We currently have a great thread going called "One Hit Wonders." I'd like to start another music-related thread in which we share "covers" of songs. Let me start off with this one:

"Not Fade Away" originally done by Buddy Holly and the Crickets and then covered by Mick, Keith, Brian, Charlie and Bill...

Most people associate "Respect" with Aretha, but her version (admittedly the definitive version) was a cover of the original which was recorded by Mr. Otis Redding.

Don't forget the Grateful Dead or Ms. olyve will be mighty upset.

For Ms. Olyve...

the dead version is the one i most associate with this song. i didn't realize it was a buddy holly hit.

all along the watch towner - jimi hendrix (dylan)

crossroads - cream (robert johnson

a little help from my friends - joe cocker (beatles)

blue suede shoes - elvis (carl perkins)

oh Chuck!
You couldn't have chosen a better one.
Brent Mydland, my hero.
We've got that concert on video.
Truckin up To Buffalo! 1989
One year before he died.

It's hard to say which version is most listened to. It's Otis' song of course.
This one is guaranteed to get everybody on their feet. I've seen it happen many times.

"Blue Moon" is a standard ballad written by Rogers & Hart in '34. It has been covered by many artists.

Here's Billie Holliday's version (1950).

And, here's the the Marcel's doo wop version (1961), which would also fit into the "one hit wonder" category.

Brother Iz's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

There are covers, and then there are remixes - which is not a "remake."
(...remember, only movies are 'remade.' )

For example, Nina Simone's Sinnerman as remixed by Felix da Housecat (...a very groovy cat indeed. )

I quite like this remix of Sinnerman: (The video doesn't especially move me, tho' )

UB40's version of ([b]I Can't Help)Falling In Love With You[/b]

UB40's version of I Got You Babe

wow, I'm just up.
I loved that!

They did a good job.

Bangel's version of Hazy Shade of Winter.

I'm quite fond of UB40s cover of: (I like the reggae vibe)

...and I love, love, Joan Jett's cover of:



I especially like that Joan didn't change the lyrics to reflect a culturally acceptable pronoun. I find this decision pretty cool, given that Ms. Jett is a lesbian.

The hard-edged guitar licks are fricken awesome!!

Love that cover!

...and I'll go out on a limb and state that this cover is probably the most commercially successful cover ever:

(Originally recorded by Dolly Parton)

The Birds cover of Turn, Turn, Turn is better than the original, IMHO:

...and of course Soft Cell's of Tainted Love was way more commercially successful than the original recorded by Gloria Jones:

The Jefferson Airplane's cover of Somebody to Love is better than the original by The Great Society to such an extent that the Jefferson Airplane's cover is generally associated as the original recording:

...and I had no idea that the Red Hot Chili Pepper's cover of Higher Ground was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder:

Who would disagree that Manfred Man's cover of Blinded by the Light is better than the Boss - Bruce Springsteen?

So what? I liked Ms. Jett's version, but I still prefer the original Tommy James and the Shondells' version better.

What an incredibly beautiful and talented woman! How'd she ever marry such a clown?

Georgia O'Keefe?

I had to Google® who Georgia O'Keefe was. I'm more into music than other forms of art, such as painting or sculpture.

As far as lesbian artists that sing, Melissa Manchester and k.d. lang are good. I like their music.

...but Joan Jett was more of a rocker and I like that genre of music a lot.

I know. Bobby is now clean and sober. It make me wonder who lead whom down the dark-side path.

Google O'Keefe's art or whatever to view her paintings.

You're joking?

It was cool because Joan didn't change the lyrics to reflect the culturally accepted correct pronoun of "him." Joan left the lyrics as is and sang "her."

No.

(Willie Dixon)


(Bob Dylan)

I would. No comparison.

Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith co-wrote a great rocker called "Because the Night".

Here's the Boss's version.

Here's Patti's.

LOL, y'all are great.
This is fun.

The chatter at the beginning of this one is delicious. Rare find.

(Kris Kristofferson)Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin


(Willie Dixon) Hoochie Coochie Man, Allman Brothers

60s folkie Tim Buckley's beautiful "Morning Glory".

Blood Sweat and Tears' (with Al Kooper) version.

How bout the "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" a 1957 folk song written by Ewan MacColl for his wife Peggy Seeger. It was popularized by Roberta Flack and became a breakout hit for the singer after it appeared in the 1971 Clint Eastward film Play Misty for Me.

So I suppose that makes it a cover. I was fortunate enough to hear her live sometime around this era. Fabulous doesn’t begin to describe her incredible and mesmerizing talent.

First time I Ever Saw your Face

How do you do that direct link anyway?

I only know of the Patti Smith version - I thought that one was the original.




...then, the 10,000 Maniacs covered the song:

The first time I ever became aware of 'The Boss' was this song:

You mean like this?

Exactamente!

How about some really bad covers?

This one is just so gawwwwwwwd awful !



- or, this one - (...like fingernails on a chalkboard)

Everyone associates "Superstar" with Karen Carpenter.
The song was originally written by my best buddy LEON RUSSELL, and the first person to perform it wasn't Karen Carpenter.

Now, don't ask me WHY the person who put up the YouTube video used footage of JIM MORRISON.... I have NO idea why.
But I bet you're gonna like THIS version of Superstar a lot better. Karen's is good but BONNIE BRAMLETT will "sock it to ya" like Karen could only dream of doing.

