The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (5 Viewers)

[Uruk-Hai]

Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na
Go State!

Please, PLEASE take Duke out of this thing

 

[Val Rannous]

Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (Rockin Robin Roberts) -- I knew this was a cover because a squillion different acts attempted it. It was like Hey Joe in that regard. What made the Kingsmen's version stand out was the garbled vocal, which some listeners thought was hiding obscene lyrics (it wasn't).

Wow, how did I forget to include this in my list?!? I feel dumb now.

 

[simey]

Please, PLEASE take Duke out of this thing

I cast a spell on Duke this morning. The chant is supposed to suppress and keep the Devil away, so I hope it works. I probably should have consulted our New Orleans resident Doug B on this voodoo stuff.

Guess what was playing on the radio this afternoon when I got in the car to go to the colony?? Hungry Like the Wolf!!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (Rockin Robin Roberts) -- I knew this was a cover because a squillion different acts attempted it. It was like Hey Joe in that regard. What made the Kingsmen's version stand out was the garbled vocal, which some listeners thought was hiding obscene lyrics (it wasn't).

Legend has it that the microphone in the studio was parked too far above the singer's head, so he had to crane his neck up and that led to the messed-up vocals. I don't think it would have mattered where the mike was, as that dude couldn't sing The whole band is a mess. Which is why this record is the punkest any punk ever punked. Eat your hearts out, Pistols & Nirvana.

The government spent more taxpayer dollars investigating this record for supposed dirty lyrics than they did on the Bay Of Pigs Invasion. Both attempts were abject failures.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Please, PLEASE take Duke out of this thing

I cast a spell on Duke this morning. The chant is supposed to suppress and keep the Devil away, so I hope it works. I probably should have consulted our New Orleans resident Doug B on this voodoo stuff.

Guess what was playing on the radio this afternoon when I got in the car to go to the colony?? Hungry Like the Wolf!!

If they hadn't won the ACCT, do you think Keats would have been fired?

 

[simey]

If they hadn't won the ACCT, do you think Keats would have been fired?

I don't know. It was said he was on the hot seat. My oldest nephew said he always heard at school that the players love Keatts. I guess the players love for a coach doesn't matter if you aren't winning enough games. Keats said recently that it took longer than he thought it would for the team to gel this year, but they finally found their groove. When you have all these transfers, it is like starting over with a new team each year.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (Rockin Robin Roberts) -- I knew this was a cover because a squillion different acts attempted it. It was like Hey Joe in that regard. What made the Kingsmen's version stand out was the garbled vocal, which some listeners thought was hiding obscene lyrics (it wasn't).

Legend has it that the microphone in the studio was parked too far above the singer's head, so he had to crane his neck up and that led to the messed-up vocals.

That never bothered Lemmy!

 

[Eephus]

We're all NC State fans today

 

[simey]

By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Glen Campbell

Glen's pure warm voice expressed Jimmy Webb songs so well. There was always something so sincere in his voice that makes you feel those lyrics. His voice mixed with that gentle strum, the string arrangement, and the lyrics makes this a beauty of a song that can take you somewhere else during that less than 3 minute time frame.

 

[zamboni]

DJ Burns for President.

Congrats @simey !

 

[krista4]

DJ Burns for President.

Congrats @simey !

I couldn't love him more.

 

[zamboni]

Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed

 

[Don Quixote]

Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed

I thought they were a 6 seed that year.

 

[zamboni]

Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed

I thought they were a 6 seed that year.

My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.

 

[Mister CIA]

Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed

I thought they were a 6 seed that year.

My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.

A team of density?

 

[zamboni]

Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed

I thought they were a 6 seed that year.

My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.

A team of density?

That’s some sharp wit(tenburg).

 

[simey]

DJ Burns for President.

Congrats @simey !

How about that Pack! Men and women!
@Just Win Baby

 

[shuke]

Dramamine - Sun Kil Moon (Modest Mouse)

Morning Dew - Grateful Dead (Bonnie Dobson)

Me and My Uncle - Grateful Dead (John Phillips)

Haven't had a chance to comment on my recent selections. I love Mark Kozelek's voice, and Dramamine is such an incredible song to begin with, that including SKM's cover was an easy choice for me.

These two covers by the Dead are two of their more well-known songs, and I feel they definitely made both of them their own. Uncle is a fun country rocker with an interesting story to tell, and Dew is just so hauntingly beautiful.

 

[Tau837]

DJ Burns for President.

Congrats @simey !

How about that Pack! Men and women!
@Just Win Baby

Amazing run! I haven't experienced anything like this since 1983.

 

[Eephus]

26.ee - David Bowie - Wild is the Wind (Johnny Mathis cover)

The original: Native son of San Francisco Johnny Mathis recorded the original in 1957 as the Oscar nominated title song of a movie starring Anthony Quinn. The arrangement is by industry vet Ray Ellis who worked with artists ranging from Billie Holliday to Emmylou Harris. Mathis plays with the phrasing of his vocal in his smooth clear tenor giving the words a conversational feel.

The cover: Bowie's version is closer in spirit to Nina Simone's 1966 version than Mathis' original. Bowie delivers one of his greatest vocal performances displaying his entire vocal range from baritone to falsetto. The song maintains the drama for over six minutes as the band surges and builds behind Bowie's crooning.

Is the cover better than the original?: Strong yes on this one. Bowie does a better job of conveying the emotion of the lyrics while Mathis' floats above it. When Bowie sings "don't you know you're life itself", I believe him.

Wild Is the Wind (with Ray Ellis & His Orchestra)

Johnny Mathis, Ray Ellis And His Orchestra · Song · 1958

open.spotify.com

Wild Is the Wind - 2016 Remaster

David Bowie · Song · 1976

open.spotify.com

Running scoreboard: Originals 13 - Covers 13

 

[Mt. Man]

#5 Shambala - Three Dog Night (B.W. Stevenson)
Original -Spotify ; Youtube'

"Shambala" was written by Daniel Moore in 1973, and according to secondhandsongs, had seven releases that year (some of them no doubt spurred by the songs' success). Three Dog Night's came out second, a few weeks later than Stevenson's, and thus it's technically correct to call it a cover. And, naturally, in M-AD threads, technically correct is the best kind of correct. I had it in my mind well before this countdown (before any M-AD countdown, really) that this was a cover. Though I wouldn't have been able to tell you who did it first or how close the recordings were for the world. Stevenson's version is good, really, though Three Dog Night's rendition blows it out of the water in popularity and also (IMHO) as a performance.

Buckwheat (yes, that's what the "B,W," stands for) is mostly known for one hit, if anything. "My Maria", co-written by Moore, was a Top 40 pop hit for three months in 1973. Larry Carlton, a studio musician who played with more bands that I care to list here, played the guitar on that recording. The Wiki lists two b-sides for that single, one of them of course being Shambala.

At #4, no new songs left for me, but I have my 2nd (and final) Traditional song. It's the kind of song you can enjoy while in a tent out in the woods.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I remember what I chose for 3 of my Final Four. Those three are all song titles that start with the letter "A". No recall on what the 4th is.

 

[simey]

I remember what I chose for 3 of my Final Four. Those three are all song titles that start with the letter "A". No recall on what the 4th is.

Two of my remaining four have already shown up in the countdown.

 

[simey]

I have to take someone to Duke today to see a medical specialist. I'm gonna wear some red.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I remember what I chose for 3 of my Final Four. Those three are all song titles that start with the letter "A". No recall on what the 4th is.

Two of my remaining four have already shown up in the countdown.

The three I can remember of mine haven't been chosen yet.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

3 of my top 4 have not yet appeared.

Is that good or weird?

 

[Don Quixote]

3 of my 4 have appeared. Still have a chance to own my #1. I got all of my weird foreign language stuff out of my system earlier in the countdown.

 

[Val Rannous]

I'm all about the chalk - all of mine have appeared (but at least one is a different version, so bonus!)

 

[simey]

3 of my top 4 have not yet appeared.

Is that good or weird?

In your case, it's probably not good.

 

[simey]

For those who have watched NC State play, whenever Mo Diarra does something good (which is often) and it shows the back of his jersey, I always read his name as Diarrhea. Does anyone else?

 

[zamboni]

For those who have watched NC State play, whenever Mo Diarra does something good (which is often) and it shows the back of his jersey, I always read his name as Diarrhea. Does anyone else?

Hadn't thought of it, but now I can't unsee it. Good thing he never transferred to Brown University.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

3 of my top 4 have not yet appeared.

Is that good or weird?

In your case, it's probably not good.

Hey!

I'm pretty sure at least two will be well liked. Or at least liked. Or at least not have a stink eye given.

