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Caroline Knows (MJ Covers) by dajama [Email]

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 629
Comments: 63
Votes: 6
Plays: 86
Last Played: Nov 19, 2008 - 09:36:29 PM
Downloads: 18
Fans: 35
Uploaded: Sep 01, 2008 - 09:25:04 AM
Last Updated: Sep 01, 2008 - 09:38:47 AM
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Description:
This was, I think, the first song by michael2 I ever heard, and it just blew me away. About a hundred songs later, I'm still regularly blown away by his stuff. But Caroline Knows stuck with me. I regularly found it running around my head, always, for some reason, at a higher tempo than the original. So when Michael suggested the MJ Covers Challenge, I immediately knew what I wanted to do. Michael gave me the go ahead to tinker with his creation and this is what I came up with.

I strongly recommend checking out the original here

Thanks to Michael for coming up with this whole challenge - very cool concept - and thanks also for allowing me to mess around with this song (and mess around with it I did!) Oh, and thanks for all the music, man.

Peace.

P.S. I took the picture at the State Fair outside the Rock 'n' Roll Fun House. It wasn't as much fun as it looked!

Lyrics:
Caroline Knows by michael2

If I could take back everything I’ve done
If I could make you see that I’m the one
If I could fly you around the world I would
If I could make you see that I’m the one

I cry for the poor that’s in everything
I’m bound to be tense but I’ll keep it in check
That low black cloud it’s worse than death
It never stops and nobody cares but you

Caroline knows
Caroline knows I would never do that

If I could find us a sandbox built for two
It’s so familiar but I don’t trust myself
Trying to be there, to feel there with you
Go back to sleep now, I promise not to run

And we’re safe for now

I’m all right
I’m okay
I’m all right
I’m alive
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Everyone's bringing it &mdash 09/01/08 - 09:32:26 AM
M2 is one of my fav's here, so you know you couldn't go wrong here.
Love the thumping bass. Great overall production. Wish I could make mine sound like that.


And hey! M2- Great songwriting.

LL

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 10:11:01 AM
Glad you enjoyed my take on a song that I think is pretty much perfect in its own incarnation. Glad you like the bass; I decided to go for a driven, thumping kind of approach. Glad you think it worked. Thanks for checking this one out. Cheers Peace.

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David... &mdash 09/01/08 - 09:52:12 AM
vocals are killer on this track! The sound bed is beautiful.

Yes M2 is simply pretty amazing!

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Thanks, Mark &mdash 09/01/08 - 10:16:23 AM
Glad you liked this one. Yep, Michael comes out with some pretty stupendous stuff. This is just one of many great songs, but you never forget your first! I've always loved this song. Happy you like the approach. Cheers. Peace.

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I went to the source before I came here &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:00:57 AM
as you suggested David. This is a whole world away from what M2 did, but is the equal to it . Your interpretation of the song shows an understanding of where it went emotionally, but picks up the pace to bring the same message, with a different aural feel.

Love the sound you put together in the back tracks and your vocal is crisp and clean, and spot on.

Great job my friend, Kudos

be well and be cool,

Ed

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I guess I liked it twice as much &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:02:28 AM
Double fav'd

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Thanks, Ed &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:52:02 AM
I appreciate the double fav! I think that's a first. Glad you checked out the original; it really is a very cool song. And I'm especially glad you think I hit the right emotional notes, despite the different musical approach. It was important to me that I not change the 'vibe' even while I messed around with everything else! By the way, I loved your cover of Tobin's song - very cool. Now I feel bad that I didn't double fav it! Thanks for stopping by, Ed. Much appreciated as always. Cheers. Peace.

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Nice Version &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:12:15 AM
Very enjoyable listen

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:58:47 AM
Glad you liked it. It was a blast to work on such a cool song. Cheers. Peace.

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caroline knows &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:40:35 AM
I'm a huge fan of the original, but this is right up there with it. The driving version works extremely well. The whole thing is great, but I love what you've done with the outro.

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Thanks &mdash 09/01/08 - 12:03:38 PM
Glad you like this version. I was nervous that anyone who knew the original would think this was too different. The outro is really just a part of Michael's original that I pushed front and center. There was so much stuff like that - riffs and nice melodic touches - in the song that I was spoiled for choice. In the end, I left quite a few things out. No easy decisions there! Thanks for checking this out. Loved your contribution to the challenge, by the way. Very cool. Thanks again. Peace.

