The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (4 Viewers)

[rockaction]

At #1, the chalkiest chalk that will ever chalk when it comes to cover songs, and my reflexive answer for greatest cover performance ever.

Yeah, me too (I think).

And you're right about "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" I don't think you overstated it one bit. Their musical output is really capped and made much more viscerally felt by that extraordinary cover.

"I asked David Geffen if he'd buy me the guitar. He said no."

Of course, I owned that song in this countdown and neglected to write it up, dammit.

 

[rockaction]

Funny story. Well, kind of. Back when I was twenty-three or so and fresh out of college, my friends came to visit. These were all hippie-type folks who loved the Dead and Phish and that whole scene. So when they came, we all got stoned and I threw on my Smithsonian compilation of Lead Belly. Swear to God that I figured they would dig it. At one point in the compilation, Lead Belly starts a song called "Moanin'." So here we are listening to Lead Belly moan, I'm stoned as hell, and I realize that everybody is just massively uncomfortable. I looked at my friend Karon and felt so bad. I jump up, gently hit stop, and just sort of apologized and threw something else on.

He might as well have popped out of the speakers and said, "Son, why are you singing the blues?" Probably the most uncomfortable I'd ever seen music make people. LOL. Today I just laugh about it. It's a great, felt song, but it was a lead balloon that day.

 

[rockaction]

Aw, k4. It wasn't that bad. It was just . . . thankfully ended.

On a happier note, my girlfriend Shelley at the time (mmm...maybe this was a bit later on) loved it because her father used to have Lead Belly in their jukebox growing up. I did not know that until we were listening to it and she just smiled and said "Cool." I remember the song even.

I jump down turn around pick a bale of cotton
I jump down turn around pick a bale a day

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

30 Points - Where did You Sleep Last Night - Nirvana (Traditional - In the Pines)
Original - Using Leadbellys 1944 version

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

The song dates back to the 1870s, but the first version of this interpretation belongs to Cecil Sharp in 1917, recorded in the mid 20s.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

Leadbelly then reinterpreted that version for the one that inspire Kurt Cobain.

Cover

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

I will just post what Mt. Man said lol

This song was recorded in 1993, and was scheduled to be featured as a B-side to "Pennyroyal Tea" in 1994. Only... well, Cobain died in April of that year. That led to it being released as part of their Unplugged album in 1994. For the record, if I'd allowed myself more than one song per artist, Nirvana's version of "The Man Who Sold the World" probably would've been in the teens on my list. But it's this performance that (obviously) sticks with me a lot more. This was the last song the band did that night, though the story goes that the producer suggesting doing an encore. Cobain's response was "I don't think we can top that last song". I'd certainly have to agree.

Back to me, yeah the story goes that Come As You Are was planned as the encore, but scrapped when Cobains emotive delivery left an indelible high in the room

Originals 9 - Covers 21. I knew many people who dismissed Nirvana as just noise. I loaned the Unplugged CD to as many people as i could to see if they still held that view. Without fail, they admit they undersold the band and were blown away by this song in particular. Advantage cover.

Finally up, this cover is astonishing and although it has been mentioned to date, I am surprised it hasnt come up more often. The difference between the original genius artist and the cover seems like the originator had no idea of his own song.

I'm going to correct you again. Come As You Are is the second song in the Unplugged set. So if there was a planned encore (which there probably was), it wasn't that.

Apart from that lol
Just researched

Following the final note Alex Coletti and Nirvana briefly flirted with the idea of an encore. Here is the MTV producer’s intriguing recollection.

I said, “Now’s the time. You’re not gonna get to do this again. And they listened and they weren’t just dismissing it. And I threw out ‘Verse Chorus Verse’, and there was one song that was a B-side that Dave sang, ‘Marigold’. So honestly, I wasn’t doing what MTV wanted, which was getting hits. I was throwing out obscure stuff. Just stuff I thought would work acoustic and be cool. But I wasn’t gonna come out and say, “Try Teen Spirit.” But Kurt thought about it and he said, “I don’t think we can top the last song.” And the minute he said that, I pressed the button on my headset and said, “We’re wrapped.”

 

[simey]

Sorry simey. Great run for NC St. Tough to beat one of the best teams ever.

Wes Moore seems like a great guy and an excellent coach.

He reminds me of a mix of Jack Klugman and Tom Bosley.

Yeah, the women's team hung with South Carolina for a bit, but SC was just too much for them. Regarding Wes Moore, one of the people I was watching the game with commented that he looked like an extra in a movie. I definitely see the Klugman and Bosley comparisons.

