Natasha England - Get It On

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 5 / 10 / 2013

Label: Platform Records
Format: CDS

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Stunning download only reworking of T. Rex's classic song from Scottish singer and musician, Natasha England

It has been a while since we heard anything new from Natasha England. The Scottish lass with the powerful, emotive voice won the chart battle against the Belle Stars back in 1982 when her version of ‘Iko, Iko’ reached the Top Ten. Natasha’s follow-up singles didn’t achieve the same success, although some should have, and although her album from that period, ‘Captured’, charted her second album ‘Don’t Walk Away’ failed to catch the public’s interest. Natasha actually gave up on the music business for some years spending her time working with her other passion of animals, but thankfully she had not totally abandoned music altogether. In 2008 ‘Back from the Mists Of Time:1979-1985’, a double CD, was released capturing most of her previous work before ‘Deeper into Reality’ an album featuring new material was issued in 2010. The album was a collaboration with Robert Logan and showed Natasha stretching out musically taking an unexpected electronic route. It was something of a surprise at the time but showed that a singer of Natasha’s calibre can tackle any genre of music and win. Now, with a cover of the T.Rex classic ‘Get It On’, Natasha England once again proves that she is still one of our best homegrown singers. The single was issued to mark the 36th anniversary of Marc Bolan’s passing on 16th September 2013 and has the endorsement of the Marc Bolan Appreciation Society. People have tried to cover ‘Get It On’ before and failed miserably. What the hell was that Power Station massacre all about? Even Gloria Jones who, as Marc’s partner in the years before his death, had more chance than others to make a decent recording of the song sadly failed to do anything other than turn a classic pop/rock song into disco dross in one of the two versions she cut. While the soulful second version works much better, Jones didn’t really reach the heights she was capable of on this recording. Cherry Red Records are reissuing Jones’ ‘Vixen’ and ‘Windstorm’ at the end of September that includes both versions of ‘Get It On’, and, while there are great songs and the usual brilliant performances from Jones on the albums, her takes of ‘Get It On’ fail to capture a fraction of the passion and vision of this new version from Natasha England. Natasha has totally dismantled the track, shorn it of its basic rock sound and reassembled the whole thing as a sultry, late-night temptress of a song. While remarkably not once losing sight of the actual original song, Natasha has turned it into the smouldering soul classic we originally had hoped that Jones was going to deliver all those years ago. Retaining Bolan’s original lyrics means that a slow, dreamy version of this song shouldn’t really work, not even given Natasha England’s remarkable vocals. “You’re built like a car/You’ve got a hub cap diamond star halo” can only bring back memories of Bolan camping it up on 'Top of the Pops', a smiling Elton John on piano and Bolan, more likely than not with his guitar lead stuffed in the back of his pants, grinning insanely and at the top of his game. It was a sight and a song that captured all that was good about this rock thing. Really, how can anyone improve on that? By not even trying for a second to compete with Bolan and by completely reinventing the song and taking it in a whole new direction, Natasha has shown that it’s possible to take a song that’s over forty years old and inject new life and passion into it. Natasha’s version (available in two slightly different versions, a mellow mix and a radio mix…both are extremely subdued compared to all the versions which have gone before) is simply stunning. As a Bolan fan who can’t confess to discovering him during his Toby Twirl days but who was cast under his spell from his stint with John’s Children onwards, the last thing I really wanted to hear was one of our most talented but under-rated female singers destroying Bolan’s most popular song. I needn’t have worried, Natasha does what she has done many times in the past, put her own unique stamp and voice on a song and made it her own. There are only two versions of ‘Get It On’ worth your time, the original by T.Rex and this new recreation by Natasha England. Now, how about another new album, Natasha?

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