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first &mdash 09/01/08 - 11:48:31 AM
it sounds really good, though in a totally different spirit than the original. Very convincing nevertheless.

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 12:09:28 PM
Glad you liked it. I appreciate your stopping by to check this out. Cheers. Peace.

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caroline knows &mdash 09/01/08 - 12:15:12 PM
I have to be honest. I didn't want to listen to this. No way. Caroline Knows is my favorite song on this site. For real. I listen to it at least 2-3 times a week. So, when I saw that somebody had covered I immediately prejudged and 'knew' I'd hate it. Well, I checked it out and I gotta say I don't. It's different enough in that it doesn't try to be a carbon copy (why bother covering if that was the case, right?), and it's faithful enough that it retains the feel of the original. The bridge is fabulous and that refrain is very well done. This not only speaks to what a great song michael wrote, but how you can identify certain elements that make the song what it is and run with them to make something new. Well done!

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 01:11:38 PM
I really appreciate your comment. I was concerned that people who loved the song might find this take on it weird or just plain bad! I know exactly what you mean about the quality of the song. I honestly think this song could be approached many different ways and, because of its strength, would work each time. As long as you keep the core of thing, of course. I'm delighted you think I managed to do that. Thanks also for the nod on the bridge - I like that part myself! Much appreciated, man. Cheers. Peace.

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Very nicely done &mdash 09/01/08 - 12:43:54 PM
David, this is great - it has your unmistakable style yet retains the excellence of Michael2's original. Very classy.

Peter

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Thanks, Peter &mdash 09/01/08 - 01:14:02 PM
I'm glad you think the spirit of the original is there, and I'm really stoked you think I have a style! Thanks, man. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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awesome David &mdash 09/01/08 - 01:13:53 PM
everything here is really excellent. vocals & harmonies tight. mixing is also great and deep. cool solo and trippy ending part.

this should have been called the Michael 2 Cover Challenge :)
It's hard not to consider doing one of his tunes.

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Hey Vic &mdash 09/01/08 - 02:08:09 PM
Thanks for stopping by to check this one out, and glad you like it. Yeah, I know what you mean, there are quite a few michael2 covers! I just couldn't resist this one. Thanks again for checking it out. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Well done &mdash 09/01/08 - 01:21:21 PM
Love this! Michael is assuredly one of our finest songwriters but you've done a great creative job on it. Makes for a very enjoyable listen. Wonderful guitar work!

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Thanks, Rebsie &mdash 09/01/08 - 02:43:13 PM
Just been listening to your song - wow! What an amazing piece of music. So glad you liked this one. Yes, the strength of the song is the thing. It's a great song, and all I did was come at it from a different angle. Delighted you stopped by to check this out. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Dajama &mdash 09/01/08 - 02:02:32 PM
i really like this a lot. Had no idesa what you were going to do, and I love the direction you sent this in. Love the uptempo beat, and the vox and all the little guitar parts are awesome. Neat idea on the bridge too, when I recorded this song, I showed it to my friends and we banged it out in 1 take; so it's really interesting for me to hear a version that was done in a thoughtful, planned out way. awesome. thanks so much.

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Dude &mdash 09/01/08 - 03:09:32 PM
Dude, you've no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. As I said when I first asked if I could work on this, I love this song, and I love the way you perform it. But I always wondered how it would sound like, well, this! My initial approach to this was mostly acoustic, bringing the drop D tuning more to the fore, and taking that kind of 'heavy' acoustic approach that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club used on their (I think) last album. But then other elements crept in and, a few weeks later, you have this. It's a most excellent song, man, and I was delighted you let me mess around with it. Now I'm even more delighted that you like it! Thanks again, dude, and nice job on the whole challenge. It's been a blast. Cheers. Peace.

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This has .. &mdash 09/01/08 - 02:25:33 PM

.. aquired a kinda 'Bare naked ladies' vibe .. a lost song from "Stunt" perhaps ..with a Bryan Ferry outro .. well I like them both .. so big thumbs up here. A fine cover .. must remind myself of the original now .. sheesh, is there no end? lol ;o)

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 03:33:30 PM
Glad you enjoyed this one. Not too familiar with the Bare Naked Ladies, apart from one or two songs, but cool comparison. Yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff going up. It's hard to keep up! Thanks for stopping by to check this out. Cheers. Peace.

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Caroline Knows &mdash 09/01/08 - 03:14:52 PM
WO ...this is way cool ..great great rockin ..
I realy like the grunbgie rethym behind you vocal
you ve doen this SO brillaintly ..I m enjoyin
this orch of guitars ...perfect vocal work for
this marvelus song ..what a trippy lead ..thnx
alot for sharin such gem !!!!

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Thanks. Feter &mdash 09/01/08 - 04:07:43 PM
Glad you enjoyed it. Yep, it started out acoustic and ended up kinda grungey. Thanks for the nod on the solo. It's kind of anti-melodic and more dramatic than tuneful; I wasn't sure if it was awful, or if it fit. Glad you think the latter. Thanks again for stopping by to check this out. Cheers. Peace.

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david .... &mdash 09/01/08 - 03:58:44 PM
stellar cover ... great song ... great cover ... love the vocals!

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/01/08 - 04:39:44 PM
Your constant encouragement and supportive words are always music to my ears. Thanks for stopping by to check this one out. Much appreciated, man. Cheers. Peace.

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Michael2 &mdash 09/02/08 - 01:15:09 AM
Everything I've listened to in the MJCC has either been written by or covered by Michael2 - fair enough I suppose :) They're all good.

Dave, this works really well - I can't remember M's original, but this doesn't sound at all familiar.

Just good - no nits.

Neil

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Thanks, Neil &mdash 09/02/08 - 08:47:28 AM
Glad you enjoyed this one. It was a lot of fun to do. Thanks a lot for stopping by to check it out. Cheers, my friend. Peace.

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Great cover &mdash 09/02/08 - 01:27:30 AM
I like this with added bpms. Nice bass line, singing, and production. Good stuff.

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Thank you kindly &mdash 09/02/08 - 08:49:29 AM
Glad the faster version appealed. It's different, for sure, but I hope it still retains the essence of the song. Thanks for coming by and checking it out. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Rolling &mdash 09/02/08 - 10:53:33 AM
Very spirited performance made all the more impressive by the sheer density of instruments and vocals you have here; I can only dream of being so disciplined. Beautiful production, and a stellar cover all around.

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/02/08 - 12:53:20 PM
I'm happy you enjoyed it. There is a lot going on here, to be sure. I tend to put too much into songs, sometimes to their detriment, although I hope it works here. I'm working on something at the moment that I hope will be fairly stripped down. Of course, it's early days yet! Thanks for stopping by. Loved your song for the challenge - very cool. Thanks again for stopping by. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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All right &mdash 09/02/08 - 10:54:50 AM

These bass lines always work well , driving the groove .
You had lots of very good ideas in the arrangement .
Cool vocals too .

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Thank you, my friend &mdash 09/02/08 - 03:10:04 PM
Really glad you enjoyed it. I tried a more melodic bassline, and it just did not work, so I went for the tried and tested straight ahead approach. Happy you think it worked. Thanks for checking this out. Much appreciated. Really enjoyed your track, by the way. Very cool. Thanks again. Peace.

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Caroline Knows &mdash 09/02/08 - 12:30:33 PM
WoW!! This is amazing. You can tell that you have great affection for the music. A real gift, music, Michael 2 and you! Thank you. Have to play it a couple, three times.

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Thanks, Char &mdash 09/02/08 - 09:21:26 PM
I hope the fact that I love this song is apparent, and I'm delighted that you can sense that. That just about makes my day. Glad you enjoyed this, and thanks a million for stopping by and taking the time to check it out. Cheers. Peace.

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nice! &mdash 09/02/08 - 01:55:14 PM
i absolutely looove the original so when I saw this my eyes lit up. Great cover. You really give this song a new vibe but it stays true to the original as well. How awesome man. superbly mixed by the way.

happy.

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/03/08 - 03:46:10 PM
I'm really glad you liked this, especially since you are familiar with the original. Apart from michael2 not hating what I did, one of my other main goals was that people who know and love the song would not think I had screwed with it too much. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the nod on the mix - with so much in the pot, the mixing was quite a task. Thanks for stopping by. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Massive &mdash 09/03/08 - 07:25:29 AM
Wow David, you've totally outdone yourself on this one. It's really out of this world.

Excellent production, killer guitar licks and perfect vocals. It was nice of Michael to write this song for you, now wasn't it?

This is definitely one of the best songs to come from this great challenge. Thanks for your submission.

