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You are here: Home / Music / A true blue, a spectacle

A true blue, a spectacle

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I had an amazing experience today. I hadn’t actually bought my tickets west to visit my sister, just held them for 24 hours two months ago then forgot to finalize the transaction. I called up Delta and got the exact same flights with frequent fliers even though my departure is tomorrow. It’s a holiday miracle!

This put me in holiday mode (lamh35’s comment on Thanksgiving in NOLA already had me partway there), so I’m going to mostly do fun posts on stuff other than politics the next week.

Here’s one. I just heard Aretha Franklin’s cover of “You’re All I Need To Get By” on Pandora and I thought it would be fun to do a thread on people’s favorite covers of all time. I will define a cover as something someone recorded before but not a folk song or standard. How about a top 5 or 6 or 7 list with one additional restriction: no performer can appear more than once (otherwise you could do an all-Aretha list). Also, all other things being equal, not too obscurantist. I’ll go with

Love in Vain (Rolling Stones)
For the Good Times (Al Green)
I Say A Little Prayer For You (Aretha Franklin)
I’d Rather Go Blind (Koko Taylor)
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain (Willie Nelson)
Sail Away (Etta James)
I Fought The Law (The Clash)

What’s your list?

Reader Interactions

235Comments

  1. 1.

    Brian S

    My uncle has been Willie Nelson’s bassist for most (if not all) of my life and I had no idea that “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” was a cover. Huh.

    This isn’t my favorite cover of all time–haven’t had time to really tease that out–but it is the one that jumped to mind immediately. R. L. Burnside doing “Chain of Fools.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4lMkoWhUsA

  6. 6.

    DougJ

    @Brian S:

    Great stuff there!

    I realize this is probably wrong, but on the second one I couldn’t get through those white hipsters doing Chaka Khan.

  8. 8.

    AliceBlue

    Get Ready – Rare Earth

    Ring of Fire -Billy Bob Thornton (No, I am not making this up. Johnny Cash’s recording is still my favorite, but this is a real toe tapper. Earl Scruggs is on banjo).

  9. 9.

    Wannabe Speechwriter

    In no order-

    All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix
    Let it Be by Ray Charles
    Baby it’s You by The Beatles
    Tainted Love by Soft Cell
    Take Me to the River by Talking Heads

    and to be modern

    Your Song by Ellie Goulding

  12. 12.

    Laertes

    Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Black Crowes & Jimmy Page)
    Sad Songs and Waltzes (Cake)
    Mad World (Gary Jules)

  13. 13.

    Raven

    Tom Petty Oh Well
    Cassandra Wilson Time After Time
    Rickie Lee Jones Show Biz Kids
    Chris Hillman and Steve Earle High Fashion Queen
    The Mavericks Hot Burrito #1

  14. 14.

    lamh35

    ooh, I love list….As I’ve said before I mainly an R&B girl myself so my list is gonna be R&B heavy.

    Song…artist…original artist.

    1.Lately…Jodeci…Stevie Wonder
    2.I Will Always Love You…Whitney Houston…Dolly Parton
    3.I’m Every Woman…Whitney Houston…Chaka Khan
    4.You’re All I Need to Get By…Redman feat MJB…Gaye & Terrell
    5. Proud Mary…Ike & Tina Turner…CCR
    6. Closer…Maxwell…NIN
    7. Sweet Dreams…Marilyn Manson…Eurythmics
    8. This Woman’s Work…Maxwell…Kate Bush
    9. River Deep, Mountain High…Glee Cast…Tina Turner. (this one is a new cover and I had to say it, but I love it as much as the original)

    I could go on, but it’s not my blog…lol

  15. 15.

    JenJen

    As a former Delta gold (briefly platinum) member (how I miss those days), I can say with all confidence that was a holiday miracle indeed, DougJ. Holy shit. High five, triple-low-five! Winner!! Cheers! Gosh, I love Thanksgiving.

    Happy travels!

  17. 17.

    pragmatism

    Oysterhead — gin and juice
    A perfect circle — when the levee breaks
    Grateful dead — werewolves of London

  22. 22.

    RossInDetroit

    No standards makes this hard.

    Okay, an oddball that I love:

    Wildwood… Eliza Carthy…Paul Weller

  23. 23.

    DougJ

    @Raven:

    Cassandra and Rickie Lee are among my very, very favorites.

    I didn’t list them because my favorites of theirs are show tunes, Cassandra doing “I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face” and Rickie Lee doing “On The Street Where You Live”. Though C’s “Tupelo Honey” and R’s “Show Biz Kids” are great too.

  26. 26.

    smintheus

    The late Zombies/Colin Blunstone/Neil MacArthur cover of Hung Upside Down (Buffalo Springfield) is pretty damn good.

    Also love Don Byas’ cover of Duke Ellington’s Don’t you know I care?

  27. 27.

    RSA

    Coincidentally, I recently thought of some covers I like, which are cross-genre:

    Word Up (Willis)
    Satisfaction (Devo)
    Guns of Brixton (Nouvelle Vague)
    Baker Street (Foo Fighters)
    I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Creedence)
    Gloria (Patti Smith)
    Ain’t That a Shame (Cheap Trick)

  31. 31.

