The song ‘Up in the Air’ was written by Bob Mould and was recorded and released by his band, Hüsker Dü in 1987. I first heard the song on the album Warehouse: Songs and Stories, the band’s sixth and final studio album.
I liked the song and in particular the lyrics. The image of the bird circling round and going nowhere - and the singer uncertain about whether they are loved seemed to resonate with some of my own experiences. So I began working on my own version of the song for my first 4AD album, Love in 1991.
The curious among you might like to listen to the two versions back-to-back on the Second Hand Songs website: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/43849/all
Early listening
My mother sang semi-professionally when she was in her twenties and early thirties. So there was always music in the house. And she brought home records as diverse as Bach, The Beatles, Astrud Gilberto, The Fuggs and experimental music by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. This contributed to everyone in my family developing a broad taste in music. My big sister Jayne also had great taste, but her record purchases tended toward rock/soul/funk of The Yardbirds, Motown, Aretha Franklin and James Brown or singer songwriters like Laura Nyro, Tim Hardin, Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson. I was a big fan of the Monkees and the Beatles and as I headed towards young teenage-hood, I discovered Sly & The Family Stone, who I saw live in 1972 with my childhood friend, Max.
Jayne and her friends (particularly her boyfriends) found having Kid Me in the room cramped their teenage style. If I was around, they couldn’t smoke their clandestine doobies out the window or cuddle up with my gorgeous sister on the bed. So whenever my big sis was entertaining, there would come a point where Pipsqueak Me would get The Bum’s Rush. And then, sitting out on the landing, I’d listen to Jayne’s home jukebox floating out to me from the gap under her closed door.
Take a Giant Step
One of Jaynes’ songs that stood out was Taj Mahal’s version of ‘Take a Giant Step’. I had heard The Monkees version on the B-side of their first single, ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ a few years before. And hearing Taj Mahal’s cover was my introduction to the idea of a song existing as an entirely separate entity from the artist who performs it - and the songwriter who wrote it. (The writers here are of course Gerry Goffin and Carole King.)
Lyrically, the song is addressed to anyone who has had their heart broken and is stuck in the past, unable to move forward. The singer urges the listener to leave behind past romantic disappointments, and to "learn to live again at last.”
Ex-Monkee Peter Tork would release an acoustic version on his 1994 solo album ‘Stranger Things Have Happened’ and in 1995 Nina Hagen would record a hard-edged German version under the title, ‘Riesenschritt’. Both are good cover versions, but I still rate Taj Mahal’s as the best. His version appeared on his album Giant Step / De Old Folks at Home in 1969. The instrumentation and vocal are invested with so much of Mahal’s personality, it gives the impression this is a self-penned composition. And it was with this mindset that I went about creating my cover of ‘Up in the Air’.
The recording process
4AD label boss Ivo Watts Russell suggested working with the brilliant Peter Walsh. He produced Scott Walker’s album Climate of Hunter. I loved the textures and treatments on that record, so I feel very privileged to have got to work with Peter. I played him my ideas for the basic arrangement on my roughly played open-tuned guitar. Then we worked together with the musicians trying out ideas and gradually building the arrangement in the studio.
I knew Ian Kearey from The Oyster Band. As a multi-instrumentalist, he brought a lot to the table, playing bass, plus a mini 10 or 12 -string guitar called a Triple. And although it’s credited as “banjo” on the record, I seem to recall Ian actually played a “bandolin” - a kind of hybrid banjo/mandolin that I think he had made himself.
There are two other guitarists on the recording. Terry Bickers I knew from House of Love, and I’d always wanted to work with him. He was and is a highly gifted and sensitive player and is particularly nifty at backwards guitar. All of his ideas were bullseye. We used every bit of what he laid down on tape. Then of course, my talented brother Chris Berry - another multi-insturmentalist who came along and contributed the guitar shimmers.
Saxophonist Lol Coxhill was in the studio to play on my song, ‘Lily’ - so I asked him if he had any ideas for this one. The first idea he tried out was intended to illustrate the image of the “poor bird” who tried to fly but couldn’t. It was an amazing part - really expressive - but it seemed too playful for the yearning atmosphere I was aiming for. So we just used a small part of what Lol recorded as an additional texture.
And of course there is my dear friend Dave Morgan lending drums to drive the choruses along. I asked Dave for some tips on brushed snare technique, and he told me it’s just a matter of, “swirly-swirly with the left hand and tappy-tappy with the right”. He made it sound so easy, but years later, I’m still working on perfecting it.
I was delighted with the overall arrangement. Online the usual commentary is - what an inspired departure this is from the original Husker Du version. Very gratifying to read, but here’s the funny thing: I met the songwriter Bob Mould after watching him play a solo set in London. His energy on stage was phenomenal - he just plowed through the set with total commitment and didn’t pause for a moment. Really exciting stuff. But when I was introduced to him backstage, he was oh so quiet and reserved. I wondered whether he’d depleted his energy during the set or if after the set he had simply returned to his natural state.
As I shook Bob’s hand he said, “Oh. You’re the girl who covered ‘Up In The Air,” and then I expected him to comment on what a departure my version was from the original which had layered, ringing electric distorted guitars, loud-to-quiet dynamics and edgy vocals. But no. Bob said I must have been channelling something from his original acoustic home demo version. It turns out he wrote the song - on a mandolin.
Justin De Deny, who took some of my publicity photos directed the lovely video to accompany the song. Some of the ideas for the imagery in the video were inspired by Kevin Westenberg’s stills photography (tip of the hat to Kevin). I didn’t want my visuals to get in the way of the music, so I made do with a simple black outfit, plus combing my hair and brushing my teeth.
It’s a beautiful video and a lovely song to look back on.
© Heidi Berry 2024
Up In The Air
Songwriter: Bob Mould. © BMG Rights Management
Love your version so much Heidi and I’m a big Bob Mould fan. You definitely made that song your own 🥰
Great post Heidi and one of the all time great covers. Love it!