First off, I never realized how many songs there are that include the words “Never” “Gonna” “Give” “You” and “Up” in the title until I had to research for this week’s Covers Revue! This version though, is originally by Jerry Butler.
This soulful song starts off with a guitar melody and a crawling drum beat, but the xylophone is what makes this intro cheerful! The brass stands out during the rest of the track and gives you a great old school lounge feeling. Butler’s lyrics are adamant about sticking with this woman and there is something oddly charming about that. Plus, that voice isn’t hurting him any!
In the Black Keys’ latest release, Brothers, the heavy blues-inspired duo takes a crack at “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Lead Singer Dan Auerbach’s voice is lighter than Butler’s, but this newer version is very bluesy, as you can tell by the different tones these songs evoke. The focus is taken away from the horn section by The Black Keys and is focused more on the guitar; there are still deep horns but they are not as prominent. The song as a whole has a darker feel to it, which makes it their own.
This modern duo doesn’t stray far from Butler’s formula with this cover. The two versions may sound very similar, but there is a difference between genres here. The Black Keys do a good job of tailoring this song to fit their style without getting crazy with it.