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The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (7 Viewers)

11 Points - Mamma Mia - Punk Rock Factory (Abba)
Original


This is the song that truly put Abba on the map. Waterloo, I Do I Do I Do etc and Ring Ring had done well, but consistency is a hard thing to do on an elite level. With Fernando, SOS, Dancing Queen and Money, Money, Money following next it was clear something special was happening. This song was a clear case where the record company were clueless. Legendary Australian music figure Ian “Molly” Meldrum was responsible for breaking so many international artists for the first time. John Cougar, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, Madonna and Blondie were all identified by Meldrum and had hits in Australia well before the internationals took notice. Mamma Mia hit his ear and he couldnt believe there were no plans to release it as a single. With help from the band he played it every week on his Countdown TV program and got permission to release it as a single in Australia. It was number one for 10 weeks. The UK took notice and it hit number one there next year too. Mamma Mia only reached #32 on the US, but the song has had multiple shots at success with a musical and move with its title.

Cover

This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind and Fire (The Beatles)
How can anyone blame 12 year-old me for liking the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie when it had this in it?

Mt. Man:

Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
Summer of '82, I had to go to Summer school and this song played on the radio every.single.morning.on.my.way.to.the.school. It was like a real-life version of the torture scene in A Clockwork Orange. :shock:
 
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Don Quixote:

Jealous Guy - Donnie Hathaway (John Lennon)
Song: two votes - Donnie Hathaway (1); Roxy Music (1)
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: two votes - Jealous Guy (2)
Well, I already had one from The Impressions/Curtis Mayfield, and here’s one from Donny Hathaway, who got his start working as a songwriter and session musician for Mayfield’s Curtom Records label. So, you can see where my head has been.

While I like the original, Hathaway strips away some of the Wall of Sound elements for a soulful number. I linked studio version, but he also has a great live version on his live album (almost picked another song from Hathaway’s live album, but decided to stop at one Hathaway song).

(ETA: And, oops, I guess I wrote it ending “-ie” instead of with a “y” in my submission.)
 
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11 Points - Just Like Heaven - Chvrches and Robert Smith (The Cure)
Original

Now my love for this song knows no bounds. When i croak it, I have instructed my family to bury me with 3 physical singles. OMD - Electricity - Factory 6 version with the thermograph/braille sleeve. Cranberries - Dreams and The Cure - Just Like Heaven. This song is just a masterclass of synth pop writing.

Cover

The Chvrches, obviously, were huge fans of the Cure. Out of trepidation they approached Robert Smith with a song they thought would suit his style called “How Not to Drown”. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7U_Lh...3biBqdXN0IGxpa2UgaGVhdmVuIGNodnJjaGVzIG5tZQ==
To their surprise he loved it and agreed to record it.

Speaking to musicfeeds in a new interview, Cook said: “The exchanges were surprising in that he is like super, super detailed and really technical. I don’t know why, but I assumed he would just be like, ‘OK, here’s my stuff, do with it what you want and hope for the best.’
“But he was really hands-on with every aspect of how the mix ended up being – and we loved that because that’s exactly how we are as musicians as well. We loved that somebody with his stature and legendary status would actually give a **** about this sort of collaboration in the way that he did.”

The song won an award at the New Morrissey Express (NME) awards so the band and Smith agreed to a 3 song set to play at the awards ceremony

CHVRCHES and Smith made “How Not to Drown” via email correspondence, CHVRCHES singer Lauren Mayberry revealed in an interview before the award show, so the band didn’t actually meet Smith until they began rehearsing for the show. “**** myself, to be honest,” she said of her first interaction with Smith.
After performing the single, which took home the Best Song By A UK Artist prize, the artists laid down a faithful rendition of The Cure’s 1987 love song, which saw Mayberry and Smith trade vocals. Smith also lended a hand on rhythm guitar, which sported a Ukrainian flag sticker as a show of solidarity to the country, as Stereogum points out.
 
Doug B:

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (Jackie DeShannon)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: two votes – Bette Davis Eyes (1); Needles and Pins (1)

I didn't know this was a cover. Always liked this song with Carnes' raspy voice.
I've always liked it, too. As much as it got played due to immense popularity, I never got tired of it. I also always think of the video with the slapping part.
 
OH tally:

OH cover songs I have heard of: 2
OH original songs I have heard of: 5
OH cover artists I have heard of: 9
OH original artists I have heard of: 9

Our second four-for-four, and not just because it showed up earlier in the countdown. Answers my question "Will we get a cover version that I knew prior to learning about it on this board from OH?"

And this is probably what I would have predicted if asked to come up with something I would think would be on his list.
 
Cover
This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
This is great. The video is kinda disturbing, since it is a re-creation of the original. The beard and chest hair add a certain je ne sais quoi.

Two thumbs up.

(Mr R is reading the comments. Priceless.)
 
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New Binky the Doormat:

Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Joni Mitchell)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote

I was expecting to see NOT ON PLAYLIST but I see a live version exists on Spotify. As mentioned when the Last 5 Outs were released, the studio version not being on Spotify is the only reason why it's not on my list. And the studio version has one of Neil's best guitar solos, so I couldn't have accepted a non-Neil substitute.
 
Just Win Baby:

Marigold - Foo Fighters (Late!)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: four votes – Marigold (1); Kids in America (1); Baker Street (1); Have a Cigar (1)
Original artist: first vote

Dave Grohl wrote, composed, recorded, and released this song on Pocketwatch, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992. This was while he was a member of Nirvana, but it was a solo effort.

It was later released as a B-side to the Nirvana Heart-Shaped Box single and on the Nirvana Singles box set.

A live version was recorded for the Foo Fighters album Skin and Bones in 2006, giving Marigold the distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters. It is also the only Nirvana song to feature Grohl as the singer.

From a Rolling Stone article in 2022:

In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Grohl spoke about sharing Marigold with Kurt Cobain and getting to record it during the In Utero sessions. “I think it might have been Steve [Albini] who said, Marigold should maybe be on the album. I was terrified,” Grohl recalled. “No, no, wait. It was that famous joke: What’s the last thing the drummer said before he got kicked out of the band? ‘Hey, I wrote a song.’ Obviously, it didn’t make it. I’m glad. Because the album retained the integrity of Kurt’s vision. But I was incredibly flattered. ‘Really, you like that?'”
 
Covers from #21 that I know and like and haven't mentioned before:

Dirty Old Town - The Pogues (Ewan MacColl)
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix (The Leaves)
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals (Traditional)
Ball and Chain - Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the Holding Company (Big Mama Thornton) -- This was what got Janis her first hype in the music press.
(I Can't Help) Falling In Love - UB40 (Elvis Presley)
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (Jackie DeShannon) -- Jackie DeShannon sure recorded a lot of songs that went on to have covers better known to Americans.
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen) -- Buckley is the reason why everybody covers this song now.
 
Just Win Baby:

Marigold - Foo Fighters (Late!)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: four votes – Marigold (1); Kids in America (1); Baker Street (1); Have a Cigar (1)
Original artist: first vote

Dave Grohl wrote, composed, recorded, and released this song on Pocketwatch, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992. This was while he was a member of Nirvana, but it was a solo effort.

It was later released as a B-side to the Nirvana Heart-Shaped Box single and on the Nirvana Singles box set.

A live version was recorded for the Foo Fighters album Skin and Bones in 2006, giving Marigold the distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters. It is also the only Nirvana song to feature Grohl as the singer.

From a Rolling Stone article in 2022:

In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Grohl spoke about sharing Marigold with Kurt Cobain and getting to record it during the In Utero sessions. “I think it might have been Steve [Albini] who said, Marigold should maybe be on the album. I was terrified,” Grohl recalled. “No, no, wait. It was that famous joke: What’s the last thing the drummer said before he got kicked out of the band? ‘Hey, I wrote a song.’ Obviously, it didn’t make it. I’m glad. Because the album retained the integrity of Kurt’s vision. But I was incredibly flattered. ‘Really, you like that?'”
I do wonder what Nirvana's dynamic would have been if Grohl had been with them from the start. Would it have been a Bob Mould/Grant Hart situation, or would it have played out like it did? They had two of the best songwriters of their generation in the same band, but we didn't know it at the time.
 
