Continuing with the current theme of Cover Tunes (though I promise not to subject you to 50 this time), today I present a twist on the subject; Instead of going yet again with today's cover versions, I'm going to venture back a few decades to bring you the original source material. Just as today's artists are looking for their inspirations from songs of the 80s (and soon to be 90s), some of my adolescent and young adult favorites were inspired by songs of the 60s and 70s, drawing heavily from Glam and Northern Soul.

So without further ado, I give you RobotSound Presents the Originals, a playlist of the past. I encourage you to post your own forgotten originals in the comments (staying away from the obvious choices, of course).

Disclaimer: A few tracks are indeed covers themselves, but I felt they should still be included since they retained the feel of an original and could easily be mistaken for one.

Tonight I decided to do another post of Covers because yes, it's easy, plus, there's so much content out there, it's more of a challenge deciding what not to post than what to include. I knew there were plenty of versions of Kraftwerk's The Model (or, Das Model, the original German version) out there, but I had no clue just HOW many! They're in no particular order, except for how I came across them.

In order to avoid overdosing on this song (or getting it irretrievably stuck in your head), I urge you to listen to these in doses. Maybe you can start an office tradition and play one version a week for your appreciative co-workers on "Model Mondays." I don't know. Anyhow, enjoy!

Zoot Woman
Slick version from the group that brought you Living In a Magazine (where The Model undoubtably resides).

The Cardigans
These Swede popstars cover Das German version.

Rammstein
Teutonic metal. Not my thing, but I'm sure lots of angsty German kids dig this one.

Techni-ka
Madonna's Music Remixed via Kraftwerk. Maybe Madonna IS a robot after all...

Big Black
Noise rockers sludgin' it out. Still one of the best, IMO.

Nullsleep
Nullsleep reproduces it for the 2006 Blip Fest...

8-Bit Tunes
...which probably inspired this remake...

Yet Another 8-Bit Remix
...and this one.

Alphastates
Our first modern classical interpretation on the list.

Spizzenergi
Punky, cheeky take on it. Love those backup singers.

Messer Chups
I expect Tarantino to license this for a Yakuza flick.

Boris Brejcha
Guess it's inevitable that there would be a Minimal Tech cover.

Triology
More string quartet action here. The song is particularly suited for these instruments.

Joe Peas
Respectable Acid-y Italotronique remix.

Ladytron - He Took Her To A Movie
Technically not a cover, but you can hear parts of the song in there, no doubt. A nod to their futurist forebearers.

The Pistolas - Take It With A Kiss
Also not a cover, but that bassline is sounding awfully familiar...

Vocaloid SweetAnn
Japanime Robo-voiced Strangeness

Glen Hansard
Das Young Kountry ist gut.

Dr. Kondor's Robot Mix
Robotastic.

Seventh Celestia
Ballidic, soothing piano demo. And now, Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey.

Mite Pauley
This guy's first remix. Not terrible I must say, if a bit overly long.

Matt West's Unplugged Version
Another piano one. I hear this one's used for the Hold Music when you call Kraftwerk's Customer Service line.

Erdmöbel
ök version, i suppose.

Dead Modell Jumpstyle Cover
Jumpstyle. Okay, another "genre" to avoid.

Noisebreezer
Minimally offensive, if a bit stagnant.

Mezkal
UK Kids are rockin' it.

VCR5
The accordian is a nice touch.

Ulf Hansson
More accordian for you. If I ever have a robot child, I'm naming him Ulf.

TonePort GX
German Metalpop a la Rammstein

James Sakal
Now at your local pub. Remember to tip your bartender!

The Singaia
Another surf guitar remake. Groovy.

The Listrix
Cool ties, guys.

Climatique
Straight Outta łódź!

FM feat. Emiliano & Synapscape
Very nice. I Like.

Overproof Soundsystem
First introduced to me by a RobotSound reader, this one reminds me of Original Rockers.

