I Like These Songs So Much I Gotta Hear All The Cover Versions

[elfkin477]

@BMax

I have five different covers of Dancing Barefoot:
Patti Smith
Mission UK
Concrete Blonde
Simple Minds
U2

I guess I’m not as OCD as some people.

I didn’t know there were a lot of covers of that! I have the Patti Smith group version, and heard one other (possibly Mission UK) but I didn’t know it had been covered more than that.

[Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew]

@kaylasdad99

Bette Midler also covered it, in the film Hocus Pocus.

Never heard that one. There was an obscure band called Pig Iron that recorded it, but when I finally ran across a copy of their album, I couldn’t bring myself to pay whatever they were asking for it.

[control-z]

I’ve sought out many versions of “Man of Constant Sorrow.”

[Mtgman]

It’s a work in progress, and you won’t find all versions listed by a long shot, but a good place to start your search for covers of your favorite song is the covers project. For instance, their entry on Dancing Barefoot, lists the following covers.

The Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot” was covered by U2

The Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot” was covered by The Mission

The Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot” was covered by The Waterboys

The Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot” was covered by Simple Minds

The Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot” was covered by Johnette Napolitano

Each entry has a link to the band’s page including links to itunes and amazon so you can buy the album or track whenever it’s available.

Enjoy,
Steven

[SaharaTea]

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is my favorite Dylan song. It’s incredibly versatile and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a bad cover of it. My favorites are Mike Ness, Susan Tedeschi and Brett Dennen/Ted Lennon.

[WordMan]

@SaharaTea

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is my favorite Dylan song. It’s incredibly versatile and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a bad cover of it. My favorites are Mike Ness

Ah yes, Mike Ness of Social Distortion - I love their cover of Ring of Fire, too.

I don’t seek out cover versions, but do collect them when I find them.

One of my favorites is **Money ** (“that’s what I waaaa-aaaaa-aaaant - that’s what I want”) written by Berry Gordy of Motown fame, with Janie Bradford

• original by Barrett Strong
• the Beatles version
• The Flying Lizards version with the perfect, world-weary, louche Brit-girl vocal

I also like Heard it Through the Grapevine:

• original by Gladys Night and the Pips (although it was offered to Marvin Gaye first)
• Marvin Gaye (the definitive; all roads lead to this piece of songwriting and performance perfection…)
• Creedance Cleerwater Revival
• Eurhythmics / Annie Lennox - have you heard her sing this song?!

Good stuff…

[Mtgman]

Just because I happened to have the Bob Dylan covers project page up, here’s what they have on “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and “All Along the Watchtower”.

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” , was covered on the Joan Baez album “First 10 Years.”

“Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” , was covered on the Nick Drake album “The Complete Home Recordings.”

“Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (disc 1)” , was covered on the Johnny Cash album “19 Greatest Hits.”

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (disc 1)” , was covered on the Elvis Presley album “The Fool.”

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “Essential Bob Dylan (disc 1)” , was covered on the Susan Tedeschi album “Wait for Me.”

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” from the Bob Dylan album “Essential Bob Dylan (disc 1)” , was covered on the Peter, Paul & Mary album “Ten Years Together: The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary.”

“All Along the Watchtower (live),” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the U2 album “Rattle and Hum.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Neil Young album “Event of the Season (disc 1).”

“All Along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the XTC album “White Music.”

“All Along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Dave Matthews Band album “Live at Folsom Field Boulder, Colorado 7.11.01 (disc 2).”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Indigo Girls album “Back On The Bus Y’all.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Michael Hedges album “Watching My Life Go By.”

“All along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Grateful Dead album “Dozin at the Knick (disc 1).”

“All Along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Spirit album “Future Games.”

“All Along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Richie Havens album “Grace of the Sun.”

“All Along The Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Dave Mason album “The Best of Dave Mason.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the John Mellencamp album “In the Southern Hemisphere.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Brewer & Shipley album “Weeds / Tarkio.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Shawn Lane album “Guitar’s Practicing Musicians: Volume III.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Larry McCray album “Tangled Up in Blues: Songs of Bob Dylan.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Jimi Hendrix album “Voodoo Child.”

“All Along the Watchtower,” from the Bob Dylan album “John Wesley Harding” , was covered on the Paul Weller album “Studio 150.”

Enjoy,
Steven

[gaffa]

@An Gadaí

I love the song Shenandoah and have a load of versions of it.

