My Imaginary Readers Write

Here are a few letters I did not get in response to yesterday's column.

Dear SilentGriot,

Aren't you being too hard on Barry Manilow? After all, he writes the songs that make the young girls cry.

Girl Against Griot

Dear GAG,

And he also sings the songs that make me cry, especially his version of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. Although, to be fair, I did find his "dance" moves to the song entertaining. Apparently, when he appeared on American Idol this last season (in the highest rated episode, no less), he gave them the benefit of his experience and in exchange they taught him some "hep new moves".

Dear SilentGriot,

I thought you were in favour of artistic expression. What's wrong someone liking a song and singing it?

A Concerned Reader

Dear Concerned Reader,

I have absolutely nothing against people liking songs so much that they sing them. In fact, that is why God invented shower stalls and road trips in cars. When you are driving down Yonge Street (with the window closed) sing as heartily as you want, whether you sound good or not. Just don't foist a tortured version of what was once a beautiful song on the paying audience like the two artistes in question have.

Dear Font of All Knowledge,

Who died and made you the Music Pope? Who gave you the right to say people are not allowed to cover songs?

Just Wondering

Dear JW,

I didn't even know the job was open, but since it is, I humbly accept your nomination. We can dispense with all the formality and you can just address me as "Your Griotness". To answer your question, I am not opposed to people covering other artists' songs. I just wish they would cover songs well.

Take one of the songs in question, for example. My all time favourite version of People Get Ready is not the original, but rather a version done in the 1960s by the little-known UK group Jimmy James and the Vagabonds. Unlike Rod Stewart, JJ & the V did not cover the song to prove they had soul -- they covered the song because they had soul. If you can track down a copy of the Vagaonds version and compare it to the Stewart version you will hear a purity on the former that is missing from the latter.

Other cover versions that I can recommend are:

• Rock the Kasbah by Rachid Taha, an Arabic version of the old Clash anthem
• Hurt by Johnny Cash
• Ring of Fire by Zimbabwe's Bhundu Boys
• Afrika by Tukuleaur, a bilingual French-Toucouleur reworking of a rather weak Toto original
• Spit on a Stranger by Nckel Creek
• One by Johnny Cash
• Puff the Magic Dragon by the Loop, a frenzied reworking of the children's classic by a friend and former co-worker

Nuff said!

Keep those imaginary emails and comments coming.