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I'm not going to be presumptuous to believe I invented this term, or even that the concept that brought it to my attention was the first time this has ever been done, in fact I know it was done many years before.

You may well ask (and many people have in the past), "Why haven't you ever played anything from this album on the show if the title of the album gave "Lefting" its name?" Sadly, there is only one answer, the album has never been released on vinyl. It doesn't even appear in a "Career Box Set" for the artist, despite subsequent albums being included. If it did, I'd buy that box set.

So, what is the album? Keep reading to find out!

Let's start with what IS a lefting, in the simplest term, a lefting is a cover version of a track, either by the original artist, or another artist, that has taken a left turn stylistically from the original version.

Example : Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

Original Version : from Slippery When Wet released in 1986

Lefted Version : from the album This Left Feels Right released in 2003



Example : Tainted Love

Original Artist : Gloria Jones, below is the 1964 original version. She also re-released the song in 1976.

Lefting Artist : Soft Cell, the version that most people know, and often mistakenly believe is the original version of the song, there are a couple of lyric changes, but they are a word here or there. It is certainly a very striking lefting of the original version.

So, if you hadn't guessed, the album that I bought 17 years ago was the Bon Jovi album "This Left Feels Right". I bought it because at the time I was a mobile DJ, and I'd had a request for a party for a track from it. I listened through it, a few times before that event and loved some of the new arrangements and "Lefting" in my mind was born.

So ... If you know of any fantastic Leftings that are available on vinyl (of course) send us an email or a tweet and let us know and it will feature on a future Leftings dedicated show.

As Ever, I'll catch you on the flip side!

Dex