“All I’ve got is a red guitar, three chords and the Truth”?
Thanks, but we rather would forget it.
As an addition to the thread: Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Cohen’s Hallelujah could fill up an excellent CD.
How Soon is Now, Originally by the Smiths, also by
Love Spit Love
Snake River Conspiracy
Everclear
and at least 2 others that I have heard.
Gary Numan - Cars
Nearly every DJ on the face of the planet has done a cover (or a mix - close enough).
I have an album called “Pachelbel’s Greatest Hit” - It a collection of vey different versions of Pachelbe’s Canon (baroque music). That counts as an album full of cover versions, I think.
I nominate:
What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted
A timeless, gentle breakup song with an easy vocal range…who can resist? I’ve seen no fewer than five versions of this.
Classical Gas
This has got to be the most covered, personalized, and butchered instrumental guitar song ever. It’s easy to see why, of course; it’s uncomplicated and incredibly catchy.
Not quite a full CD, but still noteworthy:
Take On Me - I’m a little surprised by this, as the range (if it’s being sung right) is absolutely brutal, and I was impressed that the original singer could pull it off. I’ve seen a eurobeat version on Beatmania IIDX and two covers.
Boys of Summer - This one’s interesting; the original was melodic pop, and the two best-known covers are blistering hard rock and pop trance, respectively. Can you say “universal appeal”? (Or universal ripoffability. Whichever.)
Don’t forget the Cardigans’ covers of “Iron Man” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. They’re startlingly good.
Do you count techno remixes of songs as covers? If so, Smokie’s “(Who the fuck is) Alice” has been covered repeatedly: a nearly identical acoustic cover by Roy Chubby Brown, a techno remix by Gompie, and then a techno remix of Gompie’s techno remix by Happy Hardcore.
“The Look of Love”, I can easily come up with 15 versions and it seems like new ones pop up every year. Bacharach songs are fairly easy to find many covers of.
“Caravan”, an old favorite to cover. I have at least 12 versions of that and that’s in addition to the 11 listed by the Covers Project. Jazz songs are always getting recycled by jazz musicians.
“Cry Me A River”, easily 20 versions.
People love to cover the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Covers Project gives 51 covers at the moment for “Paint it Black”, 29 versions of “Sympathy for the Devil”, 23 for “Satisfaction”, and so on.
“Gloria” (“G-L-O-R-I-A”) has been recorded by many people. The Van Morrison original and Patti Smith cover versions may be the most well-known, but it’s also been done by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, and The Them. I happened to hear a “Gloria” cover playing at Mister Donut today that I’d never heard before, so there’s at least one more out there!
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
At least 27 covers, or 28 since Swans did two versions. Great site!
I vaguely remember Rhino records did release several Cds made up as different covers of one song.
I just looked at that link and there are 24 covers of Golden Earring’s Radar Love. You could fill two CDs with that, and I still wouldn’t be bored of the song, well I might, but only because GE wasn’t doing it.
I found an excellent CD of recordings of “Sentimental Journey.” The Chordettes’ (of “Mr. Sandman” fame) a capella version is not to be missed, and the Lennon Sisters do a pretty fair version too.
KGS, Your link got:
The Import Only (?)Eternal Masters (I think my copy is in Japanese),
The more popular Nativity In Black,
Nativity in Black II and Hell Rules (the latter 2 I never heard) - but missed:
The more obscure Sabbatum: A tribute album like no other – 12 Black Sabbath classic songs played by early music band (Medieval) Rondellus and sung in Latin language! (Listen to the links at the bottom of the page for something you’ve probably never heard - and may never want to hear again)
Speaking of obscure, anyone else ever hear Tom’s Album: A tribute CD to Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner or Rhino Records The Best of Louie Louie: A collection of the Kingsman’s classic? The version I recall had alot more versions than the link does - Not only Mongo Santamaria- but even a marching band cover.
If I Had a Hammer has been covered well over 500 times. My favorite is by the late Senator Sam Ervin, of Watergate committee fame.
It was a Dylan song done by Hendrix. And since it’s been mentioned, Dylan’s songs are probably some of the most covered as well. All Along the Watchtower is only one of many. I’ve been working on a compilation CD of all Dylan covers. Some of the best are:
A Simple Twist of Fate - Concrete Blonde
Hurricaine - Ani Difranco
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue - Echo and the Bunnymen
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right - Nick Drake
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight - Norah Jones
Positively 4th Street - The Stereophonics
Tangled Up in Blue - Indigo Girls
Others who’ve covered Dylan fairly recently, well or not so well:
Avril Lavinge (uck)
Black Crowes
Grateful Dead /Jerry Garcia Band (always good)
Lucinda Williams
Dave Matthews Band (others aside from Watchtower)
Pearl Jam (good, but the recordings are always bad)
Jeff Buckley
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
Ramones
Red Hot Chili Peppers (This one’s good, just not my style)
White Stripes
U2
Johnny Cash
This is just a sampling. There are many others.
“Whiskey in the Jar” has been done quite a few times – Metallica, Thin Lizzy, the Dubliners, the Pogues, every other Irish band that ever existed, thousands of drunken Irishmen in bars… There are more semi-big names, but they escape me at the moment. Of course, being a traditional song, the lyrics vary widely from version to version, but the gist is always the same.
“Turning Japanese,” originally by the Vapors, might give “Pressure Drop” a run for its money. I’ve heard it covered by at least 4 other ska bands (and some punk bands to boot).
A quick Google search turns up covers by Skankin’ Pickle, No Use for a Name, Sublime, Incubus, The Revs, The Hazies, and even Liz Phair! A local ska band in the area where I grew up (northern CA) called Blind Spot covered it in some of their shows. I think it’s done with great frequency by ska bands everywhere.
Ghad… all those and I came in the thread expecting to be reading about songs like “Unchained Melody,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and “Mack the Knife.”