So as I was saying, this is a cover of a Ray LaMontagne song, “Beg Steal or Borrow”.
I was really taken with this tune when I first heard it, and the thought of covering it followed more or less immediately.
He’s such a great and inimitable singer, though, that I couldn’t really find a way into the tune for myself. Until one day when I was listening and thought, ‘what would this sound like with more than one voice, and with electric piano in addition to the guitar?’
(A lot of the covers I do start that way, with adding additional voices and an instrument or two that isn’t present on the original recording.)
Once I focused on these elements, the recording came together pretty fast…if you can call waiting 7 years to finish the thing ‘pretty fast’! Hope you dig this, and that you’re having a great summer!
~ Mike
P.S. Question: would you like to hear more covers? Let me know!
Thanks Mike! I don’t know Ray but like it. Just getting up off the floor from hearing Starman for the first time, now this… Keep them coming!
Great – thanks, Jay! Aiming to keep you on the floor as long as possible…
Love it, Mike!
Thanks, Michelle!
Two favorites of mine blended.
Thanks, Dana – yes, I was attempting to become one with Ray…
Always love the radionowhere choices. Especially dug the sustained organ chord in the Bridge!
Cool, thx Michael! Nice catch on the B3 – it was a subtle easter egg for attentive & musically-minded listeners, always try to sneak some organ in there somewhere!
Oh, it’s a nice one.
Personally, it’s a good day for me anytime Radio Nowhere hits my mailbox so i’m just genuinely happy for any new material coming my way, whether it is covers or new songs or just random stories (just wish it would happen a little more often). though some of us still hope to hear “firecracker” again, you know. And if we are allowed to make suggestions, how would you feel about covering a u2 song for example? or maybe peter gabriel?
Great – thanks, Andrey! Yes, I know things have been quiet on the Radio Nowhere front lately, but I’m hoping to change that a little bit this fall. Should at least be able to drop some more random stories on you 😉 Definitely open to working on some U2 and/or Peter Gabriel as well. What songs come to mind?
With U2 it seems easy to me – i’d say, “Actung Baby” rhymes best with your style, so it’s things like “even better than the real thing”, “the fly”, “ultraviolet”.
It’s harder when it comes to Gabriel. While i root hard for “Tower that ate people” (like with “Suicide tuesday” guitars and even LZ cover robots), some classic tunes like “In your eyes” or “Mercy street” could use your touch as well.
Really good tune for Radio Nowhere. Loved listening to it.
Cool – thx, Greg!
LOVE your version of this one! Going to listen to it again now. Your voice, harmonies and arrangement are all so listenable. Thanks for sharing!
Hey, that’s great, Linda – thanks! Always happy when I put out something that earns a second listen 😉
Much dig. Big fan of Ray & this tune, and you did a fine job, man. Choruses especially sweet.
Glad to hear it – if the choruses aren’t sweet on a tune like this, then it doesn’t really matter whether you cleared the bar on the verses. Thx!
I really like it – great tune for you to cover. I don’t know the original but RLM always makes me cry – such a great lyricist. This version has a kind of upbeat summer feel though…road trip song for sure.
PS as far as I can tell you’ve got a great sense of when its time for a cover, when its time to let a song come out of you.
Hey, thx Kristen! Appreciate your letting me know about the covers, too. You should definitely check out the original of this song:
https://youtu.be/O8_fGCCitEc
This is fantastic! I first heard Beg, Steal or Borrow when RLM played it at his show at the Greek Theater in Berkeley and it was just incredible how it completely filled the space. I had to have it and listened to it on repeat constantly for months after that… even while driving on work trips in random states.
I love this because it’s a great song but it is so clearly you singing it. Your voice is so amazing and distinctive – this version really is the best of two worlds!
This is so great, Michelle – thanks! Btw, driving through random states is exactly the scenario that most of the music I put out is made for 😉