Vitamin String Quartet
A rotating group of Los Angeles-based studio musicians, the Vitamin String Quartet have carved out a unique niche for themselves, recording new versions of songs by a wide variety of well-known rock, pop, and country artists, arranged for a small string ensemble. Since first appearing in 1999, the VSQ have released well over 300 albums (through their own Vitamin Records label), most of which feature the songs of a single artist (and in some cases interpret a single album in full), though the group have also released thematic collections based on particular moods, styles, or genres. Some of their many releases include tributes to David Bowie, Madonna, Slayer, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and the Flaming Lips. Their canon also includes thematic collections like The Gay Wedding Collection, My Metal Valentine, and Music from the Films of John Hughes. The year-in-review sets VSQ Performs the Hits of 2021, Vols. 1 and 2 appeared in 2022.
Since the beginning, the quartet's membership has remained flexible, but violinist and arranger Tom Tally has been a significant contributor to the group, having produced and arranged over 50 of the VSQ's albums. In 2009, the quartet took a creative step forward with the album Per_Versions, which, along with tunes from a number of alternative pop groups, included several original compositions. The following year, VSQ Performs Lady Gaga made a Top Ten appearance on the Billboard Classical Albums chart, and the ensemble joined Thirty Seconds to Mars for the rock band's 2011 appearance on MTV Unplugged (a live EP of the performance hit the top half of the Billboard 200). Meanwhile, the quartet's recordings continued to be licensed for a variety of television shows, including So You Think You Can Dance, The Vampire Diaries, Modern Family, and Westworld. The group's tributees throughout the decade spanned Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sigur Rós, Kanye West, and The World of Studio Ghibli (2017).
Lana Del Rey, My Chemical Romance, and the Weeknd were among their subjects in the early 2020s, as were continued hit roundups of previous years, such as March 2022's VSQ Performs the Hits of 2021, Vol. 2.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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The Mother's Day String Quartet Collection
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 15 May 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Strung Out on Indie Rock, Vol. 1
Rock - Released by CMH Records on 21 Apr 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Emo Anti-Valentine's Day Collection
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 15 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strung Out, Vol. 5: VSQ Performs 2007's Best Songs
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strung Out, Vol. 3: VSQ Performs Alternative Hits
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 1 Jan 2007
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Strung Out, Vol. 1: VSQ Performs Modern Rock Hits
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 31 Jul 2007
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Strung Out, Vol. 2: VSQ Performs Modern Rock Hits
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 18 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
VSQ Performs the Main Titles from Beetlejuice
Film Soundtracks - Released by Vitamin Records on 9 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
VSQ Performs the Rocky Horror Picture Show's I'm Going Home
Film Soundtracks - Released by Vitamin Records on 10 Jul 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
VSQ Performs Modern Rock Hits 2012 Vol. 1
Alternative & Indie - Released by Vitamin Records on 7 Aug 2012
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Vitamin String Quartet Performs Fall Out Boy's What a Catch, Donnie
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 21 Jan 2009
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Vitamin String Quartet Performs Tokio Hotel's "Strange" - Single
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 22 Jun 2010
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Vitamin String Quartet Performs Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up
Rock - Released by Vitamin Records on 7 Feb 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
VSQ Performs Simple Plan
Punk / New Wave - Released by Vitamin Records on 3 Aug 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo