The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
At first I rounded it to 30 years but I’m a math geek.
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The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter krista4
- Start date
zamboni
Footballguy
I thought they did a demo studio version before the Fillmore performance, but could be wrong.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
If they did, it wasn't released at the time.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
OH tally:
OH cover songs I have heard of: 4
OH original songs I have heard of: 14
OH cover artists I have heard of: 19
OH original artists I have heard of: 24
I know the artists, but I don't think I knew either version of the song before this countdown. If it did appear in a previous thread here, I don't remember.
OH cover songs I have heard of: 4
OH original songs I have heard of: 14
OH cover artists I have heard of: 19
OH original artists I have heard of: 24
I know the artists, but I don't think I knew either version of the song before this countdown. If it did appear in a previous thread here, I don't remember.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Covers from #5 that I know and like and have not previously discussed in this thread:
Boys - The Beatles (The Shirelles) -- IT'S A RINGO SHOWCASE. Powerful performance all around. I like it almost as much as their version of Twist and Shout, which appeared on my list earlier.
Masters of War (Live at MSG) - Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready (Robert Zimmerman) -- PJ had been in the national spotlight for less than a year when its singer and lead guitarist were invited to participate in "Bobfest". It was the first step toward their inclusion in the "rock legend" pantheon. Vedder's vocal is attention-grabbing.
Atlantic City - The Band (Bruce Springsteen) -- The original is my #1 Springsteen and the Band do an excellent job with it on their first post-Robbie Robertson album. As they did with their own material in the '60s and '70s, they make the song sound like it was written much earlier than it was.
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).
Alone - Heart (i-Ten). I like Ann Wilson's vocal but the music, less so. I did not know this was a cover, but I'm not surprised, because I knew they used a lot of outside writers in the 80s, so it makes sense that they would have been given something that was already recorded by someone else.
Shambala - Three Dog Night (B.W. Stevenson) -- I did not know this was a cover, but again, I am not shocked because for the most part they did not write their own material. This is one of my favorite tracks of theirs, it's infectious and instantly memorable. And check out those bell bottoms!
What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers (Kenny Loggins) -- As with You Belong to Me, I knew that Michael McDonald wrote this with someone who also recorded it, but I didn't know which version came first. This is the gold standard by which yacht rock is measured. In other words, it is the 100 on the Yacht or Nacht? scale.
The Letter - Joe Cocker (The Box Tops) -- As with Ol' Yowly's version of She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, the arrangement is the best part (is that Leon Russell's work?), but the vocal works fine to my ears.
Boys - The Beatles (The Shirelles) -- IT'S A RINGO SHOWCASE. Powerful performance all around. I like it almost as much as their version of Twist and Shout, which appeared on my list earlier.
Masters of War (Live at MSG) - Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready (Robert Zimmerman) -- PJ had been in the national spotlight for less than a year when its singer and lead guitarist were invited to participate in "Bobfest". It was the first step toward their inclusion in the "rock legend" pantheon. Vedder's vocal is attention-grabbing.
Atlantic City - The Band (Bruce Springsteen) -- The original is my #1 Springsteen and the Band do an excellent job with it on their first post-Robbie Robertson album. As they did with their own material in the '60s and '70s, they make the song sound like it was written much earlier than it was.
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).
Alone - Heart (i-Ten). I like Ann Wilson's vocal but the music, less so. I did not know this was a cover, but I'm not surprised, because I knew they used a lot of outside writers in the 80s, so it makes sense that they would have been given something that was already recorded by someone else.
Shambala - Three Dog Night (B.W. Stevenson) -- I did not know this was a cover, but again, I am not shocked because for the most part they did not write their own material. This is one of my favorite tracks of theirs, it's infectious and instantly memorable. And check out those bell bottoms!
What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers (Kenny Loggins) -- As with You Belong to Me, I knew that Michael McDonald wrote this with someone who also recorded it, but I didn't know which version came first. This is the gold standard by which yacht rock is measured. In other words, it is the 100 on the Yacht or Nacht? scale.