    Raven

    Annie Lennox It’s a Thin Line
    Nanci Griffith Tecumseh Valley
    Del McCoury 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

  32. 32.

    burnspbesq

    You Can Sleep While I Drive, Trisha Yearwood
    Bertha, Los Lobos
    Black Crow, Diana Krall
    Soldier of Love, Marshall Crenshaw
    I Fought the Law, the Clash
    September Gurls, the Bangles
    Now That I Found You, Alison Krauss
    Tell Me Why, Wynnona Judd

  35. 35.

    RossInDetroit

    @suzanne:

    Mike Ness, Don’t Think Twice (Dylan)

    Of Social Distortion? I should hear that.

    That reminds me:

    Ring of Fire…Social Distortion…Johnny Cash

  36. 36.

    Raven

    Shameless plug, my brother produced this:

    A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd is a 2 CD compilation of 30 Pink Floyd obscurities and classics performed by 29 different bands most from the Los Angeles area. AFFoPF has more than 2 hours of music done in a wide variety of styles with songs 1 through 16 are more “indie and interpretive” whereas songs 17 through 30 tend to be more “traditional or prog”

  37. 37.

    Americanadian

    Brian May and the Foo Fighters did a good cover of Pink Floyd’s Have a Cigar.

    Also, leaving off Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower was pretty inexcusable.

  39. 39.

    burnspbesq

    More:

    Just a Little Lovin’, Shelby Lynne
    Defying Gravity, Jimmy Buffett
    Making Believe, Emmylou Harris
    You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive, Patty Loveless
    High School Confidential, the Blasters
    Golden State, Eddie Vedder & Corin Tucker

  43. 43.

    lamh35

    @lamh35:

    ohh, just found the vidoe for “Lately” by Jodeci. Stevie Wonders’ songs are so hard to cover, IMHO, cause in one song, Stevie has been known to go from high vocal ranges to pretty low ones and many of his ballads lose their heft if not sung with as much emotion as possible.

    Anyway, if you are a fan of Stevie Wonder, this is hands down the BEST cover of one of his songs, IMHO. Ironically, it had to be sung by 2 different singers to get it right. Stevie of course sung it all by himself.

    Jodeci – Lately

    Stevie Wonder – Lately

  45. 45.

    Kaleb

    Dead Kennedys’ “I Fought The Law” is way better than The Clash, obscure lyrical content notwithstanding.

    Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin’s version of Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” is great too.

  53. 53.

    patrick II

    The Beatles — Twist and Shout
    Johnny Cash — In My Life
    Willie Nelson — Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain
    Rodrigo y Gabriela — Take Five

  57. 57.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    Great White’s cover of Led Zep’s Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. Although it’s based on a folk song by Anne Bredon and was first covered by Joan Baez, Great White’s excellent rendition of LZ’s version of it is worth listening to.

    The Scorpions’ cover of The Who’s I Can’t Explain is pretty good (for their own rendition of it).

  58. 58.

    RossInDetroit

    @suzanne:

    Of Social Distortion? I should hear that.
    Why, yes. It is most excellent.

    Yes it is. I wouldn’t have thought that a slammin’ rhythm section would add so much, but there it is.

  59. 59.

    scav

    Came at this one backwards as Holding out for a Hero by Frou Frou was the first version I heard, so Bonnie Tyler’s is all wrong now that I just checked it out. Not the most obvious thing to start my list with but I’m bad with dates and do tend to hear things out of order. Will probably find some stuff in Randy Newman though.

  61. 61.

    handsmile

    Ooh, this outta be fun. Alphabetically:

    Like a Hurricane (Built to Spill)
    Rain (Polyrock)
    Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello)
    Take Me to the River (Talking Heads)
    Turning of the Tide (Bob Mould)
    Walk Away Renee (Rickie Lee Jones)
    Woodstock (Richard Thompson)

    And of course, if it’s not considered a standard:
    Wild is the Wind (Nina Simone)

  65. 65.

    dedc79

    Johnny Cash – Hurt
    Townes Van Zandt – Dead Flowers
    Otis Redding – A Change is Gonna Come
    Toots and the Maytals – Louie Louie

  69. 69.

    Uncle Omar

    “City of New Orleans” Arlo Guthrie covering Steve Goodman. No matter who covers it it’s fabulous. As someone once said, “it’s the best damn train song ever written.”
    “Scarlet Begonias” Jimmy Buffett.
    “I Shot the Sheriff” Eric Clapton.

  73. 73.

    Raven

    @handsmile: I saw Nina Simone in Champaign in about 1970. She made all the white folks move to the back then, when she was getting ready to sing Amazing Grace, she said “It’s about time we got our song back”! It was great.

  77. 77.

