This morning I am very happy to present Joan Jett covering Celluloid Heroes. Originally written and released by the Kinks on their 1972 album Everyone's in Show-Biz. While living in Hollywood Ray Davies observed people hurrying down the Hollywood Walk of Fame not paying any attention to the stars memorialized in concrete beneath their feet. Somewhere between the soaring heights of stardom and ending up as part of the sidewalk those stars were people pretty much just like the rest of us. Davies saw that irony and asked us to see the human side of the people whose fame soared above us yet we somehow ended up walking on without a second glance. He must have felt that he would eventually end up the same way.
Davies singing is, to many, an acquired taste but the Kinks music is incredibly well respected in the music industry and has been covered by too many artists to name. Jett chose the song for her 1990 album The Hit List at a point in her career where she was hovering somewhere between rock star and movie star/Hollywood composer. Her reading is deeply sensitive, and very pretty. She must have seen the irony in the lyrics and felt the same emotional connection and inevitability Davies did. I strongly recommend taking a couple of minutes now to give it a listen. Have a great Sunday everyone and thanks for reading...
Joan Jett Celluloid Heroes
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