UnderCover: 12/3/08

One of the best parts of music is hearing your favorite artist or band cover a classic. That is why for today's UnderCover set, we are bringing you artists who have perfected the art of covering a song.

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UnderCover 12/3/08:

Song: "Gimme Shelter"
Artist: Angelique Kidjo


Originally by the Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter" was the opening track on their 1969 album, Let it Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Gimme Shelter" was created from the combined efforts of both the singer and the guitarist. Richards had been working on the song's signature opening in London while Jagger was working on the film Performance. Talking about the song, Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that." Created at the time of the Vietnam War, the song could only reflect on the violent and rough surrounding culture.

Now, Angelique Kidjo, the Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer-songwriter covers "Gimme Shelter," featuring Joss Stone, on her album, Djin Djin.

Enjoy their music video for "Gimme Shelter":