Blogcritics Comments on Music Playlist: Cover Chain #1

Comment by rickard.

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 16:31:25 EST

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

Comment by Robert Burke

Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:25:35 EST

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

Comment by HW Saxton

Sun, 27 Feb 2005 01:04:40 EST

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.

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 20:12:37 EST

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

Comment by Temple Stark

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:31:15 EST

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

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 18:38:45 EST

temple - you dislike the dixie? but how?

Comment by Temple Stark

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 18:11:42 EST

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

Comment by Robert

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 17:32:38 EST

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

Comment by Robert Burke

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 17:29:41 EST

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.

Comment by Robert Burke

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 17:25:34 EST

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.

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 14:49:37 EST

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.

Comment by Temple Stark

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 14:25:58 EST

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).

Comment by Robert Burke

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 10:51:02 EST

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..?

Comment by Temple Stark

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 23:16:36 EST

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.