Hello programmers across the nation! It’s Andy Gesner and the rest of the HIP Video Promo staff serving up a bluesy reimagining of the INXS masterpiece “Never Tear Us Apart” by Alabama rockers The Great Book of John, who prove that despite being worlds apart from Perth, “Never Tear Us Apart” clearly means as much in the deep South as it does in Australia.

For fans of legendary Aussie rock band INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart” is more than merely another great song in a catalog of many - it has become a revered anthem untouchable by mere mortals. It’s safe to say that covering this song is reserved for exclusivity more elusive than the Templar Knights, as the track was played while the members of INXS ferried their iconic singer Michael Hutchence in his coffin outside St. Andrews Cathedral after his untimely death in 1997. Bono has only ventured into bits of the song amid live performances and Adele scrapped her own remake of the tune because she was so intimidated by the original. However, here come The Great Book of John, who boldly wake the rock god’s slumber to redress his creation as a bluesy Southern rock ballad, teeming with murky sonics, dreamy boy-girl harmonies and a monster of a guitar solo to the table, magnificently heightening the song’s emotional heft while generating tremendous intrigue as to what they are capable of on their own original material.

The Great Book of John is led by Taylor Shaw — founding guitarist of Birmingham, Alabama’s late, great Wild Sweet Orange. Shaw’s music is eminently lyrical – recalling Jeff Buckley’s psychedelic soul, Leonard Cohen’s poetic (and lacerating) wordplay, and fiery fretwork influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughn and David Gilmour as much as it is by Radiohead. Yes, those are big names to drop, but this is big music – emotional, filmic, but never pandering. Dreams writ large but still cryptic and surreal in the band’s second and self-titled release, The Great Book of John, hit shelves on August 16th as a digital, CD, and vinyl release. The record is a deeply-layered production brimming with amplified crunch and a thick, somnambulant atmosphere, provided in part by musician/producer Jeffery Cain (Remy Zero) and Grammy Award winning engineer Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck, Outkast).

The Great Book of John’s video for their cover is set in the very studio it was recorded, as the viewer gets a glimpse at the process behind the scenes of how this haunting recreation was brought to life. “Never Tear Us Apart” has already swept the internet as the second coming of the royal rock ballad. While diehard fans reserve their loyalty with the original, many blogs have thrown aside their skepticism and embraced this fantastic cover as a worthy monument. Magnet Magazine calls it, “truly evocative introduction to a burgeoning band.” 90.3 Birmingham calls the record “dark but hopeful spirit with folk undertone.” Mixtape Maestro, who weren’t shy about mentioning their initial skepticism, claim that they “were sold to their efforts within a single listen.” Bowlegs has also joined in to praise the band’s “beefy sound.” The band is currently on tour in support of their release.

We are thrilled to introduce a band that demands your attention from the new indie powerhouse label Communicating Vessels. We’ve got lots of The Great Book of John goodies here at the office, so if you’d like to team up and run a contest or giveaway, don’t be shy about getting in touch. If you need more info, call Andy Gesner at 732-613-1779 or e-mail us at HIPVideo@aol.com. You can also visit www.CommunicatingVessels.net and www.TheGreatBookofJohn.com to find out more about The Great Book of John and any performances near you.

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