Oh. Em. Gee. Sometimes a cover comes along that sounds NOTHING like the original! Is that necessarily a bad thing? Well, that’s up to you but CAKE’s cover of Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” is something you definitely should not live without!
White is known for the deep, sultry voice he uses in his songs to make his baby-makin’ music and that is no different for “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up.” The song starts out with piano, strings and a dash of porn guitar (a guitar using the Wah-Wah effect for all you roadies) and some somewhat disturbing moaning and groaning from the sex-inducing singer. I’ve never really heard Barry White’s songs but I have to guess that this is nothing new judging from his reputation!
The lyrics are super sweet, something you expect for a love song, but there’s something about “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” that would make any gal smile! Just hearing that your man loves you so much he will never give up on you and will make sure you have everything you need. It’s a good song because not only is he singing about the love he has for this woman and the sexy times he wants to make with her (“I’d like to keep you pleased in EVERY way I can!”), he wants to make sure she is well taken care of as well.
Barry White’s song has such a sexy sound to it because of his voice and the instruments he uses but CAKE decided to go another route. The band is known for it’s slightly, Western-sounding guitars and horns so of course those are not excluded from this song, making it a fresh take on “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up.”
CAKE’s version starts out with a simple drum beat and a base line which then makes way to instantly recognizable CAKE guitar. The muffled melody during the verses and John McCrea’s seemingly careless voice adds a little bit of sarcasm to the song. Or perhaps it’s hard to throw a little melodic flavor in your voice when the lyrics call for you to basically talk them instead of sing them. McCrea is hardly recognized as a sex symbol (outside of CAKE’s cult fan base, anyway) so it’s amusing to hear him sing this song, but he does so with the same flair and charm you hear in any CAKE song.
Crowd favorite Vincent DiFiore’s horns come in at the second half of the verses and choruses and add great build-ups. DiFiore’s horns are always a staple in CAKE’s songs and in others’ songs, it’s no different. He’s the frosting that adds that tasty flavor that CAKE not only adds to music, but to life!
Barry White
CAKE
You can find “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” on Barry White’s All-Time Greatest Hits and CAKE’s B-Sides and Rarities.