"EURO TRACKS"
vocals by Trasparenza
I’m always curious about different versions of Pink Lady songs. This particular CD “Pink Lady: Euro Tracks” by Trasparenza really aroused my curiosity. Of course my friend and fellow PL fan Jeffrey Branch warned me that the vocals were not sung by the originators – Mie & Kei. I basically told him: “Jeff, I don’t care. I’d love to hear what justice these remixes did to the originals.” I received the CD on Elvis’ birthday – the 8th of January. I put all the songs on my iPod almost immediately. I listened to them on my way to work. Now most of the remixes had enough energy to ride my bicycle on nicer days. Only four remixes did not sit too well with me: “Monster”, “Carmen ‘77”, “Sindbad at the Beach (Nagisa No Sindbad)”, and “Invisible Man (Tomei Ningen)”. The remaining songs were very enjoyable. During the parts where nothing was being sung, I pictured Pink Lady doing some other dance moves that were more athletic – almost martial-art-like. And as always – original or remix, my absolute favorite is “Sergeant Pepper (Pepper Keibu)”.
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"INSPECTOR PEPPER"
by Vastine Pettis
This guy Vastine Pettis gave 10 PL classics a rather jazzy, 1990s-pop feel. And due to the fact that all songs were sung in English, I gained a better understanding of each song. On this CD, there were 4 particular songs that really worked my imagination…
"Sindbad at the Beach" – I always knew Sindbad was some kind of player, but the interpretation of this song made a little more sense. It turns out that Sindbad would use his surf board and his surfing skills to get the ladies!
"Chameleon Army" – This group of soldiers [wearing gold-and-silver uniforms] have been commissioned to guard a lady of extremely high class… which means: If a guy wants a date with this lady, he must be approved by the Chameleon Army!
"Wanted" – A classic case of the woman playing hard-to-get. However, I did not agree with the idea of holding someone hostage and keeping them trapped with handcuffs and shackles.
"Inspector Pepper" – This cop has been trained to be as tough as nails at any cost… even during young couples’ tender moments in the park. He would approach these couples and tell them: “The park is closed; it’s time for y’all to go home!” NOTE: Vastine Pettis stuck with the original translation of the song’s title. I’ve been calling it “Sergeant Pepper” since hearing Pink Lady sing their own English version of the song – about a female cop named Sergeant Pepper who uses her looks to ensnare any male criminal.
This was a good CD. Vastine Pettis did an excellent job with these PL classics.