My passion for music hit its first zenith in the 1980s (apart from my late 1970s obsessions with Andy Gibb's Shadow Dancing, Olivia Newton-John's Totally Hot, and the soundtracks from Grease and Saturday Night Fever).
I couldn't get my hands on enough music fast enough, and I used to visit record stores (remember those?) as much as possible to purchase the latest 45s, records, and cassettes. And of course, don't forget taping songs off the radio. (I remember trying so hard to only get the song on tape, not any of the DJs talking, and that was so difficult. I think I taped the same song 50 times before I got the whole song.)
I remember hearing the song Only You by the English group Yaz (known as Yazoo in the UK) in the mid-1980s. I loved the beat and especially loved the voice of the lead singer, Alison Moyet. I was a big fan of Yaz through the 1980s even though they broke up, and of course, the other member of Yaz, Vince Clarke, went on to form one of my most favorite groups, Erasure.
When I first heard Joshua Radin's cover of Only You, I was struck by the simplicity of his vocals and the background music. I tend to really enjoy stripped down cover versions of faster, poppier songs, and I think Radin's version really works.
Here's Radin's version:
And for a nice reminiscence, here is Yaz's version:
Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:
Borderline by The Counting Crows
How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee
Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen
I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls
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