# And the absolute worst cover ever done to any hit song by professional entertainers is... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2010, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364 "2010-09-02T08:54:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/21 "2010-09-02T15:53:01Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > I’m kind of with you. It wasn’t the early 80’s, and it wasn’t a roller rink, but this disco hatchet job of Comfortably Numb is the worst cover ever. Scissors Sisters can go on to cure cancer and find homes for every stray animal on the planet, but they will still be guilty of this [crime against humanity](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lsCEgcRozY). What the hell was Waters thinking when he said “Sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea for a cover, and you are just the ones to do it!” Is money that tight for him? Oh Lordy I hate that version, and I normally like the Scissor Sisters. It’s just bad. And Madonna’s American Pie is horrible in that it is utterly bland; she (or William Orbit) has managed to take one of the catchiest tunes in the pop oeuvre and make it instantly forgettable. That takes a certain type of talent, to be sure, but not one I wish to encourage. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/22 "2010-09-02T16:00:35Z")
Celine Dion doing “You Shook Me All Night Long”. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULmC8JTTVy0) What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/23 "2010-09-02T16:10:44Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > I’m kind of with you. It wasn’t the early 80’s, and it wasn’t a roller rink, but this disco hatchet job of Comfortably Numb is the worst cover ever. Scissors Sisters can go on to cure cancer and find homes for every stray animal on the planet, but they will still be guilty of this [crime against humanity](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lsCEgcRozY). What the hell was Waters thinking when he said “Sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea for a cover, and you are just the ones to do it!” Is money that tight for him? You can’t even tell it’s the same song without the lyrics. If they’d changed the lyrics, they could have just made a different song out of it. I’m not really sure why they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/24 "2010-09-02T16:17:54Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I wouldn’t call it the worst cover ever, but we can’t discuss bizarre Lawrence Welk moments without bringing up [this gem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3ecDYxOkg). Great line in the comments section: “This is the Lawrence Welk version of “Sweet Leaf” .. you know with the cough at the beginning and everything.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/25 "2010-09-02T16:18:36Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > I’m kind of with you. It wasn’t the early 80’s, and it wasn’t a roller rink, but this disco hatchet job of Comfortably Numb is the worst cover ever. Scissors Sisters can go on to cure cancer and find homes for every stray animal on the planet, but they will still be guilty of this [crime against humanity](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lsCEgcRozY). What the hell was Waters thinking when he said “Sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea for a cover, and you are just the ones to do it!” Is money that tight for him? The Scissor Sisters are apparently _huge_ fans of Pink Floyd (they were observed in the wings crying at the Live 8 Pink Floyd reunion). This was clearly a joke - I mean, a disco version of one of the most emotive songs ever? It was heresy for humour. And allegedly Pink Floyd thought it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/26 "2010-09-02T16:19:40Z")
> [@palindromemordnilap](#): > > Mercifully, I’ve pretty much blocked out the details of the worst cover ever. It was the early 1980s and I was at a roller rink when I heard a disco version of a Pink Floyd song. I don’t recall (and don’t want to know) which song and never knew who did the murderous deed. I only heard it that one time. [Discoballs!](http://www.amazon.com/Discoballs-Tribute-Pink-Floyd-Rosebud/dp/B001AVUAI0) ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/27 "2010-09-02T16:22:16Z")
Not the absolute worst but I heard Molly Hatchet do a cover of the Allman Bros “Dreams” at a concert last year. Not being a Molly Hatchet fan (just not a fan of a lead singer that sounds like he’s got snot in his throat) I didn’t know that they had desecrated this fine song and was shocked to see them attempting to play it. I threw up a little in my mouth listening to them stumble through guitar solos that were light years behind the efforts of the ABB’s Derek Trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/28 "2010-09-02T16:22:26Z")
This was posted here in Cafe Society a couple weeks ago: NINA SIMONE - Alone Again Naturally [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1FOhboyfn4Q/hqdefault.jpg "NINA SIMONE Alone Again Naturally.wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOhboyfn4Q) ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/29 "2010-09-02T16:22:39Z")
> [@multimediac17](#): > > Can I ask, not agreeing or disagreeing with you, what is so bad about the All Saints version of Under The Bridge to make it the worst cover ever by a professional artist? I guess if you can listen to it and still ask that question then I can probably never explain it to you. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/30 "2010-09-02T16:40:42Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > This was posted here in Cafe Society a couple weeks ago: > > NINA SIMONE - Alone Again Naturally > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOhboyfn4Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOhboyfn4Q) Dear God. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/31 "2010-09-02T16:43:27Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Not the absolute worst but I heard Molly Hatchet do a cover of the Allman Bros “Dreams” at a concert last year. Not being a Molly Hatchet fan (just not a fan of a lead singer that sounds like he’s got snot in his throat) I didn’t know that they had desecrated this fine song and was shocked to see them attempting to play it. > > I threw up a little in my mouth listening to them stumble through guitar solos that were light years behind the efforts of the ABS Derek Trucks. You have cited a GREAT cover. The Bros created a great song, and Molly Hatchett took it another direction. Quite wisely, of course, who would want to hear Hatchett copy the Bros? That would just be sad. Their cover, however, brought something different to the song, and I have enjoyed them both a great deal over the years. If you listen to the cover and think they’re trying to clumsily ape the original, then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe they suck really bad as a live band. Far from a desecration, it was a fine tribute. At least the studio cut is. (I understand where you’re coming from about their singer, though.) Heh, Gator Country just came up on my shuffle-play. I’ll have to click up one and listen to the song in question. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iN1PwvPp-sI/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/iN1PwvPp-sI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/32 "2010-09-02T16:47:02Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > **Frankie Goes to Hollywood** butchering _Born to Run._ They should have been arrested. Pop culture heresy, I know, but I’ve always liked that version much more than Springsteen’s. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/33 "2010-09-02T16:55:14Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > What the hell was Waters thinking when he said “Sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea for a cover, and you are just the ones to do it!” Is money that tight for him? You don’t need permission to do a cover version. You just have to pay the relevant royalties to the rights-holder. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/34 "2010-09-02T18:08:04Z")
[Knocking On Heaven’s Door](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ItL_N400V4) by Eric Clapton. I’m a big Clapton fan, but I really didn’t think his style fit this particular song. Sad to say, I thought [Guns N’ Roses’ version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcWTTs8QVRc) was superior. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/35 "2010-09-02T18:43:26Z")
This thread is not complete without mention of the Four Seasons’ cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”. (It was actually released under the truncated title “Don’t Think Twice”, and the group used the name “The Wonder Who?”. In fairness, I should point out that this version was done as a joke – at least, Frankie Valli’s lead vocal was.) Listen and laugh away: [http://www.vimeo.com/758839](http://www.vimeo.com/758839) ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/36 "2010-09-02T18:57:52Z")
I’m going to say anything by Pat Boone. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/37 "2010-09-02T19:29:32Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I’m going to say anything by Pat Boone. The less said, the better. Jethro Tull’s _A Classic Case_ was pretty sad. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/38 "2010-09-02T19:47:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@DoctorJ](#): > > > > I wouldn’t call it the worst cover ever, but we can’t discuss bizarre Lawrence Welk moments without bringing up [this gem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3ecDYxOkg). > > If I was a musician for that orchestra, I’d go home and drink heavily to ease the karmic pain. I can imagine most of the players calling their agents after every performance: > > :: phone rings, agent Morty picks up:: > > AM: “Hello.” > ::quiet sobbing on line:: > AM: “Hello? Hello?” > ::deep, shuddering breath, sniffles, resumed sobbing:: > AM: “Alex? Alex, is that you?” > ::nose blowing:: “Ah Christ, I can’t take it, Morty.” > AM: “What, this again. Buck up, Alex.” > Alex: “You don’t understand, Morty. He made us play _In A Gadda Da Vida_ while those two chirpy assholes sang and those two grinning morons danced. And the bridge, Morty, the bridge. . .ah Christ. . .” > AM: “What about the bridge, Alex? How bad could it be?” > Alex: It was Myron, Morty. Fucking Myron and that goddamned accordian. He did a polka riff, Morty: _a fucking polka riff_!" > AM: “Calm down Alex.” > Alex: “You gotta get me another gig, man. I swear to god, if I have to play one more Metallica song in waltz tempo, I’m buying a shotgun.” Thank you for that! > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > [@Casey1505](#): > > > > What the hell was Waters thinking when he said “Sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea for a cover, and you are just the ones to do it!” Is money that tight for him? > > You don’t need permission to do a cover version. You just have to pay the relevant royalties to the rights-holder. I was going to mention that. The idea that one needs the permission from the artist to record your own version of a song is one of the most persistent copyright myths. You pay the relevant performance rights organization (in the US, [the Harry Fox Agency](http://www.harryfox.com/public/)) for the “mechanical copyright” for the number of copies to be distributed just like you pay ASCAP or BMI for the right to perform it live. You do need permission and negotiate the cost if you are going to use a song in a TV show, commercial or movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/39 "2010-09-02T19:55:48Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I’m going to say anything by Pat Boone. The only man who can claim he’s removed more African soul from the world than Papa Legba. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364/40 "2010-09-02T20:01:41Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > > > This was posted here in Cafe Society a couple weeks ago: > > > > NINA SIMONE - Alone Again Naturally > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOhboyfn4Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOhboyfn4Q) > > Dear God. WTF? Seriously. It’s like a bad SNL skit with Kenan Thompson and special musical guest The Vapors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-absolute-worst-cover-ever-done-to-any-hit-song-by-professional-entertainers-is/552364.md?page=3)