Sessiones Reggae [excerpt]
Another wikkid riddim for ya, mon.

David Byrne & Balanescu Quartet
David Byrne doing the robot makes this thee winner in my book.

Korabl
Eastern Bloc Rock with a Spaghetti Western vibe.

Orso Manzoneta
Bouncy Eurotrance. Yay.

Deep Six Creator
Bouncy Eurotrance. Yay.

Plazmabeat feat. Der Feind
Bouncy Eurocrap. Yay.

DJ Whytee's 21st Century Mix
Nothing really unique about this one. Not sure why I'm posting it.

Localhost
Another somewhat mediocre one.

Lektron
Cheesy, but kinda fun nonetheless.

Joan Chia
Played entirely on church bells. I kid you not.

Electric Model Flare Mix
Robot Tested, Robot Approved.

Alexampler
This one gets lame at about the 1 minute mark. Just warning ya. And that model? Yeesh.

VTRN! 2008 Rework
Autsch! Ausgezeichnet!

Mariopaint
I like one YouTuber's comment: Cute, but where's all the bpm? Are you on cough syrup or something?

Another blog has beat me to this topic. Plenty (and I mean PLENTY) more here, including ones by Electric Six, Ride and gulp, Moby.

Need even more versions???
Check this Russian site that's got a file with 70(!) of them, including many of the ones listed above. 378 MB worth. Egads! Will they ever stop?

Still not satisfied?!? Make your own damn version!

It's time once again for RobotSound's next installment of I <3 The 80s, only this time...it's personal. No actually, I'm showcasing 80s covers that didn't really need to be made. So as not to make this a total downer of a post, I'm also including a few worthy versions that earn this robot's Seal of Approval.
[For those of you who may have missed our previous episodes: Part 1 > Part 2 > Part 3]

Even though we're 20 years out from the final year of the 80s, they're still very much with us as evidenced both by the milestone deaths of Michael Jackson and John Hughes and the continuing bad hipster fashion of the day. I keep rediscovering songs of the era that still hold up to this day, unlike much of today's "Flavor of the Week" garbage. The following tracks just go to show that you can try to emulate the greatness of yesteryear, but your best bet is often to simply leave well enough alone and let the originals speak for themselves.

Cazals - To Cut A Long Story Short
Faithful cover of the Spandau Ballet hit that doesn't bring much new to the game. If this were for a band karaoke contest, it would be good enough to propel the band to the next round, I suppose.

The Visitors - Our Lips Are Sealed
Saccharine Electro House version that will have you bored by the end of the track. Don't bother with Nouvelle Vague's recent take on it either (even if Terry Hall sings on it). Do yourself a favor and get the Fun Boy 3 12" and watch this great sounding live clip. The gothed-out cellist at 2:21 ftw!

Moby - New Dawn Fades
Sorry Moby, you're not at all right for a Joy Division song, no matter how big a fanboy of theirs you were. Boring Vegan Emo crap. Zzzzz....

Shiny Toy Guns - Major Tom (Coming Home)
Apparently, most people have heard this one in a Lincoln commercial. Maybe the advertisers figured that if they hired some hot young band to cover a classic 80s song, they'd win some street cred with Generation Hipster. Shiny Toy Guns also bear responsibility for their unnecessary cover of DM's Stripped. I think these guys are desperately trying not to be One-Hit Wonders.

Paris Hilton - Do You Think I'm Sexy
No, Paris, we don't think you're sexy. The correct term is skanky (though from a Marketing perspective, you're a fooking genius). Oddly enough, there's no corresponding video for this song. For a better, and far sleazier cover, enjoy this version from those Revolting Cocks. (Warning: Might be a tad awkward for work). Queen of Japan turn in a good rendition of it as well.

KMFDM - Being Boiled
NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Why?!?! There is NO need for this. You probably won't make it all the way through this one. Sadly, nothing in life is sacred any longer.

