Posts: 1,298
Threads: 79
Joined: Feb 2003
Hi
When perusing the headlines at the New York Times this morning, I came across this story about the originator of the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
It got me thinking again about cover versions of songs, and how sometimes a song gets transformed and 'owned' by a different artist than the original one.
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", in my mind, is owned by The Nylons, with their a capella version.
But there are many songs like that. Some were lacklustre; some stand out. I want to hear about the stand-outs.
Here are some that fit that description for me:
"Me and Bobby McGee" is owned by Janis Joplin; no matter that Kris Kristofferson wrote and recorded it.
"Fever" has been recorded by too many artists - period. But I do love Rita Coolidge's version of it - smouldering and sexy.
"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" was recorded by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (written by Shel Silverstein), but Marianne Faithfull did a cover of it that is sublime.
"Honky Tonk Women" was originally done (and well) by The Rolling Stones, but Taj Mahal took that song and stripped it down to pure pain and sleaze in a magnificent version.
There are more I could come up with. But I would like to know what others have taken a song, transformed it and "own" it now.
Nominations?
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake
Posts: 857
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
"Cats in the Cradle" covered by Ugly Kid Joe.
The Bill of No Rights
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
03-22-2006, 04:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2006, 04:14 PM by Doc.)
Hurt. Originally done by Nine Inch Nails, and an incredible song. Johnny Cash turned it in to something else entirely. Made this old man break down when he first heard it.
Nirvana singing many of their cover songs. Man Who Sold the World and Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam.
Hurra Torpedo. Their cover of Total Eclipse of the Heart just totally roxxors. It sounds like a gag till you realise the guy banging away on the freezer and the stove are keeping almost perfect timing. Comedic musical brilliance.
Korn. Word Up. I had doubts when I heard they had covered this song, but after hearing it, I was blown away. Enough so that I would love to hear them do a cover of Play That Funky Music White Boy.
Hrm... Not sure if this counts, but Natalie Cole singing duets with her father. She covered his music.
Concrete Blonde doing Bob Dylan's Simple Twist of Fate. Johnette Napolitano's voice is haunting seductive. Also, she covered Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen. I will probably be pelted with rotten fruit, but she really did do a better job with Simple Twist of Fate. It's just so... Stripped down, raw, vunerable, and perfect. Hearing it can give me a lump in my throat and a quiver in my spine.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 1,913
Threads: 47
Joined: Jun 2003
ShadowHM,Mar 22 2006, 03:53 PM Wrote:Nominations?
[right][snapback]105128[/snapback][/right]
I like the Guano Apes' version of "big in Japan" a lot more than the original by alphaville...what a dumb original....
Posts: 6,430
Threads: 204
Joined: Feb 2003
03-22-2006, 04:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2006, 04:43 PM by Occhidiangela.)
ShadowHM,Mar 22 2006, 09:53 AM Wrote:Nominations?
[right][snapback]105128[/snapback][/right] Jimi Hendrix owns Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower."
Eddy Vetter owns Dylan's "Masters of War." (A must see is his performance of it in a Dylan tribute, HBO, VH1, or MTV, I am not sure which.
Santana owns "Well Allright" (John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.)
Santana also owns "She's Not There" by the Zombies. His richer performance just edges out the minimalist original.
Joan Baez kicked Jackson Browne down the stair with her "Fountain of Sorrow" cover.
Judas Priest got the drop on Joan Baez. Their metal cover of "Diamonds and Rust" wins, for all that her original is achingly beautiful.
Patti LaBelle's "Acid Queen" . . . Pete Townsend, you have been PWNED.
To his credit, she did it while touring with him in performing "Tommy."
In the "They should never have bothered" category:
Axl Rose should be executed, and then fed to pigs, for trying to cover the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," which he cocked up. The rest of Guns 'N Roses may commute their sentence to performing straight-from-the-hymnal Episcopal hymns for three years -- as their only expression of musicianship.
The cover stank to high heaven. The act of covering that song was, to quote my favorite Variant Scum, "Vileness!" The Mikado standard is warranted in this egregious case: let the punishment fit the crime.
Van Halen's cover of "You're No Good" was likewise vileness. Spend a night in the box, David Lee and Eddie.
While I always liked the Stones' version of "I Wanna be Your Man," a Beatles original, McCartney's vocals and the more polished sound keep the cup in the Beatles' hands on that one. Unless Michael Jackson owns the rights to it.
The second best cover ever? The lid on Kurt Cobain's coffin. The best will be the one on Madonna's.
