OK, we’ve discussed the ones we’ve heard, but are there any songs out there that you think an artist other than the one that did it originally could do just as well or better? Or at least differently enough to be interesting without mucking it up?
Personally, I’d love to hear David Lee Roth do No One Came (Deep Purple)
Or (sigh) a Blind Melon rendition of Mother Freedom(Bread)
Anyone else?
I always hoped that Chrissie Hynde (with or without the Pretenders) would do a cover of the Shocking Blue’s “Venus”, but Bananarama got there first, effectively ending any hope that anyone would ever cover it again.
PJ Harvey - “Material Girl” (Madonna)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” (The Beatles)
Radiohead - “Monkey Gone To Heaven” (The Pixies)
Coldplay - “Unfinished Sympathy” (Massive Attack)
Jeff Buckley - “The Wind Cries Mary” (Jimi Hendrix)
Tori Amos - “Losing My Religion” (REM)
Hole - “Faith” (George Michael)
Elliot Smith - “Tangled Up In Blue” (Bob Dylan)
Portishead - “Sweet Dreams” (Eurythmics)
U2 - “Piece of My Heart” (Janis Joplin)
Beck - “Big Yellow Taxi” (Joni Mitchell)
The Stereophonics - “Video Killed the Radio Star” (The Buggles)
Queens of the Stoneage - “Babooshka” (Kate Bush)
Ben Folds Five - “Mama Mia” (ABBA)
(And yes, I know Jeff Buckley is dead. Meanwhile, all of the Spice Girls are still alive. The world does not make sense.)
Alanis Morrissette, “Stay” (U2)
Ani Difranco, “Debbie Gibson is Pregnant With My Two-headed Love Child” (Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper)
Christy Williams, “Looking Over My Shoulder” ('Til Tuesday)
I’d like to hear the Trans-Siberian Orchestra do an adaptation of Borodin’s Symphony #2.
** Adam Cohen ** - Run To Him (Bobby Vee)
** Liz Phair** - These Boots are Made for Walkin’ (Nancy Sinatra)
** Everclear** - She’s Not There (The Zombies)
** Toad The Wet Sprocket** - Undun (Guess Who)
** Stone Temple Pilots ** - Tuesday Afternoon (Moody Blues)
** Oleander ** - Rape Me (Nirvana)
** Bush** - Only a Memory (the Smithereens)
** Linkin Park** - Moondance (Van Morrison)
** At The Drive-in** - Tom Sawyer (Rush)
** Hole** - Dark Lady (Cher)
** 3 Doors Down** - The One I Love (REM)
** Weezer** - Love Me Do (Beatles)
Actually, it was recently covered by a Korean metal band. I think the name of the band is Black Attack or some such… at the very least, they have the word “black” in their name. Imagine, if you will, the song “Venus” being screeched out by a thick-necked man in faltering English at somewhere around a hundred decibels. I’m not even sure that the band understood the irony involved…
I’d like to hear Hole cover any number of ABBA hits. Like Voulez-vous or The Winner Takes It All. I think it would be a hoot.
“Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me” by Annie Lennox
“This Charming Man” by Justine Frischman
“I Know It’s Over” by kd lang
“Hand in Glove” by Aretha Franklin
I used to have more, but these are the only ones I can recall off hand.
Amy Ray (of the Indigo Girls) & Melissa Etherage - Paradise by the Dashboard Lights
~t
The Police - D’yer Mak’er (Led Zeppelin)
Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band - I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling Down) (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)
Indigo Girls - Basket Case (Green Day)
I’d like to hear someone perform the song “Billy in the Darbies” from the end of Melville’s Billy Budd, preferably The Pogues.
Speaking of The Pogues, I’d love to hear a rap version of “Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go.”
I think there are tons of country songs that would sound really good done in a punk or metal style. Social Distortion did Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ and it totally kicked ass. I haven’t given this much thought but I’lll see what i can come up with and post later.
Also there are some contemporary christian songs (most notably by the Hillsongs Australia bunch) that would sound awesome if done by Opeth, Children of Bodom, Sentenced, Nightwish, Slayer, Sepultura, etc…
Jeremy Kramer, a stand-up comedian, used to do a bit about the late Ethel Merman doing covers of heavy metal. That would have been incredible!
I wish Metallica would cover “The Thunder Rolls” written by and originally performed by Garth Brooks. Or conversly how about Elvis Costello and the Attractions doing “Unforgiven” originally by Metallica.
I would love to hear Liz Phair do a cover of Nirvana’s “Lounge Act”.
Just to hear her growl…“I go out of my way to prove that I still smell her on you”.
It would fit in perfectly with her other works like “Flower”, “Fuck and Run” and “Supernova”.
Days of the New doing Jim Morrison’s “People are Strange”
I know there’s more I’ve thought of, but I can’t remember them.
Elfin, Nicko, excellent lists.
–Tim
Sorry, but I thought of another one…one I wish was going to be on her cover album that drops next month:)
Tori Amos- Angie Baby (Helen Reddy)
I’d like to hear Rammstein do a cover of 99 Luftballoons or perhaps Der Kommissar
But here’s something I never need to hear again: Rammstein covering Pet Sematary. yow.
jarbaby
Elfkin: great list.
Any Sly and the Family Stone song: The Negro Problem
Train in Vain: Wilco
Peace Frog: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Black Magic Woman: Los Lobos
Dreams: No Doubt (I’m not so certain about this one)