Covers

Before John and I futz up the guilty pleasures thread...:)

What do y'all think of covers? What are your favorites? Are you upset when someone covers someone you like? Do you prefer faithful covers or original takes? Do your opinions on covers carry to sampling? What's your favorite covers album?

One of my favorite covers of all time is Fountains of Wayne doing Brittany's "Baby One More Time".
:D

I love that FoW cover too. Not being much of a guitarist, I'm trying to figure out the chords. Seems like Fm#, C#7, A, Bm, C#7 but I can't figure out the 'extra' chords at the break and last verse.

Be my best friend forever by sending them to [email protected] if ya know 'em!

(Edited this, had to make it Fm#, not F# -- see, not much of a guitarist!)

I do it with Am - G#/E (4x0450) - C - F - E7

W00t!
Gonna have to try when I get home.
:)

Oh lord, we're talking about Britney Spears tabs????� * cries *

Hey, Fruvous covered Hit me baby one more time. Jian was born to sing Britney :-)

Yes, because she is the real thing over Christina.

Hey! Not Christina!. How can you dis Christina here on FHDC where Christina met Yoko.

Well, Jian met Yoko too. He doesn't need Christina as his go-between. Besides, if it was really meant to be between Christina and Yoko, it would have happened by now.

Er, yeah, totally sane. Why do you ask?

I mean Christina stole Britney's man! Did you see, Justin and Christina have hooked up! I for one is sad!

No, we're talking about Fountians of Wayne tabs.
:)
They just happened to cover the song.
And, you should hear it, it's fuckin awesome.
:D

Besides, the song isn't a Brittany song, really... it was written by Max Martin.

;)

Actually, Travis has a recorded version of Baby One More Time too, it's a B-side or on an ep or something... also better than "the original."

Travis.........?

Richard Thompson does "Oops, I Did It Again" really well. Maybe he'll do it at Falcon Ridge.

Yeah, Travis. British band.� Had a minor hit last year or year before with a song called "side," I think� Album was called the Invisible Band.� Good record.�

Ahhh.. okay.
Never heard of 'em.
What kind of music?

Travis are a uk indie band and really good their first album was not amazing but their second was really pretty. they have been trying to break America and did new promos for all their songs but it hasn't gone so well obviously.� they dor eally cool acousticy stuff and more than us by travis was the our song of me and my first boyfriend the one who looks like dom.�

Nift.
I shall have to check them out when I get home tonite.

I wasn't aware that there were people against covers in general. Some covers are good some are bad. Almost every performer does some covers.

There are a few bluegrass covers the last few days that are great. There's been a lot discussion here of Luther Wright and the Wrongs vs of the Wall. They are actually following in the footsteps of Psychograss that did a bluegrass version of Dark Side of the Moon. Del McCoury's bluegrass version of 1952 Vincent Black Lightning was voted bluegrass song of the year.

Mary Lee's Corvette released a cover of the entire Bob Dylan album, Blood on the Tracks, last year that rocks the Casbah.

it's possible to be original and faithful at the same time, I think. my favourite covers stay true to the rhythm, lyrics, chords and melody, but usually have a different instrumental arrangement.

I like some of the cover ideas I've had, I'm just not that great at execution. if I could get professional musicians to record my arrangements, though, I think some of them would work really well. my favourite one, which I actually am recording myself is Mess by Ben Folds Five (for the benfolds.org tribute). but instead of piano, I'm playing acoustic guitar, and the electric guitar solo replaces the strings.

as for the other issues relating to covers, before I got onto that side topic there.... I'm not usually upset when someone covers a song I like, the major exception being American Pie which was absolutely butchered. I think there are a lot of songs that people just shouldn't cover because they're so hard to do justice to, even with a tasteful cover (which American Pie wasn't)

another thing I like in covers is a rule of "don't cover the hits/best known songs." right now, I just record for fun, so it's no big deal what I do. but if I were in a band and wanted to, say, cover a TMBG song, I wouldn't do Birdhouse in Your Soul or Particle Man, as "obvious" as those choices would be. I'm not sure what my reasoning for that is, it just seems to make sense. :)

that's part of why I like Peter Mulvey's covers so much. He tends to pick the more obscure songs even when covering a very well known artist. I think it's a true tribute because you're doing what you can to expose people to more of what you admire in that person. (Of course, that's assuming you love their whole catalog and don't just want to pay tribute to one great song.)

