(Above: The Rezillos, Gugug, Marvin)

Who among us hasn’t thrilled to these words?

“Further modulation of the frequency rotation triggered waveband activation - near elation”

It’s The Rezillos, of course - Scotland’s greatest contribution to human culture, and probably the hardest rocking geology students of the immediate post punk period. They were blessed not only with a fine sense of what trashy punk/pop should be, but with Fay Fife, a rock goddess among rock godesses.

I was reminded of it when I noticed that Gugug, my favourite lo-fi ukulele and melodica group and kings of the punk cover version, had done their own take on Destination Venus. That led me to start searching for other covers, thinking that surely dozens of bands must have done the same. But… no. I did make a happy discovery in the form of the band Marvin (from Montpellier in France, to distinguish them from a number of other bands called Marvin). They do a pleasantly noxious blend of noise rock, metal power chording and cheesy synth bleeps - and they do a fine version of Destination Venus with completely distorted vocoder vocal - in fact, I suggest that you listen to one of the other versions first so you can work out which parts are the “vocals” with Marvin.

I hear 50s styled space rockers Man or Astroman did a cover too, but I couldn’t dig it up. I’m not too fussed, as while I like the idea of Man or Astroman, I could never quite get behind their sound. Perhaps I just need persuading…

YouTube links:

Rezillos:

Gugug:

Marvin: