Dave Gahan & Soulsavers – “The Dark End Of The Street” (James Carr Cover)

Depeche Mode leader Dave Gahan recently got together with longtime collaborator Rich Machin, better known as Soulsavers, to record the new covers album Imposter. On the album, Gahan and Machin take on songs from people like PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. We’ve already posted the Gahan/Soulsavers take on Cat Power’s “Metal Heart,” and now they’ve shared another of the album’s covers.

For their latest single, Gahan and Machin have shared their version of “The Dark End Of The Street,” a slow-burning Memphis soul song first recorded by James Carr in 1967. In the years since, a great many people have covered “The Dark End Of The Street,” including Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, the Eels, and — hey, look at that — Cat Power.

For their version, Gahan and Machin have kept the song slow and bluesy. It gives Gahan a chance to cut loose vocally in ways that probably wouldn’t make sense on a Depeche Mode track. Check out the Gahan/Soulsavers cover and the James Carr original below.