Never in my time touring have I ever been keen to do a cover version. The main motivation has always been to push my own music and try to get it heard by as many folks as possible. Also there’s the factor to bear in mind that covering somebody else is usually best done if you feel you have something new to offer to the composition. In most cases I’ve never felt my take on a tune to be varied enough from the original to consider recording it. And finally there is the problem of getting copyright clearance to cover the tune in the first place. That again is a no go for me as most songs involve going through red tape so far and wide that it becomes like a second job but with little reward.
However when I last toured through Japan I found myself falling deeply for a melody. The song was written by a musician I had played a couple of shows with called ‘Mogura Ka Maigo’. Translated into English it means ‘The Lost Mole’.
The song is called ‘Tsukinohi’. I still don’t know so much what it is about but when it came to working on my own album back in the UK I just found myself playing my own interpretation of ‘Tsukihohi’. This quickly became a complete re-interpretation with lyrics in English (With an English titele – ‘Your Guitar’) and a theme to the song that is deeply personal.
Truth be told lyrically it was a song I had been wanting to write for years. But I was never sure how to go about doing it and because of the personal nature of the subject matter I was never content that a melody could serve the nature of the song. But suddenly out of nowhere it was written.
At this show in Tokyo I was able to meet the author of the song for the first time since recording the cover and I was able to hand him a copy of the finished album which has been pressed to Double Gatefold Vinyl.
And what’s best is that we managed to perform the song together live.
Playing my version next to his I realised how many times I had changed parts of the melody and structure without awareness. But for me personally it was a huge moment and something I will always be happy to think back on.
At the end of the night he gave me a hug and I felt that the experience had ment alot to him aswell. I’ve never had anyone cover any of my material but I know if would mean alot to me if it happened.
And finally after so much rambling please find the 2 songs linked below.
Click HERE for a live video of Mogura Ka Maigo performing his original composition ‘Tsukihoni’.
And click HERE for my cover version renamed ‘Your Guitar’ (Tsukinohi).
http://stuartoconnor.bandcamp.com/track/your-guitar-tsukinohi
Stuart O'Connor 
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