Tune du Jour: “Love Song” – The Damned
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Melt-Banana vs. The London Punkharmonic Orchestra
Peruse, Comment and Vote (I Beseech, Implore and Urge Thee, respectively)
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Oh No!
There Ain’t No Broccoli Sauce…
Love Song by The Damned was first released as a single in April 1979 and appeared again in December 1979 on the band’s third and much ballyhooed release, Machine Gun Etiquette. Love Song was The Damned’s first hit, reaching number 20 on the UK Singles chart and earning the band a coveted appearance on Top of the Pops.
The Original
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The Damned:
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THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
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Melt-Banana vs. The London Punkharmonic Orchestra
Melt-Banana:
The London Punkharmonic Orchestra:
The London Punkharmonic Orchestra hold the distinction of being CMI’s Reigning Exultant Virtuosic Performer of “Love Song“. Additionally, The London Punkharmonic Orchestra is a recipient of CMI’s universally coveted title of Uni Victor Melodious Maximus in Adversarial Replication. Among the title’s myriad of rewards and benefits, perhaps most desirous is that it bestows upon the recipient the eminently yearned for privilege of having one’s name appear in print media in bold gold!
The London Punkharmonic Orchestra’s triumph in CMI’s THE CLASH of Cover Tunes competition is detailed below:
10/15/2013 – “Love Song” (The Damned) – The London Punkharmonic Orchestra (60%) edge Red Letter Day (40%)
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Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. Only one cover tune will live to play another day and it is your solemn responsibility to decide which one prevails. So tell me … Which Side Are You On?!!?
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Votes can be cast up to three months from the day and time of the original post.
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
I think The London Punkharmonic Orchestra’s version of this song is the best of all their covers. And I’ve yet to hear any effort of their’s I didn’t like. But Melt-Banana’s version may be to “Love Song” what Jimi Hendrix’s version is to “All Along The Watchtower”. That is to say, the definitive version. Japanese noise rock indeed. Melt-Banana play this song faster and in a style more manic that The Damned, which once upon a time I didn’t think was possible. Fantastic!
Another great song. Always hard to choose between covers that are so drastically different in style. But this is a PUNK song that was meant to be done punky, and Melt-Banana punk it up the required notch. So I give it to them.
While I love the creativity of an orchestra performing punk standards and usually would be happy to give the Punkharmonic entourage my vote, Melt-Banana just blows this one up. Maniacal, frenetic, chaotic and good plain fun. Would love to see them live. It’s Melt-Banana going away!
I actually like both of these enormously different versions quite a bit. Each time I listened to Melt-Banana’s version I was more impressed. At first I thought it was too similar to the original but each listen revealed how untrue that is. The production choices are very strange. They couldn’t play it live like this. It is a frenzy with some sounds muted and/or distorted and it sounds so squeezed that it brings to my mind paranoia and claustrophobia.The LPO version was cinematic and stirring. Using violin to carry the melody evokes much emotion and adds an odd melancholy to a song which is a rambunctious adrenaline rush originally.