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The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (6 Viewers)

- "No Depression" by Uncle Tupelo is a great cover of The Carter Family original. UT doesn't dress it up, they just give it a better acoustic sound.
- Emmylou sounds great doing "When I Paint My Masterpiece." I dig the instruments in the song.
- Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox does a great slow burning jazz rendition of "Heart of Glass."
- Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels get wild on their rendition of "Devil With A Blue Dress on." They sound like they are having a good time. I like Shorty Long's slower original, too.
- Faye Wong stays true to "Dreams" by The Cranberries, and does a nice job on the vocals.
- Gipsy Kings' cover of "Hotel California" makes me want to Salsa dance.
- I like the slow beat and fuzz sounds in Silkworm's cover of "Ooh La La."
- The Beastie Boys/Biz Markie sound drunk to me vocally on their live cover of "Bennie and the Jets."
- Luke Combs does a respectable cover of "Fast Car." His voice matches well with the tune.
- Chickenfoot rock out and have the pedal to the metal on their live scorching cover of "Highway Star."
 
- Sonic Youth are wired for sound on their trippy cover of "Ca Plane Pour Moi." Some of the sounds made my cat, Rizalina, run out of the room. 😸
- Sleepy LaBeef is having a rockabilly good time in his version of "Ring of Fire."
- The Communards put an 80s sounding spin on "Don't Leave Me This Way." I'd dance to it.
- Angelique Kidjo changes up "Crosseyed and Painless" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return), and both are cool and creative.
- George Thorogood's cover of "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" is good and a staple of his. John Lee Hooker's original is my fav. 🥃
- Lea Salonga's cover of "Thank You For the Music" is purty.
- Listening to Annie Lennox sing "Whiter Shade of Pale" inspired me to finally look up what a vestal virgin is.
- "Cities" by Phish has a good groove to it. I wanted more shots of the crowd in the video and close-ups!
 
24.ee - Angelique Kidjo - "Crosseyed and Painless" (Talking Heads cover)

The original: Talking Heads fourth album Remain in Light was a stylistic leap from their early records. The songs became more jam based with African-inspired polyrhythms and the addition of Adrian Belew's guitar sounds. "Crosseyed and Painless" is the middle track on the glorious side 1 of the album where the three songs swivels and bops as one.

The cover: The Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo covered the Remain in Light album in its entirety. Most album-length covers are well intentioned but can't maintain the concept for the duration. Kidjo's Remain in Light works better than most because she reconnects the music to its African roots. Her version of "Crosseyed and Painless" features blaring Afrobeat horns and more percussion than the original.

Is the cover better than the original? Talking Heads are a tough band to cover because of their lyrics. When a different singer sings them, they sometimes come off like just a bunch of words. The same lyrics spoken in David Byrne's voice somehow become profound reflections on modern life. I've taken Talking Heads' Remain in Light to some of my desert islands and I'm taking it here.

open.spotify.com

Crosseyed and Painless

Talking Heads · Song · 1980
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

open.spotify.com

Crosseyed and Painless

Angelique Kidjo · Song · 2018
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

Running scoreboard: Covers 12 - Originals 12
 
Pip's Invitation said:
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thorogood and the Destroyers (John Lee Hooker, Amos Milburn) -- This was Thorogood's radio breakthrough, at least in Philly.
Click to expand...

I had wanted to post the two originals before we moved on to the next round. It's probably well-known with this crew, but casual listeners may not be aware that Thorogood's song is actually a medley of John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie" (1950) and Amos Milburn's "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" (1953) -- and yes, the drinks are in a different order in the Thorogood title. For some that know it's a medley, they sometimes think it's two original Hooker songs because Hooker did cover "One Scotch" in the 1960s.

John Lee Hooker recorded "House Rent Boogie" many times -- his 1950 original is on YouTube, but not on Spotify. Look up the artist and title on Spotify, though, and you can find many of Hooker's re-recordings -- always done different from his original and from each other.

"One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer", Amos Milburn (YouTube)(Spotify). Positively silky compared to George Thorogood's smoker's rasp. Very different feel.
 