Cover
This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
This is great. The video is kinda disturbing, since it is a re-creation of the original. The beard and chest hair add a certain je ne sais quoi.

Two thumbs up.

(Mr R is reading the comments. Priceless.)
Lol.
Musically I would rate it higher, but that video 🤮
These guys do what they do really well though.

From 21-15 we have a section of Abba covers that are wild and different for the most part and work well. 31-22 they kinda blew…except maybe the Czars one. Thats just a ****e Abba song
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind and Fire (The Beatles)

As alluded to by me before the reveal and by someone else after it, this may be the best song ever featured in a bad movie. The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie from 1978 is considered to be the ultimate example of what happens when Hollywood folks have too much cocaine and not enough ideas. I have never seen it nor heard the entire soundtrack, and have no intention to do either. Miraculously, the process produced two excellent covers, Aerosmith's Come Together (which appeared in @Raging weasel 's Last 5 Out), and this gem from EWF. They take one of the most "swinging" Beatles songs and up the groove by orders of magnitude. And the jazzy intro that they add represents another improvement on the original arrangement. But the strong melody and blissful momentum of the original are still there. This is one of the very rare Beatles covers that I think surpasses the original.

Going much farther than I would, one of my friends loves this and HATES the Beatles version -- in fact, he hates all of Paul's songs on Revolver. And he's a nearly krista-level Beatles fanatic.

At #20, a cover that radically reinvents the original, and one that I remember from my earliest days of childhood.
 
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Cover
This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
This is great. The video is kinda disturbing, since it is a re-creation of the original. The beard and chest hair add a certain je ne sais quoi.

Two thumbs up.

(Mr R is reading the comments. Priceless.)
Lol.
Musically I would rate it higher, but that video 🤮
These guys do what they do really well though.

From 21-15 we have a section of Abba covers that are wild and different for the most part and work well. 31-22 they kinda blew…except maybe the Czars one. Thats just a ****e Abba song
I'm buying an album! I just have to have this.

Thank you so much.

I did not know I needed this. This band may be showing up in future drafts.
 
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Pip’s Invitation:

Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind and Fire (The Beatles)

As alluded to by me before the reveal and by someone else after it, this may be the best song ever featured in a bad movie. The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie from 1978 is considered to be the ultimate example of what happens when Hollywood folks have too much cocaine and not enough ideas. I have never seen it nor heard the entire soundtrack, and have no intention to do either. Miraculously, the process produced two excellent covers, Aerosmith's Come Together (which appeared in @Raging weasel 's Last 5 Out, and this gem from EWF. They take one of the most "swinging" Beatles songs and up the groove by orders of magnitude. And the jazzy intro that they add represents another improvement on the original arrangement. But the strong melody and blissful momentum of the original are still there. This is one of the very rare Beatles covers that I think surpasses the original.

Going much farther than I would, one of my friends loves this and HATES the Beatles version -- in fact, he hates all of Paul's songs on Revolver. And he's a nearly krista-level Beatles fanatic.

At #20, a cover that radically reinvents the original, and one that I remember from my earliest days of childhood.
1978? I was off by a year.

As an owner of the DOUBLE ALBUM soundtrack to the Sgt. Pepper movie, on one hand I concur about the two songs that made it to the radio; on the other, I have to confess that this movie really put me on the road to becoming my neighborhood's resident Beatles freak, despite George Burns' version of For the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Steve Martin's Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Also, you forgot Billy Preston's version of Get Back.:hophead:
 
Galileo:

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix (The Leaves)
I assume most everyone here is familiar with this one already. Maybe some didn't realize it was a cover? Anyway, if you haven't seen the video of Jimi playing this at Monterey do yourself a favor and watch the slick guitar work. Again, pretty famous video footage so probably not a new experience, but worth seeing many times over...
Had no idea this was a cover -- great pull and nice little history lesson :hifive:
 
