A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins: A song worth listening to again

By: Joseph R. Atilano – 4 mins ago

| PHOTO: Edwyn Collins and Setanta

What an immortal song that Edwyn Collins wrote, sang, and most importantly, played guitar on! Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You” holds a special place for me in many ways because it’s one of the few songs from the mid-90s that I know the words to by heart, played on guitar, and still watch on YouTube. When I’m not listening to my original copy of Edwyn Collins’ third studio album, Gorgeous George, I listen to it on the Empire Records OST.

Structurally, “A Girl Like You” is perfect down to the smallest detail. From the guitar intro to the verse, the chorus, the guitar solo, the bridge and everything else, the music captivated the audience. Technically superior in every respect, performed at a masterly level by the one and only Edwyn Collins.

No, it’s wrong to call this song a one-hit wonder, because it was part of the soundtrack of both my generation and the previous generation, which underlines its significant musical influence. Intriguing lyrics and iconic guitar riffs make this song both nostalgic and fitting for the changing music scene in the mid-90s. We were gradually moving away from grunge and entering a poppier phase. On the other side of the world, the British movement was quietly starting, and one of the artists who spearheaded it was Edwyn Collins.

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| PHOTO: Edwyn Collins and Setanta

I first came across “A Girl Like You” when it was played on MTV Asia. It was not the black and white version that can easily be found online, but a colorful, dynamic, lively nod to the late ’60s and early ’70s in terms of theme, scope and presentation. You all should watch the color version of the music video for “A Girl Like You” as it better suits the lyrics, mood and meaning of the song by Edwyn Collins. Moreover, it is more entertaining and does not detract from the impact of the song. There are two music video versions of “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins.

For an alternate music video version of “A Girl Like You” search for “A Girl Like You (Version 2)” by Edwyn Collins on YouTube, it’s the best of them all. I’ve provided a few screenshots of the alternate version to help you have clarity when searching and to know if you’ve found the right one.

There are several live recordings and versions of “A Girl Like You” available on YouTube, but one in particular stands out and surpasses all the others that have been uploaded and made available to the public. In this live recording, Edwyn Collins sings his iconic song on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” where he appeared as a musical guest along with his bandmates.

What a fantastic performance it was to see the effort Edwyn Collins put into the trippy, sinewy and undulating sounds of his vintage guitar, which changed every time he stepped on his numerous guitar effects pedals during the song. His transitions were great to hear. Edwyn Collins’ performance was outstanding. A record holder for musical guest appearances on late night shows who made a clear statement with a single performance.

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| PHOTO: Edwyn Collins and Setanta

Although Edwyn Collins suffered two strokes and is partially paralyzed, he still performs at music festivals, concerts and small gigs today, and includes his timeless song “A Girl Like You” in his sets. Even though he no longer plays the guitar himself, just hearing that voice brings back all those memories for me. That’s only possible if the talent really has “IT”. Edwyn Collins definitely made a connection with me and countless others around the world with his immortal song.

There are many artists and bands that have performed “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins and some have even covered it legally and received his blessing and approval and the record company’s permission to release it as a cover song. However, honestly speaking, these covers of “A Girl Like You” by other artists and bands are pale, boring and lacking in comparison to the original. They have no heart, no soul and no emotion. It sounds robotic and there is no more appropriate term for it. And that is one of the reasons why the song has remained so legendary because no one else can perform it like he can.

Edwyn Collins is a throwback to a different era of the music industry because his mindset, musicianship and guitar work are reminiscent of decades past and most importantly there is authenticity. The song still sounds great today; younger people and the new generation will be thrilled when they hear it now. Trust me, I have done social listening experiments with this song with my younger relatives and they all love the song.

All in all, “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins is worth listening to, appreciating and listening to again.