Peter's introduced me to tons of songs I wouldn't have known otherwise. I've heard Paul Simon's hits for years but suddenly I know more great Paul Simon songs that can get me further in...ya know?

What songs has Peter Mulvey covered?

Gah...too many to count! There's his whole covers album, his half-covers EP, all the outtake cover MP3s his site offered, and all the ones he throws into live shows. Every single show has several covers.

His cover of For No One (a duet) is awesome.

Josh...come tell covers, taping man! I can't remember shows well. And I didn't get all the MP3s.

His cover of Jack Gets Up got me to buy a Leo Kottke album. His cover of The Man's Too Strong got me to buy a Dire Straits album. His cover of Sulk got me to buy a Radiohead album. etc, etc. :)

There are currently two Paul Simon cover MP3s on his site if'n you're interested.

The one that comes to mind right away is Clap Hands by Tom Waits.
mmmmmmmmmm

Yeah...I adore that cover but I didn't really mention it because it's one of the rare instances where his cover drove me to listen to the original and I didn't much care for the original. (I'm not big on Tom Waits. I know, I'm a heathen.)

Naw, you're a girl.
heh
I have known VERY few women who like Tom, interesting, eh?

Everyone I know who likes Tom... aside from two have been guys.
weird!

Well Nate - now you can say you know of three people of female persuasion who like Tom Waits.

I simply *must* get to the Tom Waits tribute night that Tory Cassis organizes this year. His rendition of Tabletop Joe that I head him do last year was fabulous. :)

Wohoo!
You go, girl.
:D

three! I love Tom.

No, not a heathen....just a reasonable person who recognizes crap when she hears it. (Can you tell I'm not a Tom Waits fan?)

O:)

*growl*
Tom is *SO* not "crap".
you take that back!

Make me!
:P

I like Tom's songs, but I like them sung by others better... and I like his acting better too (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mystery Men). The voice is a bit too much for me :)

I'm voting more for the "heathen" option in this case. ;-)

Agreed.

I DO think he's a brilliant songwriter. Just can't take the voice. :) Love covers of his stuff.

Tom Waits. Mmmmmmm. *swoon*

There. I'm one more female that loves Tom, Nate. And I know quite a few of us :D

YAYYYY!!!!
That gives me warm fuzzy feelings.
heehee
Yet another reason I love this community.
:)

add me to the list.

His cover of Dar Williams "The Ocean" is my favorite song from both artists combined. It's amazing...I honestly like it better than any other song Dar wrote, or Peter has sung.

Okay.. here our tastes converge.
:)

Now, I LOVE songs peter has sung.... and I also love songs dar as written...
I, however, don't much care for HEARING dar... if I can avoid it...
I mean, it's not like the neilds... it doesn't cause physical pain and vomiting.... but I'm not a huge fan of dar herself.
I love the songs she writes.... just... as long as others perform them. :)

I have to say, though, peter's cover of that song is excellent!

Peter is the Cover Master as far as I'm concerned. Despite the fact that Peter has enough of his own songs to fill hours and hours, he always pulls out a ton of interesting covers at every show, sometimes they end up as half of the show. And each and every one he lends his own style to.

I could never even start to list all the covers he's done. I've been to dozens of his shows, and I don't think there's been a single one that I haven't heard a new song at. Pick any artist, from Radiohead to Hoagy Carmichael to Prince and he's probably done a cover. The guy's brain is too big, he's able to remember way too many songs.

His most recent CD is a collection of cover songs recorded in the subway. He picked only his favorite songs to record, and the narrowed-down list was still over 100. The fact that he narrowed it down from there to 15ish is a feat. Best of all, there were only two of the songs that made it that I'd heard before.

Peter covered Greg Brown, Elvis Costello and Dar Williams (and probably more, I can't remember it all) at his Saturday show in the Chicago suburbs... don't ask me which songs even (well, Dar W's song was The Ocean).

