Iterations: Can’s “Vitamin C”

Iterations: Can’s “Vitamin C”
Can - "Vitamin C"

German Krautrock progenitors Can can be a trip to get into, and I will admit I haven’t fully gotten the trick to it. But their influence and importance is undeniable, and I can definitely enjoy their 1972 album Ege Bamyasi, and its most accessible moment – and probably the band’s overall – is a great, groovy gem.

Here’s a portion (a significant one, though) of the band performing the song live somewhere in 1972:

Given how much fun this song must be to play live – at least for the rhythm section – I’m surprised there’s not more covers of it out there. Guess no one ever listens to the drummer or bassist’s requests… But there are a few. Obviously, Stephen Malkmus’ live full-album cover of Ege Bamyasi, a Record Store Day exclusive in 2013, contains his version:

New Zealand’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra have included the song in their set lists; here’s a recording from their December 2011 show at The Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney, Australia:

And it was a staple of Nicole Atkins shows for a while; it was a b-side of her 7″ for “Vultures”, a single from Mondo Amore.

And she performed a stripped-down version in session for Dutch music site The Influences in 2018:

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