Cover songs are some of the most immediately interesting songs around. One song established as sounding like Q, suddenly is revitalized as sounding like G.

Though, oddly, albums of covers get quite old.

But Rhapsody still no work for me, one of the 30 percent of Mac users here at BC.

I have a big interest in cover songs and agree with you. I especially like when the genre of the original is changed like a blugrass version of a metal song or a rock version of a country song. It can really show how good songwriting holds up.

In regards to Mac I don't think Rhapsody will ever produce a Mac version, which sucks, but it's probably the right business decision. Since Mac online activity accounts for less than even Linux at 2.7 percent, also when you factor in the success of iTunes it probably makes no sense for Real to create a Mac version.

Are there any streaming celetial jukebox services available to the Mac? ie: Napster, MusicMatch, etc..?

Yeah the more off-the-wall the better. Like the San Francisco (??) Philharmonic playing Metallica tunes.

Johnny Cash doing Rusty Cage, One or ... well anything.

Ray Charles' Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (well, sort of).

well this is amusing. i spent all of the last week tryin in vain to reinvent Fuck Tha Police as a sorta talkin' blues thing. i failed miserably. my hard-drive groans with the weight of the results.

i tried to think of a cover chain, but couldn't, so here's some of the dukes fave cover versions;

wonderwall - ryan adams (originally Oasis)

The Mercy Seat - Johnny Cash (originally Nick Cave)

A Pair Of Brown Eyes - Christy Moore (originally The Pogues)

A New England - Kirsty MacColl (Originally Billy Bragg)

Here, There And Everywhere - Emmylou Harris (originally The Beatles)

Ice, Ice Baby - Ben Kweller (originally Vanilla Ice)

Gin & Juice - The Gourds (originally Snoop Dogg)

The Kweller one is currently up on my MP3 Digest at www.mondoirlando.com/mp3_digest.html alongside a buncha other covers. It's a fortnight overdue for change, so by monday (it now being saturday) they'll probably be gone.

A couple of my favorites include Hayseed Dixie who do blue grass covers of AC/DC (get it... Hayseed Dixie - AC/DC, sound similar, right?)

Also, Richard Cheese cracks me up. Lounge versions of metal and Alternative songs.

Oh yea, Dread Zeppelin is up there too.

I almost foorgot, Keller William's version of "Rapper's Delight" is not only creative as hell. It's a seriously great song.

If you have Rhapsody, you can listen to it here.

Sorry that link didn't work. Paste this URL into a browser to hear it on Rhapsody

I'm going to have to buzz two feet over to my girlfriend's PC to try Rhapsody.

Hayseed Dixie - groan.

temple - you dislike the dixie? but how?

no, I mean the pun, not the band. :)

lol i see. yes. those puns, man. what are they good for, anyhow?

Here's a quick cover chain off the top
of my head,it goes something like this:

New York Dolls-Pills /Orig.- Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley-Down On The Corner/Orig.-CCR

Creedence Clearwater Revival- 99 1/2
Just Wont Do/Orig. Wilson Pickett

Wilson Pickett- You Left The Water
Running / Orig. Otis Redding

Otis Redding- Lucille/
Orig. Little Richard

Little Richard- Brown Sugar/Orig.-Stones

Rolling Stones- Cry To Me/
Orig. Solomon Burke

Solomon Burke- In The Ghetto/Orig. Elvis

Elvis Presley- Promised Land/
Orig. Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry- Route 66/Orig.Nat King Cole

Something along those lines, anyway.

That was pretty damn impressive for being off the top of your head.

I made my own cover chain, and it's inspired me to look at the world in a whole new way. The relationships between musicians, and the idea of originality versus imitation, is fascinating - I think true originaility only comes in the synthesis of ideas, and cover songs are that very synthesis. Therefore, cover songs are as original as the songs they cover, if not more so.

Song: Cover/Original
The Times They are a'changing: Tracy Chapman/Bob Dylan
Baby Can I Hold You Tonight: Neil Diamond/Tracy Chapman
Sweet Caroline: Elvis Presley/Neil Diamond
In the Ghetto: Dolly Parton/Elvis Presley
Do I ever cross your mind: Joan Osborne/Dolly Parton
One of Us: Prince/Joan Osborne
Kiss: Tom Jones/Prince
It's Not Unusual: Cher/Tom Jones
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down): Nancy Sinatra/Cher
These Boots: Supremes/Nancy Sinatra
You Can't Hurry Love: Phil Collins/Supremes
You'll be in my heart: Kenny Loggins/Phil Collins
Danny's Song: Anne Murray/Kenny Loggins
Snowbird: Bing Crosby/Anne Murray
But Beautiful: Nat King Cole/Bing Crosby
Unforgettable: Ani DiFranco/Nat King Cole
Joyful Girl: Dave Matthews Band/Ani DiFranco
Tripping Billies: Jimmy Buffett/Dave Matthews Band
Railroad Lady: Willie Nelson/Jimmy Buffett
Pretty Paper: Roy Orbison/Willie Nelson
Claudette: Everly Brothers/Roy Orbison
Wake Up Little Susie: Simon & Garfunkel/Everly Brothers
Mrs. Robinson: Frank Sinatra/Simon & Garfunkel
One for my baby: Etta James/Frank Sinatra
At Last: Joni Mitchell/Etta James
River: Barry Manilow/Joni Mitchell
Mandy: Johnny Mathis/Barry Manilow
Wild is the Wind: David Bowie/Johnny Mathis
Heroes: Oasis/David Bowie
Wonderwall: Ryan Adams/Oasis
In My Time of Need: Joan Baez/Ryan Adams
Old Blue: The Byrds/Joan Baez
Feel a whole lot better: Tom Petty/The Byrds
I Won't Back Down: Johnny Cash/Tom Petty
Busted: Ray Charles/Johnny Cash
I Got a Woman: Beatles/Ray Charles
Yesterday: Bob Dylan/Beatles