# Strange Covers (or: they did \*what\* with that song?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231 "2005-02-03T19:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/21 "2005-02-03T21:56:41Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > I’m partial to Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees doing \*Over the Rainbow \* or _Phantom of the Opera_, but \*Stand by Your Man \* is just odd in punk. I’m a big Me First fan (love their “Hava Negila”), but I think my favorite might be Catch 22’s “American Pie.” It sounds like a drunken ska band just repeating the chorus over and over, because they can’t remember the words. And I’m willing to bet that’s exactly how it went. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/22 "2005-02-03T22:00:16Z")
Ooops, I forgot to mention a fine weird cover band, Dread Zeppelin. Half-Elvis, half-reggae version of Zeppelin and other classic rock songs - who could resist? ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/23 "2005-02-03T22:05:18Z")
Richard Thompson covering “Oops, I Did It Again” on _1,000 Years of Popular Music_, and Hindu Love Gods (Warren Zevon + R.E.M. - Michael Stipe) doing _Raspberry Beret_ on their eponymous disc. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/24 "2005-02-03T22:58:08Z")
The Flaming Lips did a great cover of Kylie Minogue’s _I Just Can’t Get You Out of My Head_ that slows it way down and makes it all dirge-like and sad. Much better than the original. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/25 "2005-02-03T23:15:26Z")
Some covers are better than the original. Moon River by Andy Williams You Showed me by the Turtles Never My Love by Fifth Dimension As Tears Go By by Marianne Faithfull All I Really Want To Do by Cher Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Chains by the Beatles Feelin’ Alright by Joe Cocker Hush by Deep Purple In the Midnight Hour by the Rascals Love Hurts by Nazareth Love Potion #9 by the Searchers Me And Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds Proud Mary by Tina Turner Red Red Wine by UB40 Respect by Aretha You’ve Got A Friend by James Taylor ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/26 "2005-02-03T23:26:53Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Love Hurts by Nazareth OK, I was with you until you hit this one. As far as I can remember, the original is Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. On what planet is that worse than _Nazareth_, for God’s sake? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/27 "2005-02-03T23:40:30Z")
Oh! How could I forget?! Mitch Miller, of “Sing Along With Mitch” fame, did a cover of John Lennon’s [Give Peace a Chance](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000032U4/104-9476329-7379108?v=glance). I’ve actually heard it, once, about ten years ago. _The horror! The horror!_ By the way, **LindyHopper** , Roy Orbison wrote and made the first (and IMO best) recording of “Love Hurts.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/28 "2005-02-03T23:41:20Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Some covers are better than the original. Thanks, but most of these wouldn’t be considered “strange”. I’m listening to another good example, that “Lean on Me” dance/reggae cover that came out in the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/29 "2005-02-04T00:19:19Z")
**Shang Shang Typhoon** did…_something_ to **Let It Be**. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/30 "2005-02-04T00:30:51Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > By the way, **LindyHopper** , Roy Orbison wrote and made the first (and IMO best) recording of “Love Hurts.” Reeeeally? Learn something new every day, I guess. I’ve never been much of a Roy Orbison fan, myself. Just don’t really like his voice. So I’d have to go with the Parsons/Harris version. IMHO. 🙂 Ooh! I’ve got another one! Frente’s cover of “Bizarre Love Triangle”! New Order enthusiasts hate it, but I actually like it better than the original, and it’s _way_ different. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/31 "2005-02-04T02:35:46Z")
**JerH** beat me to Dread Zeppelin [Richard Cheese](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Z40S/qid=1107484970/sr=2-2/ref=pd_ka_b_2_2/102-1109977-4530568) is one of my all time favorite cover bands, especially _Closer_ orginally done by NIN (explicit lyrics). ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/32 "2005-02-04T09:59:46Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I’m a big Me First fan (love their “Hava Negila”), but I think my favorite might be Catch 22’s “American Pie.” It sounds like a drunken ska band just repeating the chorus over and over, because they can’t remember the words. And I’m willing to bet that’s exactly how it went. 🙂 Me First & The Gimme Gimmes covers aren’t strange, really, but IMO they’re almost always better than the original. In particular, “Danny’s Song,” “Rocket Man,” and “Fire and Rain” I can listen to now and think, “you know, those were actually really good songs if they’d just been done the right way.” As for the OP: The Cardigans still win, with their Black Sabbath covers. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is just a neat little jingle, but “Iron Man” crosses the line over to brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/33 "2005-02-04T11:06:42Z")
Strange covers: Klaus Nomi doing “You Don’t Own Me.” It’s either traumatising or hilarous, depending on what substances you’ve ingested. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/34 "2005-02-04T11:16:33Z")