    EdMinChi

    Black Magic Woman, Santana

    The Dutchman, Steve Goodman (don’t know if this qualifies as a cover; Goodman didn’t write it, but I don’t know whether the author had already recorded it before Steve did)

    Wheels, Emmylou Harris (among so many others)

    You Can’t Catch Me, John Lennon

    One Way Out, Allman Brothers

    When I Paint My Masterpiece, The Band

    Hey, Pocky Way, Neville Brothers

  81. 81.

    suzanne

    For Beatles covers, I like Eddie Vedder’s “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”. He gives good yearning.

  84. 84.

    The Golux

    Delbert McClinton: “Pancho and Lefty” from the Townes Van Zandt tribute album. Bonnie Raitt: “Thing Called Love”. Rufus Wainwright: “Across the Universe”. And believe it or not, Adam Sandler (!) does justice to “Werewolves Of London”.

  86. 86.

    some guy

    Sonic Youth did many excellent covers, too:

    Madonna (Into the Groove)
    Martin Mull (Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope)
    Carpenters (Into You)
    Nirvana (Moist Vagina)
    Stooges (Now I wanna Be Your Dog)
    Beach Boys (I Know There’s an Answer)

  87. 87.

    Alison

    Hmm, good topic. The first one that comes to my dark little mind is the Siouxsie and the Banshees version of The Passenger. Also Tori Amos’ cover of Happiness Is A Warm Gun is another I’m partial to – it just made sense to me in a way some covers don’t.

  88. 88.

    Wag

    … And how could I forget the entire album of Dub Side of the Moon, and Message in a Bottle by Matisyahu

  89. 89.

    Wag

    … And how could I forget the entire album of Dub Side of the Moon, and Message in a Bottle by Matisyahu

  91. 91.

    The Golux

    Forgot to mention the Neville Brothers: “With God On Our Side”, possibly the most haunting thing Aaron Neville’s ever sung, which is saying something.

  92. 92.

    Lynnia

    My attempt to post this with video links went to moderation, so here it is with no videos.

    Live—I walk the line—Johnny Cash

    Jeff Buckley—Hallelujah—Leonard Cohen

    Joan Osborne—Main in the Long Black Coat—Dylan

    The White Stripes—One more cup of coffee—Dylan

    (I had better stop or I will be doing this all night.)

  94. 94.

    BigSouthern

    Space Captain…Herbie Hancock w/Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi…Joe Cocker
    Giving Him Something He Can Feel…En Vogue..Aretha Franklin
    Bridge Over Troubled Water…Eva Cassidy…Simon & Garfunkel
    Chameleon…Gov’t Mule w/Dirty Dozen Brass Band…Herbie Hancock
    The Ghost of Tom Joad…Rage Against the Machine…Bruce Springtseen

  95. 95.

    Gracie

    WTG on your travel plans Doug!

    Creedence Clearwater Revival – Heard it Through the Grapevine
    Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
    A Perfect Circle – Fiddle and the Drum
    Johnny Cash – Hurt

  96. 96.

    jayackroyd

    Flying Lizards: Money (That’s What I Want)
    Joan Jett: Roadrunner
    Talking Heads: Take me to the River
    Dead Kennedys: Rawhide

  99. 99.

    BD of MN

    93 comments and nobody’s mentioned Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s completely and totally awesome cover of “Born to Run”?

    also, Eydie Gormet and Steve Lawrence cover “Black Hole Sun”, and Ben Folds Five covers “She Don’t Use Jelly” on Lounge-A-Palooza…

  100. 100.

    Johannes

    Ok, let’s see:

    Pete Townshend, “Begin the Beguine”;
    Sheryl Crow, “Behind Blue Eyes”;
    The Civil Wars, “Dance Me to the End of Love”:
    John Cale, “Hallelujah”;
    Alanis Morissette, “Let’s Do It”;
    kd Lang, “So In Love”;
    Manhattan Transfer, “Twilight Zone” (OK, that’s really La Caterina’s but, s her proxy).

    ETA: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s “How Big Can You get.” How did I leave that off the list?

  101. 101.

    MikeJ

    Bah. I hate it when cool music threads go up while I’m having dinner. Damned east coasters.

    Hüsker Dü’s Love is All Around (Sonny Curtis Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme) is pretty great.

    Many, many people have covered my fave band, but very few really take it in a new direction. One that still didn’t go new direction, but kept it as weird as the original is Cocteau Twins cover of Kangaroo. (Oops, rereading prepost, It should be This Mortal Coil, not Cocteau Twins. Sorry)

    Too many people are too respectful when covering Big Star.I understand, but if you do a cover, do something different.

    Loud Family’s Back of a Car is decent, but still too respectful, and one of the few Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs covers I don’t like is the same one.

    I’d like to hear an arrangement that would have made Alex shit bricks, keeping in mind he produced the Cramps, which would make it a tall order.

  103. 103.

    Suffern ACE

    Gladys Knight – I wish it would rain
    Francine Reed – Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues
    Oh, and why not. Van Halen – You really got me.

  105. 105.

    handsmile

    @dedc79: (#69)

    “Shipbuilding” was written by the criminally forgotten British musical genius, Robert Wyatt. I’d recommend checking out his Wikipedia profile.

