Sixteen Years Later, And Baby's Still Got Back
Jonathan Coulton revives Sir Mix-a-Lot.
Just the other day I was wondering if Sir Mix-a-Lot was still alive. The master of the 8th grade dance has all but disappeared from the public eye since his star of fame began to wane in the mid 90's. Nothing he did could ever compare to the success of "Baby Got Back" for Sir Mix-a-Lot. After his stint in the limelight, Anthony Ray stayed in the music business but gave up performing for a desk and is the CEO of Artist Direct Records.
Any self-respecting nerd should know who Jonathan Coulton is. The man from New York is an internet superstar, especially with the gaming community. Coulton gained notice from the larger online community when he composed the song "Still Alive" for the hit video game Portal. A little history on the man goes a long way to understanding his music. He went to Yale and worked for a few years as a computer programmer, the experiences of which lead him to write the songs "Mandelbrot Set" and "Code Monkey". He tends to write geek rock or comedy songs and topics range from zombies to monkeys to the insanity of Tom Cruise. Most of his songs aren't topical in nature, although he did sample George W. Bush in 2003 for "W's Duty" in addition to the song about Tom Cruise.
Most of Jonathan Coulton's songs feature his vocals along with guitar, drums and bass. On occasion, he'll utilize a ukulele, banjo or glockenspiel. Stylistically, there isn't a whole lot of consistency from song to song in his recordings. Some are simple acoustic tunes, while others are closer to rock or folk. The only real consistent element from song to song is the vocals.
One of Coulton's more popular recordings in the online community is his cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back". The aggressive, beat-driven rap song is transformed into a mellow acoustic song that is almost hilarious in its whiteness. The vocals in the song are completely performed by Coulton, even the harmonies. The only change in the lyrics is the exchange of "Johnny C" for "Mix-a-Lot" in two of the verses. Perhaps the most entertaining section of the song is about three and a half minutes in. In the original, Sir Mix-a-Lot stops rapping to talk about the lack of effect fashion magazines have on his selection of women. The rapper manages to still sound aggressive and "gangsta", but Coulton comes off as an awkward white guy. This version of the song stands head and shoulders above the original.
Posted by Cory Roop on Jul 28, 2008 @ 7:10 am