Twenty-Five-Point Selections:
PART ONE:

Uruk-Hai:

Can You Get to That - Mavis Staples (Funkadelic)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: two votes – Can You Get to That (1); You Got to Serve Somebody (1)
Original artist: first vote


titusbramble:

Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (Lis Sørensen)
Song: three votes – Natalie Imbruglia (3)
Cover artist: three votes – Torn (3)
Original artist: three votes – Torn (3)


Pip’s Invitation:

Like a Hurricane – Roxy Music (Neil Young)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: three votes – Jealous Guy (2); Like a Hurricane (1)
Original artist: 15 votes – Cortez the Killer (5); Down by the River (3); Heart of Gold (2); Like a Hurricane (1); Southern Man (1); Birds (1); Into the Black (1); Rockin’ in the Free World (1)


Dr. Octopus:

One More Cup of Coffee - The White Stripes (Robert Zimmerman)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: five votes – Jolene (3); One More Cup of Coffee (1); I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself (1)
Original artist: 47 votes – All Along the Watchtower (7); Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4); Make You Feel My Love (2); One More Cup of Coffee (1); My Back Pages (1); When I Paint My Masterpiece (1); I Shall Be Released (1); Tryin’ to Get to Heaven (1); You Got to Serve Somebody (1); Heart of Mine (1); Blowin’ in the Wind (1); Buckets of Rain (1); Girl from the North Country (1); You’re a Big Girl Now (1); A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (1); This Wheel’s on Fire (1); Mr. Tambourine Man (1); If Not for You (1); Simple Twist of Fate (1); Subterranean Homesick Blues (1); It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (1); Standing in the Doorway (1); Positively Fourth Street (1); Thunder on the Mountain (1); Most of the Time (1); Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (1); Jokerman (1); Ring Them Bells (1); Hurricane (1); The Man in Me (1); Forever Young (1); Sweetheart Like You (1); Everything Is Broken (1); Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (1); Ballad of a Thin Man (1); If You See Her, Say Hello (1); Mozambique (1)


simey:

For the Good Times – Ray Price (Bill Nash. Kris Kristofferson also released it and wrote it)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Just Win Baby:

Wonderwall - Ryan Adams (Oasis)
Song: two votes – Ryan Adams (2)
Cover artist: four votes – Wonderwall (2); You’re a Big Girl Now (1); Style (1)
Original artist: three votes – Wonderwall (2); Don’t Look Back in Anger (1)


Galileo:

Jack-A-Roe - Grateful Dead (traditional traced to the late 1700’s)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: seven votes – Jack-A-Roe (1); New Minglewood Blues (1); Turn on Your Love Light (1); Promised Land (1); Not Fade Away (1); Mama Tried (1); Big River (1); Monkey and the Engineer (1)
Original artist: N/A


Don Quixote:

La Vie en Rose - Edith Piaf (Marianne Michel)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


simsarge:

Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody - David Lee Roth (Louis Prima)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Charlie Steiner:

Luck Be a Lady - Frank Sinatra (Robert Alda)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


JMLs secret identity:

Chiquitita - Sinead O’Connor (Abba) NOT ON PLAYLIST
Song: first vote
Cover artist: three votes – Chiquitita (1); The Foggy Dew (1); Nothing Compares 2 U (1)
Original artist: 24 votes – Chiquitita (1); Thank You for the Music (1); Hey Hey Helen (1); I Have a Dream (1); The Winner Takes It All (1); The Day Before You Came (1); Hasta Manana (1); Thank Abba for the Music Medley (1); Summer Night City (1); Eagle (1); Bang en Boomerang (1); Dancing Queen (1); Super Trouper (1); Knowing Me, Knowing You (1); Mamma Mia (1); The Name of the Game (1); Ring Ring (1); Rock Me (1); Does Your Mother Know (1); Angel Eyes (1); Our Last Summer (1); When All Is Said and Done (1); Waterloo (1); Voulez Vous (1)


zamboni:

Cause We've Ended as Lovers (Live) - Jeff Beck (Stevie Wonder)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: seven votes – Higher Ground (3); Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (1); Boogie on Reggae Woman (1); Superstition (1); Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) (1)


John Maddens Lunchbox:

Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (Gwen McCrae)
Song: four votes – Pet Shop Boys (4)
Cover artist: three votes – Always on My Mind (4)
Original artist: three votes – Always on My Mind (4)


Ilov80s:

My Back Pages - The Byrds (Bob Dylan)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: four votes – Mr. Tambourine Man (2); My Back Pages (1); Turn, Turn, Turn (1)
Original artist: 47 votes – All Along the Watchtower (7); Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4); Make You Feel My Love (2); One More Cup of Coffee (1); My Back Pages (1); When I Paint My Masterpiece (1); I Shall Be Released (1); Tryin’ to Get to Heaven (1); You Got to Serve Somebody (1); Heart of Mine (1); Blowin’ in the Wind (1); Buckets of Rain (1); Girl from the North Country (1); You’re a Big Girl Now (1); A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (1); This Wheel’s on Fire (1); Mr. Tambourine Man (1); If Not for You (1); Simple Twist of Fate (1); Subterranean Homesick Blues (1); It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (1); Standing in the Doorway (1); Positively Fourth Street (1); Thunder on the Mountain (1); Most of the Time (1); Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (1); Jokerman (1); Ring Them Bells (1); Hurricane (1); The Man in Me (1); Forever Young (1); Sweetheart Like You (1); Everything Is Broken (1); Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (1); Ballad of a Thin Man (1); If You See Her, Say Hello (1); Mozambique (1)


Eephus:

The Passenger - Siouxsie and the Banshees (Iggy Pop)
Song: two votes – Angelique Kidjo (1); Phish (1)
Cover artist: three votes – The Passenger (1); This Wheel’s on Fire (1); Dear Prudence (1)
Original artist: two votes – The Passenger (1); Search and Destroy (1)


The Dreaded Marco:

You Really Got Me - Van Halen (The Kinks)
Song: five votes – Van Halen (5)
Cover artist: eight votes – You Really Got Me (5); Pretty Woman (1); Ice Cream Man (1); Man on the Silver Mountain (1)
Original artist: eight votes – You Really Got Me (5); David Watts (1); Act Nice and Gentle (1); Apeman (1)


New Binky the Doormat:

We Can Work It Out - Stevie Wonder (The Beatles)
Song: four votes – Stevie Wonder (4)
Cover artist: five votes – We Can Work It Out (4); Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) (1)
Original artist: 29 votes – We Can Work It Out (4); In My Life (3); While My Guitar Gently Weeps (2); Here Comes the Sun (2); Yesterday (2); Come Together (2); Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (1); A Day in the Life (1); Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight (1); She Came in through the Bathroom Window (1); I Am the Walrus (1); Eleanor Rigby (1); Got to Get You into My Life (1); Helter Skelter (1); Drive My Car (1); Dear Prudence (1); Across the Universe (1); She Said She Said (1); I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (1); Let It Be (1)


Andy Dufresne:

Hard to Handle – Black Crowes (Otis Redding)
Song: two votes – Hand to Handle (2)
Cover artist: two votes – Hard to Handle (2)
Original artist: four votes – Hard to Handle (2); Respect (2)
 
Twenty-Five-Point Selections:
PART TWO:

Hawks64:

Waste - Dave Matthews Band (Phish)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: 17 votes – All Along the Watchtower (2); Waste (1); Cortez the Killer (1); The Maker (1); Long Black Veil (1); Exodus (1); Down by the River (1); Take Me to Tomorrow (1); Time of the Season (1); Still Water (1); Melissa (1); Super Freak (1); Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (1); Burning Down the House (1); Kashmir (1); In My Life (1)
Original artist: first vote


rockaction:

(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone – The Monkees (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Scoresman:

All Along the Watchtower - Bear McCreary (Bob Dylan)
Song: seven votes – Bear McCreary (2); Dave Matthews Band (2); Jimi Hendrix Experience (1); U2 (1); Neil Young & Booker T. and the MGs (1)
Cover artist: two votes – All Along the Watchtower (2)
Original artist: 47 votes – All Along the Watchtower (7); Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4); Make You Feel My Love (2); One More Cup of Coffee (1); My Back Pages (1); When I Paint My Masterpiece (1); I Shall Be Released (1); Tryin’ to Get to Heaven (1); You Got to Serve Somebody (1); Heart of Mine (1); Blowin’ in the Wind (1); Buckets of Rain (1); Girl from the North Country (1); You’re a Big Girl Now (1); A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (1); This Wheel’s on Fire (1); Mr. Tambourine Man (1); If Not for You (1); Simple Twist of Fate (1); Subterranean Homesick Blues (1); It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (1); Standing in the Doorway (1); Positively Fourth Street (1); Thunder on the Mountain (1); Most of the Time (1); Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (1); Jokerman (1); Ring Them Bells (1); Hurricane (1); The Man in Me (1); Forever Young (1); Sweetheart Like You (1); Everything Is Broken (1); Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (1); Ballad of a Thin Man (1); If You See Her, Say Hello (1); Mozambique (1)


