Cat Power: Hanging on the Telephone

The good news is that Cat Power has covered Blondie's cover of The Nerves' "Hanging on the Telephone," the single greatest pop song ever recorded.

The bad news is that the Cat Power version is available only as the backing track to a Cingular commercial.

The slightly mollifying news is that Chan's new album is supposed to be pretty damn good.

UPDATE: Looks like a lot of people are coming here after searching for "cat power hanging on the telephone" or something similar.  If I learn anything to add to the minimal info above, I'll post it here--and if any of you know where I can get a copy of the Nerves/Plimsouls/Jack Lee compilation CD That's Totally Pop!, please drop a comment and let me know.

UPDATE 2: I've been told by someone in a position to know that there are no plans to release the Cat Power version.  According to this person, Chan didn't even record the complete song--just snippets for the Cingular spot.  I found that a little hard to believe, but since I thought it was gracious of them to even entertain my question, I didn't push it.  At any rate, although it's theoretically possible that the Cat Power version will surface at some point in the future, don't hold your breath.

UPDATE 3: Here's a 41-second MP3 of the Cat Power version, which you can listen to directly below.  I edited out the commercial voiceover by cutting in at 7.65 secs and fading out from 45 to 49 secs.  No substitute for the (non-existent) complete version, but it's a passable "songlet" (and quite a nice ringtone.)

Comments

[meg]

i think Cat Power should deffinately put that song out, because they would make so much more business and be known, for sure.

[Ed]

Meg, I have to imagine that Chan is somewhat ambivalent about this. She's always seemed like such a defiantly quirky artist--and fairly indifferent to commercial success--that I was pretty surprised to hear her backing up a Cingular ad.

Keep in mind that I'm old enough to remember when "sellout" was an epithet with teeth, and truly good people like the Huskers earned the scorn of their fans just for moving to a major label. It's a different world today, and for the most part a better one. At the very least, it's a more nuanced one, where artists are free to find the balance between art and commerce that feels right for them.

And it seems that Chan's comfortable leasing the song to Cingular but not comfortable selling it to listeners. (Unless the delayed release is just a ploy to build buzz, in which case this is entirely wrong.)

I disagree with that (apparent) choice--if you're going to allow your music to play a role in a marketing campaign, nothing's gained by subsequently withholding it from your fans, as if it didn't exist in the real world but only in some alternate TV dimension. The two actions seem incompatible.

I can understand a blanket refusal to allow your music to be licensed for any commercial purposes at all, which is the option adamantly chosen by Doors drummer John Densmore (whose intrasigence is pissing off his former bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger to no end.)

And I can understand jumping in with both feet and using the commercial exposure to support your artistic aims. I think it's somewhat bizarre that "Lust for Life" sells cruises to the middle-class, but I don't begrudge Iggy the royalties--good for him.

In the end, though, it's Chan's decision. I regret it, because I'd love to hear that song again, and it certainly wouldn't be tainted because I first heard it in a commercial--that's simply the way our media-saturated world works. But no one ever said Cat Power was rational.

[Paul]

Thanks for posting this info. I find the version in that commercial is superior to both Blondie's and The Nerves', and I wish it was available. Not even having a full version? That's pretty rough. Ah well - thanks again.

[Crazy J.]

Howdy,
I came here looking for the Cat Power song. Damn that thing makes me shiver every time I hear it on TV.
I noticed you like Knapsack but make no mention of the Jealous Sound. If you haven't already, check them out! It's Blair Shehan's new(ish) band.
But since we're talking about really good bands that covered old pop gems, another long forgotten bad worth checking out is The Nills. A Google search for this 80's band nets nothing, but if you can get your hands on their EP, you are so stoked.

[Ed]

Hi Crazy,
Sorry I can't help you with "Hanging on the Telephone." Good tip on The Jealous Sound--I heard the songs on their website a few months ago (perhaps I should say formerly on their site--the music seems to be down at the moment), but I haven't listened to any of their albums completely. I'd say I'm interested but not wowed--I'm planning to pick up a disc, though, and give them a chance.

And are you talking about The Nils? These guys? I've heard OF them, but never heard them. Lots of interesting tags for them on Last.fm. Will look forward to checking them out at some point. Thanks--

[dmv]

it's "the nils" and they were wonderful - the soria brothers - mexican heritage via quebec... later recorded as chino, look for the "mala leche" ep...

i believe one of the soria bros passed... too bad, talented songwriter...

re: cat

was looking forward to taking my hunny to the nyc valentine's show... "health reasons" used to mean drug addiction not stage fright...

chan, we love you...

[MCD]

Alas, I as well ended my cat power goose chase here. I agree - that cover is so good, i've gotten mad it my TV every time it ends.
Anyway. my news, in the spirit of illuminating amazing 80's covers, is that if you don't know about it, failure did an unbelieveable cover of depeche mode's enjoy the silence. soooo good.
laker skaters.

[Sasha]

What?! No full version?! *dies*

[Yesi]

Thanks for your post. I too was wondering who sang the song in the Cingular commerical. I definitely prefer Chan Marshall's cover of "Hanging on the Telephone".

FYI--I found a video of the commerical on Google Video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1339668127185718054&q=cingular+commercial+alone&hl=en

[Alice]

I too came here looking for the track. That is SO FRUSTRATING that it is not available in full form! It gets so good but then cuts off 40 seconds in, how annoying. Let's just hope that one day it will surface on a rarities or B-sides release or something.