The song ‘Roxanne’ by The Police was originally released in 1978, and all these years later it sounds as iconic and distinctive as ever. With this in mind, Music Man readers, you’d think it would be pretty difficult for a newer act to put their own stamp on the song, right? Well, Australian band South Summit is here to prove that’s not the case, giving the track a stunning injection of their own unique sound with their cover.
The cover came as part of the YouTube series Like A Version created by Triple J, which finds acts covering a song of their choice in their own style. South Summit’s version was both fierce and fresh, with stunning new guitar melodies aplenty and vocals that could even match the quality of Sting’s on the original record.
Perhaps the reason that the cover works is that it still retains the reggae style of the original, but also adds a more ragged rock edge that matches South Summit’s sound. “Easily one of the best Like A Versions I’ve seen in a long time,” said one viewer of the cover, whilst many others demanded that the group release their version on Spotify.
The band also performed one of their own original songs, ‘Givin’ It Up,’ as part of their appearance for Like A Version. With its distinctly reggae sound, you can instantly hear how the track must have been inspired by the sound of early material by The Police – and suddenly their cover of Roxanne starts to make a whole lot more sense!
South Summit’s cover of ‘Roxanne’ has become an extremely popular video in the Like A Version series, and when you hear it for yourself, you will realize it’s little surprise that this is the case. Retaining the iconic feel of the original whilst also putting the band’s own mark on it, by creating a cover that stands up alongside The Police’s version, South Summit have achieved something that many other groups would consider impossible.
South Summit’s fiery Like A Version proves they can honour a classic while making it wholly their own — ragged rock guitars and commanding vocals that demand your attention. Want to hear more from the band or watch the cover? Find useful links to stream, watch and follow them below.