A Song That Should Have Stayed Under The Floorboards

I can't believe that I nearly missed this when having a scout around the Respect website.

Not being content with taking Aretha Franklin's great soul classic, Respect, in vain by using it as the name for the politically opportunistic lash up between the Socialist Workers Party and George Galloway, the Respect Unity Coalition have decided to re-record the Erasure *cough* classic, Respect* and push it as their election campaign song. (Aye I know the original song ain't that good and most people know it - if they know it at all - from the Wheatus cover version.)

After reading the following on their website: "Download the MP3 today and make it our theme song in your area. Pound out the message! Rattle the windows! Pump up the volume!" I had to download it. If the trendy vicar who writes the blurb on the Respect website likes it, it must be worth a listen . . .

Imagine for yourself the kitsch Euro-pop hits from the eighties, such as Nicole's A Little Peace; Ryan Paris's La Dolce Vita; Matthew Wilder's Break My Stride and Sabrina's Boys Boys Boys: Now scrub that lot from your mind 'cos this download is ten times sodding worse. There will be rejects from Pop Idol who will listen to it and piss themselves laughing that such cheesy rubbish has been released in good faith. It's like K-Tel never went away.

Didn't Erasure also release a single called Ship of Fools?

* There has been an unconfirmed reporting of a press statement issued by Gil Scott-Heron's manager, in which the following passage has been widely quoted: "Gil's family and myself would like to thank the Respect Unity Coalition for not following through with their original choice of re-recording The Revolution Will Not Be Televised for their election campaign song. After hearing Respect re-recording of Erasure's Respect, we recognise that such a cover version could have propelled Gil back into the abyss of substance abuse to dull the pain of them murdering his classic protest song.

We offer our condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. There but for the grace of god . . . "