Nethescerial - The Robots
Black Metal jackassery of the highest order. You're douchebags, not robots! For the polar opposite of this offal, dig this modern classical take from Quintorigo that's reminiscent of the one by the Balanescu Quartet.

Kelly Osbourne - Two of Hearts
Don't f**k with Stacey, Jeezus! I mean, what's the point really?
/shakes head disapprovingly
For a more respectable remake, try Annie's, although it too is unnecessary.

For my first act as president, I declare a moratorium on bands/artists covering The Normal's Warm Leatherette. If you feel the need to perform your interpretation of an early electronic minimal wave song, there are plenty to choose from. There is no further need for putting your spin on Daniel Miller's classic ode to J.G. Ballard's Crash. Seriously folks. It has been done.

Please remember to always buckle your seat belt when travelling in a motor vehicle. Unlike the song's exhortations, you do not want to join The Car Crash Set.
Thank you.

BONUS TRACKS
Thanks to my buddy Chris, an authority when it comes to all things Cover Version, I can now safely say that RobotSound is the web's definitive spot for your Leatherette needs. Now please enjoy all 35 (!) flavors...(warning: you may not want to enjoy them all at once). New ones are on top.

Analogue Brain
This is actually a remix of the original, but nowadays, the line between "remix" and "cover" is increasingly blurry.

Mr. Spagandy
This wasn't available anywhere except for his MySpace account, but thanks to Chris and Mr. Spagandy, it's now available here for you.

Chicks on Speed
Here's an alternate Chicks on Speed version. If my memory serves me correctly, they used a Panasonic track for the backing beats/noises. This is the Ramon Bauer and Gerhard Potuznik edit.

Grace Jones 1
LP version by the lovely and talented Ms. Jones.

Grace Jones 2
12" version for an added minute of enjoyment.

KOYT!
Another Dirk Ivens-related one here from KOYT!, fronted by Merlin Burghgraeve (ex-Klinik, Noise Unit and Vomito Negro). This one gave me a distinctly Bauhaus-esque vibe with its goth-rockin' overtones. Read and listen to more about Mr. Burghgraeve here.

Rubin Steiner
Psychedelic krautrock from a Lo-Fi Nu Jazz Frenchbloke, Frédérick Landier. Check his site (en français) for more.

4E
Probably the track that bares the least resemblance to the original. I hesitated posting this earlier since it's stretching it to call this a cover, but for the completist's sake...

SiNDADDY
Angry Industrial Rock/Metal.

Destruction Unit
Angry Experimental Postpunk. More self destruction yonder.

Angel Dust 216
The sound of robots getting dusted.

BEiNG vs. LuCIDol
Lee BEiNG and friends breathe some new life into the old classic. I dig the abrasive swing beat that eventually morphs into glitch-break-core-ism.

1/22/09

Absolute Body Control - Live @ The Christmas Ball 2008
Dirk Ivens rocks it live.

Signal Electrique
The vocoder works. Two soundboards up! A worthy contender.

Prayer Tower
A commendable effort. Bonus points for some nice crash test footage.

Hell
Even the head Gigolo had a stab at this one.

Chicks On Speed
Definitely one of the Chicks' better efforts.

Giddle & Boyd
Boyd can do no wrong. His monotone vocalizations soothe me. And GoGo Giddle is the kitten with a whip.

Velocity Star
Rose McDowall provides the sexy vocals here over a track that stays pretty faithful to the original.

Grace Jones
Live from her "One-Man Show" circa 1982-1983. Grace is probably the only person who can work a Latin/Tropical/Slow Disco rhythm into this track and get away with it.

The Absolute Revolting Neon Maniacs
Belgian supergroup consisting of ABC (Dirk Ivens), Luc Van Acker (RevCo), Dirk de Davo (Neon Judgement) and friends.

Blok 57
Yet another cover by a Dirk Ivens band. I think he really likes this song.