    @ Everyone Else:

    Now that I’ve posted my list, I have read through others’ contributions (up to #88), and have compiled a brand new list! Many thanks for offering up these gems:

    With a Little Help from My Friends (Orygunian)
    Satisfaction (RSA)
    Gloria (RSA)
    Sweet Jane (RossinDetroit)
    Time After Time (Raven)
    Proud Mary (lamh35)
    Soldier of Love (burnspbesq)
    Don’t Let It Bring You Down (my Annie Lennox cover choice, General Stuck)

    Late addition: Money (jayackroyd) Oh my yes!!

  107. 107.

    Redshift

    Lords of the New Church – Like a Virgin – Madonna
    Tom Jones and The Cardigans – Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
    Tom Jones – Kiss – Prince
    Jill Sobule – Don’t Let Us Get Sick – Warren Zevon

  109. 109.

    piratedan

    @Calming Influence: good call…..

    Elvis Costello… What’s so Funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?

    Ray Stevens …. Lady of Spain (before he developed a severe case of wingnuttia)

    They Might Be Giants…. Yeah Yeah

    Marshall Crenshaw…. The In Crowd

  112. 112.

    Redshift

    @Gracie:

    Johnny Cash – Hurt

    Yeah, that is one of the great covers of all time. The NiN version is perfectly good, but the Johnny Cash one is just amazing.

    Also:

    Pet Shop Boys – When I Ruled the World – Coldplay

    I don’t know if they’ve ever recorded it, but when they play it in concert, you’d think they wrote it, they own it so completely.

  123. 123.

    lamh35

    @Gracie: Ooh Heard It Through The Grapevine…Gladys Knight & The Pips…Marvin Gaye.

    I honestly don’t know who came first. Both were on Motown records but I dont know who the original song was for. I’m partial of the Gladys version

  124. 124.

    4jkb4ia

    Rosanne Cash–“I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”. Sincere–no meta
    Annie Lennox–“No More I Love You’s”. Off covers CD
    Michelle Shocked–“Holy Spirit”. Victoria Williams actually did record that, in 1990. Too good a record for Shocked’s being a bigot to interfere. Pearl Jam “Crazy Mary” off the Sweet Relief record was also excellent.

  127. 127.

    RossInDetroit

    Do You Know the Way to San Jose?…Freedy Johnston…Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

    Thought I was doing to say by Dionne Warwick, didn’t you?

    ETA: That’s an indirect cover. It was written for Dionne but I like Freedy’s cover a lot.

  130. 130.

    sal

    I Gotta Get Drunk – Gas Huffed /Willie Nelson
    Getting Mighty Crowded – Elvis Costello / Betty Everett
    Papa Was A Rolling Stone – Was Not Was / Temptations

    I think another Motown band did Papa first, but cant recall who.

  131. 131.

    RossInDetroit

    Speaking of Aretha, I just came home from my best friend’s house in Detroit. His father Joe Battle was probably the first person to record her. Joe had a record shop and a tape recorder, and he sold records of church sermons. He had a deal to record Aretha’s father on Sundays and press records. He also recorded her singing when she was just a kid. None of the recordings of Aretha survive, but his impromptu booze-lubricated sessions with ’50s R&B singers are very collectible.

  133. 133.

    Dude in Princeton

    Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), Rolling Stones
    Gloria, Jimmy Hendrix
    Crossroads, Eric Clapton
    Without You, Nilsson
    Lost My Driving Wheel, Tom Rush

  135. 135.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    Guilty (Bonnie Raitt)
    Ol’ 55 (Tom Waits)*

    And seconds to

    All Along the Watchtower
    Take Me to the River
    Sweet Jane
    Last Kiss
    Black Magic Woman
    Satisfaction
    Heard It Through the Grapevine (Creedence version)

    ETA *Sorry, got it backwards, Waits wrote it, Eagles covered it, Waits did it better. Never mind. /Litella

  136. 136.

    handsmile

    Given this generous topic, it seems only proper to mention that one of my most favoritest CDs for many years now is Beat the Retreat, a compilation of covers of songs written by Richard Thompson, released in 1994.

    Among the artists included on its 16 tracks are X (“Shoot Out the Lights”), Bonnie Raitt (“When the Spell is Broken”), Syd Straw and Evan Dando (“For Shame of Doing Wrong”), Los Lobos (“Down Where the Drunkards Roll”), The Five Blind Boys of Alabama (“Dimming of the Day”), et al. For my cover list above (#61), I chose Bob Mould’s blistering version of “Turning of the Tide.”

    Richard Thompson devotees (among whom I’ve proudly stood since the 1970s) may well know of this project, but if not…what a treat awaits you!

  137. 137.

    Gracie

    @Redshift: ITA about Hurt. Cash, I think, was pretty close to the end of his life, and I think we might be able to hear it here; the video is almost difficult for me to watch. Cash’s voice is so expressive, and it shows.