The Letter - Joe Cocker (The Box Tops) -- As with Ol' Yowly's version of She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, the arrangement is the best part (is that Leon Russell's work?), but the vocal works fine to my ears.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Pip’s Invitation:
When the Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin (Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy)
As I alluded to earlier, this is not the first time I ranked this song #5 in a thread on this board. It was also #5 on my list in Anarchy's Zeppelin countdown. So I'll just repeat what I said in that thread:
The line between "original" and "cover" is often blurred when it comes to Zep. Because the title and most of the lyrics are the same as the Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy version, I was comfortable categorizing this as a cover.
At #4, the only coverer who appears twice on my list, in a format that is also unique for my list.
When the Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin (Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy)
As I alluded to earlier, this is not the first time I ranked this song #5 in a thread on this board. It was also #5 on my list in Anarchy's Zeppelin countdown. So I'll just repeat what I said in that thread:
The line between "original" and "cover" is often blurred when it comes to Zep. Because the title and most of the lyrics are the same as the Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy version, I was comfortable categorizing this as a cover.
At #4, the only coverer who appears twice on my list, in a format that is also unique for my list.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
I'm still behind. So:
New-to-me covers from #6 that I very much enjoyed:
It Ain't Me Babe - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (Robert Zimmerman) -- I did hear them perform this at "Bobfest," but IMO that's not a great version. I'd never heard the studio version, which is much better. Johnny's vocal is almost sardonic here.
Dear Mr. Fantasy – Southern Culture on the Skids (Traffic) -- Aside from the banjo (!), this is pretty faithful to the original, but it's one of those songs that always manages to sound great. The guitar and vocal work are excellent here.
Você - Tim Maia (Eduardo Araújo) -- Gorgeous and haunting.
Wayfaring Stranger - Simon Khorolskiy & Chris Rupp (Traditional) -- Ditto.
Like an Angel Passing through My Room - Madonna (Abba) -- Her vocal plays well off the orchestration here.
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez (The Knife) -- This was pleasant. Still don't recognize it.
I Shall Be Released - Eddie Vedder, Jack Johnson, Zach Gill (Bob Dylan) -- Another song that's hard to screw up. Everyone delivers a compelling performance here.
Oh Well – The Rockets (Fleetwood Mac) -- Has all the requisite swagger, but pulls it off differently from Petty or any of the Mac singers that have attempted this over the years.
Fox on the Run - Tom T Hall (Manfred Mann) --
Morning Dew - Grateful Dead (Bonnie Dobson) -- I've heard other jambands play this but, since I don't pay much attention to the Dead, I don't remember hearing any of their performances of it. It's definitely one of their more emotional arrangements.
Money's Too Tight To Mention – Simply Red (The Valentine Brothers) -- This was a fun little vamp.
And I Love Her - Pat Metheny (Beatles) -- As good an example as any of how expressive Metheny's playing is.
New-to-me covers from #6 that I very much enjoyed:
It Ain't Me Babe - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (Robert Zimmerman) -- I did hear them perform this at "Bobfest," but IMO that's not a great version. I'd never heard the studio version, which is much better. Johnny's vocal is almost sardonic here.
Dear Mr. Fantasy – Southern Culture on the Skids (Traffic) -- Aside from the banjo (!), this is pretty faithful to the original, but it's one of those songs that always manages to sound great. The guitar and vocal work are excellent here.
Você - Tim Maia (Eduardo Araújo) -- Gorgeous and haunting.
Wayfaring Stranger - Simon Khorolskiy & Chris Rupp (Traditional) -- Ditto.
Like an Angel Passing through My Room - Madonna (Abba) -- Her vocal plays well off the orchestration here.
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez (The Knife) -- This was pleasant. Still don't recognize it.
I Shall Be Released - Eddie Vedder, Jack Johnson, Zach Gill (Bob Dylan) -- Another song that's hard to screw up. Everyone delivers a compelling performance here.
Oh Well – The Rockets (Fleetwood Mac) -- Has all the requisite swagger, but pulls it off differently from Petty or any of the Mac singers that have attempted this over the years.
Fox on the Run - Tom T Hall (Manfred Mann) --
Morning Dew - Grateful Dead (Bonnie Dobson) -- I've heard other jambands play this but, since I don't pay much attention to the Dead, I don't remember hearing any of their performances of it. It's definitely one of their more emotional arrangements.