I don’t know if this counts but I was watching Malcolm in the middle where the Dad falls into the dance dance revolution craze and my jaw about hit the floor when I heard a techno-y version of Dan Hill’s Sometimes When We Touch. No clue who’s responsible for it, but it was oddly disconcerting. ---
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/35 "2005-02-04T11:16:56Z")
In the UK on BBC Radio 1… Jo Whiley has Live Lounge sessions, with bands of various musical styles… everytime she does this she asks the band to play a cover version of a song that differs from their usual style ( at least thats how I understand it ) this has thrown up some real gems… like Embrace - doing D12’s - “How Come” ( They only do Eminem’s verse - but when you think about it, it’s the only one that works as a song ) Will Young & Razorlight both did different but both good versions of “Hey Ya” Jamie Cullum did a GREAT version of “Frontin’” which made me appreciate the original more - - but still prefer the Cullum version… ummm… loads of others… I’m sure somewhere on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1) you can find a listing or something. apart from that, on the Anthony Stewart Head album. “Music For Elevators” - tehre is a very strange cover of “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles… ---
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/36 "2005-02-04T11:18:47Z")
Plus… no-one’s mentioned “Mad World” - from Donnie Darko yet ---
**Author:** ![4thMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/ac8455/32.png) [@4thMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4thMonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/37 "2005-02-04T11:27:22Z")
- Johnny Cash’s cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” is a strange cover but it definitely comes out as a good song. I guess it helps that I like NIN already and like hearing a different take on songs by artists I like. - I was surprised when I heard a Punjabi Mc song (Mundian To Bach Ke) and then Jay-Z started rapping over the top of it. I was listening to an independent radio station at the time and thought it was a live DJ mashing the two together but it was an authorised mix and top-40. - Dsico (A Sydney DJ) does some _very_ odd remixes of popular artists such as Nelly & Missy Elliot. - I also have to agree with the Tori Amos cover of Eminem’s “Bonnie and Clyde '97” as being strange. I’m not really sure if the Punjabi MC and Dsico remixes technically count as covers as they use material from the original song . ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/38 "2005-02-04T11:40:11Z")
The all-time king of weird cover versions has to be Rolf Harris; I actually liked his skiffle rendition of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ and his cover of _Stairway to Heaven_ was good if for no other reason than it was fun to watch diehard Led Zep fans working themselves up into a froth of offense. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/39 "2005-02-04T11:59:37Z")
It’s strange and dark, but I really like A Perfect Circle’s version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Similarly, Type O Negative doing Seal and Croft’s “Summer Breeze”. Strange and fun would be Travis’ cover of Brittney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and Julianna Hatfield’s cover of Weezer’s “Say it Ain’t So.” ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231/40 "2005-02-04T13:06:42Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The all-time king of weird cover versions has to be Rolf Harris; I actually liked his skiffle rendition of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ and his cover of _Stairway to Heaven_ was good if for no other reason than it was fun to watch diehard Led Zep fans working themselves up into a froth of offense. Aha! What most people have never heard (although it’s widely bootlegged) is that Page and Plant returned the favour and did Rolf Harris’s “Sunarise”. It’s pretty good. Strange but good. They did it on that Aussie tv show where everyone had to cover “strairway to heaven”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-covers-or-they-did-what-with-that-song/288231.md?page=3)