Wednesday, December 15, 2004



UNDER THE COVERS
The Daily Telegraphs music critics have put together a list of the 50 best cover versions ever, (tip of the hat the the lads at The Joint for this) and most of them are utter drivel. I've been putting together a compilation CD of my favorite covers, and sure, they're pretty eclectic, but they've got a whole lot more soul than this boring, white trash pop shite. Here's their top ten...

1 ‘All Along the Watchtower’ Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968 (orig. Bob Dylan, 1967)
2 ‘You Were Always On My Mind’ Pet Shop Boys, 1987 (orig. Elvis Presley, 1972 - after Brenda Lee, 1971)
3 ‘My Way’ Sid Vicious, 1979 (orig. Frank Sinatra, 1969 - after Paul Anka, 1969)
4 ‘Hallelujah’ Jeff Buckley, 1993 (orig. Leonard Cohen, 1984)
5 ‘Respect’ Aretha Franklin, 1967 (orig. Otis Redding, 1965)
6 ‘Tainted Love’ Soft Cell, 1981 (orig. Gloria Jones, 1964)
7 ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ The Byrds, 1965 (orig. Bob Dylan, 1964)
8 ‘Twist and Shout’ The Beatles, 1963 (orig. the Isley Brothers, 1960)
9 ‘Comfortably Numb’ Scissor Sisters, 2004 (orig. Pink Floyd, 1979)
10 ‘Mr Bojangles’ Nina Simone, 1971 (orig. Jerry Jeff Walker, 1967)

So, you heard Spanky Wilson's version of Sunshine of your Love? Genius. Or what about about Jackie Wilson's version of Light my Fire? O-Dub put together a killer mixtape of his fave covers, over here (pictured above).Must score a copy soon...
So, what's your favorite cover version? Hit me up in comments - no cheese, just the good ish, please.
You can find the original story at the Daily Telegraph, but the site requires registration.

UPDATE: discovered via random Googling... Copy, Right? - an MP3 blog dedicated to cover versions, and the Covers Project- endless lists of covers.


Seen on Queen St yesterday.. girl in a red tshirt with the following slogan... "Save Santa the trip. Be naughty." Peter Jackson is in Auckland this week shooting scenes for King Kong at the Civic Theatre. I walk past this building every day on the way to work. Sighted yesterday morning; a bunch of extras dressed in tuxedos and bowties for the gents, flash 1930s dresses for the ladies. About a dozen large trucks were parked on the surrounding streets, but no sighting of Peter Jackson.
Still, check out the official website for some great behind the scenes production footage. Last week they had a group of international journalists on set, see day 53 production diary. the press interviewing Adrian Brody is hilarious - one journo asks Brody if he finds Kong painless,which Brody says yes, then the journo confesses he meant does Brody find Kong [the story of] timeless!


And on the whole Judy Bailey payrise BS - do the freaking math and shut the hell up! Paul Holmes leaves - saving of $730,000 a year salary. Alison Mau leaves - saving of say $200,00 salary. Ms Bailey gets an extra $400,000, and TVNZ still come out ahead by half a million. It aint some John Hawkesby $7 million payout. Helen Clark is just pissed that she aint pulling that kinda dosh. Hah!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's a few covers that spring to mind...

A Certain Ratio "Shack Up"
Big Youth "Hit The Road Jack"
The Clash "Brand New Cadillac"
Breeders "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"
Big Black "The Model"
D4 "Mysterex"
Husker Du "Love Is All Around"
John Coltrane "My Favourite Things"
The Feelies "Everybody's Got Something To Hide"
Ernest Ranglin "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown"
Straitjacket Fits "So Long Marianne"

Simon said...

A few more covers....

Gregory Isaacs-Get Ready
Isleys-Love the one you're with
Sinatra & Jobim-Girl from Ipanema
Billy Paul-Let em In
Al Green-How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Wilson Picket-Hey Jude
Stevie Wonder-Respect...not Otis but I prefer it to Aretha
Keith Sweat-In the Rain
Young Holt-Hey Girl
Elvis Costello-I'm your toy (live)(actually lots of EC)
The Damned-Help
Dee Dee Warwick-Suspicious minds

Smacked Face said...

I don't know if they're the best ever, but I like them...

'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' Schneider TM
'Superstition' Sergio Mendes
'California Soul' Marvin Gaye
'Hounds Of Love' Futureheads
'Personal Jesus' Johnny Cash
'Teenage Dirtbag' Earl Okin
'Crosstown Traffic' Gil Evans Orchestra
'We Can Work It Out' Stevie Wonder
'Don't Leave Me This Way' The Communards
'Knock On Wood' Aimee Stewart...

Um. No doubt many more to come as soon as my brain engages.

Peter McLennan said...

Issac Hayes - walk on by
Cedric Im Brooks - Shaft (reggae style)
Butch Cassidy Sound System - Cissy strut
Trinidad steel band - oye como va (steel drums - love em!)
Jimmy London - I'm your puppet (reggae style)
Jose Feliciano - she's a woman
George Benson/MAW - the ghetto...

more please!!!

Anonymous said...

The Clash - Police & Thieves
Happy Mondays - Step On
Joe Strummer - Redemption Song
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Gram Parsons - Wild Horses
Grover Washington Jr - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Primal Scream - Carry Me Home
Death In Vegas - So You Say You Lost Your Baby
Shack - A House is not a Motel
Tricky - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Smacked Face said...

'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' - Inner Life
'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' - Risco Connection (or the gorgeous Spanish version 'No Nos Pararan' by Charanga 76)
'Take Me Out' - Scissor Sisters
'Moon River' - Morrissey
'This Wheel's On Fire' - Julie Driscoll...

But for sheer awfulness you can't go past William Shatner for his exquisitely torturous ability to murder a classic... Except maybe Rolf and his Stairway To Heaven hell.

And this site seems to do a line in spotting obscure covers:
http://copycommaright.blogspot.com/

Smacked Face said...

Duh, you've already mentioned the above link. Anyway, before I stop clogging up your comments box, some brilliant covers albums that have been doing the rounds for a while are The Wonder Of Stevie (vols 1 and 2), plus Wonder Wrote It, and Hustle! Reggae Disco... Highly recommended.

annabel said...

buckley's hallelouia is a damn good cover, you gotta give 'em that. so is the flying lizard's money. hard to do off the top of my head, but here we go...

. against all odds, the postal service (best cover ever: not only better than the original, but actually gives you newfound respect for, pleasure in and enjoyment of the original, and yes i am talking about phil collins)

. bk baby, ben kweller (indie pop does vanilla ice!!!!)

. across the universe, fiona apple (honestly, it's lovely)

. this guy's in love with you, faith no more (and easy, of course. also heard they do a great glory box (portishead... i just want to be a woman, etc) but have never been able to find it)

. wonderwall, ryan adams

. there is a light that never goes out, erlend oye/royksopp

. i'm on fire, hlah

. jealous guy, pluto (you've heard this live? they do a grand job. it sounds to me like a cover of roxy music's cover, if that makes any sense)

. rusty cage, johnny cash (and hurt, of course, which tori amos also does a nice version of)

. gin and juice, jack handy (jack handy = http://www.jokes2go.com/lists/list22.html)

. billy jean, ian brown (who also does a good thriller)

there was a thread on plastic.com about that telegraph list recently... here: http://www.plastic.com/article.html;sid=04/11/23/09213828

i'm going to have to go home and get my download on... hi, btw! do you know where to find my semi-secret blog these days? belly.net.nz has lapsed into coma, might get round to emergency surgery over xmas, but don't think the old blog will make it... xxx

annabel said...

heh, just saw you made a point to ask for no cheese. but really, isn't the slightly cheesy the best kind of cover? what's the point in covering a song unless people already know it?