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Song Stories

“Addicted to Drugs”

Kaiser Chiefs | 2008

“Addicted to Drugs” is the Kaiser Chiefs' take on Robert Palmer’s Eighties hit “Addicted to Love,” minus his sexy backing "musicians." But this cheeky take on the pop classic was actually the second version of the song, as the first try didn’t sit well with the band. “The combination of the title, the sentiment and the downbeat-ness made it sound judgmental,” bassist Simon Rix said about the original version. The band then recorded the more upbeat take, which incorporated lots of percussion, including producer Mark Ronson on the agogo bell.

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

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