COLLABORATION: Grace Sewell’s cover of the song features additional rap provided by G-Eazy.

By Geoffrey Rowlands


Lesley Gore would have been proud. The New York-born singer, who died last February, spent three weeks at number two on the US singles chart in 1964 with You Don’t Own Me. She was unlucky enough to have released the song during the era of Beatlemania and was held from top spot by the Fab Four’s I Want to Hold Your Hand.
Her song, in which a woman demands independence from her man, became a feminist anthem. Ironically, it was written by two men, John Madara and Dave White. It was performed in movies such as The First Wives Club and recorded by artists such as Dusty Springfield, Bette Midler and Joan Jett.
But no other version has ever come close to matching the chart success Lesley enjoyed. At least, not until now. Lesley was just 17 when she recorded You Don’t Own Me. So too was Australian singer Grace Sewell, known simply as Grace, when she made her cover of the song.
“There was something else we had in common,” smiled Grace, now 18. “We both had the good fortune to have Quincy Jones produce our respective versions.
“I couldn’t believe he would be interested in working with an unknown artist like me. But that perfectly sums up Quincy. You don’t have to be famous, he just has to think you have talent.”
Something not common to Lesley’s original, or any other version of the song, is the additional rap provided by G-Eazy, real name Gerald Gillum.
“His rap verses were perfect to take You Don’t Own Me into the modern day. Rapping, as we know it now, hadn’t been invented when Lesley Gore did her version. Having a rap on the song works to perfection and Gerald’s lyrics sum up both the attitude of some men towards women but then the acceptance of, and admiration for, a woman who is determined to be independent.”
A cover performed on X Factor by contestant Lauren Murray introduced many younger viewers to the original song. Grace was also aided by her version being used to soundtrack the Christmas television commercial for a British department store. This exposure has seen You Don’t Own Me rocket up the UK singles chart from 44 to number five.
This matches its performance on the New Zealand chart but pales in comparison to the number one spot achieved by Grace in her native land. When her brother Conrad Sewell also topped the chart a few weeks later, he and Grace became the first Australian-born siblings in ARIA chart history to reach pole position as separate acts.
“I’m so proud of Conrad. He’s a good few years older than me and has worked so hard to finally gain real success in the music business. He reached number one with a great song called Start Again and deservedly won Song of the Year at the 2015 ARIA Awards ceremony. I was also nominated with You Don’t Own Me but I was so pleased that Conrad won.”
The Brisbane-born brother and sister may team up on record at some time in the future but both are currently concentrating on their solo careers. For Grace, this means working on songs for her debut album, the follow-up to her five-song “Memo” EP which was released last May.
“I did issue two more songs from the EP, Dirty Harry and Memo (Boyfriend Jeans). But I’ve spent so much time promoting You Don’t Know Me that neither of these tracks, nor the EP as a whole, got the publicity they needed.
“I’ve been working with some wonderful songwriters and producers for the songs on my album. I particularly want to mention Diane Warren, who is a songwriting idol of mine, and the amazing British songwriter, producer, rapper and singer Parker Ighile. Parker can do everything. He also co-produced You Don’t Own Me. With their help, and others, I’m making what I believe will be a fantastic album.”

IN BRIEF
Scott Weiland

The recent death, at 48, of former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland adds yet another legacy to the so called rock star lifestyle.
Why so many hugely talented artists feel the need to indulge in drug and alcohol abuse is beyond the understanding of most people. It is not just their early deaths that are so shocking but their bizarre everyday lifestyle.
In Scott’s case, his life is perfectly summed up in an open letter penned by his former wife Mary Forsberg Weiland. Published by Rolling Stone magazine, it paints a harrowing picture of a man essentially destroyed by drink and drugs years before his actual death.
Mary’s letter should be read by everyone who believes the rock star lifestyle is somehow glamorous. It can be found at www.rollingstone.com/music/news/scott-weiland-s-family-dont-glorify-this-tragedy-20151207.

Fetty Wap

Rapper Fetty Wap has surprisingly been overlooked in the Best New Artist category for the 2016 Grammy Awards. It seems three smash hit singles and a chart-topping album didn’t cut much ice with the nominations committee.
The radio domination of his track, Trap Queen, has at least been reflected in nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
The Paterson, New Jersey, native is currently working on the follow-up to his self-titled debut album. But he has given fans an early Christmas gift in the form of a free five-song mixtape which is actually entitled For My Fans.
“I just woke up in a creative mood and recorded all the songs in one day,” Fetty explained. “I called my engineer in the morning and we began working at around 1pm. The whole EP was recorded, mixed and ready for people to hear about eight hours later.”
The EP can be heard and downloaded at www.datpiff.com/Fetty-Wap-For-My-Fans-mixtape.750537.html

Otherkin

Irish grunge-pop quartet Otherkin have gradually built a solid fan following over the last three years.
Their debut EP, “The 201,” was released earlier this year. All four songs can be heard at (no www.) soundcloud.com/otherkinok. A promotional video was made for the track, Ay Ay. It can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RtFrTmpYrQ
The band are back now with a new song, Feel It. The accompanying video has been described as a throwback to the sights and sounds of the 90s. It is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A88mKgxGUw
Some live performances of other songs are also available on YouTube. Gain access by typing Otherkin Band in the website search box.

The White Panda

Chicago dance music duo The White Panda offer listeners their entire back catalogue for free. All of their work can be heard and downloaded via www.thewhitepanda.com/music
This includes six albums plus an assortment of remixes, podcasts, mashups and bootlegs.
Their latest release is a 32-track album entitled “The Pawprint.” It is intended to be heard as a continuous, seamless mix but can be downloaded in individual tracks if you wish. It is the most recent posting at (no www.) soundcloud.com/whitepandamusic
Many of their most popular songs can also be heard and downloaded at this webpage.

Mechanical Man

Most music fans would probably admit their knowledge of Russian artists starts and stops with t*A*T*u. Lena Katina and Julia Volkova were hugely popular in the early 2000s enjoying massive worldwide success with their single, All The Things She Said.
But there is rather more to the Russian music scene as proved by progressive metal quintet Mechanical Man. Their four EPs and self-titled debut album can be heard in full at (no www.) soundcloud.com/mechanical-man-1
Film of three performances can also be found at www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzgyU2abNmN_EJZuhUohng/videos