Music law says there are only three reasons to take on a famous cover: One, if you can best the original in technical vocal ability and/or interpretive approach. Two, if are going to completely flip the original and create something new while retaining just enough of the melody or flavor of what made the source material special. Three…well, there is no third, but good things come in threes, so I went with it.
Music law says there are only three reasons to take on a famous cover: One, if you can best the original in technical vocal ability and/or interpretive approach. Two, if are going to completely flip the original and create something new while retaining just enough of the melody or flavor of what made the source material special. Three…well, there is no third, but good things come in threes, so I went with it.
All jokes aside, there are three killing covers out of this FREE, surprising, and downloadable project, The Funkin’ 90s EP, from relative UK newcomer, Meleka. Belting for her life, Meleka takes on the biggest R&B hit of Tevin Campbell’s career (“Can We Talk”) and, with the help of Hoost behind the boards, makes it a modern tour de force of good ol’ fashioned sangin’. Producer Intalekt decides a four-on-the-floor disco approach to the smooth R&B jam that broke Donell Jones, “Where I Wanna Be,” to the A-level ranks of R&B for a time. While she doesn’t steal either song from their original artists, Meleka does each justice, whereas with SG Lewis’s production of the UK garage star Monsta Boy’s “I’m Sorry,” there is simply no comparison: she five-fingered it for life. The Kz production of Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” Bearcubs spin on Soul For Real’s “Candy Rain” and Intalekt’s funkier whirl of 702’s “You Don’t Know” are all phenomenally sung, but more hit or miss affairs, depending on how committed you are to the originals.
Still, throughout each fun-filled production, Meleka not only did herself justice by complying with all aspects of the “soul cover music law,” she even paid special heed to the most important and unwritten of them all: first, do no harm. Now that’s the kind of respect for soul tradition we could use a little more of these days.
By L. Michael Gipson
*For the FREE DOWNLOAD visit: http://meleka.bandcamp.com/album/the-funkin-90s-ep