Mark Ronson feat. Lily Allen - Oh My God

English producer Mark Ronson had a brief stint on the airwaves back in 2003 with his debut album Here Comes The Fuzz, which spawned the minor hit Ooh Wee. He has produced for the likes of Nikka Costa, Amy Winehouse, Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera, but it wasn’t until 2007 when he released an album of covers called Version that his star really began to rise.

The second single from the album is a cover of English band the Kaiser Chiefs and their track Oh My God. Enlisting the help of singer Lily Allen, the single is light, funky and quite a juxtaposition from the rock stylings of Ricky Wilson and co. Taking a rock song and giving it a makeover is quite a challenge, and Ronson has fashioned a track that is on par with the original, but stands out on its own merits.

Using a plethora of instruments, from the standard guitars and bass, to percussion and brass (featuring Neal Sugarman, Dave Guy and Ian Hendrickson-Smith of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings fame), the sound is given a backwards thinking update. Like when popular songs are done in a pan pipe version, but only cooler. Ronson shows how musically astute he is, interpreting the song in his own unique style. The song has a loungey club vibe to it, and the video even features a cartoon animated Allen performing it in a jazz club where Ronson and The Kaiser Chiefs watch on.

Featuring two alternate versions of the track; one instrumental and the “Super Busdown Remix” featuring Busta Rhymes, which brings his distinct scream/shout style of rapping, you realise just how strong the track is on its own. Rhymes adds to the mix, shouting “yeah” every now and then and a verse during the instrumental part of the song. To be honest, I couldn’t tell much difference between the original and the remix, apart from Busta chiming in. The instrumental highlights the talents of the Daptone Horns, while B side track Pistol Of Fire harks back to the funk and soul of the 70’s.

Mark Ronson shows why he is one of the most sought after producers in the business at the moment. His forward thinking vision without a doubt would place him on the top of many artists’ lists of people they’d want to work with.