Raging weasel:

Breadfan – Metallica (Budgie)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: six votes – Whiskey in the Jar (2); Turn the Page (2); Breadfan (1); The Wait (1)
Original artist: first vote


scorchy:

Ode to a Black Man - The Dirtbombs (Phil Lynott)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Mrs. Rannous:

I Gotsta Get Paid - ZZ Top (DJ DMD)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Mt. Man:

Sinnerman - Nina Simone (Traditional)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: four votes – Sinnerman (1); Here Comes the Sun (1); Nobody’s Fault But Mine (1); I Put a Spell on You (1)
Original artist: two votes – You’ve Got a Friend (2)


Mister CIA:

She's Not There – Santana (The Zombies)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: two votes – She’s Not There (1); Oye Como Va (1)
Original artist: two votes – She’s Not There (1); Time of the Season (1)


Val Rannous:

Gallows Pole - Page/Plant (Traditional)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote for Page; Plant: three votes – Gallows Pole (1); Darkness, Darkness (1); Killing the Blues (1)
Original artist: N/A


landrys hat:

California Dreaming - Lee Moses (Mamas & the Papas)
Song: three votes – Bobby Womack (2); Lee Moses (1)
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: three votes – California Dreamin’ (3)


shuke:

Dramamine - Sun Kil Moon (Modest Mouse)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Doug B:

Stay - Jackson Browne (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


DrIanMalcolm:

Trapped - Bruce Springsteen (Jimmy Cliff)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: two votes – Trapped (1); Many Rivers to Cross (1)


Chaos34:

Me and Bobby McGee - P!nk (Roger Miller) NOT ON PLAYLIST
Song: three votes – Janis Joplin (3)
Cover artist: two votes – Me and Bobby McGee (1); Lady Marmalade (1)
Original artist: three votes – Me and Bobby McGee (3)


higgins:

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Lyle Lovett (Paul Simon) NOT ON PLAYLIST
Song: first vote
Cover artist: four votes - Funny How Time Slips Away (2); 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (1); Friend of the Devil (1)
Original artist: first vote


Oliver Humanzee:

Down by the River - Low & Dirty Three (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
Song: three votes – Low & Dirty Three (1); Buddy Miles (1); Dave Matthews (1)
Cover artist: first vote each
Original artist: 15 votes – Cortez the Killer (5); Down by the River (3); Heart of Gold (2); Like a Hurricane (1); Southern Man (1); Birds (1); Into the Black (1); Rockin’ in the Free World (1)


krista4:

I Figured You Out – Elliott Smith (Mary Lou Lord)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote
 
#8 You've Got a Friend - James Taylor (Carole King)
Original: Spotify ; Youtube

It almost goes without saying that this is another song where both the original version and the cover are phenomenal. Carole's version is a powerful song off a powerful album, though perhaps talking about Tapestry is best saved for another time and place. Taylor's cover is equally soft and sweet, with his performance coming off so strong, you might have thought that he wrote it himself. Needless to say that this is another tough call to make a favorite, and... well ,I don't have to, right? Okay, okay, if push came to shove, I'd slightly favor Taylor's, with the caveat that it could also depend on my mood. So it's an opinion as solid as oatmeal in an earthquake

At #7.. Well, it's been revealed, so that'll be next.
 
krista4 said:
Uruk-Hai:

Can You Get to That - Mavis Staples (Funkadelic)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: two votes – Can You Get to That (1); You Got to Serve Somebody (1)
Original artist: first vote
Click to expand...
The original was on Maggot Brain, so you'd expect some kind of freakout - right? It's probably the most conventional song Funkadelic ever did. Though - because it's George Clinton - it contains some wrinkles. There are about 500 voices on it - some in unison and some in harmony. The instrumental part is basically what you'd expect if Stephen Stills and Sly Stone decided to write a gospel song together in 1971.

Mavis Staples' version stays pretty true to the original and the gospel feel is right in her wheelhouse - she kills it. I want to say Jeff Tweedy produced this, but I could be wrong.
 
#7 Sinnerman - Nina Simone (traditional)
Les Baxter: Spotify ; Youtube

The Wiki suggests that the oldest recording of this song is in 1956 by Les Baxter and his Orchestra, so that's what I went with for the "original". Though it seems that either Spotify doesn't have the original (likely) or it's just hard to search for (equally likley), leading to two different versions here. According to secondhandsongs, "Sinnerman" goes mostly by that title (including "Sinner man" and "Oh Sinner man"), which is nice. There's also 7 covers with the title "Downpressor Man" and others in foreign languages, leading to a total of 69 versions, which is nice.