    @lamh35: I’m not sure, but I think it was Gladys K first, then Marvin. I love both versions, but I’m a sucker for a wicked bass, and CCR’s version has that in spades. It pulls me in like sex. I listened to John Fogerty on sirius radio this past weekend, and he said he was inspired by Marvin’s version, because Marvin’s voice was so incredible.

  138. 138.

    Froley

    Most of mine have been covered, but here’s a few more:
    “No Fun” – Sex Pistols
    “96 Tears” – Big Maybelle
    “Head On” – Pixies

  141. 141.

    Steeplejack

    Late to the thread, damn it!

    There are so many great covers I love, I’m having a hard time focusing on five or ten. I’ll just blat a couple out before I go through the rest of the thread:

    “Fly Like an Eagle,” Sugar Black. Steve Miller’s clunker works amazingly well as a reggae song. Go figure.

    And if I didn’t put this one out there, AsiangrrlMN would be coming for my head. This one’s for you, girl! “Here Comes My Baby,” the Mavericks.

  143. 143.

    RossInDetroit

    @handsmile:

    Beat the Retreat, a compilation of covers of songs written by Richard Thompson, released in 1994.

    Some of my favorite bands covering an outstanding songwriter. In places it’s a bit respectful for my taste and I’d prefer looser versions, but X, Bob Mould and The Five Blind Boys of Alabama more than make up for shortcomings elsewhere.

    You may be familiar with it but I like the way June Tabor and the Oysterband tear into Night Comes In on Freedom and Rain.

  145. 145.

    dollared

    Hendrix All Along the watchtower has to be wayyyyy up there.

    Omnes, the Jasona and the Scorchers was great.

    But I have to add some additionals:

    -David Lindley Twist and Shout.
    -Allman Bros, Stormy Monday, statesboro blues, one way out, done somebody wrong.
    -John Lennon, Be-bop-a-lula or anything off the Rock n Roll album
    -Derek and the Dominoes, Key to the Highway.

  146. 146.

    Comrade Mary

    Well, speaking of Richard Thompson and covers, here’s this one from 1000 Years of Popular Music: oops …

    (Posted totally without irony, BTW.)

  147. 147.

    The Golux

    @RossInDetroit: Freedy Johnston also does a great cover of “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”. The harmonies in the chorus cut the sweetness perfectly.

    And thumbs up to Patrick II for “Twist and Shout”, the first song I ever played with other people, when I was twelve (early ’65). I was soooo impressed that the other guitar player knew the lick.

  149. 149.

    burnspbesq

    I continue to believe that the most outrageously out-there cover of all time is Toots & the Maytals’ version of “Take Me Home, Country Road.”

  151. 151.

    Steeplejack

    Bob Dylan’s songs should almost be disqualified, because for almost every one I can find a version by someone else that I like better than Dylan’s. He is a consummate writer made to be covered.

    “Just Like a Woman,” Richie Havens.

    Agree on Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” mentioned above.

  152. 152.

    KS in MA

    Mama Told Me Not to Come – Three Dog Night (Randy Newman)

    Old but good. Honk if you were at that party!

  155. 155.

    RossInDetroit

    @The Golux:

    Freedy Johnston also does a great cover of “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”

    You’re right. I wonder why that’s not on his covers record My Favorite Waste of Time. I remember it from somewhere and his voice is perfect for it.

  157. 157.

    Mayur

    @Wag: That is a Sid Vicious song.

    A fast rundown for me (will provide links later):

    Al Green: I Wanna Hold Your Hand
    Tina Turner: Whole Lotta Love
    Cat Power: Paths of Victory
    Lucinda Williams/David Crosby: Return of the Grievous Angel
    Gram Parsons/ISB: Life in Prison
    The Byrds: The Christian Life
    Cee-Lo: No One’s Gonna Love You

    Honestly, this one is just impossible. There are so many good covers it’s like trying to mine good singles in general.

    But Pink’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover? Really?

  158. 158.

    TBogg

    Wild Horses – The Sundays
    Here, There, and Everywhere Emmylou Harris
    Trains and Boats and Planes – Fountains of Wayne
    Wonderwall – Ryan Adams
    Straight To Hell – Lily Allen
    Across The Universe – Fiona Apple
    Brickhouse – Rob Zombie

    and the entire Nanci Griffith Other Voices, Other Rooms CD

  159. 159.

    dogwood

    @Greg VA:

    Dogwood beat me to Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy.

    I think I remember reading that Sting like her version better than his original.

  163. 163.

    RossInDetroit

    @Comrade Mary:

    speaking of Richard Thompson and covers

    Thompson is like Dylan in that a different singer adds a dimension to the excellent songwriting. But literally nobody plays guitar the way he does.

  165. 165.

    scav

    I’m hopeless at this — having failed to resolve who did anything of Randy Newman’s first, I’ve now disappeared into the hairball of Carol King with a side trip into Route 66 and Dakota Staton for Girl Talk. The siren call of standards, bother.

  166. 166.

    RossInDetroit

    Got a fever and I’m excusing myself to go wallow in self pity and lots of fluids. Leave me some interesting tracks to listen to in the AM.