Occhi
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Occhidiangela,Mar 22 2006, 11:39 AM Wrote:The second best cover ever? The lid on Kurt Cobain's coffin.
Occhi
[right][snapback]105139[/snapback][/right]
I'd like to hear your opinion why on that.
How many Nirvana covers have you listened to?
Granted, some were not so hot. My Sharona, well, even Cobain was embarassed about that one.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night was entirely to perfect, to chilling, and to good. And some place I have an accoustic bootleg of Paint It Black as it was done by Nirvana. It was better than the original.
Johnny Cash was going to cover Come As You Are by Nirvana. Sadly, he is no longer around. I'd of liked to have heard that.
And I will one up you with Axl Rose, which is an anagram for Oral Sex, Knockin On Heaven's Door. What a swift kick in the nuts that was. Or the whole Spaghetti Incident album of punk covers. WTF was that?
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Oh crap, I know something that shouldn't be nominated.
Poison's covers of Kiss songs.
Cripes, what a bad moment in the 80s that was.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 170
Threads: 5
Joined: Jan 2004
03-22-2006, 04:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2006, 04:59 PM by bigeyedbug.)
ShadowHM,Mar 22 2006, 07:53 AM Wrote:Hi
When perusing the headlines at the New York Times this morning, I came across this story about the originator of the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
It got me thinking again about cover versions of songs, and how sometimes a song gets transformed and 'owned' by a different artist than the original one.
[right][snapback]105128[/snapback][/right]
Three big examples that stick out for me would be "Ring of Fire", originally recorded by Anita Carter; The Family's "Nothing Compares 2 U" which was later popularized by Sinead O'Connor; and "Sweet Jane" which was transformed from Lou Reed's original by the Cowboy Junkies.
I have a big weakness for Luna's cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine", but I don't think it can be said that Guns N' Roses no longer 'owns' it. ^_^
edit: Much as I love the Stones, Devo completely owns "Satisfaction" though. :w00t:
Posts: 857
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
Bah, Nirvana's drummer is better than Cobain was.
Oh, and this may not count but at a David Bowie/Nine Inch Nails concert NIN opened for Bowie and when their set was over Trent Reznor started playing the saxophone and David Bowie glided over from stage right singing Hurt. It's one of the greatest live perfomances of a song I've ever seen.
The Bill of No Rights
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Another notable mention. Patti Smith still owns Rock and Roll N****r. Manson needs to shut the hell up and leave the classics alone.
I still hate that word, but damnit, what a song.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 1,036
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
Doc,Mar 22 2006, 08:12 AM Wrote:Hurt. Originally done by Nine Inch Nails, and an incredible song. Johnny Cash turned it in to something else entirely. Made this old man break down when he first heard it.
[right][snapback]105132[/snapback][/right] Props to the Man in Black. Truly made it his own.
I nominate Gary Jules' cover of "Mad World" for Donnie Darko. Turned a sissy 80's dance number into a dirge appropriate to the lyrics penned.
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.
Posts: 261
Threads: 57
Joined: Jul 2003
Most choral arrangements of of "Adagio for Strings" are wonderful.
Tori Amos has some very interesting covers.
Great truths are worth repeating:
"It is better to live in the corner of a roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman." -Proverbs 21:9
"It is better to live in the corner of a roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman." -Proverbs 25:24
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Pat Boone anybody?
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 6,430
Threads: 204
Joined: Feb 2003
Doc,Mar 22 2006, 10:54 AM Wrote:I'd like to hear your opinion why on that. And I never want to hear anything more by Nirvana than I already have, thanks much.
Quote:And some place I have an accoustic bootleg of Paint It Black as it was done by Nirvana. It was better than the original.
Haven't heard it, is there somewhere it can be heard? My previous comment considered, I wonder what hash he made of that? Morbid curiosity is a funny thing.
Quote:And I will one up you with Axl Rose: Knockin On Heaven's Door.
Exhibit B if the jury gets hung on the first charge.
Occhi
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
Posts: 1,991
Threads: 103
Joined: May 2003
Occhidiangela,Mar 22 2006, 12:30 PM Wrote:And I never want to hear anything more by Nirvana than I already have, thanks much.
Haven't heard it, is there somewhere it can be heard? My previous comment considered, I wonder what hash he made of that? Morbid curiosity is a funny thing.
Exhibit B if the jury gets hung on the first charge.
Occhi
[right][snapback]105156[/snapback][/right]
Nirvana's mainstream music, their big studio releases, while very good, do not do them justice.