Karen's version sounds like a syrupy puppy love crush.
Bonnie sounds like she just GOT LAID and wants some more! (LOL)

Oh yeah...Delaney is AWESOME! (I miss him terribly)
And check out Eric Clapton! Eric credits Delaney with teaching him how to get down with the soul stylings.

- or, how about this really bad cover?

"My gawd Jim! You're stoned out of your mind. I'm a doctor, not a drug counselor!"

OMG! This one to my knees memories...good, bad.
That is an awesome video.

But Mellow wins the one with Arlo.
Man oh man, I've seen him in concert half a dozen times.
Most notably a rained out street festival here in Athens that got moved to a small club.
Just fabulous.
Afterward we got his autograph on the back of a "legalize marijuana petition and asked him out to the Waffle House. He turned that down but graciously talked to us on the sidewalk for awhile. It was really cool.

Don't get upset...but I like the Karen Carpenter's cover and arrangements better.

I did a little digging around and found your source Checkers, but the song was called 'Groupie' in 1969, and the song title changed to 'Superstar' in 1971.

So, yes, Bonnie Bramlett was the first to record the lyrics to Claude Russell Bridges' song, but Karen Carpenter was the first to record the song as it has become to be known: Superstar

...so is Karen's version a cover? I guess it is technically - only the name and some of the arrangements were changed; not the lyrics.

I like Karen Carpenter a lot - but let's get real, she wasn't groovy enough to sing a song titled, "Groupie."

Peter, Paul, and Mary's version of First Time Ever I Saw Your Face[/b]. I liked both versions. I also like Eastwood's [b]Play Misty For Me.

Phil Collins' version of You Can't Hurry Love. I like both versions, although acquaintances said that Collins' version was unnecessary. Maybe. He wanted to do it, and did a good job.

Peter, Paul and Mary were great and I was fortunate enough to hear them twice at the Waikiki Shell sometime in the mid 60’s when I was a young whipper snapper. And that is a good version—but nothing—absolutely nothing can top Roberta Flacks version. Good thing PP&M did it 6 years earlier.

The song should have been retired after Flack performed it and put away for good—as that is as good as it gets.

Roberta Flack is great. I like both versions. I saw PP&M a number of times at both the Yale Bowl and the Oakdale. I love both versions. For me, it's hard to chose between the two. They're both great. Hey, music is music. It's music.

You're very late to the party!!!

The Beatles have been covered by just about everyone. But I''m thinking that Joe Cocker's cover of With a Little Help From My Friends might be the very best cover of any of their songs. But that's just my opinion.

Chuck, I had that one queued up to post last night. My husband and I watched the whole entire thing.
And then I saw that 2wins had already mentioned it early on in the thread.
That's just an awesome video.
Got it going right now.

Blame the stork. He had millions of babies to drop off before my blessed event.

Chuck--my twisted mind just can't help recalling this version of "Friends" whenever I hear the name Joe Cocker.

John Belushi

Yeah. And then there was that one.

Listening to an interview with Lieber and Stoller - who wrote "Hound Dog" and "Yakety Yak" (among others) -- they didn't care at all for what Elvis Presley did with "Hound Dog," liked Big Mama Thornton's much better. Until the sales figures convinced them otherwise, of course.

I like hearing different interpretations of songs. I don't necessarily judge better/worse; I like to hear what the "new" artist brings to the song.

I like Nine Inch Nails:


AND, I enjoyed seeing Johnny Cash's interpretation:

Agreed (...for the most part, but you have to admit some covers just don't work, ie. Modonna - American Pie).

I love this cover of Walk the Line - it's pretty fricken awesome:

Admittedly, some covers "work" better than others. I don't recall ever hearing the Madonna cover of American Pie....and it certainly seems to be an odd combo. Guess I'll just have to take your word on its unworking nature.

I grew to like her American Pie

Wow, Phil. I thought I hated that song. She puts a whole new perspective on it. Thank you for that.

Me too, big time. erinys.
We've some artist around here that do some great interpretations of older stuff. I love hearing it.
Grateful Dead, Beetles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Talking Heads and more.

[b]Dolly Parton- Stairway to Heaven[/b] Don't laugh. It's good.

I'm not laughing. wow, Joe

I thought that she did a good cover.

One of my favorite local mash-up artists, DJ Earworm, used this as the basis of one of his BEST mixes ever. Starts with Laurie Anderson (O Superman), Art of Noise (Moments In Love), The Beatles (Because) then he has Dolly singing this over the music of Eurythmics (This City Never Sleeps)... Once it hits the 6:00 minute mark Pat Benatar makes an appearance. The layers just build and build to ear candy perfection

Today's Ranter lesson of the day: Mashups

Mashups = Two (...or more) different songs played at the same time:

For example:

That's a good mix.

Thanks for the lesson on Mashups. They're pretty good, especially the Blondie and Morrison one.

Sweet Home Alabama

I like the Beatles/Monkees mashup linked above. The Blondie/Doors one is excellent.

I have avoided this thread since I don't listen to the same sort of music as most folks and seldom vocal groups at all, but in this day of fleeting fame, when 15 minutes is an eternity, some things need to be grasped quickly before they are gone.
Here is something that dropped into my inbox yesteday.

Yes, I always suspected that you were special. Thank you. Nora is a beautiful soul and her singing reflects it. She is a very beautiful, intelligent, and talented young lady. I hope that she does well.

It's not so much that I'm special Joe, my ears are too bad to understand the lyrics, most vocals might as well be in Hebrew to me. It's frustrating so I listen to Jazz, I can hear the music fine.
The kid is Norwegian, doesn't even speak English.

Knocking On Heaven's Door