The men's game was frustrating. State played well on defense, but they couldn't make a basket. I felt like the game was very winnable for them had they played better offensively. Oh well, it was a fun ride, and the Pack should be proud of what they accomplished in the tournaments. Go Pack!

 

[krista4]

A few bits to gin up excitement for the final round:

- We will have our second Dummy's Grand Slam Breakfast - that is, one cover gets four votes!
- Our only Deja Vote is for a cover that has heretofore not appeared on the countdown. All or nothing for this one!
- There is an original artist that gets three votes. Nothing unusual there. But what's weird about this is that this artist has only had two votes total in the countdown until now. So of its five total votes, three will be in the #1 spot.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

A few bits to gin up excitement for the final round:

- We will have our second Dummy's Grand Slam Breakfast - that is, one cover gets four votes!
- Our only Deja Vote is for a cover that has heretofore not appeared on the countdown. All or nothing for this one!
- There is an original artist that gets three votes. Nothing unusual there. But what's weird about this is that this artist has only had two votes total in the countdown until now. So of its five total votes, three will be in the #1 spot.

If others agree that my pick is the chalkiest chalk that ever chalked, then I might be in the Dummy’s Grand Slam Breakfast again.

 

[simey]

New covers to the countdown chatter...

- X's cover of "Soul Kitchen" sounds nothing like The Doors original. X's is pure punk while The Doors is moody psychedelia rock. The Doors seem to be a band where people really love them or really dislike them. I really love them. They had their own sound, and you can usually tell its a Doors song when the first note hits. X made Soul Kitchen totally into an X song. What I think is the coolest thing about X's punk version is that Ray Manzarek from The Doors produced their album, so while the two bands sound nothing alike, there is a common thread between the two being Manzarek. He was a big fan of X, and produced X's first four albums. Both versions are really good.
- Rev. Al Green is still preaching the soul with those golden pipes in "Perfect Day."
- "Little Wing" by Derek and The Dominos is a great cover off of a great album. I love the dualing guitars of Duane Allman and Eric Clapton. I also like Bobby Whitlock and Clapton's voices together. It's great blues rock.
- Bobflex does a nice straight forward cover of "Hey You."
- Poor Man's Whiskey's cover of "Time" is getting me excited for Merlefest at the end of this month.
- Frank Turner's acoustic cover of "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" is great. I really liked his personality when I saw him open for the Counting Crows about three years ago.
- U2 and Green Day sound great together on their "The Saints are Coming" cover.
- Harry Nilsonn's cover of "Everybody's Talkin'" reminds me of the late 60s, and of course the movie "Midnight Cowboy." I'm a fan of this cover and Bill Withers' version.
- "Tin Soldier" by Todd Rundgren is really good. I like it a bit better than the original.
- Roy sounds great on "I Drove All Night." I didn't know the Lauper original, but listened to it, and I like Roy's version the best.
- Bob Dylan's vocals can be hit or miss with me on songs, and he is a hit with me on his cover of "Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight." I like Chrissie Hynde's original a lot, too.
- Dave Matthews Band rocks on their live cover of "Hey, Hey, My, My (Into the Black)." Sounds great.
- Elton plays a mean "Pinball Wizard."
- Whitney was at her highest peak doing "The Star Spangled Banner."
- Saint Etiene makes "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" all their own.
- Aretha takes us to church on her version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
- The English Beat bring a touch of reggae to Andy Williams "Can't Get Used to Loving You."
- Bam ba lam Black Betty had a child, Bam ba lam the damn thing gone wild
- Portishead turns ABBA's "SOS" into a dark slow number. I can see it being played in a thriller movie. I love ABBA's original. It is Pop greatness.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

How do you keep middle-aged dummies in suspense?

 

[zamboni]

How do you keep middle-aged dummies in suspense?

Stand on the edge of their lawns.

 

[Doug B]

Doug B:

The Saints Are Coming - Green Day & U2 (The Skids)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: Green Day: two votes – The Saints Are Coming (1); The Simpsons Theme (1)
U2: two votes – The Saints Are Coming (1); All Along the Watchtower (1)
Original artist: first vote

Glad somebody picked this. It got no love at all in the U2 rundown, except by me

It’s a classic locally. I think most of the house knows this, but U2 and Green Day recorded this live during a pre-game performance in September 2006. It was the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, Falcons at Saints. Epic day in the city. Several local terrestrial radio stations simulcast this performance live.

 

[shuke]

shuke:

Time - Poor Man's Whiskey (Pink Floyd)

Time is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I love bluegrass covers of rock songs, so including this was a no-brainer. There are youtube videos of their entire live cover of DSOTM if you're interested, but I think this is their official video for this song. It's a lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of Wizard of Oz.

 

[rockaction]

It’s a classic locally. I think most of the house knows this, but U2 and Green Day recorded this live during a pre-game performance in September 2006.

Nope. Very cool.

 

[krista4]

I should have listened to the #2s before we get to the #1s tomorrow. I had three whole days! Dammit.

Just putting together some "winners" based on the final tallies, which I'll post tomorrow after the big reveal.

 

[Val Rannous]

I should have listened to the #2s before we get to the #1s tomorrow. I had three whole days! Dammit.

Just putting together some "winners" based on the final tallies, which I'll post tomorrow after the big reveal.

_______

 

[simey]

Hey, krista4, a preemptive thank you for doing this. Makes me smile. Bless you, bud.

Thanks k4 for putting this together and running it. Thanks to Hawks, too, for creating each playlist.

 

[Mt. Man]

I should have listened to the #2s before we get to the #1s tomorrow. I had three whole days! Dammit.

I feel that. New plan is #2s today, and #1s tomorrow. Hopefully some stuff tonight too. But first:
--
#2 Respect - Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding)
Orignal: Spotify; Youtube

Not surprisingly, this song settled in quickly to a high spot on my list. It was #1 for a while, and certainly some days it earns that place in my heart. #2 isn't exactly a far slide, though. Respect doesn't need much of an introduction, though I'd be curious about how much Redding's version has been heard. Certainly not a lot by me, before this countdown. Redding's version is soulful and strong.

It's just that Aretha Franklin took the song and 100% made it her own. Adding to it (including spelling out the title), shaping it. It's a performance that makes you (or at least me) wonder her covering it wasn't fate. Like this song was made for her to sing, and to "own", even if she wasn't the first (nor my any means the last) to sing it. I mean, it's this high, so you might get the correct impression that I really love this song.

At #1, there's an artist that I wouldn't be surprised to see a few times atop others' list. Only I have them as coveree, not coverer

 

[Tau837]

Hey, krista4, a preemptive thank you for doing this. Makes me smile. Bless you, bud.

Thanks k4 for putting this together and running it. Thanks to Hawks, too, for creating each playlist.

 

[Hawks64]

Hey, krista4, a preemptive thank you for doing this. Makes me smile. Bless you, bud.

Thanks k4 for putting this together and running it. Thanks to Hawks, too, for creating each playlist.

K4 doing herculean effort on these, simply amazing!

 

[Don Quixote]

Echo the thanks to k4 and Hawks!

I’m falling a bit behind on playlists at the end — was out in San Antonio for vacation including the eclipse yesterday. (Don’t listen to the guy in the eclipse thread calling eclipse tourism a waste of money — it’s rad.)

 

[krista4]

I have a 7:30 meeting (what kind of jerkface puts a meeting at 7:30) and then will post.

 

[Hawks64]

I have a 7:30 meeting (what kind of jerkface puts a meeting at 7:30) and then will post.

Early AM meetings are the suck!

 

[krista4]

I have a 7:30 meeting (what kind of jerkface puts a meeting at 7:30) and then will post.

Early AM meetings are the suck!

And it turned out to be a meeting that could have been an email!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Hey, krista4, a preemptive thank you for doing this. Makes me smile. Bless you, bud.

Thanks k4 for putting this together and running it. Thanks to Hawks, too, for creating each playlist.

Fourthed

 

[zamboni]

I have a 7:30 meeting (what kind of jerkface puts a meeting at 7:30) and then will post.

Early AM meetings are the suck!

And it turned out to be a meeting that could have been an email!

Probably the same case can be made for at least 95% of Corporate America meetings.

 

[krista4]

Thirty-One-Point Selections:
PART ONE:

Uruk-Hai:

A Change Is Gonna Come - Otis Redding (Sam Cooke)
Song: second and third votes today – Otis Redding (2); Aretha Franklin (1)
Cover artist: four votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (2); Try a Little Tenderness (1); (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1)
Original artist: three votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (3)


titusbramble:

Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
Song: five votes – Johnny Cash (4)
Cover artist: 11 votes – Hurt (5); I See a Darkness (2); It Ain’t Me Babe (1); In My Life (1); Girl from the North Country (1); Rowboat (1)
Original artist: five votes – Hurt (5)


Pip’s Invitation:

All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)
Song: 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th votes today – Jimi Hendrix (9); Bear McCreary (2); Dave Matthews Band (2); U2 (1); Neil Young & Booker T. and the MGs (1)
Cover artist: 14 votes – All Along the Watchtower (9); Hey Joe (4); The Star Spangled Banner (1)
Original artist: 64 votes – All Along the Watchtower (15); Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4); Mr. Tambourine Man (3); If Not for You (2); It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (2); Make You Feel My Love (2); I Shall Be Released (2); Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight (1); Highway 61 Revisited (1); You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (1); Masters of War (1); It Ain’t Me Babe (1); One More Cup of Coffee (1); My Back Pages (1); When I Paint My Masterpiece (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); Simple Twist of Fate (1); Subterranean Homesick Blues (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)


Dr. Octopus:

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Robert Zimmerman)
Song: 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th votes today – Jimi Hendrix (9); Bear McCreary (2); Dave Matthews Band (2); U2 (1); Neil Young & Booker T. and the MGs (1)
Cover artist: 14 votes – All Along the Watchtower (9); Hey Joe (4); The Star Spangled Banner (1)
Original artist: see above (deleted due to character limits in posts)


simey:

To Love Somebody (live) – Dusty Springfield (Bee Gees)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: three votes – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2); To Love Somebody (1)


Just Win Baby:

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You -- Led Zeppelin (Joan Baez)
Song: two votes – Led Zeppelin (2)
Cover artist: nine votes – When the Levee Breaks (4); Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (2); Gallows Pole (1); Traveling Riverside Blues (1); Dazed and Confused (1)
Original artist: two votes – Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (2)


Galileo:

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
Song: 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th votes today – Jimi Hendrix (9); Bear McCreary (2); Dave Matthews Band (2); U2 (1); Neil Young & Booker T. and the MGs (1)
Cover artist: 14 votes – All Along the Watchtower (9); Hey Joe (4); The Star Spangled Banner (1)
Original artist: see above (deleted due to character limits in posts)


Don Quixote:

Ceremony - Galaxie 500 (New Order)
Song: two votes – Galaxie 500 (2)
Cover artist: two votes – Ceremony (2)
Original artist: five votes – Ceremony (2); Love Vigilantes (2); Blue Monday (1)


simsarge:

I Sold My Heart To The Junkman - The Beautiful South With Jacqui Abbott (Patti LaBelle And Her Blue Belles) NOT ON PLAYLIST
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote each
Original artist: first vote


Charlie Steiner:

Blue Monday - Orkestra Obsolete (New Order) NOT ON PLAYLIST
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: five votes – Ceremony (2); Love Vigilantes (2); Blue Monday (1)


JMLs secret identity:

Lay All Your Love on Me - Erasure (Abba)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: 30 votes – Lay All Your Love on Me (1); SOS (1); Slipping Through My Fingers (1); Tropical Loveland (1); Arrival (1); Like an Angel Passing through My Room (1); 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:

Superstar - The Carpenters (Delaney and Bonnie)
Song: three votes – Sonic Youth (2); The Carpenters (1)
Cover artist: three votes – Superstar (1); A Song for You (1); (They Long to Be) Close to You (1)
Original artist: three votes – Superstar (3)


John Maddens Lunchbox:

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor (Prince)
Song: two votes – Sinead O’Connor (2)
Cover artist: four votes – Nothing Compares 2 U (2); Chiquitita (1); The Foggy Dew (1)
Original artist: seven votes – Nothing Compares 2 U (2); When U Were Mine (2); Kiss (2); Purple Rain (1)


Ilov80s:

Let It Be - Aretha Franklin (The Beatles)
Song: two votes – Aretha Franklin (1); Umphrey’s McGee (1)
Cover artist: 10 votes – Respect (5); Let It Be (1); Bridge over Troubled Water (1); Nessun Dorma (1); A Change Is Gonna Come (1); Spanish Harlem (1)
Original artist: 38 votes – We Can Work It Out (4); Hey Jude (4); While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3); In My Life (3); Let It Be (2); Dear Prudence (2); Here Comes the Sun (2); Yesterday (2); Come Together (2); Got to Get You into My Life (2); And I Love Her (1); 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); Helter Skelter (1); Drive My Car (1); Across the Universe (1); She Said She Said (1); I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (1)


Eephus:

Hound Dog - Elvis Presley (Big Mama Thornton)
Song: two votes – Elvis Presley (2)
Cover artist: seven votes – Hound Dog (2); That’s All Right (2); Suspicious Minds (1); Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (1); An American Trilogy (1)
Original artist: four votes – Hound Dog (2); Ball and Chain (2)


The Dreaded Marco:

Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Song: five votes – Jeff Buckley (4); Pentatonix (1)
Cover artist: five votes – Hallelujah (4); Lilac Wine (1)
Original artist: seven votes – Hallelujah (5); So Long, Marianne (1); Chelsea Hotel No. 2 (1)