Bob

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/03/08 - 03:51:57 PM
You are way too kind. High praise, indeed, especially coming from you. Yeah, very nice of Michael indeed! It really is such a cool song. I hope people who are not familiar with the original will go check that out as a result of hearing this. It's magnificent. Glad you enjoyed all the different little elements. Your encouraging word are much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Congratulations &mdash 09/03/08 - 12:13:46 PM
This is one of my favorite Michael songs and I cant believe I missed your cover until now.Loved your guitar solo and the vocals.Thanks for providing me this

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... &mdash 09/03/08 - 12:15:56 PM
joy!

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Joy &mdash 09/03/08 - 03:57:00 PM
Joy is good! Glad you liked it. It was a lot of fun to work on. In fact, it's gotten me interested in working more on some other people's music. It's really motivating and energizing. Thanks for checking it out. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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I love this challenge and what you've done here &mdash 09/03/08 - 06:08:06 PM
Excellent production, instrumentation and vocals. Great interpretation of a cool song - you really did it justice and more.

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Thanks, Bud &mdash 09/04/08 - 10:00:44 AM
Glad you liked it, and thanks for the nod on the production. Loved your one, by the way - truly original. Hope you're not getting blown out of it by sandstorms at the Burning Man! Cheers, man. Peace.

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Nice one &mdash 09/04/08 - 06:27:23 AM
Well produced one of my big fav's from this challenge.

Peace
---
Kenta

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/04/08 - 10:44:43 AM
Glad you liked it, and thanks for the nod on the production. It took a while! Cheers. Peace.

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Caroline Knows &mdash 09/04/08 - 10:14:40 AM
Hey you got some really good Drum tones on this one, what did you use?

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Hi &mdash 09/04/08 - 10:46:32 AM
Thanks for stopping by. The drums are Drums on Demand. I think they're from DOD 1. I'm a huge fan; they have some very cool loops. Peace.

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This reminds me... &mdash 09/04/08 - 05:28:14 PM
...of Ben Lee, who I adore so take that as a compliment. Particularly a song he does with Liz Phair (who I also adore) "Away With the Pixies." Very cool!!

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Thanks, man &mdash 09/06/08 - 02:20:56 PM
Glad you liked it. Not familiar with Ben Lee, but I will check him out. I've found that music recommended by MJers is usually well worth the effort! Thanks for stopping by to check this out. Cheers. Peace.

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D/L &mdash 09/04/08 - 11:58:18 PM
I was hitting the download button before this song was even a quarter the way done. The warm rolling guitars the driving drums and the incredible harmonies. Great lyrics--thanks michael2--! man, If I had been familiar with this song, I think I would have covered it, too. Dajama, you have outdone yourself man. Just when I feel that I've gotten my fix, the lead guitars come in and take it to a whole new height and then flow to the towering climax. Brilliant.
Philip

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Thanks, Philip &mdash 09/06/08 - 05:12:10 PM
I'm really glad you liked this, and I'm glad you mentioned the lyrics. I think they are really well done, and it was a blast to sing them. It's a great song, and I couldn't think of anything else I would rather cover. Glad you enjoyed the lead; it's kind of in your face and lacking a bit in melody, but I hope it suits the vibe. Thanks for stopping by. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.


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superb &mdash 09/05/08 - 04:54:37 PM
Never heard the original (I will next) but this is fantastic. Using head phones the work that went into creating the stereo spread on this is obvious.
The instruments, vocals and production are pure class.
Congratulations David!
All the best
Steve

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Thanks, Steve &mdash 09/06/08 - 05:32:52 PM
I'm glad the effort to get the sound right comes across. It's a great song, and I really wanted to do it justice. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. When can we expect another one from you? Thanks again, my friend. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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Yeah... &mdash 09/05/08 - 11:06:02 PM
...great tune...great interpretation...I see that a lot of people agree with that...cool textures/changes...


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Thanks, man &mdash 09/06/08 - 05:47:49 PM
Much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for checking it out. Cheers. Peace.

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I don't know the original... &mdash 09/08/08 - 09:21:27 PM
But this is just great. I love the drums, love the guitars...

I'll admit that I could go with another dB maybe on the vocals in the mix...

Ed

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Thanks, Ed &mdash 09/09/08 - 07:57:28 PM
Glad you enjoyed this, I highly recommend checking out the original - it's a great song. I get what you mean about the vocals. I was actually listening to it today as I wandered around during lunchtime and I noticed that some of the vocal is a bit buried. It's on the list! Thanks again for stopping by to check this out. Much appreciated. Cheers. Peace.

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