You guys got any favourite covers that radically change the original? I’m thinking along the lines of:
Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Luther Wright and the Wrongs - Rebuild the Wall (Bluegrass version of The Wall - Pt 1)
Jughead - I want to be sedated (just heard it today on CBC today - it’s real cool)
1000 Mona Lisas - You oughta know
Dandy Warhols - Hell’s Bells
Anyway - I love the really wild ones like these and if you have any other suggestions please send 'em in.
“White Rabbit” by Collide. Also “Shout” by Disturbed and “Let The Good Times Roll” by Powerman 5000.
The Cure- Purple Haze
Snake River Conspiracy- How Soon Is Now
Siouxsie and the Banshees- Trust In Me(the snake’s song in the Jungle Book)
Shane McGowan and Nick Cave- What a Wonderful World
Johnny Cash- Solitary Man(yep, the Neil Diamond song)
Jane’s Addiction- Sympathy For the Devil
God Lives Underwater- Fame
…just to name a few.
I also heard Elton John and Guns n’ Roses performing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” once. Boy, was that weird.
Joe Cocker’s version of “Cry Me A River” and “The Letter” showed new aspects of both songs.
Not rock, but when Bernadette Peters sang “You Can’t Get a Man With A Gun,” she completely redefined it from a cute ditty to an terribly sad lament.
Lol Coxhill did an amazingly bizarre version of “I am the Walrus,” but I doubt anyone other than me has ever heard it.
Oh, and I forgot Megadeth’s cover of “These Boots Are Made For Walking”.
Wyclef Jean is making a career out of it. His most recent hiphop redux is Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, and he must have done at least a dozen others already.
My cringe-o-meter is waiting to go off the charts when Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams release their remake of Sinatra’s “Somethin’ Stupid.”
My first thought when his query arises is always to note that I think Devo’s cover of “Satisfaction” is the best I’ve ever heard. Too many other good eforts to list, I guess, but I’d put Johnny Cash’s version of “Rusty Cage” up there, too.
Tori Amos’ cover of ‘Raining Blood’ by Slayer. Her version is a really neat song, but about the only thing it has in common with the original is the lyrics and a piano part that is slightly similar to one of the guitar riffs in the song.
Sonic Youth’s version of “Superstar” by the Carpenters.
Oh, I love that Sonic Youth version. Top song.
How about Hit Me Baby (One More Time) as covered acoustically by Travis? Or indie/punk band China Drum’s speed-fuelled cover of Wuthering Heights?
There was a superb NME double album out in the early/mid-1990s of indie bands covering classic number one songs. Unusual versions that I can remember include Ride covering Kraftwerk’s The Model and Tori Amos covering Ring My Bell.
Ah, here we go: NME Ruby Trax -
COZ I LOVE YOU - The Wonder Stuff
WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN? - Billy Bragg
LITTLE RED ROOSTER - The Jesus And Mary Chain
ATOMIC - The Mission
(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU - The Fatima Mansions
STRANGER IN PARADISE - St. Etienne
CUMBERLAND GAP - The Wedding Present
(IF PARADISE IS) HALF AS NICE - Aztec Camera / Andy Fairweather-Low
SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO - Dannii Minogue
WHERE DO YOU GO TO MY LOVELY? - Welfare Heroine
BAD MOON RISING - The Blue Aeroplanes
APACHE - Sensless Things
MR TAMBOURINE MAN - Teenage Fanclub
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - Carter USM
MAGGIE MAY - Blur
ASHES TO ASHES - Tears For Fears
ROCK YOUR BABY - The House Of Love
I'M A BELIEVER - The Frank & Walters
SHADDAP YOU FACE - EMF
BRASS IN POCKET - Suede
RING MY BELL - Tori Amos
LADY MADONNA - Kingmaker
LIKE A PRAYER - Marc Almond
DON'T YOU WANT ME? - The Farm
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
MY SWEET LORD - Boy George
VOODOO CHILE - Jesus Jones
SUNNY AFTERNOON - Bob Geldof
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY - Johnny Marr & Billy Duffy
DOWN DOWN - Cud
LEGEND OF XANADU - The Fall
SECRET LOVE - Sinead O’Connor
WORLD WITHOUT LOVE - World Party
TAINTED LOVE - Inspiral Carpets
BABY COME BACK - Elektric Music
THE MODEL - Ride
VIENNA - Vic Reeves
GO NOW - Tin Machine
I FEEL LOVE - Curve
SUICIDE IS PAINLESS - Manic Street Preachers
C’mon , what about the classics:
Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower. Best cover ever in my book.
the Sex Pistols - My Way
Lemonheads – Mrs Robinson
There’s a lovely version of “ode to Billy-joe” by Sinead O’Connor. Not normally a fan, but that’s a great song.
The new Orbital live album has a version of the Doctor Who theme that is the business. They’ve been playing it live for years but I think this is the first time its been released, legitimately at least. It rocks.
Revolting Cocks - Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?
AC - Stayin’ Alive
Lawnmower Deth - Kids in America
Scatterbrain - Earache my Eye
maelstrom - For Whom the Bell Tolls
Dynamite Hack - Boyz N’ the Hood
Just off the top of my head:
Little Wing—Stevie Ray Vaughan (dropped the dumb lyrics)
It’s A Hard Rain Gonna Fall—Leon Russell
The Man Who Couldn’t Cry—Johnny Cash
Settin’ The Woods On Fire—The Tractors
In The Jailhouse Now—Sir Douglas Quintet
Do It Again—Waylon Jennings
Lay Down—Mott The Hoople (not too different, just better)
To Love Somebody—The Flying Burrito Bros.
All Tomorrow’s Parties—Pulnoc
The Tina Turner version of The Bitch is Back.
Fred Durst, Perry Farrell, and Elijah Blue doing “What’s Going On”.
[Count Floyd]
Skeddy!
[/Count Floyd]
These may not all be radical departures from the originals, but for one reason or another I think they are better:
Unchained Melody and Rock and Roll – Heart
Black Magic Woman – Santana
Going Down to Liverpool and Hazy Shade of Winter – Bangles
And at the opposite end of the scale, here is a cover tune which is a deliberate reproduction of the original:
Battle of Evermore – Lovemongers
These may not all be radical departures from the originals, but for one reason or another I think they are better:
Unchained Melody and Rock and Roll – Heart
Black Magic Woman – Santana
Going Down to Liverpool and Hazy Shade of Winter – Bangles
Ticket to Ride – Carpenters
And at the opposite end of the scale, here is a cover tune which is a deliberate reproduction of the original:
Battle of Evermore – Lovemongers
These may not all be radical departures from the originals, but for one reason or another I think they are better:
Unchained Melody and Rock and Roll – Heart
Black Magic Woman – Santana
Going Down to Liverpool and Hazy Shade of Winter – Bangles
Ticket to Ride – Carpenters
And at the opposite end of the scale, here is a cover tune which is a deliberate reproduction of the original:
Battle of Evermore – Lovemongers