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Apr 05, 2018 Death Cab for Cutie By Christopher Roberts

Universal Love is a new EP funded by MGM Resorts that features musicians covering classic love songs but adjusting the gender pronouns so that they would be more appropriate for same sex weddings. Hence St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) covers The Crystals’ “And Then He Kissed Me” as “And Then She Kissed Me.” Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie changes The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” to “And I Love Him.” Bob Dylan’s take on 1929’s “She’s Funny That Way” (by Neil Moret and Richard Whiting) is titled “He’s Funny That Way.” Kesha does Janis Joplin’s “I Need a Man to Love” as “I Need a Woman to Love.” Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke sings about “My Guy,” rather than The Temptations’ “My Girl.” And Valerie June’s version of Nöel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy” (popularized by Dinah Washington) is naturally now “Mad About the Girl.” Listen to the whole thing below.

Universal Love is due out tomorrow, April 6. In an interview with The New York Times, Tom Murphy, a co-producer of Universal Love, explained the project: “If you look at the history of pop music, love songs have predominantly come from one heterosexual perspective. If we view music as something that brings people together, shouldn’t these popular songs be open to everyone?”

Rob Kaplan is the executive producer on the EP. Same sex weddings account for 20 - 30 percent of the ceremonies conducted at MGM Resorts’ 15 hotels in Las Vegas and so it is hoped that the EP will help soundtrack some of the ceremonies.

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