Money's Too Tight To Mention – Simply Red (The Valentine Brothers) -- This was a fun little vamp.
And I Love Her - Pat Metheny (Beatles) -- As good an example as any of how expressive Metheny's playing is.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
27 Points - Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
Original
m.youtube.com
Gloria Jones was a motown product who never had a hit, but had an interesting career. She made a big impact in Northern England where she was dubbed the Queen of Northern Soul. Moving into musicals she bumped into Marc Bolan of T Rex fame in Los Angeles, they then became romantically involved and had a son together Rolan Bolan. She was the driver of the car that crashed into a tree killing Bolan. Both were drunk. She was wearing a seat belt. He wasnt. This song is done well and you can clearly hear the song as you know it, but lacks something than Soft Cell found.
Cover
m.youtube.com
One of the key new wave synth pop songs. 1981 saw Soft Cell pop up out of nowhere with a cover in a totally different style to the original. A dramatic and notable performance on UK chart show Top of the Pops propelled it to number 1 and it became the biggest selling single there in 1981. In the US success took longer, hovering between 100 and 41 for 19 weeks before finally cracking the top 40 and ultimately peaking at #8.
Originals 9 - Covers 18. The cover clearly wins here. Its chart performance worldwide is a clear sign something special happened here
Next Up, I am surprised we have only seen this one once. I think. It’s just an art to not only make a good song better, but to almost reinvent it….although the credit for this goes elsewhere.
Original
NEW * Tainted Love - Gloria Jones {Stereo} 1964
1964-65Original video edited and AI remastered with HQ stereo sound."Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, ...
m.youtube.com
Gloria Jones was a motown product who never had a hit, but had an interesting career. She made a big impact in Northern England where she was dubbed the Queen of Northern Soul. Moving into musicals she bumped into Marc Bolan of T Rex fame in Los Angeles, they then became romantically involved and had a son together Rolan Bolan. She was the driver of the car that crashed into a tree killing Bolan. Both were drunk. She was wearing a seat belt. He wasnt. This song is done well and you can clearly hear the song as you know it, but lacks something than Soft Cell found.
Cover
Soft Cell - Tainted Love (Live On Top Of The Pops)
For many, Soft Cell’s first appearance on Top Of The Pops with ‘Tainted Love’ was their gateway to a whole new world of bittersweet electro pop and blurring ...
m.youtube.com
One of the key new wave synth pop songs. 1981 saw Soft Cell pop up out of nowhere with a cover in a totally different style to the original. A dramatic and notable performance on UK chart show Top of the Pops propelled it to number 1 and it became the biggest selling single there in 1981. In the US success took longer, hovering between 100 and 41 for 19 weeks before finally cracking the top 40 and ultimately peaking at #8.
Originals 9 - Covers 18. The cover clearly wins here. Its chart performance worldwide is a clear sign something special happened here
Next Up, I am surprised we have only seen this one once. I think. It’s just an art to not only make a good song better, but to almost reinvent it….although the credit for this goes elsewhere.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
27 Points - Arrival - Mike Oldfield (Abba)
Original
m.youtube.com
Hey look, Bagpipes!
Having the title of the 1976 album in place, Benny Andersson came up with an instrumental to go with it. Its the last of only two Abba songs not to feature any lyrics. The vocals are a key feature, but no words are on it. As part of the French musical ABBACadabra, Daniel Balavoine and ABBA member Fridarecorded a French-language cover of Arrival, under the title “Belle” in September 1983. The single sold 80,000 copies in France. Shortly after Belle, Frida and B.A. Robertson recorded an English-language version called “Time” for the UK musical ABBACadabra. A music video was created to promote the single. The single entered the UK charts and peaked at No. 45
Cover
Mike Oldfield liked this so much he made it the centrepiece of his 1980 album QE2. His first album to feature Maggie Reilly. Her vocals on this are one of the biggest difference between the original and this version, although the build up is totally different. Oldfield builds his guitar work so that at first it seems not a great cover until it matches and surpasses the original.
Abba - 18 - Cover 9.
