GUEST SPOT # 32 - Cake - I Will Survive

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Cake - 'I will Survive' (1996)


Everyone loves a good cover, but not more than Neo. He has more excellent covers collected than the 30,000 Marvel comics entombed in our garage. Here's one of his favourites! What are yours??

I have a few passions in my life. One being my support of Liverpool FC for the past 30 plus years. Music is up there too, and cover versions are an integral part. I have sought out bizarre ones as well as the more common ones. I find that if I hear the cover before the original I often tend to prefer the cover, however there are exceptions to this.

 In 1996 I was working for a High Street bank in the wonderful town of Feltham and unfortunately the nearest record store was 2 train stops away in sunny Staines. My lunch break on a Monday was a ritual for me. At precisely 12pm I would run to the train station for the train that left around 12.05. Once in Staines I would run to Our Price (RIP) and peruse the new releases for any gems that maybe on offer. This particular Monday I saw that 'Fashion Nugget' by Cake was there. After paying (and trying miserably to chat up the cool tattooed girl behind the counter) I then proceeded to run back to the station to get back to work. I usually made it back by 12.50 which gave me time to wolf down my packed lunch (thanks Mum).

I'd heard 'The Distance' a number of times on the radio and was impressed by the singer’s deep voice and the great trumpet sound which they excel at.But this is no cover I hear you cry and you'd be right, however when I put the CD in I immediately forwarded to track 7. Having read the track listing on the train journey back I saw that they were doing 'I Will Survive'. Growing up in the 70's, I had probably heard the Gloria Gaynor version a 100 times (99 times more than I cared to) and was intrigued how they would be able to incorporate the deep voice of Joel McCrea and their style to this disco classic. I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. At times the slowed down approach doesn't quite seem to fit, but that makes it extra special for me. Oh and they drop in the 'F' word occasionally too. Screw you Disco.

In addition to this, they have covered all manner of artists including Doris Day, Black Sabbath & Barry White to name a few. Oh and they covered the Muppets Theme too.

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