Watch The Black Keys live cover of Edwyn Collins’ classic ‘A Girl Like You’
Ask anyone who has witnessed The Black Keys play live and whether they love them or loathe them, they will be forced to admit that they are one of the best live bands around. Even their nemesis Jack White wouldn’t begrudge that if he ever gave them the time of day at a gig. With a tightness that only comes from endless hours trying to drum up a show in a dodgy dive bar, they can make a simple blues riff kick like a mule.
That sets them up for a superb live rendition of Edwyn Collins’ classic anthem, ‘A Girl Like You’. For this 1994 effort from his Gorgeous George album, the former Orange Juice star was trying to pay tribute to the moody, riff-orientated music of the great Iggy Pop. You’d have to say that he succeeded and then some. There was even talk that Mr Pop might perform his own version at some point.
The track represents a fresh start for Collins after a tumultuous period. “I was glad I finished with Orange Juice,” he declared like Taz’s dad after Vitamin C rehab. “Too many fights, too many arguments. I don’t like that, it’s not me.” So, he went it alone, started sampling beats to make up for his lost band members and started squeezing fresh hits.
‘A Girl Like You’ features a drum sample of Len Barry’s single ‘1-2-3’ which provides plenty of rhythm for Patrick Carney to play around with. The Black Keys stay true to the original though, while their own natural musical muscularity shines through in spades. This is Collins with a solid stamp of Akron, Ohio’s ruggedness thrown in there.
Crunchy and charismatic, when you’re covering a classic like this it’s easy to go wrong, but the boys from the City of Seven Hills out just enough of their own energy into it to make it worthwhile without ruining the brilliance of the original melody. This is a feast that our ears have been lapping up for a long time now—it’s just a cracking piece of invigorating rock.
You can check out their rousing rendition on Jimmy Fallon below.
