Don't you just love uncovering a buried treasure? Last night, I stumbled across something really cool. Imagine David Bowie's legendary 'Ziggy Stardust' album covered from the first song to the last by a 1970's R&B act in true Motown-style. There have been entire albums covered before. What come to my mind are 'Sgt. Peppers' redone by Big Daddy in 1950's old time rock & roll style (brilliantly using pastiches of Dion, Buddy Holly, Johnny Mathis and others) and The Bollock Brothers recreating the Sex Pistols' 'Never Mind the Bollocks' in Devo-seque synth pop.
But, what I found last night was an R&B outfit named Milky Edwards & The Chamberlings recorded their own version of Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' album. You can hear it for yourself on YouTube. Or three tracks from it, anyway. In 2012 there were three videos posted, each prominently displaying an album called 'Starman', by Milky Edwards & The Chamberlings, replete with early 70s style artwork (inspired by The Supreme's 'Reflections' album). All three videos follow the same pattern: after watching hands remove the record from its sleeve and drop the needle, the remainder of the video shows the record spinning while the scratchy recording plays through to the end of the song. The three songs: "Starman", "Moonage Daydream" and "Soul Love" do not disappoint. You are left wanting to hear the rest of the 'Starman' album. The problem is, chances are the album never really existed.
Google "Milky Edwards & The Chamberlings" and you'll find at least a dozen web sites or articles declaring the band is a hoax. Even David Bowie himself (or his people at least) have looked into it only conclude the Milky tracks are an elaborate practical joke.
Hoax or not, the songs are splendid. They are pastiches of Supremes and Temptations songs, sung with vocal stylings akin to Tom Jones or Edwin Starr (with a "Good God!" thrown in here or there for good measure), complete with backing vocalists, chimes, bongos, strings and horns. Whoever created these recordings were serious and meticulous about replicating the sounds of bygone funk, soul and R&B, down to the vinyl scratchiness of a much-loved worn out record. A clue that the songs may not be as they sound is their sound puts them perfectly into late 60's Motown. Bowie released 'Ziggy Stardust' in June of 1972. Also, pop art sleuths have concluded the Milky cover art was produced on a computer, not by hand as it would had to have been created in the 1970s.
Alas, we can always hope whoever created these gems will come forward with the rest of the 'Starman' album. Until then, enjoy these samplings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvXLuYXPL94
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GlsNSWDVdM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y115_2h4a68