Good show!

His cover of Radiohead's Sulk is awesome.

i arranged "you will go to the moon" for woodwind ensemble with solo voice.� then performed at a school concert.� *grin*

Sometimes a cover can take a song you loathe and turn it into something you love - best example for me is the Fruvous cover of Message.. the original is still the whiniest (*^*^ song on the planet, but the acapella version as done by the Frulads rocks my world.

Then there are covers of songs that absolutely ruin the song -
Madonna covering American Pie *shudders* *denies it ever
happened*

Basically, if it's done well, whether it's a faithful cover or an original take I'll appreciate it :)

Did you ever hear the parody Madonna Killed American Pie?

Was it by Bob Rivers?

*hee* I've got "I've gotta get a message to you" as the sound my computer at work plays when I get a new e-mail.

When I get sick of it (or when my cow orkers get sick of it), I have the Bee Gees original.

But that'll hurt my ears too, so I won't keep that for very long. :-p

How is it that no one mentioned Me First and the Gimme Gimme's? That's almost all they do. I was a little irritated with them at first, all punking up some songs that I love. Then it occured to me, when some kid is riding in the car with there grandma, they are going to be able to sing along to her music. That's really a cool thing.

But, see, what I love about them is that these are songs that they love, that they grew up on, and now they're doing them their way.

I love a good portion of their covers, One Tin Soldier is the only version of the song that I like.

Ramones cover of "Needles and Pins"

I love Cover's. Especually weird ones. I spent a year and a half trying to find the Ella Fitzgerald cover CD so I can have her cover of "Hey Jude" and "Sunshine of My Love." Speaking of Beatles Covers I love Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder's Covers. Acually Stevie's Wonder's I think is better then the orginal, mainly because back in the 70's Stevie wonder was awsome!

Who can forget Jim's Big Ego's cover of Feeling Groovie and that rap song I always forget as he did it as a medily.

I also love the tribute Workshops at FRFF. Woodie Guthrie was fun, The bob Dylan one sucked, and The Beatles was too short! However when a band covers a song live it's different then buying an album with a cover on it.

I have spent hours of amusement of listening to the Depeche Mode Cover album. I also have a bob dylan one which I don'tcare much for exept for the *AMAZING* Paperboys' Cover of "All Along the Watch Tower".

Andy, do you have that Ella CD? I'd love to hear it, or at least see what's on it. :)

7 Seconds doin' "99 Red Balloons." Story I heard is that they all switched instruments and played it like dat.

But I hafta go with Fountain of Wayne's "Hit Me Baby One More Time" cover.

Story THERE is that they recorded it, and it got out of the studio and was played on the radio the very next day, much to their chagrin.

I think they should go with it... their "Red Dragon Tattoo" is an amazing song, so I think the band has legs, though they fear being a novelty act 'cause of the HMBOMT cover.

It's freezing in my office right now, and as soon as I read the topic, all I could think of was climbing back into bed.


Oh well. Music-wise...

There are covers I love for their kitch and silliness, like Fred Schneider (B-52's guy) singing Harry Nilsson's "Coconut" song.

There are covers where the new version captures something the original didn't have. I'm thinking Joe Cocker's "A Little Help From My Friends."

There are covers which are good, but don't strike me as an improvement really, like The Indigo Girls cover of "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits.

Then there are things that just shouldn't be done. Like, oh, I don't know. Maybe Ethel Merman singing Lazy Boy...?

I've heard plenty of covers of Take On Me. Reel Big Fish has done it, and the Supers did a super slow version of it.

But the best version I've heard is that of Spiraling. They put Take On Me on speed, and infuse an energy that brings down the hosue whenever they play it in front of a TMBG crowd.

You're TOTALLY right about Joe Cocker "With A Little Help". But then again, doesn't he do that with every song of his?

I *love* The Supers version of Take on Me. :) Other great covers that leap to mind...

Dar Williams doing Springsteen's "Highway Patrolman", Stephen Fearing doing Neil Young's "Thrasher", Blackie and the Rodeo Kings covering Willie P. Bennett's "Lace and Pretty Flowers", Robert Wilson with Prince's "When Doves Cry" (jazzy, percussive guitar backed by a cello!) and Elvis Costello's version of "Smile" ~/o smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breaking ~/o.

