Andrew Barth Feldman is a name I didn’t know until very recently. I think it was his work with the production of Dear Evan Hansen. But I saw a clip (today’s second video) of him with Jennifer Lawrence from a movie that came out last year called No Hard Feelings. It was such an original version of a cover song that melds with the more serious undertones of the plot, which is otherwise billed as a comedy.
So, I decided this morning to look up what other covers he may have done and found this very true-to-the-original performance of Elton John’s “Rocketman,” live at 54 Below. I think he makes the song his own while honoring the original. No easy task when you’re playing piano with no band behind you.
So, today we have a rare double-feature Friday with these very different covers by Andrew. First his rendition of “Rocketman” and then the clip from the movie which would probably surprise even Hall and Oats. Which do you like better? I like them both for different reasons, but what kind of cover do you prefer, one that is mostly true to the original, or one that does something completely different and surprising with it?
We’ve done a few deep dives this week, so I’ll try to make our Friday Song of the Day intro more simple. When I brought this song up at work, it was Atticus Ross’s version with Trent Reznor and Karen O that came to mind for Mitch. That amazing cover appeared in 2011 over the credits of the film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Over the previous decade, the Led Zeppelin original from 1970, highlighting Jack Black’s participation, was featured in the movie School of Rock in 2003, and in 2007 it was a battle cry in Shrek the Third.
So, this number has had some serious staying power in popular culture. It’s most recent reappearance was in 2017 with Thor, his “friend from work,” The Hulk, Loki, and a cast of . . . is it thousands or hundreds? I don’t remember, let’s watch the scene. Happy Friday. Remember, as the students at the library like to tell me, “You slay.”
Okay, deep breath first. This is the song that inspired the theme this week. If you have not yet seen the movie Saltburn, I cannot think of what to say that might prepare you for watching this film. Anything I do say will be a spoiler of some sort. It’s billed as a dark comedy, a thriller, modern gothic. It’s shocking, I’ll tell you that. My own opinion is that it is brilliant, steeped in symbolism and psychology, but I’m afraid you might never speak to me again if you see it on my recommendation. Certainly, don’t see it if you’re squeamish. Don’t watch it with your mother or with children in the room. No, no, no. The movie’s website simply says:
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
That’s certainly underselling it. You can watch the trailer. But I’m already watching the movie a second time to analyze it. You might want to have me arrested, committed, or blocked for that. I’m not saying any of the characters are “good people.” It’s a horror film, after all, but its one that draws you in, not merely to gross you out, though there is plenty to make you squeal and leave the room. However, it’s also a movie that makes you feel and think. I could compare it to a bit of this film and a touch of that, but again, that would be saying too much, and it wouldn’t be accurate anyway. Satburn is definitely its own thing.
So, how does today’s Song of the Day fit in? We’re midway through a week of songs that got a brand new boost from movies, TV, and modern media. Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dance Floor” certainly qualifies, hitting the charts again after 22 years thanks to the movie. Released in December of 2001, Sophie’s first big single was a hit in the UK, peaking at number 2 and staying on the charts for 16 weeks, and Brian remembers hearing it in clubs in Philadelphia in the early 2000’s. By January of this year, after Saltuburn’s release in November, it hit the Billboard top 100 charts in the US for the first time.
We’re big Sophie fans at our house, and I was singing “Murder on the Dance Floor” at the library two weeks ago, before I even knew it was in the film! We watched the movie this past weekend simply because we love the song, and we were curious. This new found fame comes on the heels of her newest album, Hana, which was released this summer. So, in the bonus videos (Three-for-Thursday strikes again!), we’ll conclude with “We’ve Been Watching You,” my favorite song off the new collection, following her ominous 2016 single “Come with Us.” Both of these extra tracks could be used in a psychological thriller too. I hope someone is planning that!
I can’t show you the film’s concluding, jaw-dropping scene. You can thank me later. But it’s become a TikTok trend that even the singer participated in. Fully dressed in her case, though. ‘Nuff said.
Jeff's Song of the Day 