I am more familiar with the softer side of David J than most people. For those who are fans of his work as the founding member of goth heroes Bauhaus (He wrote “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”) and later Love and Rockets (he sings vocals on, arguably, one of their best songs “No New Tale to Tell”), his quieter singer-songwriter side might come as a surprise.
But my first real introduction to David J was actually as a publicist. His 2003 solo album “Estranged” was one of the very first things I ever worked on and I truly loved it. A sweet, thoughtful and slightly country-tinged piece of work dealing with real life relationship difficulties. Delicate work for a man better known for dark gothic fare.
However he’d hinted at these acoustic leanings in his earlier work, particularly the track “I’ll be Your Chauffeur”. Now, David J has a new protégé – he’s been known to help up and coming artists over the years – and she’s taking on the song. From David:
“When my friend, Tom Frazer sent me the recording of my song, “I’ll Be Your Chauffeur” that his then 17-year-old, daughter, McKenna had made for him, I was bowled over by her voice and the charming interpretation. There and then I knew that I would have to take McKenna into the studio to produce a fully-fledged version. This aim was achieved with the inspired assistance of Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza and a group of other fine musicians. McKenna sang her heart out and this year’s model is now ready to roll!”
Check it out. “I’ll Be Your Chauffeur” as covered by McKenna Frazer.
Below is the original. Look out for some original work from McKenna to come…
RR