Funkytown

Each post will pit against each other 2 recordings of the same song.  Posts will cover either 1) a 60's or 70's version of a song (sometimes the original, sometimes itself a cover) vs. the 80's (or late 70's new wave) cover, or 2) an original 80's (or late 70's new wave) song vs. a post-80's cover.  Unless otherwise stated, I prefer the 80's version.  Debate and questions are welcome and encouraged.

Let's start with the first type of battle, and one of the most un-80's songs imaginable: "Funkytown".  The original version was sung by Lipps Inc.  Although first released in 1980, this song was recorded in 1979, and for all intents and purposes is a 70's song, one of the last gasps of dying disco.  "Funkytown" was covered half a decade later by Australian band Pseudo Echo, released in 86.  It is difficult to fathom how an 80's cover of a disco song would sound, but that's exactly how this sounds: an 80's cover of a disco song -- without sounding like a disco song.  Although this recording, like many from the 80's, sounds dated, it doesn't sound nearly as dated, IMO, as the original.  And the cover doesn't sound as dated as it might have had it been recorded in the early 80's.

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