Westlife regret 'lazy' cover songs

[Deleted]

Westlife regret 'lazy' cover songs
Friday, May 14 2010, 12:31 BST
By Robert Copsey, Music Reporter
Source: digitalspy

Westlife have admitted that they regret recording so many cover songs for their previous albums.

The group, who have recorded their own versions of tracks including Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl', Barry Manilow's 'Mandy' and Phil Collins's 'Against All Odds', confessed that they have made a lot of "mistakes" in the past.

Band member Nicky Byrne told The Sun: "We've certainly made a lot of mistakes. We've recorded songs that we should never have recorded. We look back on some of them and think, 'Oh God, that was terrible'.

"Sitting in rooms and nodding our heads and doing everything that was asked of us was what we did for years and years. But we are happy to speak now, to say, 'I think we should do this'. We've become men over the last few years."

Shane Filan added: "You get to a stage when you get a bit lazy. But then we'll go back into the studio and realise the last record was a bit lazy and do better on the next one."

The band recently revealed that they plan to record more "sensual tracks".for their next album.

[Thor]

I'm sure they feel happier about it when they see their bank balances.

[Earl Purple]

This is an old story though.

In the early days they did mostly original songs, and Uptown Girl was a one-off for Comic Relief. Before that they did cover Abba/Terry Jacks and Phil Collins in that duo with Mariah Carey but others songs they did like Flying Without Wings were written especially for them.

It was in the later days they seemed to spurt out nothing but covers like Mandy, You Raise Me Up and The Rose. Didn't seem to stop them getting number ones though.

They could have done with more uptempo songs like World Of Our Own. I quite liked that one, actually.

Their success is a hugely gross over-estimation of their actual talent though.

[Jordan]

I'm happy for someone with a voice like Marks to do cover versions, because then we get a fresh version of a classic and brilliant song, sung by someone with a really great voice and a lot of talent. The big shame is that they give Shane way too much to do and his voice really isn't pleasant.

I want Mark to go solo basically.

[Dubb]

Didn't they say this just before they released their Daughtry cover?

[vastar iner]

Westlife don't regret anything. They just do and say whatever little Louis tells them to do and say. They probably even mime their press interviews.

[Deleted]

May 15, 2010 9:33:45 GMT 1 Dubb said:

Didn't they say this just before they released their Daughtry cover?

That was the only cover on their recent album. Maybe that's where they're heading, limiting themselves to 1 cover per album.

[Jordan]

Well they also limit the effect that decision has by releasing that cover as the one and only single.

[Toy Toy's Boy]

I would have really not minded the fact they made a huge song and dance about including new material and working with exciting big-named producers on their last album... if 'What About Now' hadn't been the only thing released. If they'd released a couple of the new tracks, maybe it would have repaired their credibility.

[jessica]

I'm glad they seem to regret stuff like the RatPack, but the tour they are doing now has seen them drop two of their original tracks, Reach Out and Unbreakable, so they clearly don't regret it that much, when so many of their covers are still there and they even added 'All out of love' back in as a mash up with one of their older originals.

It's a good job these lads comke across so well and seem really fun and kind and that Mark has one of the best voices in pop, because their singles are awful (albums are brill though).

[Stewie]

We hate doing covers.... Our new single is a cover of....

[jessica]

What? There single was out over half a year ago.

[Al]

They should release a new compilation, Westlife: Ultimate Covers.
;D

[escape]

The question is are they serious when they say this?

Or is it an orchestrated PR move to make them seem more "credible" going forward?

Maybe they're looking to expand their audience or bring their sales back to early naughties levels and this is part of an attempt to "re-brand" them. They've been around 10 years, their albums prob aren't selling quite as well as they used to, they're getting older.... you can't keep doing the same thing forever and remain commercially viable so maybe it's time for a change . I can't imagine them making comments like this if they were still racking up #1 hit after #1 hit and had albums spending months on end in the chart.

Ha - cynical of me, I know, but can you blame me?

[andrew07]

Oi Westlife, Wetherspoons want their bar stools back too!

[o]

Westlife are playing Mansfield Town FC in August, I'm so glad I moved