New Binky the Doormat:

You Keep Me Hangin' On - Vanilla Fudge (The Supremes)
Song: three votes – Vanilla Fudge (3)
Cover artist: three votes – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (3)
Original artist: five votes - You Keep Me Hangin’ On (3); Where Did Our Love Go (1); Walk on By (1)


Andy Dufresne:

Radar Love – White Lion (Golden Earring)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote

 

[krista4]

Thirty-One-Point Selections:
PART TWO:

Hawks64:

Funny How Time Slips Away - Dave Matthews (Billy Walker)
Song: three votes – Al Green and Lyle Lovett (2); Dave Matthews (1)
Cover artist: 22 votes – All Along the Watchtower (2); Funny How Time Slips Away (1); Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) (1); A Pirate Looks at Forty (1); Sledgehammer (1); Rye Whiskey (1); 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: three votes – Funny How Time Slips Away (3)


rockaction:

All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)
Song: 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th votes today – Jimi Hendrix (9); Bear McCreary (2); Dave Matthews Band (2); U2 (1); Neil Young & Booker T. and the MGs (1)
Cover artist: 14 votes – All Along the Watchtower (9); Hey Joe (4); The Star Spangled Banner (1)
Original artist: 64 votes – All Along the Watchtower (15); Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (4); Mr. Tambourine Man (3); If Not for You (2); It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (2); Make You Feel My Love (2); I Shall Be Released (2); Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight (1); Highway 61 Revisited (1); You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (1); Masters of War (1); It Ain’t Me Babe (1); One More Cup of Coffee (1); My Back Pages (1); When I Paint My Masterpiece (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); Simple Twist of Fate (1); Subterranean Homesick Blues (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)


Scoresman:

Weird Fishes - Lianne La Havas (Radiohead)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: nine votes – Knives Out (2); Weird Fishes (1); National Anthem (1); Optimistic (1); Paranoid Android (1); Exit Music (1); Airbag (1); Let Down (1)


Raging weasel:

House of the Rising Sun – Frijid Pink (unknown)
Song: three votes – The Animals (2); Frijid Pink (1)
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: N/A


scorchy:

Love Vigilantes - Laura Cantrell (New Order)
Song: two votes – Laura Cantrell (1); Iron and Wine (1)
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: five votes – Ceremony (2); Love Vigilantes (2); Blue Monday (1)


Mrs. Rannous:

Shine - Dolly Parton (Collective Soul)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


Mt. Man:

Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Stevie Ray Vaughn (Jimi Hendrix)
Song: four votes – Stevie Ray Vaughan (3); Angelique Kidjo (1)
Cover artist: seven votes – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (3); Little Wing (2); The Sky Is Crying (1); Superstition (1)
Original artist: 10 votes – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (4); Little Wing (3); Machine Gun (1); The Wind Cries Mary (1); Purple Haze (1)


Mister CIA:

Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson (Fred Neil)
Song: five votes – Harry Nilsson (2); Bill Withers (2); The Seldom Scene (1)
Cover artist: four votes – Everybody’s Talkin’ (2); Without You (2)
Original artist: five votes – Everybody’s Talkin’ (5)


Val Rannous:

When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin (Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie)
Song: four votes – Led Zeppelin (4)
Cover artist: nine votes – When the Levee Breaks (4); Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (2); Gallows Pole (1); Traveling Riverside Blues (1); Dazed and Confused (1)
Original artist: four votes – When the Levee Breaks (4)


landrys hat:

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Al Green (Bee Gees)
Song: two votes – Al Green (2)
Cover artist: five votes – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2); Funny How Time Slips Away (2); A Perfect Day (1)
Original artist: three votes – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2); To Love Somebody (1)


shuke:

Dear Prudence - Jerry Garcia Band (The Beatles)
Song: two votes – Jerry Garcia Band (1); Siouxsie and the Banshees (1)
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: 38 votes – We Can Work It Out (4); Hey Jude (4); While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3); In My Life (3); Let It Be (2); Dear Prudence (2); Here Comes the Sun (2); Yesterday (2); Come Together (2); Got to Get You into My Life (2); And I Love Her (1); 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); Helter Skelter (1); Drive My Car (1); Across the Universe (1); She Said She Said (1); I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (1)


Doug B:

The Big Medley [In the Flesh?, Carry On Wayward Son, Bohemian Rhapsody, Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Cruise Control, Turn It On Again] - Dream Theater (Pink Floyd, Kansas, Queen, Journey, Dixie Dregs, Genesis)
Song: yeah, I’m not going through all those
Cover artist: two votes – The Big Medley (1); Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (1)
Original artist: see comment under “song”