Though really, I couldn't heap enough praise towards M-AD Don Quixote by putting Sinnerman #1 on the Nina Simone countdown. Chalk pick, but one I agree with. To me, Simone's version is the definitive one. Leading to perhaps less "didn't know it was a cover" and more "every other version feels like a cover of Simone's version". Though of course, this is a traditional spiritual song. This is its first appearance. Which makes me wonder: way too high or way too low? We shall see.

At #6, my only medley selection. Also a song where krista4 no doubt feels fortunate to be able to copy/paste the artist.
 
shuke said:
zamboni said:
the most attractive female bass player
Click to expand...

Would have made a great thread in the old days.
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We still have the Pet Peeves I'm Oddly Attracted To thread.

I can't remember if I mentioned it yesterday, but it had crossed my mind that we could probably post anything we want in the Basketball Forum, at least up until a snitch comes along. I'm just the idea guy; somebody else needs to step up and start waving freak flags. Probably best to reuse an existing thread, so as to stay under the radar. @rockaction 's Dean Smith And The Four Corners And The Shot Clock would do nicely.
 
krista4 said:
Pip’s Invitation:

Like a Hurricane – Roxy Music (Neil Young)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: three votes – Jealous Guy (2); Like a Hurricane (1)
Original artist: 15 votes – Cortez the Killer (5); Down by the River (3); Heart of Gold (2); Like a Hurricane (1); Southern Man (1); Birds (1); Into the Black (1); Rockin’ in the Free World (1)
Click to expand...
I thought I knew all the Roxy Music stuff, but I forgot about the High Road EP lol.
Got something to check out now
krista4 said:
Don Quixote:

La Vie en Rose - Edith Piaf (Marianne Michel)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote
Click to expand...
Amazing research here. Would never thought this was a cover
krista4 said:
Eephus:

The Passenger - Siouxsie and the Banshees (Iggy Pop)
Song: two votes – Angelique Kidjo (1); Phish (1)
Cover artist: three votes – The Passenger (1); This Wheel’s on Fire (1); Dear Prudence (1)
Original artist: two votes – The Passenger (1); Search and Destroy (1)
Click to expand...
Good choice
I think that covers the 3 best Siouxsie covers now. Any other contenders?
 
Mister CIA said:
@rockaction 's Dean Smith And The Four Corners And The Shot Clock would do nicely.
Click to expand...

I was so ****canned that day that I thought I was gettng suspended and that people were in on my joke and speaking in code with me. It's really a good thing I quit booze. That was really mentally not a good place to be. I'm still smiling remembering how I thought I was cooked for a while. I forget what I had done to feel that way, but I was just gonzo.
 
7. Luck be a Lady - Frank Sinatra (Robert Alda)

Have to admit I got scooped; when I submitted this one, I only had Guys and Dolls as the original artist, completely unaware that Robert Alda was the original Sky Masterson, so credit to @krista4 for due diligence.

Hard to not like this song regardless of who sings it, but the way Frank sings a lady doesn't wander all over the room, and...blow on some other guy's....dice! Puts this version over the top for me.
 
Well, it turns out that it’ll be another Double Playlist day. Again, there are worse ways to spend a day off. So we’ll start with the #8s. This was a very strong list, where I knew most of the songs, and not because of them showing up earlier from an artist. Let me get right to some (but not all) of the ones that struck me.

Recognized by title alone: 26
Sounded familiar: 2
Didn’t Know: 5

Selected Favorites:
Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
Bennie and the Jets - Beastie Boys & Biz Markie
Heart of Glass - PMJ. Probably not surprising after picking a different song from PMJ earlier.
Hotel California - Gipsy Kings
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Hadn’t heard before, but liked
Basin St. Blues - Dr. John
Crosseyed and Painless - Angelique Kidjo
Highway Star - Chickenfoot
Ring of Fire - Sleepy LaBeef
A Whiter Shade of Pale - Annie Lennox

Special Shout-out:
Dreams - Faye Wong. Perhaps a very familiar dance now. A version of a song that I know and like, that got selected twice on the same playlist.