Zombie Zombie (Jealous Lovers Klub Cinemix)
Zombies can be car crash fetishists too!

Magnetic Stripper (Cell Faulted Mix)
Obviously performed by a robot, this compact interpretation gets a nod from the robots here.

Takkyu Ishino
Even Nipponese robots love Daniel Miller.

Duran Duran
Simon Le Bon and co. channeling Kraftwerk while wearing vinyl jackets? Now is the time on Shprockets ven ve pretend ve are German.

Die Tödliche Doris
They've definitely got the minimal part of it down. I'll give them that much.

Dugga
I can't tell you anything about Dugga. All I can tell you is that this one has that Belgian Hoover sound.

J.G. Thirwell
Best known for his Foetus output, here's Mr. Thirwell's evil spy-thriller take on the tune.

Sleep Chamber
Maybe the creepiest of the bunch.

Vitalic
Live track with Vitalic's trademark touches. Not nearly as thrilling as you'd expect it to be.

Pankow
East German industrial noisemakers. Oontz, oontz, oontz...

Peter Murphy & Trent Reznor
Meh.

Club 69
This version is called Love Leatherette. You simply cannot make a gayer version than this.

The laziness continues here at RobotSound. Instead of looking towards the future we've had our heads stuck firmly in the past. Today's offering is yet another post focusing on a perennial favorite that a slew of artists have performed over the years.

The original, Elton Motello's 1977 gay punk anthem, Jet Boy Jet Girl, is about a 15-year-old boy's sexual relationship with another guy, who then rejects him for a girl. Plastic Bertrand re-recorded the song as Ca Plane Pour Moi with Motello's musicians, changed the lyrics (which were deemed too controversial at the time), and turned it into a worldwide hit.

So, as an anti-Valentine's Day tribute of sorts, here are 17 versions of a song that should resonate well with our gay teen robot demographic.

Elton Motello
The original.

Plastic Bertrand
The French version most people are familiar with. If you want to understand what the hell he's singing, check this breakdown of the lyrics.

Sonic Youth
I particularly love how they turned the lyrics into gibberish.

The Damned
Live in '79.

David Carretta
Off of his first LP, our favorite mustached-Frenchman is firmly in DJ Gigolo territory here. Les Robots Rule!

Maeder
French pop punks with silly girls dancing. Wooo hooo oooo oooo...

Midnight Juggernaughts
A recent intepretation from these Australian upstarts. A YouTube commenter aptly states, "Not bad but I can't believe someone can play this song sitting on their asses! Too stiff."

Tears
Manufactured slutpop.

Sexbomba
Very smooth vocal delivery. This guy definitely practiced.

Leila K.
Super-kinetic Swedish cyberpop. I like it.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Very abbreviated version that's basically just the chorus (somehow I don't see Anthony memorizing those French lyrics).

The Softies
The Damned's Captain Sensible sings on this early cover.

Angel Corpus Christi
Lesbian Folk re-working?

Nell Campbell
Unbelievably kitschy take from Little Nell Campbell aka Columbia from Rocky Horror

Heavy Eric
Low-budget promo video from a bizarre yet talented performer. The smokin' females don't hurt either.

Normahl
Fairly straightforward punk with some added reverb on the wooo hooo ooo ooo.

Telex
My favorite. Telex vocoders for the Lounge Robot set.

The Bosshoss
Hillbilly garage featuring darn-tootin', newfangled lyrics. You low-down punk - you stole my junk!

Today I've got special treats for you androids out there. No, they're not Ding Dongs, those round chocolate cakes with a flat top and a white creamy filling...Nope, I don't have advance copies of Google's forthcoming iPhone challenger, the G1 "Android" phone (Sorry, I know, that would've been nice)...What I do have are your very own RobotSound™ Ringtones!