  167. 167.

    Comrade Mary

    @burnspbesq: Oh, honey, I went beyond there (see #156) … and I actually do think that Oops, like Toxic, is a really good pop song.

    Also: Easy Star All Stars’ entire tribute to OK Computer. I love this track by Toots and the Maytals and this cover of No Surprises.

  169. 169.

    MikeJ

    @smintheus: Oddly enough, he covered Volare because he was in Italy for an extended period and picked up enough to get by. Yeah, his accent sucks, but so does mine, in french anyway. Knowing that he did it because he loved the song, loved Italy and wanted to pay a tribute makes it more endearing to me. YMMV.

  173. 173.

    Mayur

    @TBogg: Dude, I love your blog, but you like those anywhere near as much as the originals? Wonderwall and Brick House are fine because I don’t give a fuck but those Wild Horses/Straight to Hell covers?

    I think the Bassetts are smothering your eardrums, man.

  176. 176.

    handsmile

    @RossInDetroit: (#143)

    I’m not familiar with that June Tabor cover, but saw that you had mentioned it way upthread (#30) and will be scouring the intertubes for it tomorrow. Thanks! (Your assessment of Beat the Retreat is not unreasonable. It’s wrong, but not unreasonable.) :)

    @Comrade Mary: (#146)

    No irony whatsoever. More than a little wickedness though, I daresay. Nice addition to this treasure-trove of a thread!

  183. 183.

    John T

    Since “Hurt” (Johnny Cash/Nine Inch Nails) and “You Were Always on my Mind” (Pet Shop Boys/Willie Nelson) have already been mentioned, I’m going to risk getting a little too obscure and throw out Grizzly Bear’s version of “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” by the Crystals.

    ETA: “Walk On By” by Isaac Hayes

  184. 184.

    psycholinguist

    Elvis Presley – Blue suede shoes
    Elvis Presley – houndog

    damn people, where has that been?

  186. 186.

    Speedy

    Young Man Blues -The Who
    Hazy Shade of Winter – The Bangles
    Where Have All the Good Times Gone – David Bowie
    Back Door Man – The Doors
    Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out – Derek and the Dominoes
    Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting – The Who

  189. 189.

    jaywyeth

    Long-time lurker, first-time poster. Be gentle, comrades.

    As others have mentioned, I like it when the subsequent artists tries to make the song their own. Many great examples have already been cited (Hendrix, Aretha, Buckley, Devo, Talking Heads, Clash, etc). Here are a few more that are personal faves:

    Hound Dog – Elvis (Stoller & Lieber)
    Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (Richard Berry)
    Have Love, Will Travel – The Sonics (Richard Berry)
    Statesboro Blues – Allman Brothers Band (Willie McTell)
    Tomorrow Is A Long Time – Rod Stewart (Bob Dylan)
    Long Black Veil – Nick Cave (Wilkin & Dill)
    Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stevie Wonder)
    Starman – Seu Jorge (David Bowie)
    Fell In Love With A Boy – Joss Stone (White Stripes)
    Love Vigilantes – Iron & Wine (New Order)

    I’m sure I’m forgetting dozens more.

  191. 191.

    4jkb4ia

    10,000 Maniacs, “Because The Night”. I am clearly not bothering John this instant so this should be able to pass.

  193. 193.

    TBogg

    @Mayur: Mick Jagger once said that The Sundays version of Wild Horses is his favorite cover of one of his own songs. I like the Lily Allen version because Mick Jones said that her version is what he had in mind. Jones was always poppier than Strummer which is one of the reasons why he left to form B.A.D.

  194. 194.

    Mayur

    @TBogg: I guess I’m a formalist. I don’t necessarily trust artists to make the most incisive public commentary when it comes to their own work.

    For example, there’s this cover, which I think is far better a song overall but also captures the poignancy of the original in terms of accentuation and meter:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjpa_OYAEpo

    And I do know the differences between Mick Jones and Strummer, but “Straight to Hell” needs the edge of Strummer’s delivery to it. It’s British post-folk, and the additional poppiness doesn’t really make sense. Lily Allen’s voice is pretty much irrelevant to the subject matter; she’s providing a sound bed rather than enunciating punk’s traditional tuneful spoken word, which is incredibly jarring.

  196. 196.

    Mayur

    I’ll also suggest that you imagine the Lily Allen cover re-sampled into MIA’s “Paper Plane.” It lacks the same punch as the hook for the original.

  197. 197.

    Mayur

    Cash’s “Streets of Laredo” is pretty awesome as well. And to flip that one around: Buck Owens’s “Act Naturally” is a classic.

  198. 198.

    patrick II

    I’m still up, so I am going to add one I forgot earlier. My favorite probably.
    Linda Ronstadt — Blue Bayou

    Not very often someone out Orbisons Orbison.