New Binky the Doormat:

Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Joni Mitchell)

I was expecting to see NOT ON PLAYLIST but I see a live version exists on Spotify. As mentioned when the Last 5 Outs were released, the studio version not being on Spotify is the only reason why it's not on my list. And the studio version has one of Neil's best guitar solos, so I couldn't have accepted a non-Neil substitute.
I like to sing this song in the car when it comes on Classic Vinyl ... but I have a really hard time with the stress pattern on "... billion y'r OOOLD carb'n". I want to stress the word "year" in that line, but if you do that, it blows the whole line to heck. I don't know how Stephen Stills nails that every time. Joni Mitchell delivers it a bit differently, in an easier-to-imitate way.
 
Cover
This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
This is great. The video is kinda disturbing, since it is a re-creation of the original. The beard and chest hair add a certain je ne sais quoi.

Two thumbs up.

(Mr R is reading the comments. Priceless.)
Lol.
Musically I would rate it higher, but that video 🤮
These guys do what they do really well though.

From 21-15 we have a section of Abba covers that are wild and different for the most part and work well. 31-22 they kinda blew…except maybe the Czars one. Thats just a ****e Abba song
I'm buying an album! I just have to have this.

Thank you so much.

I did not know I needed this. This band may be showing up in future drafts.
Thats amazing. Both your post and that cover.
They do the songs with love to the original, but in their own style.
Ive quite enjoyed listening to a lot of their stuff since I found the mamma mia one
 
Doug B:

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (Jackie DeShannon)

I didn't know this was a cover. Always liked this song with Carnes' raspy voice.
I've always liked it, too. As much as it got played due to immense popularity, I never got tired of it. I also always think of the video with the slapping part.

Same here re: the bolded. Kim does fine on vox ... but Bill Cuomo's synth line MAKES IT.

DeShannon's original is very much worth a listen -- just know going in that it's very much it's own thing and other than the lyrics, Carnes' cover isn't all that faithful. But again, a lot of that came down to Cuomo and producer Val Garay stripping the original down to the studs and rewriting/arranging new instrumentation.

"Bette Davis Eyes", Jackie DeShannon (Spotify)(YouTube)

Trivia: The actress Bette Davis appreciatively reached out to Carnes and songwriters DeShannon and Donna Weiss when the song hit it big in 1981, thanking the trio for making her "relevant again". The next February, after Carnes, DeShannon, Weiss, and Garay won their respective 1982 Grammys for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year, Davis had roses waiting for them on the spot at the Shrine Auditorium. Carnes later gave Bette Davis both her gold and platinum record plaques as a token of appreciation and friendship. David passed away seven years later in 1989 at age 81.
 
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New Binky the Doormat:

Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Joni Mitchell)

I was expecting to see NOT ON PLAYLIST but I see a live version exists on Spotify. As mentioned when the Last 5 Outs were released, the studio version not being on Spotify is the only reason why it's not on my list. And the studio version has one of Neil's best guitar solos, so I couldn't have accepted a non-Neil substitute.
The substitute is Stephen Stills, and I think he is just as great of a guitarist as Neil. They just have different sounds.
 
11 Points - Mamma Mia - Punk Rock Factory (Abba)
Original


This is the song that truly put Abba on the map. Waterloo, I Do I Do I Do etc and Ring Ring had done well, but consistency is a hard thing to do on an elite level. With Fernando, SOS, Dancing Queen and Money, Money, Money following next it was clear something special was happening. This song was a clear case where the record company were clueless. Legendary Australian music figure Ian “Molly” Meldrum was responsible for breaking so many international artists for the first time. John Cougar, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, Madonna and Blondie were all identified by Meldrum and had hits in Australia well before the internationals took notice. Mamma Mia hit his ear and he couldnt believe there were no plans to release it as a single. With help from the band he played it every week on his Countdown TV program and got permission to release it as a single in Australia. It was number one for 10 weeks. The UK took notice and it hit number one there next year too. Mamma Mia only reached #32 on the US, but the song has had multiple shots at success with a musical and move with its title.

