Tune du Jour: “Roxanne” – The Police
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Banter vs. Aswad vs. Tongo Hiti vs. AnnenMayKantereit & Milky Chance
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The Original
The Police:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Banter vs. Aswad vs. Tongo Hiti vs. AnnenMayKantereit & Milky Chance
Banter:
Aswad:
Tongo Hiti:
AnnenMayKantereit & Milky Chance:
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 
I consider The Police to be one of the most overrated bands of the early new wave era. But their first album was pretty good …
Banter somehow managed to change it up a lot while keeping it pretty much the same, both at the same time. The melodeon and trumpet really work! I loved it!
Aswad gave it the reggae treatment. Given The Police’s latter-career delve into this genre, the sound does not sound too out of place. Nice idea, however, it’s subpar reggae as far as I am concerned.
Mike’s foray into the world of The Police is spirited but, undoubtedly, would have been much more enjoyable to have taken in live (as I did, many a drunken Thursday eve at Trader Vic’s Tiki Bar in downtown ATL 🙂 ).
Annen, Milky et al. kickass!!! Great, soulful interpretation. The harmonica is a fantastic addition! Nicely done, boys, rivals the original.
The Brits and the Germans were at it again … in mortal combat. Could have gone either way, but today, I give an edge to the whimsey of Banter over the emotionally-charged cry of AnnenMayKantereit.
I agree The Police were among the most overrated and overplayed popular bands of that era. I never bought anything by them or Sting, although for some reason I did see The Police at the Lakeland Civic Center around 1980.
I’m a big fan of British Isles folk, but I don’t know Banter, and I wasn’t crazy about that cover.
There was a guy from Ghana who lived in my dorm who was a big fan of Aswad. He talked me into buying one of their LPs, which I still have. The album I have is raw and rootsy and good–nothing like this bright, shiny, commercial attempt at a huge pop hit.
That’s Mike Geier at the helm of Tongo Hiti. They get today’s vote. I only wish the sound and video were clearer.
Never heard of the final act, but that was good.