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Weekend LISTening: Me And My Shadows

Ranking Roger of The English Beat, performing in May 28, 1983. The group's rework of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" reimagined the sterling soul hit as a bouncing slice of ska.
Paul Natkin
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Ranking Roger of The English Beat, performing in May 28, 1983. The group's rework of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" reimagined the sterling soul hit as a bouncing slice of ska.

Ever hear a song that you know you've heard performed by another artist and wonder: Who did it first? Well, we are tackling that question in an ongoing series, "Me and My Shadows," where we pair original songs with covers that might just blow your musical mind.

Some covers bring together artists from completely different sonic worlds, like The English Beat's ska take on Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' Motown classic "Tears of a Clown." Other covers make you hear a song you've heard many times before in a totally new way — see Aurora's take on David Bowie's "Life on Mars."

It's a Spotify playlist of fresh takes on songs you know, paired with the originals you love. Take cover and follow the playlist as we'll continue to add songs over time as we revisit the series on the show!

Copyright 2021 XPN. To see more, visit .

Talia Schlanger hosts World Cafe, which is distributed by NPR and produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. She got her start in broadcasting at the CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster. She hosted CBC Radio 2 Weekend Mornings on radio and was the on-camera host for two seasons of the television series CBC Music: Backstage, as well as several prime-time music TV specials for CBC, including the Quietest Concert Ever: On Fundy's Ocean Floor. Schlanger also guest hosted various flagship shows on CBC Radio One, including As It Happens, Day 6 and Because News. Schlanger also won a Canadian Screen Award as a producer for CBC Music Presents: The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions, a cross-country rock 'n' roll road trip.