A couple friends appreciated my Galaga ringer, so I thought why not make a few more to share amongst like-minded folks. Since most commercially available ringtones don't cater to my tastes, I tried to find sounds that kept the robot in mind which worked well in the cell phone context. Most are arcade game-centric but the few that aren't still sound like they could have been from games. All were made on Cellsea, which also lets you to upload wallpapers, video and games. If you want to make your own from your favorite coin-op game of choice, Digitpress has a great stock of vintage mp3s and sound effects you can use.

Game Ringtones
Computor Rockers - Galaga
Computor Rockers - Burgertime
Computor Rockers - Pengo
Tapper
Berzerk [My current ringtone]
Steve Claydon [ex-Add N to [X]] - Arkanoid

Non-Game Ringtones
Dis*ka - Being Boiled
Dis*ka - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Frederik Schikowski - Rubik's Cube
Frederik Schikowski - Utopia Brasilia
Le Car - Audiofile 10
Le Car - Flame Job

All of the above, plus several more can be found on this page. If your phone doesn't allow you to visit the site (like mine didn't), you'll have to find a program that lets you copy files directly to your phone, via USB. For my now-ancient RAZR V3 I used P2K Commander, which also allowed me to make space by deleting some of the crappy default ringtones the phone came with...

And so let freedom ring from the pixelated screens of Silicon Valley.

Let freedom ring from every byte and kilobyte of your carrier's Coverage Area.

...and sing in the words of the old robot spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank Bot Almighty, free tones at last!

It's time once again to revisit that wonderful decade which, besides questionable fashion choices, gave us, in my opinion, some of the most innovative music of our lifetimes: The 80s. As you know from previous posts (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), this robot tends to enjoy cover songs from this particular time period. Not only do they make for nice trips down memory lane, but they intertwine your memories of the past with the modernized noises of the moment, while validating your particular musical tastes.

Our first selection is the lead-off track from the just-released Bowie tribute compilation, Life Beyond Mars. Performed by the lovely and talented girls of Au Revoir Simone, Oh! You Pretty Things originally appeared on Sir David's 1981 LP, ChangesTwoBowie. Other artists trying their hand at The Thin White Duke's catalog include Joakim, Matthew Dear, Susumu Yokota and The Emperor Machine.
Au Revoir Simone - Oh! You Pretty Things

Track two comes to us via the French "bodypop" trio known as Celluloide. Originally released by Sushi & her Banshees back in 1980 (!), this tune can be summed up thusly: Quirky, analogue bleeps and beats with goth-y undertones = Happy robots dancing in the shadows.
Celluloide - Happy House

Now is when we crank it up several notches (to 11) by going with Cursor Miner's version of Van Halen's Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love. Technically not an 80's cover (the original saw its debut on Van Halen's eponymous LP in 1978), it still retains that trashy, metal vibe of early 80s Sunset Strip.
Cursor Miner - Ain't Talkin About Love

Getting grungier still, we progress to a cover of a cover with Electronicat's interpretation of Soft Cell's Tainted Love. Fred Bigot (aka Electronicat) gets double bonus points for changing the vocals to French (the language of love) and fuzzing out to the max (tainting, if you will) the melody. Akin to watching Pier Pasolini's Salò.
Electronicat - Amour Salé

The first of two songs on this list penned by his Purple Highness, this one came out during the height of the Electrocla$h frenzy, on Larry Tee's Badd Inc.: Luxury, Excess, Extravagance comp. Featuring a gay, robotic Prince (judging from the name of this artist).
Prance - Controversy

More Siouxsie, more guitars/synths run through the fuzzbox, more detached android vocals, lyrics about chicken chow mein and chop suey...
HKC - Hong Kong Garden

Co-founder of XLOVER, Bryan Black (also of MOTOR) used to be Prince's keyboard tech back in Paisley Park's heyday. This one features a guest appearance from yet another sexy member of the royal family, Princess Superstar.
XLOVER - Darling Nikki