Hello everybody on HIVE, and especially the Music Community. My name is Jasper and I'm writing (and singing) to you from Cape Town in South Africa!
This is my 30th week contributing to "Three Tune Tuesday", an initiative started by @ablaze. It is week 95 overall! We are getting close to the big 100 - which will be a massive milestone!
In all of my TTT entries I like to play the songs on guitar as well as share the original videos. In my first 28 weeks I was able to make sure at least one of the songs was an original, but I have sadly run out of original songs now (for the time being)!
Because of this, I am going to change my pattern for "Three Tune Tuesday" - it is going to have to be all covers for a while. Why not change the pattern to the following: I pick one of my favourite artists, that has inspired me, and try to do three covers all by the same artist?
Today (21 March 2023) is actually a public holiday called "Human Rights Day" here in South Africa. It is held on the Anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre (21 March 1960), when 69 people were killed and 180 wounded for protesting against unjust Apartheid Pass laws here in South Africa (https://www.parliament.gov.za/project-event-details/2).
So with this in mind, it makes sense for me to choose a really good Protest singer, who stood up for the downtrodden, this week - and my pick is a personal favourite: Tracy Chapman!
For the first cover song, let's start with a really famous one! "Fast Car". I think this is one of the songs that really put Tracy Chapman on the map - it's introductory riff is absolutely iconic, along with its tragic verses. Here is the original:
For the second cover song, lets try something that I think is a little bit less known to most people, even though it literally comes after "Fast Car" on Tracy Chapman's debut album. "Across the Lines" is very resonant with me as a South African, because 29 years after the end of Apartheid, we are still a very racially segregated society in many parts of the Country, and there seems to be a building resergence in racism and resentment brewing, which worries me and many others who would love to do our part to encourage unity in this beautiful Country, and help it grow more prosperous. Here is the original:
Finally, what should I finish off with? "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight"? "Gimme One Reason"? No, those and many others are fantastic songs, but let's keep to the theme of Human Right's Day, with the very first song on Tracy Chapman's debut album, the very famous "Talkin' About a Revolution". This song follows a four chord formula... so all you guitar players should definitely give it a try! Here is the original:
So that's week 95 done and dusted! Which song was your favourite?
Which artist will I do three covers of next week?
Before I go... please look out for my weekly cover request post on Thursdays! If you make a song request in the comments, and then I attempt the song, you get rewarded with 50% of that post's rewards in HP! It's as simple as that!
▶️ 3Speak
I was definitely singing along to Fast Car as Im sure most viewers of this set would be, a classic song, nice playing I enjoyed it very much.
Across the lines, I haven't heard before, it certainly seems like an appropriate song to sing living in such a racially charged country as South Africa.
Again with Talkin about a revolution you got me singing, this is one I have always wanted to try a cover of but never got around to it, maybe some week when the open mic theme suits it I will give it a try. I'd say it was my favorite of this set but you sing and play all 3 of these tunes well.
Have you recorded "Baby can I hold you tonight before"? I seem to remember hearing you play that. Thats one of my favorite Chapman tunes and another one I should cover soon.
Hi! Yes I think I did for my own Cover Request Challenge quite a while back!
Oh yes, quite early on in the series about 5 months ago here: https://ecency.com/hive-193816/@jasperdick/eiiwokld
Guao hermano !!!! Hermosa canción. Me trae muchos recuerdos. Referente a ti, quiero felicitarte nuevamente porque eres un excelente músico. Felicidades, saludos y un abrazo.
Y'know, Fast Car moves me every time. Tracy Chapman knows how to hit home. That song came out in my younger years, and was one of the first songs that actually made me listen - really listen - to lyrics. Very moving.
That's pretty cool that you guys have a Human rights day public holiday. Great choice to go with Tracy Chapman to celebrate that day, nice one man. Fast Car is such an all time classic and I really enjoyed your version man.
I can see how this one would resonate with you alright. She had her finger seriously on the pulse with that album and it's sad to see the issues that she raised are still prevalent.