Crimson and Clover

"Crimson and Clover" was released by Tommy James and the Shondells in 68.  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts covered it in 82.  Unlike Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now", "Crimson and Clover" is more dated, both musically and vocally, than its 80's cover.  The album version of the original, which is the cut I posted, gets really psychedelic at about the halfway point.  But that's not a bad thing here.  This is one of the definitive late 60's psychedelic pop songs.  Through songs such as this, I can experience the late 60's musically -- safely -- without ever having had to actually live through them.  

Although punky, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' cover is basically a classic rock song.  It's harder than the original, but it's also less noisy.  You can hear a lot of instruments in the original; the cover is almost all guitar.  The cover is also sexy -- and that's not an adjective that I throw around to describe songs (or anything for that matter) -- from the very first words from Joan Jett's lips.  Although not as sexual as Joan Jett's "Do You Wanna Touch Me", it is sexier. Although the lyrics are the same, when I hear the original "Crimson and Clover", it sounds to me as if Tommy James is singing about doing drugs.  When I listen to the cover, it sounds as if Joan Jett is singing about doing something a lot more fun.   

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