 

[Doug B]

Ilov80s:

Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez (The Knife)

These are the two I've been referencing that I'd expected to get a lot of votes but are just showing up for the first time now.

"Heartbeats" is completely unknown to me, as are Jose Gonzalez and The Knife. I have a lot of holes in my 21st-century musical knowledge ... the little bit that I do know is probably from this board.

Just listened to both Gonzalez's and The Knife's versions of "Heartbeats". Gonzalez's plain-spoken, sparse picking brings this song to a new level for me.

I hate to be "lost old man" about this song ... but as our esteemed board owner might say -- "I find this super interesting": "Heartbeats" is a known, popular song? When krista4 wrote that she expected this to get a lot of votes, I thought "Heartbeats" had a period of popular exposure like Adele's "Hello" or Lorde's "Teams", where you'd hear them all the time even if you weren't seeking them out.

So ... "Heartbeats" is not a way-deep-down underground fave? It was a big-deal huge hit in it's time? I noticed that The Knife's version stalled out at 119 on the Billboard US Single's chart, and Gonzalez' cover never charted in the US. But I understand charts might not mean much here. Was "Heartbeats" in a huge movie (I miss a lot of those, too)? How would someone be exposed to "Heartbeats"? Club scene? Being into DJ type musicians?

 

[Doug B]

Money's Too Tight To Mention – Simply Red (The Valentine Brothers) -- This was a fun little vamp.

I forgot to post The Valentine Brothers' original: (YouTube)(Spotify)

Simply Red's Mick Hucknall does a job on the vocals for sure. The Valentines' backing instrumentation, however, is pretty danged funky and slick -- fine piano and sax work.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I'm finally caught up! For less than 24 hours.

New-to-me covers from #5 that I very much enjoyed:

By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell (Johnny Rivers) -- There's another cover of this that I should have considered, but this one is damn good too.
Burn Down the Mission - Phil Collins (Elton John) -- I didn't need the '80s synths*, but everything else about this is real good.
Get Smart - Melbourne Ska Orchestra (Irving Szathmary) -- A stompin' good time was had.
Don't You Evah - Spoon (The Natural History) -- I think this was in the Spoon MAD countdown. But I didn't recognize it by title and didn't know it was a cover.
Suspicious Minds - Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter (Mark James) -- Great vocals by both of them. They do indeed sound suspicious, and a little weary.
Black Betty - Spiderbait (Trad.) -- Sounds pretty similar to the Ram Jam version except that the vocals are even more abrasive somehow.
Take a Letter Maria - The Pleasure Barons (R. B. Greaves) -- Fantastic all around, even with the singer becoming unhinged at the end.
Not the Only One - Bonnie Raitt (Paul Brady) -- Heartfelt. I read an interview with David Crosby that Raitt's comeback albums in the late '80s and early '90s convinced him that it was OK to put out albums with lots of covers/material from outside songwriters on them. He came from a scene that was big on songwriting prowess -- and writing as many songs as possible yourself to get those songwriting royalties -- but he was not a prolific songwriter, and that plus his substance abuse issues meant that before the '90s, we didn't get much from him aside from his few contributions to Byrds, CSN(Y) and Crosby-Nash albums. His embrace of the Raitt model led to the 1993 album Thousand Roads, which was 70% covers/outside writers, and then he was reunited with his biological son James Raymond, who was a more prolific writer and worked with him for the rest of his career.
If I Needed You – Lyle Lovett (Townes Van Zandt) -- Excellent pairing of singer and songwriter.

* -- Yes, I realize this came out in 1991, but there was still plenty of "80s music" in 1990 and 1991 until Nirvana hit big. My radio stations played The Who's cover of Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting from this same tribute album.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Buckwheat (yes, that's what the "B,W," stands for) is mostly known for one hit, if anything. "My Maria", co-written by Moore, was a Top 40 pop hit for three months in 1973.

And I first became familiar with THAT song via a cover.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Three of my final four songs have already appeared. The fourth one has not, and your reaction to it will be, "yeah, that tracks."

 

[zamboni]

Buckwheat (yes, that's what the "B,W," stands for) is mostly known for one hit, if anything. "My Maria", co-written by Moore, was a Top 40 pop hit for three months in 1973.

And I first became familiar with THAT song via a cover.

I thought Buckwheat had a whole medley of hit covers

 

[Eephus]

* -- Yes, I realize this came out in 1991, but there was still plenty of "80s music" in 1990 and 1991 until Nirvana hit big. My radio stations played The Who's cover of Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting from this same tribute album.

The Eighties in music began in September 1978 when the first PiL single came out and ended in September 1991 with the release of Nevermind.

 

[scorchy]

I finally got caught up on the last 10 days worth of playlists while cleaning out my basement storage area this weekend. I feel so accomplished - everything in matching clear bins, labeled, and stacked neatly. At least until my wife craps it up by shoving all sorts of things where they don't belong and I'm compelled to do it all over again next year.

Anyway, my favorite three from each round among the ones that hadn't appeared yet:

22s
Tryin' to Get to Heaven - Phosphorescent (Robert Zimmerman)
Little Honda - Yo La Tengo (Beach Boys)
A New England - Kirsty Maccoll (Billy Bragg) - When i first heard the original way back when, I had never heard of "prams" so I thought BB was singing "pushing grams." Which led to wondering why schoolgirls in England were dealing coke.

23s
I Shall Be Released - Wilco and Fleet Foxes (Robert Zimmerman)
Hey Hey Helen - Lush (Abba)
Welcome to the Machine – Shadows Fall (Pink Floyd) - This shouldn't be my scene at all but I was entralled.

24s
掙脫 (“Dreams”) - Faye Wong (Cranberries)
Ooh La La - Silkworm (Faces)
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thorogood and the Destroyers (John Lee Hooker, Amos Milburn) - My brother and cousin always talk about seeing George play in my hometown when he was starting out. The Gulls Nest lounge was famous for letting in anyone with a fake ID in, but I was 5 at the time, so doubt they were that lenient.

25s
One More Cup of Coffee - The White Stripes (Robert Zimmerman)
The Passenger - Siouxsie and the Banshees (Iggy Pop)
Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody - David Lee Roth (Louis Prima) - Had no idea this was a cover back in the day, Just thought it was Dave being Dave. Will always love it.

26s
Dear Mr. Fantasy – Southern Culture on the Skids (Traffic)
The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana (David Bowie)
Fox on the Run - Tom T Hall (Manfred Mann) - Not sure how I never heard this. Was really hoping it was Fox on the Run by Sweet, but any disappointment was short-lived.

27s
Boys - The Beatles (The Shirelles)
Don't You Evah - Spoon (The Natural History)
If I Needed You – Lyle Lovett (Townes Van Zandt) - Perfect.

 

[scorchy]

Hey @Uruk-Hai - while I was cleaning things out this weekend, I found my program from the 1979 Orioles-Angels ALCS and another program from August the previous season. If you want to stop by and listen to my new trove of classic Billy Joel records, it would be a blast to reminisce about Kiko Garcia and Tippy Martinez.

My favorite part in the programs, aside from the cigarette and liquor ads, are the concession prices printed on the back page - 90 cents for a crabcake and a 46 oz draft beer (!!!) for $2.50. No wonder Wild Bill Hagy was always so drunk!

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

3 of my top 4 have not yet appeared.

Is that good or weird?

I have no idea, but three of mine haven't shown up yet, either.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Ilov80s:

Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez (The Knife)

These are the two I've been referencing that I'd expected to get a lot of votes but are just showing up for the first time now.

"Heartbeats" is completely unknown to me, as are Jose Gonzalez and The Knife. I have a lot of holes in my 21st-century musical knowledge ... the little bit that I do know is probably from this board.

Just listened to both Gonzalez's and The Knife's versions of "Heartbeats". Gonzalez's plain-spoken, sparse picking brings this song to a new level for me.

I hate to be "lost old man" about this song ... but as our esteemed board owner might say -- "I find this super interesting": "Heartbeats" is a known, popular song? When krista4 wrote that she expected this to get a lot of votes, I thought "Heartbeats" had a period of popular exposure like Adele's "Hello" or Lorde's "Teams", where you'd hear them all the time even if you weren't seeking them out.

So ... "Heartbeats" is not a way-deep-down underground fave? It was a big-deal huge hit in it's time? I noticed that The Knife's version stalled out at 119 on the Billboard US Single's chart, and Gonzalez' cover never charted in the US. But I understand charts might not mean much here. Was "Heartbeats" in a huge movie (I miss a lot of those, too)? How would someone be exposed to "Heartbeats"? Club scene? Being into DJ type musicians?