Cover

This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
The first YouTube comment sums it up rather well. "Like Abba from a nightmarish parallel universe"
 
21. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals (Traditional)

Not long after the Sgt. Pepper movie started me down the road to Beatles fandom, one of my friends who already was into The Beatles helped me also discover the rest of the British Invasion. During this pre-MTV time, one of my local theaters around this same time played a collection of 60's musical artists' TV appearances. Eric Burdon and the Animals' House of the Rising Sun was one that stood out to me, and it has ever since.
 
Will be here more sporadically than usual the next week. Flying out to the other coast today to visit the kid at college then spending three nights in San Francisco after. I've not had beer, pizza, beef/pork, dessert, or pretty much anything bad for me in 2024. Looking forward to going off the wagon for a bit (more so with pizza/dessert and not booze).

scorchy, have a great time, man! Enjoy your stay and your time with your son.

@rockaction Did you make an appt to have that abscess tooth checked to make sure the infection is gone?

Uh . . . well, see . . . ah, no.

I will, though. Tomorrow. I think I'll be okay, but I do want to get it checked it out.

eta* Just called and left a message. Hopefully she gets back to me by today or tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder, simey!
 
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Question for @Eephus - The last night we're in town, Ministry is playing the Warfield Theater about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. Mrs. Scorchy has never seen MInistry so thinks we should go. OTOH, as each year goes by, she gets less-and-less tolerant of being elbowed in the boob by overly excited man-children. Even if it's crowded, is there a place to hang back there that's away from the chaos?

The Warfield is an old theater. The main floor has been terraced so there are a few different elevated standing areas. The balcony is all reserved seating.

Mrs. Eephus is going. She spent $20 extra to get an early entry pass so she can get up to the barrier.
 
9.ee - Grace Jones - "Private Life" (Pretenders cover)

The original:
"Private Life" was written by Chrissie Hynde and recorded by The Pretenders for their debut LP in 1979. The lyrics are a scathing takedown of a married man who may have had an affair with the narrator. The music was influenced by the Reggae music Hynde was listening to at the time.

The cover: Jones covered the song on her Warm Leatherette album the same year that the Pretenders version came out. Her great string of late 70s-early 80s albums have a bunch of excellent covers of contemporary Pop and Rock songs. In retrospect, I probably should have chosen a different one but "Private Life" was in my head when I submitted the list. The cover brings the Reggae to the fore and Ms. Jones speaks the verses with the appropriate disdain.

Is the cover better than the original?: I'm going Yes on this one. The vocals are both great from a couple of powerful women but the backing track of the cover is much stronger. The cover features the great Compass Point session players anchored by Sly & Robbie. It's hard to top them when it comes to Reggae beats. In Jones' cover, the rhythm is stripped down from the busier scratching of the original to just the essentials. The additional space in the backing track makes the lyrics cut a little sharper for me. I've also always thought the original went on a bit too long and disturbed the the flow of side two of the album.




Running scoreboard: Covers 5 - Originals 4
 
10.ee - Bobby Womack - "California Dreamin'" (Barry McGuire cover)

The original:
Like everyone else, I assumed the Mamas & The Papas 1966 version was the original recording. But Barry McGuire released it one year earlier on his followup album to his bit 1965 hit "Eve of Destruction". McGuire's version and the hit by the Mamas & The Papas are almost identical. They use the same backing track but substitute McGuire's lead vocals for Denny Doherty's and a Dylanesque harmonica instead of a flute solo.

The cover: Bobby Womack covered "California Dreamin'" on his debut solo album in 1969 and it became his first hit single. Womack picks up the tempo a little but ratchets up the soul a lot. The cover has a cool little arrangement featuring acoustic guitars, lots of rimshots and a stellar horn chart.

Is the cover better than the original?: Bobby Womack has made 5 of my 6 MAD countdowns--as a solo artist here and the USA countdown, as a songwriter for my UK 31 and as a featured vocalist for both Gorillaz and Los Lobos. It would be a tough call between his version and the iconic cover by the Mamas & the Papas. The latter has become part of 20th century mythology and was used to great effect by noted aesthete Wong Kar-Wei in Chungking Express. Barry McGuire's version carries none of this groovy baggage so I'm going Womack here.



