One of my favourite cover versions- I Heard It Through The Grapevine by The Slits. In 1979 The Slits released their debut single, the exhilarating, spiky, punky Typical Girls. The Slits were original punks, London living waifs and strays who found themselves energised and then unleashed by punk. Dennis Bovell produced them, bringing some heavyweight reggae skills to their untutored, learning- on- the- job sound.
Their cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine is a blast, off kilter dub punk, a version with entirely its own spirit and energy. Singer Ari completely re- imagines Marvin Gaye's impassioned vocal, turning it into something very different- the infidelity that Ari has heard about has empowered her, transforming the song.
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Budgie played drums on their album and on Typical Girls but here the drums by Max Edwards (who played with Zap Pow and Soul Syndicate as well as on a slew of recordings with The Heptones, The Ethiopians and Augustus Pablo). The Slits version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine never quite does what you expect it to, it's got a life of its own, the hmmm hmmmm backing vocals are loose and the wayward rhythm keeps the listener on their toes, the bass and drums almost sliding around.