visualization of the concept. But better than neon!
B: Could be worse. Could be the Oooh Yeah cover!
G: Ooooh nooooo!
OK. Fast forward five years, when this essentially ignored album cut ends up finding its way to the top spot of the Billboard charts in another form.

B: Ahhh yes.
G: That sitar! Was this the same year as Southern Accents? IT WAS!
B: ’85.
I love Paul Young. I’ve also seen Paul Young’s weenie
G: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
B: He used to be with this band called the Q-Tips, and i recall seeing publicity photos of them a while back…
G: …and there was cock?
B: There was cock and some bareassery.
(and despite halfhearted my best efforts, I could not locate the photographs online.)
G: I’m assuming that was before Paul Young was showing up in public like this?
B: Wow, he looks like Larry Hagman.
G: WHO SHOT PAUL YOUNG?
B: It was Daryl Hall! DUH!
G: In the pizza shop, with Oates’ moustache!
B: So scary.
G: Speaking of scary, the Paul Young version weirded me out as a kid.
B: Why???
G: Because I was 4. And the only context in which I knew about “taking pieces” of anything was candy. So this song took on a literal and sinister meaning for me in those days.
B: You don’t know how loudly i laughed at that just now.
So, this song was the SHIT in summer ’85, and it stands as Paul’s only real legit hit in the US.
I mean, if you ask 10 people to name a Paul Young song, 8 people are gonna say “who?”
And 2 people are gonna say “Everytime You Go Away.”
G: Wait, wait – Paul Young also covered “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
Holy shit, this Joy Division cover…I mean it accomplishes what it sets out to do
This is so sanitized! So…clinical!
B: Yeah, that’s the Paul Young way.
G: Anyway…I’m getting off track.
We still have one more track to listen to for this convo.
B: We do?!?
G: …and you’ll love it.

B:  Oh NOOOOOOOOO!!
G: Now I feel kind of bad for making fun of Paul Young sucking the soul out of Joy Division.
I know this video isn’t official, but it’s giving me the fucking creeps.
B: this is Clay Aiken! Creeps are implied.
 “everytime you go…awayyyyeahhhh”
G: “everytime you creep….me out.”
God, that was painful to get through. I’m sorry, man.
B: This isnt terrible…just ridiculously generic.
G: Yeah. They could have taken pretty much any ballad and cranked out something like this.
B: Um, I think thats actually what they did. Have you ever seen the track listing for the album?
“Right Here Waiting,” “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word,” “Because You Loved Me.”
G: Jesus Christ! The soundtrack to my next root canal.
B: The soundtrack to my next colonoscopy!
G: Touche!
Well, I’m pretty sure I know how this is going to go, but what’s your take on these three versions of “Everytime You Go Away?”
(which is grammatically incorrect, by the way.)
Daryl Hall – excellent singer / songwriter; poor grammarian.
B: So-let’s just get Clay Aiken out of the way with an “ugh!
G: Seconded.
B: I used to HATE H2O’s version. Now I kinda tolerate it. Daryl does some nice riffing at the end.
So my vote would go with Paul Young almost by default, BUT his version is legit REALLY good.
G: I concur across the board. Regular readers will know that I tend to default to the original on principle, although that hasn’t been my trend as of late.
In my head, I can hear a better production and arrangement for Hall and Oates. Their cut really does have this demo feel to it, but it never really gels.
“We’ll make this a fucking masterpiece when we get to the studio, Johnny!”
B: Yeah, you’ve gotta give Paul and whoever produced it credit for completely rearranging the song.
G: Also – (and this may be a product of knowing Paul’s version first) not having that one beat rest in the chorus annoys me about H2O’s version. It makes it feel rushed.
That pause in Young’s version is a subtle but effective gesture.
B: Look at you getting all music nerdy on a brotha. I have a tremendous music nerd boner right now.
G: Oh, I bet you say that to all the ladies.
B: bats eyelashes innocently
G: Awwww, sugah!
So this is a clear victory for Paul Young.
I hope he still plays this song as his encore when he rocks the fucking Roy Rogers gear.
B: Maybe it’s a country version?
G: Like that bluegrass version of “Jump?”
B: OH GOD
G: Anything else boss?
B: No, sir. i think we’re all set. It has, as always, been a pleasure!
G: Peace.
B: Peace!
So, Paul Young wins this edition of the Cover Convo. However, he also wins due to the apparent disappearance of those dirty pictures of himself! You wily rascal, Paul.