Some songs age like fine wine, and The Witch, the 1964 classic by The Sonics, is one of them. It’s so devilishly good that it can take cover after cover without losing an ounce of the wild, nocturnal, supernatural spirit that made it a cornerstone of garage rock.
Halloween may be just around the corner, but Soraia didn’t pick The Witch just to cash in on spooky season. The Philadelphia band had been playing it live for a while and, as frontwoman ZouZou Mansour explains, the crowds made the decision for them:
“‘The Witch’ originally replaced ‘Have Love’ in our live shows, but audiences responded to it so well that we decided to record our more horroresque version for release. Every time we play it, that initial scream kicks both the band’s and the audience’s adrenaline into high gear like nothing I’ve seen. We’re super happy with how the recording came out, too. It really fits us.”
Out on Wicked Cool Records, their version leaves the irresistible riff intact but makes it heavier, adding a hard rock edge without losing the garage feel. The Detroit Cobras and the rawness of The Stooges spring to mind. Mansour’s powerful, raspy voice recalls Lisa Kekaula of The BellRays, with that same ability to let rip without ever leaving the blues behind. Her screams punctuate the track and erupt at the end, turning the whole thing into one hell of an electric witches’ party.
Having a woman sing about that dangerous witch gives the story a twist. Mansour doesn’t change a word, but she sings it with so much swagger that at times it sounds like the witch herself is holding the mic.
Sixty-two years on, the spell still works. And this time, thanks to Soraia, the witch is right on time to throw her own Halloween party.
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