Their real power was being recorded as a live band. Sort of like Kiss. Studio cuts are never the same. The studio cuts were always sort of disapointing and flat. Raw and powerful, but they edited out all of the emotion of the live sound where Kurt could really strut his stuff.
The Outcesticides, the out takes, cuts, snips, live recordings, bootlegs, the things that really showed true talent, the good stuffâ¢, the real deal, was available through European markets. It was about 30 cds worth of material plus a couple of videos. Lots of other sets too. Most of the really good stuff never sold here in the US because the big name studio didn't want to cut in to album sales of Nevermind or In Utero. There were other "live" boxed sets. Some of them I am still looking for. They would get up on stage, and in the middle of a performance, some times in the middle of a song, Kurt would just stop. And everything would just sort of die out and get quiet. Instead of playing their big hit singles, which Kurt felt had no soul, he would bust in to classics, which the band would follow in on. Beatles tunes, the Stones, classic punk, accoustic stuff, really really old rhythm and blues gospel, weird stuff. Stuff you wouldn't expect to hear at a concert. Like Ledbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night or Billie Holiday tunes. The people that know, the people that have heard this music, this is why so many say that Kurt changed the music world and why he had so much influence. The man was musical and gifted. The studio cuts boxed him in and forced him to play in a certain style, limiting the scope of what he was truly capable of. And people still judge him by that standard, when they really don't know what he was capable of. There is a huge backlog of material that could be released... That the surviving members of Nirvana want to have released, to really show what Kurt was like away from the studio. His wife is being a real bitch about that though and will not allow it. :angry:
It's not fair that people judge Nirvana based on the major label recordings.
As for the comment about Nirvana's drummer being better... It's because he is mimicking Nirvana perfectly. What you are hearing now is no different than the stuff that Nirvana previously put out. Flawless execution.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 946
Threads: 102
Joined: Jan 2005
Oye Como Va--originally performed and written by Tito Puente
Black Magic Woman--originally performed by Fleetwood Mac
Both are Santana songs in everyone's mind.
Posts: 190
Threads: 4
Joined: Feb 2006
ShadowHM,Mar 22 2006, 10:53 AM Wrote:Nominations?
[right][snapback]105128[/snapback][/right]
Mighty Mighty BossTones performing "Enter Sandman" (Metallica) or Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith) are amusing tracks from the "Where'd You Go?" EP. The other cover on that release (Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love) is something I could do without though. Current favorite is "When I'm up (I can't get down)" performed by Great Big Sea. I think this is a cover of Oysterband, but I can't find direct evidence.
I was interested to hear the J. Cash version of Hurt, but wasn't overwhelmed. Something about the pace of it felt wrong.
but often it happens you know / that the things you don't trust are the ones you need most....
Opening lines of "Psalm" by Hey Rosetta!
Posts: 68
Threads: 7
Joined: Feb 2003
Occhidiangela,Mar 22 2006, 04:39 PM Wrote:...
Judas Priest got the drop on Joan Baez. Their metal cover of "Diamonds and Rust" wins, for all that her original is achingly beautiful.
[right][snapback]105139[/snapback][/right]
Indeed!
A few more to note:
Jethro Tull's Cross Eyed Mary < Iron Maiden cover
Black Sabbath's War Pigs < Faith No More cover
Simon and Garfunkle's version of Scarborough Fair < Queensryche's cover
Judas Priest's Love Bites < Nevermore cover
Tori Amos is great at doing covers from many genres, adding her unique flair to them; she even does an interesting version of Slayer's Raining Blood.
Posts: 6,430
Threads: 204
Joined: Feb 2003
03-22-2006, 07:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2006, 07:25 PM by Occhidiangela.)
Alram,Mar 22 2006, 12:34 PM Wrote:Oye Como Va--originally performed and written by Tito Puente
Black Magic Woman--originally performed by Fleetwood Mac
Both are Santana songs in everyone's mind.
[right][snapback]105163[/snapback][/right] Whoa, Old School Fleetwood Mac, Pre Bob Welch even. Nostalgia moment: hearing them perform in the studio of AM 1390 WEAM in the DC area, back in High School days, before FM took over Rock n Roll.
Occhi
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
Posts: 857
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
Maitre,Mar 22 2006, 11:20 AM Wrote:I was interested to hear the J. Cash version of Hurt, but wasn't overwhelmed. Something about the pace of it felt wrong.
[right][snapback]105166[/snapback][/right]
I felt the same way. The song just didn't seem to have any flow and the timbre of his voice didn't seem to fit either. I do salute him for taking a song that obviously meant so much to him and opening it up to the world though.
The Bill of No Rights
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein
|