Both are wonderful instrumentals, but i think Oldfield does something special with his version. Advantage cover.
Next Up is the biggest surprise in my Abba rundown. Its a fairly unremarkable early Abba song. The cover is so good, it shot up my rankings from originally in the 20s, then into the teens, then the top 10 before landing at #4. It’s sublime
Original
ABBA - Arrival
The beautiful title track from the "Arrival" album. Enjoy!And this is the original. Mike Oldfield just covered it.
m.youtube.com
Hey look, Bagpipes!
Having the title of the 1976 album in place, Benny Andersson came up with an instrumental to go with it. Its the last of only two Abba songs not to feature any lyrics. The vocals are a key feature, but no words are on it. As part of the French musical ABBACadabra, Daniel Balavoine and ABBA member Fridarecorded a French-language cover of Arrival, under the title “Belle” in September 1983. The single sold 80,000 copies in France. Shortly after Belle, Frida and B.A. Robertson recorded an English-language version called “Time” for the UK musical ABBACadabra. A music video was created to promote the single. The single entered the UK charts and peaked at No. 45
Cover
Mike Oldfield liked this so much he made it the centrepiece of his 1980 album QE2. His first album to feature Maggie Reilly. Her vocals on this are one of the biggest difference between the original and this version, although the build up is totally different. Oldfield builds his guitar work so that at first it seems not a great cover until it matches and surpasses the original.
Abba - 18 - Cover 9.
Both are wonderful instrumentals, but i think Oldfield does something special with his version. Advantage cover.
Next Up is the biggest surprise in my Abba rundown. Its a fairly unremarkable early Abba song. The cover is so good, it shot up my rankings from originally in the 20s, then into the teens, then the top 10 before landing at #4. It’s sublime
Mrs. Rannous
Footballguy
I really wanted to pick Spiderbait's cover of "Ghost Riders in the Sky", but it's only available on the Ghost Rider soundtrack.
Raging weasel
Footballguy
Way behind :(
The 25 pointers
known and liked covers
One more cup of Coffee - didn't know it was a cover
Just a Gigolo
Luck be a Lady- didn't know it was a cover
My back Pages
Hard to Handle
I'm not your stepping Stone- didn't know it was a cover
She's not There
Stay
Trapped
Liked covers of known songs
Wonderwall
California Dreamin
New to me likes
Can you get to That
Cause we ended as Lovers
The Passenger
I gotsta get Paid
The 25 pointers
known and liked covers
One more cup of Coffee - didn't know it was a cover
Just a Gigolo
Luck be a Lady- didn't know it was a cover
My back Pages
Hard to Handle
I'm not your stepping Stone- didn't know it was a cover
She's not There
Stay
Trapped
Liked covers of known songs
Wonderwall
California Dreamin
New to me likes
Can you get to That
Cause we ended as Lovers
The Passenger
I gotsta get Paid
Raging weasel
Footballguy
The 26 pointers
known and liked covers
Brother Louie
All the young Dudes
Black Magic Woman - if I did just fav covers this would be top 3
The man who sold the World
Liked covers of known songs
Summer Breeze
Dear Mr Fantasy
Little red Book
And I love Her
Everybody's Talkin
known and liked covers
Brother Louie
All the young Dudes
Black Magic Woman - if I did just fav covers this would be top 3
The man who sold the World
Liked covers of known songs
Summer Breeze
Dear Mr Fantasy
Little red Book
And I love Her
Everybody's Talkin
simey
Footballguy
A dozen favorites from this round that are new to the countdown...
- Lyle covering Townes on "If I Needed You" is asgood great as it gets. 
- The Band always used great instruments on their tunes, and anything being sung by Levon is gonna perk up my ears. I love their cover of "Atlantic City." Their cover has a more hopeful feel to it, and Bruce's original has a more desperate feel to it. I like both versions.
- I need Three Dog Night to show me the road to "Shambala."
- The Kingsman's cover of "Louie Louie" is a classic that shapes the sound of the 50s, and I hope it continues to be played on the airwaves way into the future.
- Ringo shows he can sing too on The Beatles' cover of "Boys," and the background singing and screaming is an added bonus.
