Tune du Jour: “Fox on the Run” – Sweet
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Girlschool vs. Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 vs. The Upside Downers
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The Original
An Arnie request …
Sweet:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Girlschool vs. Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 vs. The Upside Downers
Girlschool:
Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13:
The Upside Downers (aka The Del Gatos):
The first song from this EP is Fox on the Run. If you like it there are three more covers: September Girls, I Want You To Want Me and Pleasant Valley Sunday.
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
Yes—this was one of my requests, so I’m thrilled.
I loved this song the moment I heard it. I bought the single when I was 15, and it pushed all my buttons: that spacey electronic intro, the synths, the power chords, and those completely over-the-top drum fills. It’s pure glam rock: high energy, a little ridiculous, and the perfect mix of hard rock and bubblegum. A quintessential glitter rock classic.
There are two versions of the song: the less energetic album version from Desolation Boulevard (with a different guitar riff) released in 1974, and the much better, classic, synth-heavy single from 1975, the one featured in your video. No contest.
As for the covers, I loved the Girlschool version. They’ve really nailed that arena rock sound. I recently saw Lez Zeppelin—an all-female Zeppelin cover band—and Girlschool gave me a similar vibe. Great energy, great attitude, and yes, I’m a sucker for the British accents. That said, it’s a shame they went with the album version. I would’ve loved to hear them take on the single.
The Frankenstein Drag Queens… not so much. A little too rough around the edges, and the vocals couldn’t quite hit those crucial high notes. And that video—yikes. Like a low-budget, draggy Marilyn Manson.
The Upside Downers were a mess, but in a very good way. Muddy, sloppy, but kind of glorious, especially the way they leaned into those insane drum fills. It was a close call between them and Girlschool, but I gave the edge to Girlschool, even with the “wrong” version.
The original video you included is good, but there’s another one I like even more. Same general idea, but with more personality. The singer taps his cheek during “you think you got a pretty face,” and the guitarist is way more animated. But the real star, as always, is the bass player’s hair. They all look ridiculous, but his is next-level. When they cut to him as he sings “Fox is on the runnnn,” I laugh my head off.
Here’s the version I’m talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRv7EjjwYBI&t=82s
Arnie, you are right about the superiority of this video so I have modified my original post to use it instead.
As everyone knows by now, I am partial to women rocking and this group certainly throws it down with verve and aplomb.
I’ve had the Frankenstein Drag Queens on a few times now. Not my genre of music at all, yet they look like they’d be loads of fun for one evening live! And I can’t help but be impressed each time with their savvy craftsmanship and energy. Metal Version of The Leaving Trains?
Never heard of The Upside Downers before but apparently they had quite the cult following in the valley. This is from what is supposed to have been a legendary show.
All Performed Extremely Well And Obviously Loved Doing This Song … But No Surprise Here … Girlschool … I’ve Never Enjoyed This Song As Much As Watching These Badass Lasses Kick Out The Jams!!!
A big radio hit during my college years. I can specifically recall it blasting out of huge speakers from the TKE house. The immensely catchiness of this song is equalled only by the inanity of the lyrics. I eventually listened to the whole Desolation Boulevard album and it’s similarly catchy with rock and roll heft. I kept four of the songs to a playlist. I remember when Girlschool played Flynn’s Ocean 71. They were a hot ticket for s little bit. They easily win this battle with their guitar heavy cover. Is Frankenstein Drag Queens not enough of a name? The lengthening only detracts. Who were the vocalists that didn’t make the cut? Yow! Impressive that they could find the reason to carry on. I remember The Del Gatos. Hard to believe that they were satisfied with the sound for this live EP. Awful. Girlschool covers the spread.
Girlschool performs well and earns the vote. Good guitar in the middle of the song.
The most memorable thing about the middle act is the length of the band name (it’s a paragraph). Oh, and the makeup, costumery, and affectations. Where would they be if they performed sans makeup with jeans and t-shirts? Right where they are today: third place.
I listened to the entire four song EP by The Upside Downers. My only complaint was the sound quality, or lack thereof. They chose four worthy and catchy pop / rock songs and performed them with enthusiasm. Still surprised this was released as is as an EP.