2020 IB Extended Essays

How effectively has Jacob Collier covered Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s “Close To You” in a sense of his own original composition? In pop culture, a cover version is a remake of a recording of a previously recorded song touched by the new artist’s flair and personality. There are many instances where the cover version due to their reworkings becomes more popular than the original. An example would be Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. John Cale, Rufus Wainwright and Bob Dylan are artists that have all covered the song (Cara Kelly, 2016). It is Buckley's version that is perhaps the most well-known and has been credited with giving the song its final push into the American consciousness. The two versions sound very different which leads to the hypothesis as to how much change can occur in a cover of an original to still be recognised as the original artist’s song (SCHONFELD, 2015). Through manipulating the musical elements, artists have been able to add their own musical identity to other works. This essay will explore the cover version of Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s Close to You by Jacob Colliers by analysing the use of musical elements and evaluating their effectiveness. Jacob Collier is an English musician who is noted for his acute use of reharmonization. He has created many arrangements, including Henry Mancini’s Moon River and Lionel Richie’s All Night Long , as well as original works such as Hideaway, Woke Up Today and Down The Line to mention a few. The original Close to You was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and was turned into a world-wide hit with the 1970 recording by The Carpenters. The Bacharach and David song writing team were synonymous with the pop standards of the late 1950s through to the 1970s with such songs as Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and I Say a Little Prayer . The Carpenters were an American brother and sister duo (Karen and Richard Carpenter) known for their distinct soft rock musical style. Together they created the version of Close to You

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