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#DCMUSICWEEK – Rare Essence – Pieces of Me

8 Mar

  

One of the best elements of go go music is the ability of a live band to cover a popular track and instantaneously breathe new life into it. This has been one of the lifeblood notions of the music for years, live performances on PA tapes (yes, for those unaware, recordings of go go shows on tape that were directly from the PA system) being dominated by takes on popular urban radio tracks. The practice has been done for years, and none may be truly better at it than Rare Essence. “The Wickedest Band Alive,” the group has existed for over 30 years, and may be most famous to mainstream music fans for performing as the backing band for Ludacris at the 2002 MTV VMAs for “Pimpin’ All Over the World.”

However, the greatest achievement in the world of covers for the band may be their cover of Ashlee Simpson’s 2004 smash hit “Pieces of Me.” Featuring one of the lushest hooks and tightest grooves of the first decade of the 21st century in pop music, the jam was an unusual decision for being covered by a go go band, but, then again, this is Essence, and yes, at the time, were in the business of employing Kimberly “Ms. Kim” Graham who takes the song and elevates it from just another pop hit to something truly special.

The most important thing to note here is just how professional and typical the band sounds at the start of the song. It’s as if it’s just another cover on just another night, just another crazy idea probably launched by band’s de facto leader Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson. But listen to how Ms. Kim handles her voice and handles the track and it slowly evolves from cover song into winning proposition of enormous proportions. By the time we get to the second round of choruses, it’s a full fledged groove, and has become property of the band, in a manner, yes, better than the triple platinum work of a teenage girl expressing her love for Ryan Cabrera.