When
McDonald's Girl was first released in England in 1982, it was officially
banned by the BBC for mentioning a commercial tradename. This effectively
derailed my recording career when CBS immediately thereafter dropped me from
the label. But I'd always loved the song and always felt it was a pure pop
hit. So, it's come as only a small surprise that this spunky little song
keeps fighting its way into the popular music scene, proving itself over and
over again in strange and unexpected ways.
graphic courtesy Brian Borowski
Barenaked
Ladies In 1992 a
then unknown band out of Canada with the unlikely name of Barenaked Ladies
recorded a live version of McDonald's Girl which went on to become a regional
hit on Toronto's alternative rock radio station CFNY. The rap bridge is their
own creation and always makes me laugh. Although the 'Ladies' have never
recorded a major label studio version of it, it was always a crowd favorite at
their live gigs and MP3 and RealAudio files of their live radio version are
floating around on Barenaked Ladies sites all over the net. Maybe one
day they'll re-record it and release it as a single, so I can finally buy that
riding mower I have my eye on.
The
Blenders
Then, last summer, while we were touring around England, I got email
from the head of Universal Records for Scandanavia informing me that another
cover version of McDonald's Girl, by a band from Minneapolis, MN called the
Blenders, had just shot to #1 on the airplay charts in Norway. These guys
do a beautiful vocal treatment of the song. I'd had to wait 16 years to prove
it, but I'd always known it was a chart topping single. It felt pretty good.
(even if there are only 5 million people in Norway!)
The
Blenders - Dance Mix
When I first heard this dance mix of it, I
fell down laughing hysterically, rolling around on the floor. It sounds amazing
and was a total surprise.
Gimble
in the Wabe / University of Michigan
Apparently, ever since the Blenders performed the song at an a'capella
convention, college groups around the country have been singing their own
versions. Here's another cover of McDonald's Girl arranged and performed by a 16 piece a'capella singing
group from the University of Michigan. They're really good and the song sounds great.
This version totally cracks me up.
Dean's
Original Version Here's the original, just to
compare. I still kinda like it best, but I really do get great pleasure out of
hearing other people's versions. The original track is off my third album Rumpled
Romeo, a totally romantic pop album filled with tunes of teen love and
adolescent angst. The reissued CD also contains 4 bonus tracks: Nookie in the
Mail, I Didn't Mean to Make You Cry, Follow Your Heart and The Lakelands. It's
a neat record.
To order the original, click here: ORDER
Rumpled Romeo CD
To hear more Dean tracks in RealAudio click here: Hear
More RealAudio.
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