Smile will forever be a barbershop song to me. :)

I don't know.. I thought Ethel did a good job *snicker* I agree though, some things shouldn't be done.. or at least done by certain people (Madonna got a bit of her own back with Kelly Osbourne's version of Pap Don't Preach)

There are some covers of English songs in different languages. I just was listening to Youssou N'Dour's cover of Dylan's Chime's of Freedom. I don't know what language Youssou sings in, he's from Senegal. It is a beautiful version.

There is a Norwegian cover of the Beatles' Norwegian Wood that is good.

Does anyone else know any other good covers in a foreign language?

if I ever cover TMBG's Space Suit I'll do it in Chinese pig-latin.

Airay Iday Aiday.

Isn't that an instramental?

It's not so much a cover, but I love the girl from ipanema in the dual languages.

And La Vie en Rose, both versions.

And TMBG's Greek #3. Heee. :) OOh and the Beatles German versions of their own songs.

I heard Dave Matheson sing Girl From Ipanema in Portugese last year. :)

Hehehe yeah at the Iron Horse covers show Fruvous did Girl From Ipanema in English, Portuguese, and Persian. :)

Oh My God!
Does anyone have this recorded??????

You need ask?
;)

Oh wait...I remembered wrong. D'oh...it wasn't the Chia Pets Plus Dave show with all covers...but it WAS the IH. 12/7/97...my second show. We taped it but it's pretty suck quality. Anyone else get it? :)

Yes ma'am.

Ok, so it's not a cover, but my favorite is Phish "covering" their own amazing unreleased song, "Meatstick" in Japanese. Sheryl? Help?

Meatosticku Jiuando
Meatosticku Kakushite
Meatosticku Toridashta
Jiuan, Do Do Atamaga Shock
Do Do Atamaga Shock.

The Pixies covered the Yardbirds' "Evil Hearted You" in Spanish.� I haven't heard the original song, so I don't know how the cover stacks up to it, but I know the original songwriter was fluent in Spanish, and insisted they get it right.� (Other Pixies songs use Spanish, but it tends to be grammatically sloppy.� This is what I've heard, anyway; I don't actually know Spanish.)

The Pixies version is pretty faithful, actually. I think the original had Eric Clapton playing the guitar -- simple, simple chords, over and over again.

No wonder he quit the band.

The Pixies are one of my favorite bands ever, BTW. I love their cover of "Head On" (Jesus and Mary Chain)

The Downtown Messiah is basically a cover version of Handel's Messiah done by singer/songwriters. Some particpants in recent years have been The Kennedys, Susan Werner, Dar Williams, and David Johannson. Some songs are done traditionally and others totally recast.

That was a Bottom Line show, correct?

Give the man a cigar!

the second versoin of my band was called Bottom Line.
*groan*
what was I thinking?
J~

Jeff Buckley doing Hallelujah by leonard cohen.

Snuff doing the cricket music from the BBC

Snuff doing I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

Ash doing Get Ready by the Temptations

Actually I like all the Ash Temptations Covers.

> Snuff doing I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

Yeah, but my favorite cover is Tiffany doing I Think We're Alone Now by Tommy James & The Shondells (Cordell) (1967). ;-)

Yes Josh, we're old. :)

Old? one of my favourites are Bach transcriptions of some of Vivaldi's harpsichord concertos. Also, Joe Cocker's cover of "She came in through the Bathroom Window" is better than the original. Did anyone notice that many of the early Rolling Stones' songs were covers?

*twitch* I can't stand Joe Cocker's Beatles covers. I think I just don't like his voice. There are plenty of Beatles covers I like so I don't think it's just my fanaticism. *grin*

Horses for courses, I suppose. Bach's covers are alright though, huh? And, get Luna out of your face, I don't know who to look at :)

Better? (Refresh if it's still showing me)

No no no no! I said: get the cat out of your face, not: get a cat into mine! :)

She's much more photogenic than I am. :)

thanks josh. I almost had to say that ;D

Love that Buckley cover myself. Mmm mmm mmm.