2nd Time’s Better: When Another Version Trumps the Original.
About This Podcast
2nd Time’s Better is a fun and informative look at the music scene, where remixes, cover versions or live versions of tracks are (IMHO,) better than the original version.
Each episode will feature a specific track, and delve into the story behind how it was originally, and why the ‘2nd version’ of the track marks an improvement. Every recording has a backstory, so this will try to delve into this, alongside the recording rationale and outcomes, as well as any other random facts that come up along the way.
With just 15 minutes to tell the story, this is fast and to the point, whilst retaining some wit and humour for good measure.
Recent Episodes
2TB EP2: Coming To Your City (Big & Rich, Lizzy Hale, Cowboy Troy & Travis McCoy)
September 22, 2025
NOTE: I really apologise both for the lateness of this episode, and the nasal toning. I've been feeling like crap the past few weeks with some physical health issues, so if it sounds like I'm out of breath, I kinda am whilst I await for the NHS to decide if I can have some surgery or not!
For years, this was played on my TV / Mac / Phone at about 2 Minutes past 2PM UK time, either on BT Sports, or on some random online ESPN feed that I would find in the weeks when BT Sports couldn’t be bothered to show College Gameday in full.
Coming To Your City is the second track on the album of the same name, released by American country music duo Big & Rich in November 2005. The song came out as a single in September of the same year to promote the album. There are multiple versions of this song from a college football perspective. The first iteration was in 2006, which to be honest was very Southern, very ‘Heartland’ college football. There was a remake in 2008, 2010, and then the version I want to talk about, that debuted in 2014.
Rather than take up way too much space on a podcast description, I've decided to make all my notes for this and future episodes available to you. It's a bit like me being back teaching at university, handing out my notes, but hey!
SHOW NOTES: https://wilv.click/2TBEP2-Companian Listen Now→
2TB EP1: Run This Town (Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, E.S. Posthumus)
August 25, 2025
If there was a specific song that made me decide to start a podcast based on cover versions, remixes and the like, this would be it. I was on a bus heading out on a Saturday Afternoon to do some shopping when the original version of this song came on via my Apple Music ‘suggested songs’ playlist. I hadn’t heard the song in years, but immediately was scrambling in my brain to figure out how / why I remembered this song in a slightly different context.
Most people will know who Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West are, regardless of tastes in music. Each of the three names are known way outside of their respective core genres, and their combined net worth is something over $5 Billion. E.S Posthumus though, are not known by name, so to say, however if you’re a fan of American Football, you almost certainly know of some of their work. The two brothers Franz Vonlichten and Helmut Vonlichten perhaps could be most well known for the intro and ident music for the NFL on CBS, which is one of the most iconic themes in American sports history today. The two brothers were also responsible for the musical score to CBS’ Super Bowl Coverage ‘Hard Open’, for a number of occasions, including a remake of this very song, followed up by a fantastic version of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ 3 years later when CBS next held the Super Bowl rights in the rotation.
