Hold Your Head Up | Angels Bark

It’s time for another Battle of the Bands and today I’m featuring covers of Argent‘s classic anthem Hold Your Head Up. Give a listen to the two contenders and vote which one you like best. I’ll post the results in 6 days!

“Hold Your Head Up” is a song by British progressive rock band Argent, released as a single in 1972. The song was a Top 5 hit in both the US and UK, peaking at #5 in both countries. Billboard ranked it as the No. 50 song for 1972. The song was written by Rod Argent and Chris White.

Here’s Argent’s performing Hold Your Head Up. Argent is not in the cover battle; they are the originators of this song. For more info on Argent, check out my A-Z Musical Tour of My Life post featuring Argent.

Rod Argent rocks the organ in this song! This was their appearance on the first ever episode of The Midnight Special in August of 1972. (The band was introduced by John Denver, who spoke briefly of Ron Argent’s previous band, The Zombies Although the audio isn’t great in that link so for listening pleasure, click the video below).

This song was covered by several artists, including Uriah Heep and Steppenwolf. But they’re not in the battle either. Instead, I’m pitting Fish against Lana Lane. See whose version you like best:

Fish: Derek William Dick, better known as Fish (born April 25, 1958, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland), is a Scottish singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He achieved prominence as the lead singer and lyricist of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion from 1981 until 1988. Critics have acknowledged Fish for his voice, which has been described as both “distinct” and a “conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel”,[1][2] while his lyrics have been praised as “poetic prose”. Fish was voted the 37th greatest voice in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009. (Source: Wikipedia)

Fish covered Hold Your Head Up on his third solo album Songs From the Mirror in 1993:

Lana Lane: The song was also covered by Lana Lane on her 2003 album Lana Lane Covers Collection. Lana Lane is a North American rock singer. She sings lead in her eponymous band, and has sung backing vocals for the band Rocket Scientists and guest sung on Ayreon and Erik Norlander albums. She is married to music producer Erik Norlander, who co-produces her albums with her at their own studio, Think Tank Media in Woodland Hills, California. (Source: Wikipedia)