  199. 199.

    moderateindy

    Clapton’s version of Dylan’s Don’t think Twice, from Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert album is an amazing complete re-working of an already great song.
    Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet’s cover of Mike Nesmith’s Different Drum.
    Mavis Staples cover of Fogerty’s wrote a song for everyone.
    Mundy covering Steve Earle’s Galway Girl, Although since Sharon Shannon is on both the original and Mundy’s version does it really count as a cover?
    The Band’s cover of Long Black Veil.
    The Dead covering Dylan’s Masterpiece

  200. 200.

    S. cerevisiae

    Way late, but I like Blue Oyster Cult’s live cover of MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams”. Also George Thorogood’s “Move It On Over”.

  201. 201.

    DanielX

    Hmmm, where to begin or end? I tend to like covers that seem almost more true to the song than the original, contradictory though that may be…..

    All Along the Watchtower – Bob Dylan – some dude named Hendrix
    Waiting in Vain – Bob Marley – Annie Lennox
    Let It Rock – Chuck Berry – Bob Seger (TWO thumbs way up)
    Little Queenie – Chuck Berry – Rolling Stones
    (note #1: should be a special category for Chuck Berry covers)
    Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters – Allman Brothers Band
    (note #2: should be a special category for Muddy Waters covers)
    Werewolves of London – Warron Zevon – Widespread Panic
    You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Bob Dylan – Madeleine Peyroux
    Crossroads – Robert Johnson – Cream
    Kind Hearted Woman – Robert Johnson – Rory Block
    (note #3: uberspecial category for Robert Johnson covers, covered by damn near every rock and roll and folk artist in the last 50 years)
    Trouble Man – Marvin Gaye – Buddy Guy
    Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran – The Who
    Stolen Car – Bruce Springsteen – Patti Griffin (heartbreaking)
    I Asked for Water (He Gave Me Gasoline) – Howlin’ Wolf – Lucinda Williams

    hmmm….and another special category:

    Emmylou Harris covering anything by anybody, not because her version may be truer, but just cause I say so.

  205. 205.

    carolus

    “Ooops, I Did It Again”–(Brittany Spears) Richard Thompson
    “Bertha”–(Grateful Dead)Los Lobos
    “I Can’t Tell You Why”–(Eagles)Vince Gill
    “Stardust”–(Hoagie Carmichael)Willie Nelson
    “Romeo and Juliet”–(Dire Straits)Matt Nathanson
    “When the Spell is Broken”–(Richard Thompson)Bonnie Raitt
    “Crossroads”–(Robert Johnson) Eric Clapton/Cream

  206. 206.

    birthmarker

    I like India Arie’s version of Don Henley’s Heart of the Matter.

    Bette Midler usually owns her covers.

  208. 208.

    PLH ~ NYC

    Here is a short list:

    No Use for a Name – Redemption Song (Bob Marley)
    Pop O Pies – Truckin’ (Grateful Dead)
    Luna – Sweet Child O MIne – (Guns N Roses)
    J Church – Girlfriend in a Coma (Smiths) or Creep (Radiohead)
    Don’t Look Back Peter Tosh (Temptations)
    Husker Du – Ticket to Ride (Beatles)
    Minor Threat – Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White (Standells)
    Frank Zappa – Whipping (Floss) Post ( Allman Bros.)
    Dinosaur Jr. – Just Like Heaven (Cure) or I Misunderstood (Richard Thompson)
    Bonnie Raitt – Angel from Montgomery (John Prine)
    Bill Frisell and Petra Haden – I Don’t Want To Grow Up (Tom Waits)
    Sid Vicious – New York New York (Frank Sinatra)
    Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)
    Minutemen – Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love (Van Halen)

  209. 209.

    Paul in KY

    Jimi Hendrix ‘All Along the Watchtower’
    Marvin Gaye ‘I Heard it Thru the Grapevine’
    Van Halen ‘You Really Got Me’
    3 Dog Night ‘Eli’s Coming’

    Those are 4 that I think were really well done.

  210. 210.

    RossInDetroit

    I agree on The Sundays’ version of Wild Horses. Hard to say that it’s ‘better’ than the original, but it’s a valid new take that stands on its own merits.

    I’d like to hear a good cover of Moonlight Mile. It’s one of my favorite Stones ballads and I think it’s an under appreciated classic.

  211. 211.

    rumpole

    Wholly Moses (Clapton)
    Like a Rolling Stone (The Rolling Stones)
    Boyz In the Hood (Dynamite Hack)

  213. 213.

    crosspalms

    “Here Comes the Sun” (Beatles) — James Taylor
    “For No One” (Beatles) — Emmylou Harris
    “Chain of Fools” — Clint Black and the Pointer Sisters
    “You Send Me” — Aretha Franklin

  214. 214.

    Bill Murray

    Elvis Costello “I Stand Accused”
    Herman’s Hermits “White Wedding”
    Don Ho “Shock the Monkey”
    The Connells “Insane in the Brain”
    Lesley Gore “Dirty Deeds done Dirt Cheap”

    and I second Husker Du’s Ticket to Ride

  215. 215.