Running scoreboard: Covers 6 - Originals 4
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind and Fire (The Beatles)

As alluded to by me before the reveal and by someone else after it, this may be the best song ever featured in a bad movie. The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie from 1978 is considered to be the ultimate example of what happens when Hollywood folks have too much cocaine and not enough ideas. I have never seen it nor heard the entire soundtrack, and have no intention to do either. Miraculously, the process produced two excellent covers, Aerosmith's Come Together (which appeared in @Raging weasel 's Last 5 Out, and this gem from EWF. They take one of the most "swinging" Beatles songs and up the groove by orders of magnitude. And the jazzy intro that they add represents another improvement on the original arrangement. But the strong melody and blissful momentum of the original are still there. This is one of the very rare Beatles covers that I think surpasses the original.

Going much farther than I would, one of my friends loves this and HATES the Beatles version -- in fact, he hates all of Paul's songs on Revolver. And he's a nearly krista-level Beatles fanatic.

At #20, a cover that radically reinvents the original, and one that I remember from my earliest days of childhood.
1978? I was off by a year.

As an owner of the DOUBLE ALBUM soundtrack to the Sgt. Pepper movie, on one hand I concur about the two songs that made it to the radio; on the other, I have to confess that this movie really put me on the road to becoming my neighborhood's resident Beatles freak, despite George Burns' version of For the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Steve Martin's Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Also, you forgot Billy Preston's version of Get Back.:hophead:
I've never heard it!
 
New Binky the Doormat:

Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Joni Mitchell)

I was expecting to see NOT ON PLAYLIST but I see a live version exists on Spotify. As mentioned when the Last 5 Outs were released, the studio version not being on Spotify is the only reason why it's not on my list. And the studio version has one of Neil's best guitar solos, so I couldn't have accepted a non-Neil substitute.
I like to sing this song in the car when it comes on Classic Vinyl ... but I have a really hard time with the stress pattern on "... billion y'r OOOLD carb'n". I want to stress the word "year" in that line, but if you do that, it blows the whole line to heck. I don't know how Stephen Stills nails that every time. Joni Mitchell delivers it a bit differently, in an easier-to-imitate way.
What's crazy is that Stills' first vocal take was allegedly even better, but not as polished, so he wiped it and redid it. Neil, who never rejected a take because it was too unpolished, has frequently lamented that the first-take vocal was lost to history.
 
New Binky the Doormat:

Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Joni Mitchell)

I was expecting to see NOT ON PLAYLIST but I see a live version exists on Spotify. As mentioned when the Last 5 Outs were released, the studio version not being on Spotify is the only reason why it's not on my list. And the studio version has one of Neil's best guitar solos, so I couldn't have accepted a non-Neil substitute.
The substitute is Stephen Stills, and I think he is just as great of a guitarist as Neil. They just have different sounds.
He is, but their playing is so different that it's just not the same.

This is a good excuse to post what is perhaps their greatest jam together, the 4 Way Street version of Carry On.
 
#21 Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
Original: Spotify; Youtube

An 80s classic... originally recorded in the 60s. The Gloria Jones version is, to little surprise, very soulful. It first appeared as the B side to another single. Neither song got much notice or acclaim though. At least not at the time. A British club DJ picked it up nearly a decade later, tagging as fitting well with the Northern Soul scene at the time. Which eventually got it into the hands of Marc Almond, the singer of the duo called Soft Cell.

I could've gone for a pair of songs here, as this was also part of a medley. An extended medley at that, with Tainted Love clocking in at 2:34 and the pair stretching to nearly nine minutes, including an instrumental interlude. I mean, I'd be incredibly hypocritical for me to say that that version is too long, but I do have to appreciate the version with just Tainted Love a little more. Definitely a close call, though, so I'll understand if/when I see both.

At #20, either coveree or coverer has shown up a fair number of times, though the M-ADs have yet to really find agreement there. My choice won't help that situation.
 
