There hardly seems be something more incongruous than Judge Smith covering other artists’ songs, because this musician has occupied a class of his own for so long that whatever influences he may draw upon for his albums, the results always sound totally original. Still, the beginning of September is to see the release of “Copy Cat”: a compendium of pieces Smith recorded, as he puts it, “in respectful admiration” of a version Judge deems definitive.
Thus, his reference point for “First We take Manhattan” was Joe Cocker’s take on the Leonard Cohen perennial, and for “Over The Rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s reading of it, even though he looked up to the classic variants of the remaining three numbers, including one by P. J. Proby.
What’s more, it will be a double-disc affair, with the second platter dedicated to Judge’s “The Overstayer” that should have had a physical form, which proved to be commercially unreasonable – what with the album’s 18-minute length and socially charged topic – until now.
As for why Mr. Smith turned to the borrowed material…
Copy Cat
“I wanted to do some recording, but I didn’t have any new tunes that were begging to be made into songs,” says Judge. “However, I did want to get John Ellis, Robert Pettigrew and Ian Fordham playing together, as I knew they would make a very tasty little band. I don’t have a regular drummer on speed dial, so I thought I would go out on a limb and see if Jim Christopulos might possibly be interested in doing some remote tracks for me. More to the point, would he be able to record himself, since recording a drum kit requires a lot more equipment and resources than any other instrument? He’s a fine drummer and was already sympathetic to my own work. Fortunately, he was able to get some studio time for the project. I am so delighted with what he did and with what all the other guys played.
“It was mixed in an excellent studio local to me, ‘Axe & Trap’; a new and different experience from my many years of working with the late, and sadly missed, Pat Collier at his studio in the south of London, but very satisfying and straightforward, nonetheless. These are simply songs where particular recordings have made an impression on me – and which had an upfront piano part for Robert to get his teeth into – songs where I thought ‘I wouldn’t mind having a go at that one!” There is nothing more serious or structured to the project than that.”
And that’s the list of covers he offers:
1. First We take Manhattan
2. Werewolves Of London
3. White Light/White Heat
4. Hold Me
5. Over The Rainbow
