Your Idols May Save You...

Inspiration. It's something all musicians have and in some cases your idols may save you from lifetime embarrassment - something you weren't far from.

Remember Preston? He was in the Ordinary Boys and was on Celebrity Big Brother (don't worry, I didn't watch it either). To be honest, I was never really interested in whatever he was up to from his failed marriage, to storming off the set of Never Mind the Buzzcocks to defend said marriage. Like so many others I'd just cast aside any of his musical input, without so much as an intoxicated listen. But his solo single 'Dressed to Kill' is actually a good song.

So the video may hold the headline slot for the yet-to-be-invented Cringe Fest (search 'Dressed to Kill - Preston' on youtube now to see what I mean) but the actual music isn't bad in the slightest. It's down to Siouxie & The Banshees and their song 'Happy House'. Preston has done what so many do in order to create a decent song - sampled.

Lady Sovereign sampled in that Cure track 'Close to Me' for her song 'So Human' and what did it get her? Radio and TV air time and playing in Topshop's up and down the country - now she knows she's made it!

I'm not saying sampling's bad, wrong, or means you've run out of ideas. (That's what covering is for... jokes!) In fact a lot of amazing songs have sampled in other artists work, DJs do it and it works like it has for the artists I've mentioned. Lady Sovereign and Preston now can be accepted as people with a good song under their belts... But then again, they may become one hit wonders. Possibly like choosing between the lethal injection and the electric chair. (Possibly an exaggeration).

SUMMER TUNE ALERT!
On another note of inspiration, give 'Silence is Talking' by Reverend & The Makers a listen. It instantly reminded me of The Charlatans, and perhaps that's where the Rev got his ideas from, but whatever it's a great song.