Author Topic: Favourite/unexpected cover versions  (Read 17087 times)

tiermat

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Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« on: 29 May, 2008, 03:49:28 pm »
Recently I have been listening to Johnny Cash albums, and I came across American IV, which has a few covers on it, the ones that stand out for me are the covers of Hurt (NIN) and Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode).

So it got me thinking, what are your fav and/or unexpected cover versions? My list would be thus:
1) Hurt - Johnny Cash (orig NIN)
2) Umbrella - Biggy Clyro (Jamelia)
3) Crash Course In Brain Surgery - Metallica (Budgie)
4) She's a Model - Terrorvision (KraftWerk)

I'm sure I'll drag up some more but that'll do for now.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #1 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:53:43 pm »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rAS4ltt7DzI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/rAS4ltt7DzI&rel=1</a> - Richard Thompson (Brittany Spears)

From the wonderful "1000 years of popular music" album.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #2 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:54:26 pm »
It's a Family Affair. Iggy Pop. (Sly and the Family Stone)

Charlotte

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #3 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:54:34 pm »
Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sistors (orig. Pink Floyd)
Personal Jesus - Marylin Manson (orig., as you say, Depeche Mode)
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tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #4 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:56:04 pm »
Personal Jesus - Marylin Manson (orig., as you say, Depeche Mode)

Oooooo If forgot his version....
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Wascally Weasel

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #5 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:56:50 pm »
Personal Jesus - Marylin Manson (orig., as you say, Depeche Mode)

Not forgetting the Cash cover of this song also!


Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #6 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:57:30 pm »
Mercury Rev used to do a cracking live version of Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath).

I'm sure I'll think of lots more  :)

bikenerd

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #7 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:57:41 pm »
1) Schneider TM - "There is a light that never goes out" (orig. Smiths) : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y4UMpEHa_Ns&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Y4UMpEHa_Ns&rel=1</a>
2) Uncle Tupelo - "Effigy" (orig. Creedance Clearwater Revival)

Most despised cover version: "Don't let it bring you down" by Annie Lennox, originally by Neil Young.  There are three artists you shouldn't cover: Neil Young, Kate Bush and Morrisey / the Smiths (see pt 1.)

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #8 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:58:38 pm »
"Too Drunk To Fuck" by Nouvelle Vague - rocking punk song covered by cutesy French pop group - and it works too!

rogerzilla

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #9 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:58:59 pm »
Born To Run - FGTH (original Bruce Springsteen)
Tainted Love - Soft Cell (can't remember, embarrassingly)
Travelling Riverside Blues - Led Zeppelin* (Robert Johnson)
I Will Survive - Snuff (Gloria Gaynor)

Snuff also did superior versions of "Hazy Shade of Winter" (Simon & Garfunkel) and many others from the sublime to the ridiculous, including a death-metal German version of "Yes, We have No Bananas"  ;D


*it's more a tribute than a cover, although some of the lyrics are the same.
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andygates

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #10 on: 29 May, 2008, 03:59:57 pm »
Mazza does a good cover - I do like his Tainted Love.

Goatwhore did a nice one of Hazy Shade of Winter...
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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #11 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:02:40 pm »
Bare Naked Ladies - Lovers in a dangerous time (Bruce Cockburn)

PaulF

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #12 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:02:48 pm »
For me a cover version has to be more than an carbon copy of the original (take note Boydrone and Westlife) but to add to it in the arrangement and interpretation.

Some of my favourites cover versions are:

Tori Amos ~ Smells Like Teen Spirit
Low ~ Transmission
Easy Star All Stars ~ Exit Music (For a Film)
Sparklehorse/Thom Yorke ~ Wish You Were Here
Low & Dirty Three ~ Down By the River
R.E.M. ~ First we Take Manhattan
Flaming Lips ~ Can't Get You Out of My Head

Wascally Weasel

  • Slayer of Dragons and killer of threads.
Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #13 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:02:50 pm »
'Strange' by REM  (originally Wire)
'Just Like Heaven' by Dinosaur Jr (originally The Cure)
'Always on My Mind' by Willie Nelson (I know that he was the original artist but most people know the Elvis version, I prefer Nelson's.  I could have said I prefer Willie's but that's too much of a cheap gag)
'Valentine's Day is Over' by June Tabor (original by Billy Bragg)

rogerzilla

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #14 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:05:53 pm »
'Strange' by REM  (originally Wire)
'Just Like Heaven' by Dinosaur Jr (originally The Cure)
'Always on My Mind' by Willie Nelson (I know that he was the original artist but most people know the Elvis version, I prefer Nelson's.  I could have said I prefer Willie's but that's too much of a cheap gag)
'Valentine's Day is Over' by June Tabor (original by Billy Bragg)

If we're on Billy Bragg, I have to grudgingly admit that Kirsty MacColl's version of "A New England" (with the gratuitous key change for the last verse) is better.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #15 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:06:10 pm »
Nina Gordon, YouTube - Straight Out Of Compton
Straight out of Compton

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #16 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:07:25 pm »
...and every single track on Cat Power's The Covers Record

alchemy

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #17 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:11:15 pm »
Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sistors (orig. Pink Floyd)

Noooooooo!!!!! - this makes me want to do a Chopper Read and cut my ears off  >:( >:( :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: Scissor Sisters should be publicly stoned to death for it

Personal Jesus - Marylin Manson (orig., as you say, Depeche Mode)

This one however is :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


And William Shatners' version of Common People is much better than Pulps original IMO


<edit>

Regina Spektors' cover of Real Love by John Lennon is a favourite

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #18 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:13:44 pm »
...actually, the best cover I ever head is Nina Simone doing Leonard Cohen's Suzanne - there are many recorded versions of this but I have a really low quality mp3 which I can't find on any CD and it's the best - beautiful, simple piano motif, amazing singing and as it's a Cohen song, knock-out lyrics too.

Really Ancien

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #19 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:23:31 pm »
I used the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt on a film of the Bryan Chapman 600 in 2007 from 2.23 on this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/AuZiRgPYKl4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/AuZiRgPYKl4&rel=1</a>
Summer Breeze by the Isley Brothers is my favourite cover, few remember the original by Seals and Crofts. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/tQtRathgoCk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/tQtRathgoCk&rel=1</a>

Damon.

clarion

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #20 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:24:01 pm »
Favourite:  Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower

Unexpected:  Madge - American Pie
Getting there...

cometworm

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #21 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:26:34 pm »
"Too Drunk To Fuck" by Nouvelle Vague - rocking punk song covered by cutesy French pop group - and it works too!

Awesome! The DK's version of this is one of my favourites. Will the iTunes store have this, I wonder...

Craig

Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #22 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:31:30 pm »
Lithium - the Polyphonic Spree (originally Nirvana). I think this one is just great, as the song is actually happy!
Or Placebo have done a whole albums of covers, which I think are rather good. I do like their covers of Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush), Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths) and 20th Century Boy (T Rex).

Or, more obscure one's I like:
Paint it Black by Earth Crisis (originally Rolling Stones, also covered by many others)
Born in the USA - ballboy (Springsteen)
It Takes More - Mull Historical Society (Ms Dynamite)

I do agree that William Shatner's Common people is great, though I'm not convinced as to whether it's better than the original.

Wascally Weasel

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #23 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:35:24 pm »
Born in the USA - ballboy (Springsteen)

I've got that!  It's great, can't think why there is an omitted verse though.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Favourite/unexpected cover versions
« Reply #24 on: 29 May, 2008, 04:37:57 pm »
Independent Woman - Elbow (Destiny's Child)  ;D
Especially when accompanied by the Northern Kittens.  8)
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