Cover
This UK band found an audience online with their weird, confusing and interesting covers. Self proclaimed as “Four idiots making DIY Punk Rock Covers”, their cover of Mamma Mia stood out to me as offering something different and put them in instead of more traditional covers. It starts a run of the better Abba covers we will start seeing. Its basically start of the next tier of covers I actually like.
This is great. The video is kinda disturbing, since it is a re-creation of the original. The beard and chest hair add a certain je ne sais quoi.

Two thumbs up.

(Mr R is reading the comments. Priceless.)
Lol.
Musically I would rate it higher, but that video 🤮
These guys do what they do really well though.

From 21-15 we have a section of Abba covers that are wild and different for the most part and work well. 31-22 they kinda blew…except maybe the Czars one. Thats just a ****e Abba song
I'm buying an album! I just have to have this.

Thank you so much.

I did not know I needed this. This band may be showing up in future drafts.
Thats amazing. Both your post and that cover.
They do the songs with love to the original, but in their own style.
Ive quite enjoyed listening to a lot of their stuff since I found the mamma mia one
The thing is that I really like punk, but a lot of that set can't either sing or play their instruments. These guys can. I don't really care if they are filled with teen angst/rage.

My CD is on its way.
 
OH and I were doing our first dance party of 2024 tonight, and listening to what might be my favorite top-to-bottom record made me think of doing another type of M-aD countdown that wouldn't be quite the same as this. I'm not sure if it's been done, but I like the idea of a definitive "best albums of the FFA" list. We'd each submit our top 31 favorites as usual, but the countdown wouldn't be a daily reveal of #31s, #30s, etc. Instead it would be a countdown of the top vote getters going from bottom to top of course.

One part that wouldn't be as fun is that we wouldn't have an obvious playlist for each reveal, though maybe we could come up with something where people submit their top choices from the albums, so some of the lesser-knowns would still get a playlist and some FFA airplay.

Thoughts? Ideas?
 
New-to-me covers from #21 that I very much liked:

Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – Cat Power (Robert Zimmerman) -- The second list in a row with a Doc Oc selection highlighting a Dylan cover that cuts through the haze and mystery of Dylan's versions and grabs you by the throat.
Marigold - Foo Fighters (Late!) -- This is kind of cheating as it's Grohl covering his own song and I have heard the version released by Nirvana. But it was the first glimpse we had of Grohl's songwriting gifts.
Jealous Guy - Donnie Hathaway (John Lennon) -- Pretty much anything Hathaway did was gold. He left us too soon. 😢
Just Like Heaven - Chvrches and Robert Smith (The Cure) -- Pretty faithful, unsurprisingly given the presence of the writer, but it's cool to hear with female vocals.
See No Evil - Joe Jackson (Television) -- This was pretty awesome. It sounds neither like Television nor the sound for which Jackson became popular -- it retains the grit and rocking but adds a lot of intricacies.
Poke - Daughter (Frightened Rabbit) -- Lovely
The Wait - Metallica (Killing Joke) -- Chunky
Kids in America - Foo Fighters (Kim Wilde) -- Wasn't expecting all the profanity at the end, but this was really well-executed
Helter Skelter - Rob Zombie (some British guys) -- Surprisingly faithful -- if not for the vocal, it wouldn't sound too far afield from Sir Paul's original creation
I'm Shakin' - Jack White (Little Willie John) -- Badass. Might be the best White-associated cover I've heard, and there's another I'm really high on
True Love Will Find You in the End - Beck (Thomas Johnston) -- Compelling guitar and vocal with gravitas. Beck's acoustic guitar style sounds a little like Neil's here.
American Pie - Home Free ft. Don McLean (Don McLean) -- This song can be a chore in the wrong hands, but this version kept my interest.
Another Brick in the Wall/Thriller mashup - Umphrey's McGee (Pink Floyd/Michael Jackson) -- This is actually evidence of how Floyd could be secretly funky at times.
Roxanne - Lacey Sturm (The Police) -- Fantastic performance
La Grange - Steve Vai, John Petrucci & Joe Satriani (ZZ Top) -- As simey would say, 🎸🎸🎸
Funny How Time Slips Away – Al Green and Lyle Lovett (Billy Walker) -- An unexpected duet pairing on paper, this wildly succeeds in every way.
 
