Guys! If you have yet to be smitten by Portland-based electropop duo Van Go Lion (AKA Amy Paige & Josh Loerzel)…go kick yourself in the head and THEN go check out my previous posts (#1, #2, #3). Once you’ve recovered from that swift kick in the head, the next thing on your agenda should be to listen to the duo’s first ever cover song! I almost hate to say that I love when an artist does a cover song, but oftentimes it’s that rendition of an old favorite that wins over so many new fans. Case in point…Ellie Goulding‘s cover of Elton John‘s “Your Song,” which went on to become Goulding’s highest charting single in her native UK.
For their first cover song, Van Go Lion chose a pop classic, “Shattered Dreams” by English pop group Johnny Hates Jazz. Released in the UK in 1987, the single peaked at #5 and spent a total of 16 weeks on the UK Singles charts. Here in America the song was an even bigger success, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, not to mention #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The U.S. version of the video was shot in all black and white and directed by acclaimed film director, David Fincher (The Fight Club, The Social Network). The song has been covered in the past by a number of acts including UK boyband Ultra, house artist Jaybee, Russian pop star Sergey Lazarev among others. The Van Go Lion version is BRILLIANT and fits right in to their already 80s electropop vibe. What’s more, the remix has been given a big thumbs up by Johnny Hates Jazz themselves:
“25 years since ‘Shattered Dreams’ was originally a worldwide hit, and after nearly three and a half million airplays in the US alone, its great that the song is reaching a new generation of music fans. We celebrate Van Go Lion’s innovative new recording, and have no doubt that it will add to this continuing success.”
Um…that’s pretty EPIC! Listen to Van Go Lion covering “Shattered Dreams” below and prepare to fall in love all over again (or for the first time) with this incredibly talented pair of artists. Download the duo’s last single, “We Don’t Miss A Beat” on U.S. iTunes HERE and on U.K. iTunes HERE.
Van Go Lion: Shattered Dreams (Johnny Hates Jazz cover) by VanGoLion