Actually, what the heck. Throw one on there for the double shot of “Hazy Shade of Winter”, even though I spotlighted it previously.
 
krista4 said:
Don Quixote:

La Vie en Rose - Edith Piaf (Marianne Michel)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote
Click to expand...
This is another one that I discovered was a cover during research. Was originally going for Louis Armstrong’s version of La Vie en Rose, but then in doing some research, realized that even though lyrics were written by Edith Piaf, the first recording/release was by Marianne Michel in 1945 and then recorded by Edith Piaf in 1946. I was not sure how much Louis Armstrong was really a cover anyway (kept the song title and melody, but the English translated lyrics were not equivalent to the French), so decided to just make the switch.

Article

“La Vie en rose”​

Along with the baguette, the Eiffel Tower, and the accordion, “La Vie en rose” is an integral part of the French cultural image. Recorded on October 9, 1946, this ballad is still often heard on radio stations and in French restaurants the world over. Piaf personally wrote the lyrics, and charged her accompanist, the pianist Louiguy, with setting it to music. Disappointed with the resulting arrangement, she kept it in a drawer and only brought it out again to entrust it to her friend, the singer Marianne Michel, who was the first to sing it in the cabarets of Paris. The song became so popular that Piaf decided to record it herself, leading to the success it enjoys today. Many others have since tried their hand at the iconic ballad, from Yves Montand (Piaf’s partner at the time) to Louis Armstrong, who recorded an English version of the song on June 26, 1950 in New York with Sy Oliver and his orchestra (at the same time as he recorded “C’est si bon”). The lyrics for Armstrong’s version were written by Mack David.
Click to expand...
 
25 Points - Chiquitita - Sinead O’Connor (Abba)
Original
m.youtube.com

Abba - Chiquitita (Official Music Video)

REMASTERED IN HD!Official Music Video for Chiquitita performed by ABBA.Listen to the new album: https://abba.lnk.to/VoyageAlbumListen to more music by ABBA: ...
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com

The structure of this song shouldnt work on paper, but it does and magnificently so.
It is heavily influenced by the peruvian song El Condor Paso most famously done by Simon and Garfunkel.
It was a rare Abba song at the time in the UK to stop at #2, held off the top spot by Heart of Glass by Blondie.
It reached #29 in the US.
The majestic 40 second fade out…li could listen to for hours. The change of pace from verse to chorus is just pure class

Cover
m.youtube.com

Chiquitita Sinéad O'Connor

B e a u t i f u l . (No copyright infringement intended. For educational appreciation only).
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com

Abba and especially Agnetha do sad so well, but might have met their match with Sinead here.
In hindsight she has been given a lot of benefit of the doubt she wasnt afforded when alive.
Some people have truly horrific upbringings that are impossible to overcome and try as one might I have nothing but empathy for her moments of ugliness, cruelty and bitterness she released.
This cover is so honest and hearftfelt it adds a new layer of heartache. O’Connor recorded this as a tribute to the victims of the horrific Omagh bombings and the sadness is reflected in that.
That said the music is the issue here. The wonderful structure, build up and close are not here.

Abba - 18 - Cover 7.

Vocally its a draw. But musically and structurally the original craps all over the Sinead version.Shame as she does a beautiful job of it.

Next up a true female music superstar, in the news recently, has a stab at a basically little known Abba song. This singer worked so well restrained, as is the case here. I was pleasantly surprised and its a case where the cover is infinitely better.
 
25 Points - Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (Brenda Lee)
Original
m.youtube.com

Brenda Lee - Always on my mind.

Brenda Lee - Always on my mind.www.ebkdvd.com
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com

Everyone thinks its an Elvis song or a Willie Nelson song. Obviously not. When the Pet Shop Boys released their cover, people called it sacrilege on [insert Nelson or Presley name here] original. All takes are different and thats a great thing. As for the original take, it may be the weakest of the lot. But as the song is a killer, even thats not a bad thing. Just the music sounds like it was recorded in a tin drum and the vocals are all over the shop. The restrained structure is a bonus though

Cover
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Pet Shop Boys - Always on my mind (Official Video) [4k Upgrade]

The official video for "Always on my mind".Released 30 November 1987--Originally covered by Pet Shop Boys in a TV tribute to Elvis Presley, this re-recorded ...
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Already chosen multiple times, the Pet Shop Boys do some wonderful covers and I should have in hindsight chosen one of their more obscure covers. They also do an awful cover of U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name where their cynical take is downright nasty. Attributing the band as puritanical hateful christians, which is so far from the truth its ridiculous. Bono has been ultra diplomatic in his view on their cover. Following the release of the single, U2 joked, "What have we done to deserve this?" Tennant mentioned to The People in 2002 that he had "managed at long last to patch things up with Bono" after meeting him at one of Elton John's homes in the south of France.

