# Favorite covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 20, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644 "2001-03-20T00:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Corina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Corina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corina)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/1 "2001-03-20T00:29:11Z")
Hey y’all, Since this is a board with some of the most diverse member makeups, I thought I’d post this. I’m in the process of putting together a mix CD of inspired covers. So far some of the songs I’m planning on putting on there are Leo Kottke’s cover of “World Turnin’”, Fionna Apple’s version of “Across the Universe”, Sarah McLachlan’s “Unchained Melody”, and Tom Jones’s hokey remake of “Kiss.” Obviously, I don’t care how disparate the songs are; I’m just looking for clever renderings of great tunes. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/2 "2001-03-20T00:54:09Z")
“Summertime Blues”, the Who. “Ain’t to Proud to Beg”, Rolling Stones. Nearly any cover by the Beatles from the ‘Live at the BBC’ set. “You Really Got Me”, Van Halen. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/3 "2001-03-20T01:03:35Z")
Try Johnny Cash’s version of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage.” I would also recommend the Circle Jerks’ “Jerks on 45,” a sloppy, punky medley of classics like “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and “You’re Having My Baby,” among others. I think Cake did a pretty good job on Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” transforming a song of celebration into a sullen complaint. It may have been overplayed, but Eric Clapton’s acoustic rethinking of “Layla” was certainly inspired. ---
**Author:** ![hypergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/49beb7/32.png) [@hypergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypergirl)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/4 "2001-03-20T02:17:47Z")
Anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. ---
**Author:** ![KeithT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KeithT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/5 "2001-03-20T02:59:43Z")
“With A Little Help From My Friends”, Joe Cocker. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/6 "2001-03-20T03:04:48Z")
Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along The Watchtower” ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/7 "2001-03-20T03:09:48Z")
Also Tori Amos’ version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/8 "2001-03-20T03:12:02Z")
Jewel, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” Alanis Morissette, “King of Pain (Unplugged)” Kim Carnes, “Bette Davis Eyes” Rod Stewart, “Only a Hobo,” “Country Comforts,” “Street Fighting Man” Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart, “People Get Ready” The Beach Boys, “Surfin’ USA” (a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”) Nancy Griffith & the Chieftans, “Red is the Rose” The Beatles, “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/9 "2001-03-20T03:13:55Z")
Club Nouveau did a cover of “Lean on me” which I like loads better than the original. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/10 "2001-03-20T03:16:55Z")
I know Chantal Kreviazuk did “Leaving on a Jet Plane” I didn’t know that Jewel did as well. I also have The Smashing Pumpkins doing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” live that’s pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/11 "2001-03-20T03:31:10Z")
If you ever find a copy of Frigid Pink’s version of (Eric Burdon & the Animals) House of The Rising Sun, let me know. I would pay serious money for that. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/12 "2001-03-20T03:32:31Z")
Inspired? That limits the field considerably. Here’s four that I just adore: The Sundays’ EXCELLENT cover of the Stones “Wild Horses”. Annie Lennox doing Neil Young’s “Dont’ Let it Bring You Down” (think American Beauty) Rickie Lee Jones doing the Beatles’ “For No One” - Superb. And one I stumbled across recently that just rocks right down to the ground, the Afghan Whigs doing Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” - it devolves into something else, though, I think. But still very cool. Does anyone have a recording of Tori Amos (Queen of covers, btw) doing her Led Zeppelin cover, “Whole Lotta Love”? I’ve heard tell of it, but it’s sort of like a musical unicorn… ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/13 "2001-03-20T03:32:54Z")
Oh yeah, I see Jewel did “jet plane” too. Not to mention Bjork, and about 50 other groups/artists. Jeeze, that is one heavily covered song. ---
**Author:** ![HalberMensch242](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@HalberMensch242](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HalberMensch242)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/14 "2001-03-20T03:39:34Z")
**Bigod20** - Just like A Prayer **Controlled Bleeding** - Another Brick in the Wall part 2 **Saves the Day** - Melt with you **Laibach** - Life Is Life, 2525, In the Army, Jesus Christ Superstar **Einsturzende Neubauten** - Sand **Cut.Rate.Box** -Behind the wheel ---
**Author:** ![romanticide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@romanticide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romanticide)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/15 "2001-03-20T03:39:36Z")
I do have a copy of Frigid Pink’s version of House of the Rising Sun, but it’s a MP3. I can certainly share it with you if it’s what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/16 "2001-03-20T04:43:08Z")
Natalie Merchant - Space Oddity (Major Tom) Cake - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps Save Ferris - Build Me Up Buttercup (run a search somewhere for ska covers - they’re fun) Somewhere, I heard a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit done as a Benedictine-type chant. I believe they were called something like the Benzedrine Monks of Santa Monica. There’s a lot of great a capella stuff floating around - Penn’s group, Off the Beat, is pretty good. R.E.M. did a song (“Hope”, on the Up album) that uses the tune, although not the words, of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”. I know that Tori Amos covers a lot of stuff, but I find that whatever I hear of hers sounds the same. Radically different from the original source, but all of her covers are done in the same style. You’ve heard one, you’ve heard 'em all. Metallica’s covers of its own stuff with an orchestra are fun. Also, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has a bunch of cover albums out, some of which are fun. (Bohemian Rhapsody was meant to be done with a full choir.) Also, I truly truly love Wierd Al’s version of Bohemian Rhapsody. He doesn’t change a word (alowing it to be called a cover), but it’s done at double speed, as a polka. You ain’t never heard it until you’ve heard it done with accordians. I’ll probably think of more later. ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/17 "2001-03-20T05:06:14Z")
Seriously, I will second Snooooopy’s nomination of “I Will Survive” by _Cake_. That song was always _so_ much better than disco… Sublime has an excellent cover list. Especially cool is the bootleg album (which has mysteriously disappeared from my hard drive, good thing I gave it to my brother on disc) “Rewind Selecter”. It’s a phenominally engineered collection of Sublime covers segued in with the original songs. Fantastic stuff! Another bit of cover genious is “Greased” by _Less Than Jake_ which is a cover of the entire “Grease” soundtrack. LTJ has a huge list of covers of 80’s TV show themes too. Amusing, at least. For my anti-cover I have to go with “Downtown Train” written by Tom Waits but made much more popular by Rod Stewart. I don’t mind Rod Stewart as a general rule, but it’s a pretty soulful song, and Rod Stewart doesn’t have as much soul as Tom Waits’ left nut. And everyone thinks it’s his song. :mad: Anyone else have an anti-cover? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/18 "2001-03-20T05:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GilaB \* > Somewhere, I heard a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit done as a Benedictine-type chant. I believe they were called something like the Benzedrine Monks of Santa Monica. Lord help me, I have this CD. “Chantmania” by the Benzedrine Monks of Santo Domonica, also included are “(Theme from) The Monkees”, “We Will Rock You”, “Losing My Religion” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”. And I would recommend the following covers: “Memory” by Big Daddy (50s, doo-wop style) “White Room”, “Psycho Killer” and “Particle Man” by The Bobs (a cappella) “Jonny Quest Theme” by the Reverend Horton Heat. (scorched-Earth guitar) ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/19 "2001-03-20T05:11:21Z")
I have an anti-cover: Tina Turners rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” (rollin’ on the river). It’s not even close. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644/20 "2001-03-20T05:21:15Z")
I am kinda partial to Disturbed’s version of "Shout"from The Sickness. Something about actually shouting does it for me I guess. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-covers/58644.md?page=2)