DrIanMalcolm:

Proud Mary - Tina Turner (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Song: six votes – Ike & Tina Turner (5); Tina Turner (1)
Cover artist: seven votes – Proud Mary (6); Whole Lotta Love (1)
Original artist: seven votes – Proud Mary (6); Rising Moon Reel (1)


Chaos34:

Tears of a Clown - The English Beat (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
Song: two votes – The English Beat (2)
Cover artist: three votes – The Tears of a Clown (2); Can’t Get Used to Losing You (1)
Original artist: three votes – The Tears of a Clown (2); Who’s Loving You (1)


higgins:

I'll Be Around - Daryl Hall/Ty Taylor (The Spinners)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote each
Original artist: first vote


Oliver Humanzee:

If I Could Only Fly - Merle Haggard (Blaze Foley)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote


krista4:

A Change Is Gonna Come – Otis Redding (Sam Cooke)
Song: second and third votes today – Otis Redding (2); Aretha Franklin (1)
Cover artist: four votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (2); Try a Little Tenderness (1); (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1)
Original artist: three votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (3)

 

[krista4]

Playlist

Please enjoy the four "All Along the Watchtower," including two in a row.

 

[krista4]

A few bits to gin up excitement for the final round:

- We will have our second Dummy's Grand Slam Breakfast - that is, one cover gets four votes!
- Our only Deja Vote is for a cover that has heretofore not appeared on the countdown. All or nothing for this one!
- There is an original artist that gets three votes. Nothing unusual there. But what's weird about this is that this artist has only had two votes total in the countdown until now. So of its five total votes, three will be in the #1 spot.

Obviously the Dummy's Grand Slam Breakfast was Jimi Hendrix Experience on "All Along the Watchtower" (more on that in a second). The Deja Vote is @Uruk-Hai and I choosing Otis Redding's cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come," though one of us had it at the top only because it was first alphabetically.

The oddball original artist with five votes, three of them 31-pointers, is New Order.

 

[krista4]

Posting some "winners," starting with the original artist rankings:

Bob Dylan – 64*
The Beatles – 38
Abba – 30**
Neil Young – 18
Simon & Garfunkel – 17
The Kinks – 12
Jimi Hendrix – 10
The Rolling Stones – 10
Stevie Wonder – 10

*31 from one poster.
**All from one poster.

 

[krista4]

Cover artists:

Dave Matthews – 22*
Jimi Hendrix – 14
Grateful Dead – 14**
Johnny Cash – 11
Aretha Franklin – 10
Nirvana – 10
Phish – 10***
Van Halen – 10

*19 from one poster
**Split evenly between two posters
***Nine from one poster

 

[krista4]

Songs:

All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan) – 15, nine by Jimi Hendrix and the rest by four other artists
Tainted Love (Gloria Jones) – 7, all by Soft Cell
You Really Got Me (The Kinks) – 7, all by Van Halen
Take Me to the River (Al Green) – 7, all by Talking Heads
Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel) – 6, all by The Bangles
Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon (Neil Diamond) – 6, all by Urge Overkill
Proud Mary (Creedence Clearwater Revival) – 6, all by Tina Turner or Ike & Tina Turner
Hurt (Nine Inch Nails) – 5, all by Johnny Cash
Respect (Otis Redding) – 5, all by Aretha Franklin
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) – 5, four by Jeff Buckley
Everybody’s Talkin’ (Fred Neil) – 5, by three different artists
Cortez the Killer (Neil Young) – 5, by three different artists
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (traditional) – 5, all by Nirvana
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel) – 5, all by Disturbed
Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder) – 5, all by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hey Joe (The Leaves) – 5, all by Jimi Hendrix
Jolene (Dolly Parton) – 5, four by The White Stripes

 

[Hawks64]

Cover artists:

Dave Matthews – 22*
Jimi Hendrix – 14
Grateful Dead – 14**
Johnny Cash – 11
Aretha Franklin – 10
Nirvana – 10
Phish – 10***
Van Halen – 10

*19 from one poster
**Split evenly between two posters
***Nine from one poster

 

[krista4]

I just realized that, for the first time in M-AD history, I actually correctly predicted the song winner.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

The Deja Vote is @Uruk-Hai and I choosing Otis Redding's cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come," though one of us had it at the top only because it was first alphabetically.

If I had tried to rank them, this would have been near the top anyway

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Andy Dufresne:

Radar Love – White Lion (Golden Earring)
Song: first vote
Cover artist: first vote
Original artist: first vote

No song improves on the original more than this (My Body Is A Cage comes close). White Lion took a lame-o 70's sound punctuated with flat sounding drums and horns... HORNS!... and turned it into a kick *** rock sing featuring not just a guitar solo but also a DRUM solo. And Mike Tramp can hit every note, and does!