    Ben Cisco

    Fly Like An Eagle – Seal
    The Air That I Breathe – Simply Red
    You Might Need Somebody – Ronny Jordan w/Crystal Lake
    The Lady In My Life – Stanley Jordan
    The Ghetto – George Benson
    Valdez In The Country – Gerald Veasley
    Burning Down The House – Marcus Miller
    Always There – Avenue Blue f/Jeff Golub

  216. 216.

    birthmarker

    I also like Greg Allman’s version of These Days, by Jackson Browne.

    We used to debate who said this line more effectively…I always went with JB.

    Don’t confront me with my failures
    I had not forgotten them.

  217. 217.

    MarkJ

    I thought Love in Vain was both a standard and a folk song. Doesn’t that rule it out?

    Aretha Franklin did an absolutely great version of Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson), and also You Send Me (Sam Cook).

    Actually Respect is a cover (Otis Redding wrote and recorded it first). That should be at the top of just about every list.

    A large chunk of her body of work is basically definitive versions of other peoples’ songs. She didn’t write many songs but when she sang it she made it hers.

    Johnny Cash did write a lot of songs, but also did amazing things with other peoples’ songs.

    The Stones did have some good covers – I really like Prodigal Son on the Beggar’s Banquet album. Their version of the Temptations Just My Imagination is also a lot better than you’d expect.

  219. 219.

    Ken Pidcock

    Highway 61 Revisited, Johnny Winter
    Burning Down the House, Bonnie Raitt
    Sweet Jane, Mott the Hoople
    Gimme Shelter, Patti Smith
    She’s A Woman, Jeff Beck (Most people can’t remember the original!)

    Hey, there’s an idea. Reverse covers, where people know the cover better then the original.

    Feelin’ Alright?, Traffic

  220. 220.

    birthmarker

    @Ken Pidcock:

    Here’s a couple–

    The Eagles Take it Easy, which is a Jackson Browne song
    Woodstock by Crosby Stills Nash and Young, written and sung by Joni Mitchell.

  222. 222.

    jake the snake

    Hey Porter***Ry Cooder***Johnny Cash

    One of the more surprising:

    Wild Horses***Susan Boyle***Rolling Stones

  224. 224.

    azelie

    American Tune – Willie Nelson (Paul Simon)
    Happiness is a Warm Gun – The Breeders (The Beatles)
    Stand By Your Man – Lyle Lovett (Tammy Wynette)
    In Between Days – Ben Folds (The Cure)
    Jessica – They Might Be Giants (Allman Brothers Band)
    Life on Mars – Seu Jorge (David Bowie)
    Can’t Get it Out of My Head – Jayhawks (ELO)
    Highway ’61 Revisited – PJ Harvey (Bob Dylan)
    From Clare to Here – Nanci Griffith (Ralph McTell)
    After the Gold Rush – kd lang (Neil Young)
    Gin and Juice – The Gourds (Snoop Dogg)
    Such Great Heights – Iron and Wine (Postal Service)

    Among all the great covers Johnny Cash did, I think it’s a close call between Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode) and Rusty Cage (Soundgarden)

    I also have a soft spot for Feist’s cover of the BeeGees’ Inside and Out.

  225. 225.

    birthmarker

    @Paul in KY: Here are some other Laura Nyro songs (RIP) made famous by others (clipped from Wiki.)

    Between 1968 and 1970 a number of artists had significant hits with her songs: The 5th Dimension with “Blowing Away”, “Wedding Bell Blues”, “Stoned Soul Picnic”, “Sweet Blindness”, “Save The Country” and “Black Patch”; Blood, Sweat & Tears and Peter, Paul & Mary with “And When I Die”; Three Dog Night and Maynard Ferguson with “Eli’s Coming”; and Streisand with “Stoney End”, “Time and Love”, and “Hands off the Man (Flim Flam Man)”. Nyro’s best-selling single was her recording of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “Up on the Roof.”

  226. 226.

    birthmarker

    @Ken Pidcock: IMO The Byrds’ covers of Chimes of Freedom and My Back Pages are better known than Bob Dylan’s versions.

    Also, Rod Stewart’s version of Forever Young is probably better known than Dylan’s.

    OT but I always forget then am surprised to relearn that Dylan didn’t write The Boxer…

  228. 228.

    Ridnik Chrome

    Iron Man — the Cardigans (Black Sabbath)
    Tears of a Clown — the English Beat (Smokey Robinson)
    Police and Thieves — the Clash (Junior Murvin)
    Cattle and Cane — the Wedding Present (the Go-Betweens)*
    Summer Breeze — the Isley Brothers (Seals and Crofts)
    Hush — Deep Purple (Joe South)

    *Actually heard this one before the original (and got turned on to the GBs as a result).

  234. 234.

    HI

    Respect – Aretha Franklin (As someone mentioned, this was an Otis Redding song.)
    Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
    Song to the Siren – This Mortal Coil (Tim Buckley)
    Fields of Gold – Eva Cassidy (Sting)
    With God on Our Side – The Neville Brothers (Bob Dylan)
    Louisiana 1927 – Aaron Neville (Randy Newman)
    Courage – Sarah Polley (The Tragically Hip)

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