I've never heard this, either. It's a bit sleepy for me.

 

[krista4]

I remember what I chose for 3 of my Final Four. Those three are all song titles that start with the letter "A". No recall on what the 4th is.

It's a "B."

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I remember what I chose for 3 of my Final Four. Those three are all song titles that start with the letter "A". No recall on what the 4th is.

It's a "B."

"B" for "Biased toward the beginning of the alphabet."

 

[krista4]

My #3 and #4 have been taken. My #2 is going to get sniped before we get there.

OH has two of four that have been taken, one of them by me.

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

My #3 and #4 have been taken. My #2 is going to get sniped before we get there.

OH has two of four that have been taken, one of them by me.

Three of my final 4 have been taken already. But the one unclaimed is my #4 so, at a minimum, I’ll be a co-owner of that song —-but I doubt anyone else has listed it.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Can I pre-own songs for the next list? I've got a bunch of them.

 

[Ilov80s]

Ilov80s:

Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez (The Knife)

These are the two I've been referencing that I'd expected to get a lot of votes but are just showing up for the first time now.

"Heartbeats" is completely unknown to me, as are Jose Gonzalez and The Knife. I have a lot of holes in my 21st-century musical knowledge ... the little bit that I do know is probably from this board.

Just listened to both Gonzalez's and The Knife's versions of "Heartbeats". Gonzalez's plain-spoken, sparse picking brings this song to a new level for me.

I hate to be "lost old man" about this song ... but as our esteemed board owner might say -- "I find this super interesting": "Heartbeats" is a known, popular song? When krista4 wrote that she expected this to get a lot of votes, I thought "Heartbeats" had a period of popular exposure like Adele's "Hello" or Lorde's "Teams", where you'd hear them all the time even if you weren't seeking them out.

So ... "Heartbeats" is not a way-deep-down underground fave? It was a big-deal huge hit in it's time? I noticed that The Knife's version stalled out at 119 on the Billboard US Single's chart, and Gonzalez' cover never charted in the US. But I understand charts might not mean much here. Was "Heartbeats" in a huge movie (I miss a lot of those, too)? How would someone be exposed to "Heartbeats"? Club scene? Being into DJ type musicians?

Hmmm...it looks like it was a top 10 hit in the UK. It was on an episode of The OC which for millenials in the 00s was a huge show and it's music was top notch. Artists that got songs prominently featured there would immediately get tons of itunes downloads and become popular. I am sure that's where I heard the song and my wife and I likely immediately downloaded it illegally.

 

[Mt. Man]

For the #5s, I decided to do something a little different. Favorites were mostly songs I knew, but had forgotten that it was a cover, or simply didn’t know. But that left some stuff off. Same for thinking about the covers I liked best. So I decided to go five (of course?) deep for the Shout Out too.

Recognized by title alone: 19
Sounded familiar: 3
Knew from M-AD Countdowns: 3
Didn’t Know: 9

Selected Favorites:
Louie, Louie - The Kingsmen. Knew it was a cover, but forgot about it when making my list.
Alone - Heart. Had NO idea it was a cover.
Black Betty - Spiderbait. Knew it was a cover. Wouldn’t have been as sure about the Ram Jam version.
What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers. Totally slipped my mind that this was a cover.
The Letter - Joe Cocker. Knew it was a cover. Was afraid of krista4 wrath (but really, didn’t make the cut)

Hadn’t heard before, but liked:
Get Smart - Melbourne Ska Orchestra. Of course I know the original!
Arrival - Mike Oldfield. Yeah, I don’t know a lot of Abba. But I really liked this!
Atlantic City - The Band. Know the original pretty well.
Don’t You Evah - Spoon. Definitely don’t know the original.
Me & My Uncle - Grateful Dead. Don’t think I’ve heard either version before.

Special Shout-out Subsection:
Boys - Beatles. Original doesn’t sound familiar. Only vaguely familiar with this version.
By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Glen Campbell. Much more familiar with Glen’s version.
Masters at War - Eddie Vedder & Mike McCarthey.
Burn Down the Mission - Phil Collins. Knew original somewhat, though the Elton John countdown was a good refresher. Never heard the cover.
Take a Letter, Maria - The Pleasure Barons. Never heard this version, but this sounds familiar enough that I’ve probably heard SOME version.