Anyway, their take on Always on My Mind keeps the melancholy but adds a wicked dance beat.

Originals 9 - Covers 16. Cover easily beats the original here

Next up we have seen it already. Only once I think. Awhile ago. Its brilliant. Shouldnt work, but it does.
 
Always in ketchup/catsup mode...

I feel like with the #8s and especially the #7s, while we're still getting "chalk," we're also creeping into some of those deep favorites that people have that might speak so loudly to them that they're way up on the lists. That makes it all really fun to me. My own #8 and #7 show both sides of this coin, with the Nirvana "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" - a crowd favorite - and Elliott Smith's "I Figured You Out" - a song, cover artist, and original artist that appears on no one else's list but could easily have made my top five.

Anyway, as to the #8s:

Doing their thing really well:
Dave Matthews - Cortez the Killer
Cities - Phish

Doing their thing, which also happens to be my thing, really well:
Dr. John - Basin Street Blues
Ca Plane Pour Moi - Sonic Youth
No Depression - Uncle Tupelo

Doing a thing really well that's not my thing nor possibly anyone else's and totally different from and better than the original and holy hell does that work for me:
Gipsy Kings - Hotel California
Angelique Kidjo - Crosseyed and Painless AND Voodoo Child

Special shout-out: Annie Lennox cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale." I loved her vocal on this so much but found myself distracted by the background music that was really subpar. Could we take up a collection to have a new mix of this with that vocal and real musicians? I enjoyed this a lot in any case but wanted it to be even better.
 
Onto the #7s. This playlist was less familiar than the #8s. Then again, that one was very likely a high water mark for the “recognized” category.. For this countdown, if not all the countdowns to date. That aside, this was another playlist where I had (or at least decided >.>) to make some tough choices.

Recognized by title alone: 21
Sounded familiar: 3
Didn’t Know: 10
(mine - 1)

Selected Favorites:
La Vie en rose - Edith Piaf. Definitely would’ve never thought of this as a “cover”.
Luck Be A Lady - Frank Sinatra. Should’ve figured it was a cover, but always think of it as Frank’s.
(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone - The Monkees
Ode to a Black Man - The Dirtbombs. A very tough cut for my list.
Gallows Pole - Page/Plant

Hadn’t heard before, but liked
Like a Hurricane - Roxy Music
Jack-a-Roe - Grateful Dead
She’s Not There - Santana
California Dreaming - Lee Moses
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Lyle Lovett

Special Shout-out:
The Passenger - Siouxsie & The Banshees. I know the original, and this version sounds familiar enough, but I can't be fully sure. Mostly though, I just also wanted to include this.
 
OH tally:

OH cover songs I have heard of: 3
OH original songs I have heard of: 13
OH cover artists I have heard of: 17
OH original artists I have heard of: 22

Neil Young? Who's that? Oh ... yeah.

Frankly, I saw Low open for Wilco and thought they were boring, so I have never investigated them any deeper. We'll see how this goes.
 
Covers from #7 that I know and like and have not previously discussed in this thread:

One More Cup of Coffee - The White Stripes (Robert Zimmerman) -- This song, and the way the original is performed, has a pathos to it that is very well suited to Jack White.
La Vie en Rose - Edith Piaf (Marianne Michel) -- I had no idea this was a cover, part 1.
Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody - David Lee Roth (Louis Prima) -- It's so hammy, and at the time I wanted to hear Dave rock out like he did with VH, but in my middle age I can appreciate how fun this is.
Luck Be a Lady - Frank Sinatra (Robert Alda) -- I had no idea this was a cover, part 2. Lots of pre-rock material in this round, which I know much less about.
Cause We've Ended as Lovers (Live) - Jeff Beck (Stevie Wonder) -- Beck is a "technician," yes, but his guitar is so damn expressive here.
My Back Pages - The Byrds (Bob Dylan) -- How has this not shown up yet? Of the many Dylan covers they did, this one may be the best, as it soars where Dylan's original kind of sits there. One of the all-star numbers at Dylan's 30th anniversary concert was this song, and it rightly used the Byrds' version as the template.
(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone – The Monkees (Paul Revere and the Raiders) -- I had no idea this was a cover, part 3. But I'm not surprised, since the Monkees didn't write their own material at first.
Breadfan – Metallica (Budgie) -- I only know this because it was posted in a previous thread on this board.
Sinnerman - Nina Simone (Traditional) -- I had no idea this was a cover, part 4. I'd never heard it until it was taken in the US countdown.
Gallows Pole - Page/Plant (Traditional) -- I love both this version and Zeppelin's, the latter of which I ranked #25 in Anarchy's Zep countdown. Few performances build intensity better than either version.
Stay - Jackson Browne (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs) -- Of course it's most effective when paired with The Load Out, as it is on the album, but since the former is an original, we have to use Stay by itself. Browne, Lindley and co. repurpose it to suit their strengths.
Trapped - Bruce Springsteen (Jimmy Cliff) -- One of my favorite Springsteen performances because it's intense and emotional without getting too BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCE about it.
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Like a Hurricane – Roxy Music (Neil Young)

Roxy Music are about the last "rock" band you would expect to cover Neil. Smooth, suave, quirky and highly technically proficient, they are pretty much everything Neil and Crazy Horse aren't. But because of that, they are able to completely recast one of Neil's epic guitar warhorses into something that mesmerizes you and bowls you over in an equally great but completely different way from the original. It perhaps helps that the original has a Stringman synthesizer in it, and the swirling sounds of that is what Roxy's version builds upon -- I don't know that they could have worked similar magic with Cortez the Killer or Down by the River. With the common ground established, Roxy is able to layer what they do best over it. Heavy lifting is done by the rhythm section of bassist Allen Spenner, drummer Andy Newmark and percussionist Jimmy Maelen, who give the song a swing and a flexibility that Crazy Horse doesn't have (by design). Bryan Ferry gives a great spin on the combination dreaminess and dread of Neil's vocal, never losing either but adding his own verve to the proceedings. Andy Mackay's saxophone solo is nice (krista may disagree).

But the real star of the show is lead guitarist Phil Manzanera. He is a crisp, clean and elegant player, pretty much the opposite of Neil's style. And the final two minutes of the performance, in which Manzanera's soloing dominates the proceedings, is why this cover ranks so highly on my list. He doesn't try to sound like Neil and probably couldn't if he wanted to. Instead, he delivers searing, highly charged solos in his own style, and because the spirit is right, they work just as well as Neil's do in his version. It's the capper to a performance that seems like a mismatch but is actually perfect.

Roxy Music first performed Hurricane on their 1982 tour (the final one of their original run), and released a 4-song EP from it called The High Road which included Like a Hurricane as well as their version of Jealous Guy, which showed up in this countdown earlier. In 1990, The High Road EP's tracks were combined with the songs from the longer High Road videocassette and re-released under the name Heart Still Beating. Hurricane has subsequently shown up in Ferry's solo sets between 2011 and 2020 and on Roxy's 2011 reunion tour (but not their 50th anniversary tour of 2022).

I ranked the original #17 in my Neil countdown, only because he has 16 songs I like even better. Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6qzeHSq7bk

At #6, a song which (wrongly) wasn't taken very seriously when the original was released got a stunning remake that forced even the most doctrinaire of rock critics to take notice.
 
Pip's Invitation said:
Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody - David Lee Roth (Louis Prima) -- It's so hammy, and at the time I wanted to hear Dave rock out like he did with VH, but in my middle age I can appreciate how fun this is.
Click to expand...
I think the video is much better than the cover. No one had more pure unadulterated fun than DLR did in the '70s/'80s.

He’s got…charasma.
 
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Pip's Invitation said:
But the real star of the show is lead guitarist Phil Manzanera. He is a crisp, clean and elegant player, pretty much the opposite of Neil's style. And the final two minutes of the performance, in which Manzanera's soloing dominates the proceedings, is why this cover ranks so highly on my list. He doesn't try to sound like Neil and probably couldn't if he wanted to. Instead, he delivers searing, highly charged solos in his own style, and because the spirit is right, they work just as well as Neil's do in his version. It's the capper to a performance that seems like a mismatch but is actually perfect.
Click to expand...
Manzanera is awesome. His more recent work playing alongside David Gilmour on David’s solo tours is fantastic as well.
 
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