My knowledge of the Spanish language is pretty terrible. I have worked in both Mexico and Puerto Rico, making films about el chupacabras so I can buy cigarettes, find my way to the airport and interview elderly peasant farmers about vampiric attacks on their livestock, but that is about all.
This morning, I received an MP3 of Michael's Spanish Language version of Little Latin Lover - and was overwhelmed. It has always been one of my favourite tracks from the Carnaby Street album, but hearing it in a totally different language, especially a language that I vaguely understand was an extraordinary experience, and brought a whole new dimension to the song.
Foreign language versions of English pop songs are nothing new, of course. The Beatles recorded German language versions of She Loves You and (I believe) I want to hold your hand, (which were mildly interesting novelties), and David Bowie's masterful and moving Helden which brought a completely new dimension to Bowie's most famous song of 1977.
Bowie, Iggy Pop and Tony Visconti et al had been living in Germany for some time, and to release a German language version of Heroes (especially considering the socio-political subject manner) was an eminently logical thing to do, and to hear the familiar song intoned in unfamiliar words, just adds to the whole alienation vibe which is exactly what the song is about in the first place.
Michael Des Barres has done something very similar, but again totally different with his new version of Little Latin Lover which is entitled Amor Prohibido, which even I can translate as 'forbidden love'. This new song is a joyous explosion of anger and sensuality, in which Michael, singing as the protagonist of the song whose woman is threatened with deportation by the unfeeling faceless and brutal machinery of Homeland Security (who scare the crap out of me, and I don't even live in the US) channels his anger, his rage, and his love into an absolutely extraordinary paen of passion. And he speaks about as much Spanish as I do.
I remember when I first discovered Grand Opera that not understanding the words was no barier to me enjoying the works of Puccini, basically because music is basically an emotional lingua franca that transcends barriers of nationality and language. It is the same with this joyous outburst. I know vaguely what the song is about from the English version, and from the Spanish title, and my knowledge of Spanish is enough to tell me that it is not about a farmer in Canovenas with an exsanguinated goat. But it doesn't matter! This song is pure, sexy joy! It is quite possibly the best vocal performance that I have heard Michael do, and it is certainly the best thing I have heard in many weeks.
Felicitaciones Miguel.
If you have not done so already, check out Michael's Gonzo Artist Page
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