Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Cream Karen Elson Debuts New Video for 'The Ghost Who Walks'
Posted by Steve Haruch on Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 9:24 AM
Fans of smoky murder ballads: Check out "The Ghost Who Walks," a new song by Nashville's own daughter of Oldham, Greater Manchester, Karen Elson. (Y'know, the one who doesn't like when she gets a twang in her sang.) A black-and-white video for an acoustic version of the song was posted to her website today.
Loyal Cream readers will recall that Elson -- who dueted with Cat Power on a redux of "Je t'Aime ... Moi Non Plus" for the Serge Gainsbourg tribute album -- joined She & Him for a rendition of "Tennessee Waltz" at Mercy Lounge back in '08.
One great thing about the video is that the whole band is sitting stock still in the background while she's singing about this woman getting stabbed to death, and so you just wait for that moment when the drums are gonna come in all smack-a-dack-jamma-lamma -- the climax of the story! -- and the tension starts to get to you after a while. According to an emailing, "The Ghost Who Walks" will be the title track of an Elson album recorded at Third Man Studios with husband Jack White in the producer's chair.
Comments (17)
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Jackie Jack needs to come up with some fresh visuals and locations.
Just because you can shoot every video in Third Man doesn't mean you should.
Hopefully business at her vintage store will pick up or she'll breed some more...anything to get her to stop singing! Shrill. Eeek.
I like the part when...um...well, I guess I don't really like it. Sounds like a singer-songwriter who would be playing a 6:30 slot at 3rd and Lindsley if her baby-daddy wasn't made out of money and cred.
"Hey Third Man lackeys, you wanna be a back-up band in a video? We won't light you well or let you play anything, but it'll be proof for when you tell your friends you know famous people."
Her voice is fine but nothing special. The tune is monotonous, and the lyrics are rote. Style is fine if there's substance underneath. I just don't think there's any real feeling here.
I love it, she sounds beautiful.
I think the comment above is from someone who has a thorn in her side. ex girlfriend perhaps? Karen is amazing and I'm so happy for her. Just wait till she sells records and you're all still blogging your lame opinions. Sucks doesn't it?
You talking about me or one of the other comments? I'm not a girl—or anyone's ex-girlfriend. Just someone who knows mediocre music when he hears it.
Yeah, she'll definitely sell records. Probably mostly to Third Man collectors and other Jack White fans. Can it really feel satisfying to sell records when you couldn't have done so on your own?
Karen, why don't you and Miss Audrey hang out here and sing a bit? Jack and I are going out for a beer.
Cool video. She reminds me a lot of Tracee Miller from Blanche. She doesn't really sing like her, but they look very similar and have the same clothes and hairstyle.
Ginger snap. It's pretty obvious that you're Kelly Craig. Jack Lawerence's ex.
I read your blog and the language you use is the identical as in your blog.
Karen is succesful in her own right, have you seen her career in fashion? And her cabaret in NYC, both prior to meeting Jack. Stop spreading your hate, it's nasty and so see thru. You hate Jack White because your ex Jack L is in a band with him, so you hate his wife and Third Man too, bitter much?
I like the song, Karen Elson looks cool, it's creepy in a good way. It could be a cliche but the song stands up. I don't know why it's getting so mean with the comments. Why do people have beef with Jack White? He has done so much to support Nashville legends,I guess if your in the public eye it comes with the baggage.
Again, I'm a guy. I'm not Kelly Craig. I have no problem with Jack White or any of those other guys; most of their music is cool. I just don't think this song is very good. Don't take it so personally.
She is stunning, her voice is captivating, the video is a video, can't say much more about a video these days. Those who can't become critics.
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