Juliana Hatfield - “Don’t Bring Me Down”
Photo by David Doobinin
It is not often that we feature covers on the blog. The few times that we have, they have always been tasteful renditions, often in styles that are vastly different from the originals. However, when we received an email containing new music from Juliana Hatfield, we knew we would feature its contents before we even opened it– she was part of the soundtrack to the best years of our lives. And she appears on the blog today with a smashing cover of ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” bringing the same ‘90s magic that she had when she first entered our ears.
A fantastic song already, Hatfield definitely had her work cut out for her when she decided to take it on. She adds: “ELO’s ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ is such a solid construction that trying to rework it initially felt like taking a sledgehammer to concrete.” And if a sledgehammer doesn’t work, the beat that she’s tasked with starting this recording will certainly shake down some walls. It is at first not apparent that it’s a cover at all, until the tell-tale riff arrives, bringing back countless memories accompanied by an army of goosebumps.
Hatfield has been wonderfully blessed, vocally, and she sounds just as fantastic as she did in 1993, upon the release of “My Sister,” which is the track that presumably made her such a staple for Gen Xers in the first place. And as we stated, ELO’s version was already fantastic, but Hatfield has truly succeeded in making “Don’t Bring Me Down” her own, complete with modern production and loads of that sweet, sweet mid-to-late ‘90s vibe.
For those of you who hear this and want more, we are pleased to inform you that Hatfield is releasing an entire album of ELO covers on November 17, appropriately titled Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO. Click here for the pre-order.
-TM