What goes around comes back around. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, if not while listening to a member of a senior generation talk about clothing styles that have come back into style, then probably from Justin Timberlake. I’ve been noticing that in the music industry lately, this little proverb holds a lot of truth.
It’s not unusual to for modern artists to look to the past for guidance and inspiration when creating new music; the classics are classic for a reason and therefore have plenty to offer as far as muses go. However, there is a fine line between drawing from the past to create something new and ripping the past out of its era to revitalize it and/or pass it off for something original. Let’s take “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by the Black Eyed Peas for example: while the catchy chorus sounds ultra-modern with Fergie’s powerful vocals and hyped-up, techno beat, this doesn’t change the fact that it was also the chorus of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” originally recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes for the film Dirty Dancing 24 years beforehand.
Now, I realize that I sound a bit touchy about this, but I can assure you that this is simply because I cannot stand either the Black Eyed Peas or disco, so I find the combination of the two pointless and nauseating. Although many people accuse artists who incorporate more dated pieces into their work of being unoriginal and lazy, I believe, that when the technique is used tastefully, it can be inventive and refreshing.
Take, for example, the rising young rap artist, Logic. His early mixtape, Young Sinatra, is both well named and creatively compiled. The best track to exhibit this is easily the one that incorporates the album’s namesake: “One.” The timeless crooning and orchestral intro juxtaposed with the rap and overlaid, subtle beat that ensues creates something new and unexpected that somehow meshes the completely different genres beautifully. The remixed version of Frank’s “It Was A Very Good Year” that plays in the background—and occasionally comes to the forefront—gives the song fluidity and depth to back Logic’s rap.
Unlike normal marriages, this matrimony of old and new can work successfully with decades, even centuries, separating the happy couple. One popular new genre known for its broken syncopation and heavy techno bass, dubstep, is a prime model of this harmonious blend across the ages. If Marvin Gaye’s bluesy “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” isn’t exactly up your alley, you may enjoy “Dubvine,” dubbed by Ashes. Venturing even further into the past, there’s Wolfgang Gartner’s “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony,” which modernizes the world-renowned Beethoven piece while maintaining its original foreboding vibe.
Critics of this renaissance of music may claim that it ruins classics and discredits original artists and composers, but I feel that it does the opposite. It tests the ingenuity of modern artists while giving older songs that may have been forgotten by the 21st century a chance to step out from the shadows. And maybe the incorporation of throwbacks will even encourage today’s listeners to look search for the original pieces, opening them up to embrace a more eclectic and diverse collection of music. Maybe is good enough for me.
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I’m a fan of this blog! There’s nice depth to it, Skylar, and I love that you provide us with so many links that take us directly to the examples. (I should add: the new look is appropriately classy!)
I connected with this post SO MUCH. It frustrates me to no end when an artist attempts to recreate a song from the past and, like the Black Eyed Peas, essentially ruin it. I love that you point out artists that are effectively incorporating songs from the past and creatively working towards new ideas that use the past as inspiration. SO great.
This post, other than the examples you mentioned, made me think of “we no speak Americano” because, if I’m not mistaken, this song was made by remixing, and possibly adding to, an old-school club song. I mean the type of clubs you’d see in “I Love Lucy,” not the type of club we think of today. This proves your point about using older songs to create new ones can revitalize interest in the old song, because in the case of “We no speak Americano” I remember actually looking up the original song that was used for the new song. So bsically, I agree with you, revamping old songs is not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing, it really depends on how it’s done, and the target audience.
To start it off I love your blog, the title, the theme, it just has an interesting appeal to it. I love how you sort of verbally attacked the Black Eyed Peas and their horrible mash of a song they created. I hate that some artists have been doing just that, taking old classics and recreating them. Some things just don’t need to be recreated and remixed and what not. I don’t know about you but I find that insulting, its like “here I’m new in the music industry and can’t creatively write music so let me remake your songs” I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT.
There’s this new chick out that does this and she does it almost word for word. I’m not sure if you listen to or have ever heard Biggie Smalls song Party & BS or Drake’s song I’m ready for you but this girl almost sings their raps word for word. I thought it’d interest you because of how you felt about the BEP and their mash.