A Covid inspired re-imagination of songs that introduced me to the music world and more.  Recorded between late 2020 and late 2022.  I can look back on these sessions with pride and remind myself when things were crap thru Covid I turned to something that inspired me.   What started off as 10 songs for an album release became a 100+ song catalogue!   What did you do in the times of Rona? ;-)

THE COVID SESSION TAPES EXTENDED - 2023.

Reimagination of my favorite Kate Bush Songs from 1979.  Originally recorded in 1975..

MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES (Reimagined)[Orig. Kate Bush - 1975]

A reimagination of one of my favorite 10CC songs from 1976.

THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE (Reimagined)[Orig. 10CC - 1976]

IM NOT IN LOVE (Reimagined) [Orig. 10CC-1975]

DREAMING IN METAPHORS (Reimagined) [Orig. Seal - 1994]

DEVIL WOMAN (Reimagined) [Orig. Cliff Richard - 1976]

BAD COMPANY (Reimagined) [Orig. Bad Company - 1974]

An Emotional tribute to one of the most amazing songwriters of the 20th Century.  RIP Mark Hollis.

LIVING IN ANOTHER WORLD (Reimagined) [Orig. Talk Talk - 1986]

A dueling piano lounge version with a killer emotional vocal.

NO TIME TO DIE (Reimagined) [Orig. Billie Eilish - 2020]

MOVING OUT [ANTHONY'S SONG] (Reimagined)[Orig. Billy Joel - 1977]

Went for an emotional powerhouse of a reimagination!

HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN (Reimagined) [Orig. Eurythmics - 1983]

Imagine if Led Zeppelin and Motorhead were jamming in a roadhouse and invited Tom Jones up to sing Black Betty?   Well here's your chance.  Enjoy ;-)

BLACK BETTY(Reimagined) [Orig. Ram Jam - 1977]

ADVICE FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART (Reimagined) [Orig. Tears for Fears - 1989]

Went for a Porcupine Tree meets Garbage on this track.  By far the most complex reimagination I have attempted outside of the Porcupine Tree material.  Enjoy.

PARANOID ANDROID (Reimagined) [Orig. Radiohead - 1997]

Went for a new country version in the same style as Garth Brooks.  Happy with outcome  :-)

SIRIUS-EYE IN THE SKY (Reimagined) [Orig. Alan Parsons Project - 1982]

SMALLTOWN BOY (Reimagined) [Orig. Bronski Beat - 1984] (Piano Version)

WALKING IN MY SHOES (Reimagined) [Orig. Depeche Mode - 1993]

Imagine if Simple Minds and Killing Joke redid this song?  Well here you go  ;-)

RAIN (Reimagined)[Orig. The Cult - 1985]

Imagine if Robert Fripp and Tom Verlaine gave this one a college try?  :-)

SYNCHRONICITY 1 (Reimagined) [Orig. The Police - 1983]

Imagine if XTC, Porcupine Tree, Van Halen and Judas Priest met early Oingo Boingo with a tweaked out and agitated Danny Elfman in a bar in LA in the early 90s and recorded Synchronicity 2 by the Police?   Well here you go!  ;-)

SYNCHRONICITY 2 (Reimagined) [Orig. The Police - 1983]

IN THE AIR TONIGHT (Reimagined) [Orig. Phil Collins - 1981]

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD (Reimagined) [Orig. Tears For Fears - 1985]

Fun recording this.  Will get darker with more production.

FASCINATION STREET (Reimagined) [Orig. The Cure- 1989] AFU Early Mix

GOING HOME (LOCAL HERO) (Reimagined) [Orig. Mark Knopfler - 1983] AFU Mix Master

Went for a Tears For Fears arrangement and production on this one  :-)

WRONG IMPRESSION (Reimagined) [Orig. Natalie Imbruglia - 2002) AFU mix - no vox

TRAGEDY (Reimagined) [Orig. Bee Gees - 1979] AFU Mix No Vox

Wanted to give it a dark and menacing feel.  Imagine if Danny Elfman and Porcupine Tree collaborated?

RED (Reimagined) [Orig. King Crimson - 1974]

HEAT OF THE MOMENT (Reimagined) [Orig. Asia - 1982] AFU Mix No Vox

Wanted to reimagine this song in a british alt 80s style, but with twist.  Make it a track you can drive really fast to.  Some musicians from my past on this track! Enjoy!

MANIAC (Reimagined) [Orig. Michael Sembello - 1983] Rough Mix No Vox

SEND ME AN ANGEL (Reimagined) [Orig. Scorpions - 1983)

Barely Breathing Piano Track

Wonderwall Piano

Wicked Games

THE BLACK PAGE (Reimagined) [Orig. Frank Zappa - 1991]

Back to Front (Demo)

CRIME OF THE CENTURY (Reimagined)[Orig. Supertramp - 1974]

TEMPTED (Reimagined)[Orig. Squeeze - 1981]

Covid lockdown has given me the time to put together a project I always wanted to do but never had the time with a busy schedule.  I have picked out close to 100 songs that inspired me to get into music.  Most are from the 1970s and early 1980s when I turned onto music and my influences.  A couple of the songs are from the later 1980s and couple of pearls from later that I couldn’t resist including.  I wanted to redo them with different flavors, almost in a way that I would have arranged and produced them.  The outcomes were dense and organic by design but it was clear where my creativity was taking each song.  Heavy influences from other artists   Too many credits to those who assisted or played on this project.  I will add them later but it was truly a transatlantic effort with contributors from Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, NYC, LA, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and San Francisco as well as me holed up at my two studios in California, playing, tracking, arranging, engineering and producing.  

 I hope you enjoy these reimaginations.  It was fun making them.  Something I leave as a gift to those who love music. At some point I will write a companion piece outlining the thinking, instruments and gear used along with production notes for the project. 😃

Ian Bruce

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