Now excuse me as I go drive 100 MPH to somewhere unknown with this blasting out of the windows.

 

[Scoresman]

With my top picks I didn't want to go with the beloved classic covers because frankly I've grown tired of them and don't listen to them anymore despite them being amazing original songs and covers. I went a little outside the box and picked relatively newer covers that I've grown to love. That's why most of my last few picks have had kind of a "one of these is not like the others" vibe going for it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Uruk-Hai:

A Change Is Gonna Come - Otis Redding (Sam Cooke)
Song: second and third votes today – Otis Redding (2); Aretha Franklin (1)
Cover artist: four votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (2); Try a Little Tenderness (1); (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1)
Original artist: three votes – A Change Is Gonna Come (3)

Otis had two singing idols.

One was Little Richard (also from Macon), so he tried to sing like that (good luck) when he was starting out and it didn't go so well.

The other was Sam Cooke. Otis couldn't sing like him, either (nor could anyone else). But, when Cooke got himself killed, Redding decided to cut some Cooke songs. By this time, he was already having hits and had some clout. He covered "Shake" in typical Otis/Memphis style and turned in one of the great party singles of the mid-60s.

He also chose to tackle "A Change Is Gonna Come". This one most decidedly did not contain the line "shake it like a bowl of soup" (I'm surprised Lennon didn't copy that on "I Am The Walrus"). The original - released shortly after Cooke's death - was monumental and was the first really popular record I can think of that got right to the meat of the Civil Rights struggle. Nina, of course, was - but commercial radio wouldn't touch her. Curtis Mayfield was listening, though, and tore off a string of hits dealing with the same issues.

Otis didn't have the vocal finesse of Cooke or the ability to change his style, so he turned the song into a Memphis eulogy for his fallen hero. Luckily, he had his buddies - some of the best musicians ever - there to hold him up.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

1. Blue Monday - Orkestra Obsolete (New Order)

Apparently there is a version of this on Spotify after all, though I don't think it's the same as the one I first saw on youtube.

I was hoping to bring some background info on this 'band', but all I could find was that they all worked for the BBC and had some musical talent, and that the lead singer used to be in a Scottish rockabilly band. He's the one who was approached by the BBC for a film short about synthesizers but gave them this instead.

I don't know how it appeared on my youtube feed that day; I wasn't familiar with the song and wasn't particularly a fan of New Order anyway, yet I found it compelling nonetheless.

This is my #1 because it made me like a song I wasn't normally inclined to like, even if it is only this version.

Like I did in the my last draft, I want to file a formal protest ; I was led to believe that it was only going to be "dummies" participating in this, yet again there was a level of knowledge and even sophistication displayed that it appears I was the only actual dummy involved. Well, you know what they say: fool me once...

Thanks to @krista4 and @Hawks64 for all the time and effort in this undertaking.

Thanks to all the other 'honorary' dummies who participated. I'm truly awed and humbled by the depth and breadth of everyone's lists and the many write-ups. I used to think of myself as a bit of a music buff; not so much after tangling with you all.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

big thanks @krista4

as always you make the draft!

 

[krista4]

big thanks @krista4

as always you make the draft!

I feel like I kind of fell down on the job on this one, so I especially appreciate it!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Songs:

Cortez the Killer (Neil Young) – 5, by three different artists

Just stating for the record that this is my #1 Neil song but I did not pick any covers of it. Because I deliberately excluded all but one guitar-based rock covers that sound like (or somewhat like) Neil's own versions. Built to Spill, Slint, Gov't Mule, Matthew Sweet, J Mascis and Indigo Girls(!) would have been considered if I didn't. In other words, it's really hard to perform this song without sounding like Neil. It may be the "most Neil" of Neil songs.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

For fans here of Gary Clark, Jr and/or Stevie Wonder, there's a new collaboration out. What About The Children

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Thanks to @krista4 for organizing and compiling and @Hawks64 for the playlists!

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

Thanks @krista4 and @Hawks64!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Final OH tally:

OH cover songs I have heard of: 7
OH original songs I have heard of: 16
OH cover artists I have heard of: 22
OH original artists I have heard of: 26

It's the same as the last update because I have never heard of the song or either artist. Which seems like an appropriate way for OH to wrap this up. I set the O/U at 7.5 and was as close as can be!