OH and I were doing our first dance party of 2024 tonight, and listening to what might be my favorite top-to-bottom record made me think of doing another type of M-aD countdown that wouldn't be quite the same as this. I'm not sure if it's been done, but I like the idea of a definitive "best albums of the FFA" list. We'd each submit our top 31 favorites as usual, but the countdown wouldn't be a daily reveal of #31s, #30s, etc. Instead it would be a countdown of the top vote getters going from bottom to top of course.

One part that wouldn't be as fun is that we wouldn't have an obvious playlist for each reveal, though maybe we could come up with something where people submit their top choices from the albums, so some of the lesser-knowns would still get a playlist and some FFA airplay.

Thoughts? Ideas?
So it would be like a MAD countdown crossed with an Anarchy countdown? But with albums instead of songs?
 
OH and I were doing our first dance party of 2024 tonight, and listening to what might be my favorite top-to-bottom record made me think of doing another type of M-aD countdown that wouldn't be quite the same as this. I'm not sure if it's been done, but I like the idea of a definitive "best albums of the FFA" list. We'd each submit our top 31 favorites as usual, but the countdown wouldn't be a daily reveal of #31s, #30s, etc. Instead it would be a countdown of the top vote getters going from bottom to top of course.

One part that wouldn't be as fun is that we wouldn't have an obvious playlist for each reveal, though maybe we could come up with something where people submit their top choices from the albums, so some of the lesser-knowns would still get a playlist and some FFA airplay.

Thoughts? Ideas?
So it would be like a MAD countdown crossed with an Anarchy countdown? But with albums instead of songs?
Not quite. I’d like to think it’s a M-aD countdown crossed with what we did in my first Beatles thread, which predated the other stuff. But you get the idea.
 
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#21 Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
Original: Spotify; Youtube

An 80s classic... originally recorded in the 60s. The Gloria Jones version is, to little surprise, very soulful. It first appeared as the B side to another single. Neither song got much notice or acclaim though. At least not at the time. A British club DJ picked it up nearly a decade later, tagging as fitting well with the Northern Soul scene at the time. Which eventually got it into the hands of Marc Almond, the singer of the duo called Soft Cell.

I could've gone for a pair of songs here, as this was also part of a medley. An extended medley at that, with Tainted Love clocking in at 2:34 and the pair stretching to nearly nine minutes, including an instrumental interlude. I mean, I'd be incredibly hypocritical for me to say that that version is too long, but I do have to appreciate the version with just Tainted Love a little more. Definitely a close call, though, so I'll understand if/when I see both.

At #20, either coveree or coverer has shown up a fair number of times, though the M-ADs have yet to really find agreement there. My choice won't help that situation.

This was a floor filler at the I-Beam in 1982
 
I’d like to think it’s a M-aD countdown crossed with what we did in my first Beatles thread, which predated the other stuff. But you get the idea.

We haven't done anything with albums for quite a while.

I can foresee myself tearing my hair out over my low scoring picks even though their 2 lousy points won't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
 
OH and I were doing our first dance party of 2024 tonight, and listening to what might be my favorite top-to-bottom record made me think of doing another type of M-aD countdown that wouldn't be quite the same as this. I'm not sure if it's been done, but I like the idea of a definitive "best albums of the FFA" list. We'd each submit our top 31 favorites as usual, but the countdown wouldn't be a daily reveal of #31s, #30s, etc. Instead it would be a countdown of the top vote getters going from bottom to top of course.

One part that wouldn't be as fun is that we wouldn't have an obvious playlist for each reveal, though maybe we could come up with something where people submit their top choices from the albums, so some of the lesser-knowns would still get a playlist and some FFA airplay.

Thoughts? Ideas?
You may want to contact zegras to see if he wants to run another of his artist series.
I think several of us like to be in both, but some prefer one or the other
 

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