Jane Siberry did a great cover of it. She has it available on her web site, where you can pay whatever you think it is worth.

If you love covers, check out this link to 101 covers of Stairway to Heaven. Sadly, the SCTV commercial keeps getting removed from YouTube and isn’t on DVD, so you can’t hear Slim Whitman (Dave Thomas) and Rickie Lee Jones’ (Andrea Martin) excellent cover versions.

[vetbridge]

Stand By Your Man was done by Tammy Wynette.

I also have covers of the song done by Lyle Lovette, Candi Station, Merlene Webber, and The Dresden Dolls (in progressively stranger order).

[Tamerlane]

@Ataraxy

Dark End of the Street(8)I have the James Carr original, plus covers by Richard and Linda Thompson, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, and Eva Cassidy.

@lissener

My favorite cover of this one is by Diamanda Galas and John Paul Jones.

@gallows fodder

The Afghan Whigs also did a cover of this song, on their “What Jail Is Like” EP.

Add to these Ry Cooder ( though he doesn’t sing on that one ) from the live album Showtime.

[mrsspooky]

Stand by me - although only two artists that sang this come to my mind at the mo…

[vetbridge]

@mrsspooky

Stand by me - although only two artists that sang this come to my mind at the mo…

Hmmm. I had at least 3 punk covers on my old Ipod.

[Darth_Nader]

Summer Breeze

[An_Gadai]

@WordMan

I also like Heard it Through the Grapevine:

• original by Gladys Night and the Pips (although it was offered to Marvin Gaye first)
• Marvin Gaye (the definitive; all roads lead to this piece of songwriting and performance perfection…)
• Creedance Cleerwater Revival
• Eurhythmics / Annie Lennox - have you heard her sing this song?!

Good stuff…

You gotta check out the Slits’ reggaefied version of this. Forking excellent.

[unstrung]

@Ataraxy

Hallelujah(5) I have the original Leonard Cohen version and covers by John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and Bono

This would have been my pick, but you beat me to the punch. My current fave is the Jeff Buckley rendition… overall, I’m about 50/50 with enjoying all of what he put out before his unfortunate demise, but his version of Hallelujah is really just fantastic.

[Ersatz_Shmoe]

@Biffy the Elephant Shrew

I used to collect versions of “I Put a Spell on You,” which happened to be the first song I ever had two versions of. Off the top of my head, I had it by:

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Nina Simone
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Manfred Mann
Arthur Brown
Fever Tree
The Five Americans
The Animals
Audience
Alan Price

I always wanted Roxy Music to record it. Eventually Bryan Ferry did record a version, but the arrangement was nothing like what I had in mind.

Leon Russell recorded a song of his own called “I Put a Spell on You” (on the same album as another song titled “Give Peace a Chance” that wasn’t the Lennon song). Too bad, as he would have done a good job with the original.

Marilyn Manson also did it. It’s on the Lost Highway soundtrack, I believe.

[Talon_Karrde]

@Ataraxy

Dark End of the Street(8)I have the James Carr original, plus covers by Richard and Linda Thompson, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, and Eva Cassidy.

Frank Black did a cover on his album Honeycomb. The song is also in the movie The Commitments and might be on one of the cds from the band.

@Gordon Urquhart

On the other side of the emotional spectrum, I really like Everyday Is Like Sunday; it’s about the only Morrissey/Smiths song that I can listen to at all. The Pretenders and 10,000 Maniacs both have lovely versions of it.

There’s a really good version by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists.

@control-z

I’ve sought out many versions of “Man of Constant Sorrow.”

There’s a Bob Dylan version I like from his No Direction Home cd.

I can’t think of any songs to add at the moment.

[Waenara]

@well he's back

I have a copy of an album called “Pachelbel’s Greatest Hit” which is a collection of versions of his Canon. Fun. and I still get mesmerized by this tune.

Pachelbel Rant

Pachelbel is everywhere!

[Octalcode]

@vetbridge

Stand By Your Man was done by Tammy Wynette.

I also have covers of the song done by Lyle Lovette, Candi Station, Merlene Webber, and The Dresden Dolls (in progressively stranger order).

And also by the Blues Brothers.

[singular1]

@Ataraxy

Hallelujah(5) I have the original Leonard Cohen version and covers by John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and Bono

My all-time favorite of this is kd lang’s version. Brings tears to my eyes…