 

[zamboni]

zamboni:

Superstar - The Carpenters (Delaney and Bonnie)
Song: three votes – Sonic Youth (2); The Carpenters (1)
Cover artist: three votes – Superstar (1); A Song for You (1); (They Long to Be) Close to You (1)
Original artist: three votes – Superstar (3)

Guess I'm not surprised no one took this one, although @simey did in her last 5 out and we chatted about it. I'm unashamedly one of the biggest Carpenters fans on this board - have always been engrossed by Karen's voice. To me, this the one song that stands above all for her in terms of range and emotion. So haunting.

The aforementioned Leonid & Friends does a great cover with the strikingly beautiful Ksenia Buzenia (@Uruk-Hai) doing a very credible job channeling Karen, in front of a magnificent arrangement that would make Richard blush.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

And echoed thanks to @krista4 and @Hawks64 - it's a ton of work and we really appreciate it.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Pip’s Invitation:

All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

We end where we began. Partly for shtick purposes, I put the Hendrix AATW at the top and the Neil AATW at the bottom. But the Hendrix version has always been a favorite, and is my reflexive response whenever a "greatest covers of all time" discussion happens. Hendrix made this song so much his own that since the '70s Dylan has performed it live IN THE HENDRIX ARRANGEMENT. When he plays it, it occupies a spot toward the end of his shows along with Like a Rolling Stone and whatnot -- which is not a fate anyone expected when John Wesley Harding came out with this quiet, cryptic piece on it. As with many Dylan songs, it has an easily adaptable melody/arrangement and lyrics with multiple meanings, and is easy for covering artists to shape however they want to. Hendrix turned it into one of the greatest anthems of the "classic rock" era, spritzing up the melody and adding waves of orgasmically inspired lead guitar playing. It may also be his best vocal performance -- "and the WIND began to HOWL" still gives me chills after all these years.

In addition to the other versions already discussed, I am a fan of the version Dave Mason recorded for his 1975 self-titled solo album. Mason played acoustic guitar on the Hendrix version (the members of Traffic were hanging around a lot when Hendrix was recording Electric Ladyland), so he has a right to adapt Hendrix's version as much as anyone.

I'm just back from a business trip and I'll get to my takes on everyone else's selections for #s 1, 2 and 3 when I can. This was thoroughly enjoyable!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

zamboni:

Superstar - The Carpenters (Delaney and Bonnie)
Song: three votes – Sonic Youth (2); The Carpenters (1)
Cover artist: three votes – Superstar (1); A Song for You (1); (They Long to Be) Close to You (1)
Original artist: three votes – Superstar (3)

Guess I'm not surprised no one took this one, although @simey did in her last 5 out and we chatted about it. I'm unashamedly one of the biggest Carpenters fans on this board - have always been engrossed by Karen's voice. To me, this the one song that stands above all for her in terms of range and emotion. So haunting.

The aforementioned Leonid & Friends does a great cover with the strikingly beautiful Ksenia Buzenia (@Uruk-Hai) doing a very credible job singing in front of a magnificent arrangement that would make Richard blush.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

And echoed thanks to @krista4 and @Hawks64 - it's a ton of work and we really appreciate it.

It was on my list, but I had too many that started with an "S"

It's a gorgeous record.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Pip’s Invitation:

All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

We end where we began. Partly for shtick purposes, I put the Hendrix AATW at the top and the Neil AATW at the bottom. But the Hendrix version has always been a favorite, and is my reflexive response whenever a "greatest covers of all time" discussion happens. Hendrix made this song so much his own that since the '70s Dylan has performed it live IN THE HENDRIX ARRANGEMENT. When he plays it, it occupies a spot toward the end of his shows along with Like a Rolling Stone and whatnot -- which is not a fate anyone expected when John Wesley Harding came out with this quiet, cryptic piece on it. As with many Dylan songs, it has an easily adaptable melody/arrangement and lyrics with multiple meanings, and is easy for covering artists to shape however they want to. Hendrix turned it into one of the greatest anthems of the "classic rock" era, spritzing up the melody and adding waves of orgasmically inspired lead guitar playing. It may also be his best vocal performance -- "and the WIND began to HOWL" still gives me chills after all these years.

In addition to the other versions already discussed, I am a fan of the version Dave Mason recorded for his 1975 self-titled solo album. Mason played acoustic guitar on the Hendrix version (the members of Traffic were hanging around a lot when Hendrix was recording Electric Ladyland), so he has a right to adapt Hendrix's version as much as anyone.

I'm just back from a business trip and I'll get to my takes on everyone else's selections for #s 1, 2 and 3 when I can. This was thoroughly enjoyable!

Didn't Mason record this on like 15 different albums? I think he's played more than Dylan has