[Ball of Wax 31, as previously announced, will feature 15 local songwriters and bands all covering each other’s songs. Between now and the release show on March 9th, I will share the originals with you to provide a little background, and perhaps a deeper appreciation of the CD and show. (Which is March 9th. Did I mention that? March 9th. Columbia City Theater.) We’re posting the cover versions on Bandcamp, where you can pre-order the CD now.]
Norman Baker and Jon Rooney (Virgin of the Birds) have both appeared on more volumes of Ball of Wax over the years than I care to count. I’m thrilled they both agreed to be part of this experiment, and that Norman picked Jon as his coveree. “I Loved John,” in Rooney’s hands, is a low-fi loungey number, with subdued vocals and acoustic guitar, and sparse samba-ish percussion. You might think it’s probably about John Lennon, but it’s just vague enough to keep you guessing. Norman, on his version, goes full-bore on the lounge/samba feel (with a great little electro break toward the end) and doubles down on the Lennon references with a couple very nicely placed “Oh Yoko”s. I think it’s a wonderful interpretation/evolution of Jon’s original and I’m looking to seeing them both live this Saturday.