- People best have their seat belts on if "Black Betty" by Spiderbait comes on the radio, cause it is fast and furious.
- "Take A Letter, Maria" by The Pleasure Barons starts out with this baritone man singing, and then the chorus kicks in, and it explodes into a fun, festive song.
- The Melbourne Ska Orchestra lets loose in their cover of "Get Smart," and it's a whirlwind of fun sounds.
- Spoons cover of "Don't You Evah" sounds a bit more refreshing than the original. My favorite parts of the song are the vocals, bass, and the groove of it.
- Grateful Dead's live cover of "Me & My Uncle" puts a skip in my step.
- Phil Collins' cover of Elton's "Burn Down The Mission" is very well done. It's one of my favorite Elton/Bernie songs.
- Big fan of Joe Cocker's rendition of "The Letter," and I especially love the live version off of Mad Dogs and Englishman. They have the groove down perfect, the music is great, and they are having a blast.
- Lyle covering Townes on "If I Needed You" is as
- The Band always used great instruments on their tunes, and anything being sung by Levon is gonna perk up my ears. I love their cover of "Atlantic City." Their cover has a more hopeful feel to it, and Bruce's original has a more desperate feel to it. I like both versions.
- I need Three Dog Night to show me the road to "Shambala."
- The Kingsman's cover of "Louie Louie" is a classic that shapes the sound of the 50s, and I hope it continues to be played on the airwaves way into the future.
- Ringo shows he can sing too on The Beatles' cover of "Boys," and the background singing and screaming is an added bonus.
- People best have their seat belts on if "Black Betty" by Spiderbait comes on the radio, cause it is fast and furious.
- "Take A Letter, Maria" by The Pleasure Barons starts out with this baritone man singing, and then the chorus kicks in, and it explodes into a fun, festive song.
- The Melbourne Ska Orchestra lets loose in their cover of "Get Smart," and it's a whirlwind of fun sounds.
- Spoons cover of "Don't You Evah" sounds a bit more refreshing than the original. My favorite parts of the song are the vocals, bass, and the groove of it.
- Grateful Dead's live cover of "Me & My Uncle" puts a skip in my step.
- Phil Collins' cover of Elton's "Burn Down The Mission" is very well done. It's one of my favorite Elton/Bernie songs.
- Big fan of Joe Cocker's rendition of "The Letter," and I especially love the live version off of Mad Dogs and Englishman. They have the groove down perfect, the music is great, and they are having a blast.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Please, PLEASE take Duke out of this thing
Val Rannous
Footballguy
Wow, how did I forget to include this in my list?!? I feel dumb now.
simey
Footballguy
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
Footballguy
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
Footballguy
If they hadn't won the ACCT, do you think Keats would have been fired?I cast a spell on Duke this morning. The chant is supposed to suppress and keep the Devil away, so I hope it works.
Guess what was playing on the radio this afternoon when I got in the car to go to the colony?? Hungry Like the Wolf!!
simey
Footballguy
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.
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Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
That never bothered Lemmy!
simey
Footballguy
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.
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.
krista4
Footballguy
I couldn't love him more.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I thought they were a 6 seed that year.Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed
zamboni
Footballguy
My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.I thought they were a 6 seed that year.Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed
Mister CIA
Footballguy
A team of density?My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.I thought they were a 6 seed that year.Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed
zamboni
Footballguy
That’s some sharp wit(tenburg).A team of density?My bad - I read it wrong. They beat the 11 seed in the first round.I thought they were a 6 seed that year.Jimmy V’s 1983 squad was also an 11 seed
simey
Footballguy
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
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
Footballguy
Amazing run! I haven't experienced anything like this since 1983.
Eephus
Footballguy
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.
open.spotify.com
Running scoreboard: Originals 13 - Covers 13
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
Running scoreboard: Originals 13 - Covers 13
Mt. Man
Footballguy
#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.
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.
simey
Footballguy
Two of my remaining four have already shown up in the countdown.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
The three I can remember of mine haven't been chosen yet.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
3 of my top 4 have not yet appeared.
Is that good or weird?
Is that good or weird?
Don Quixote
Footballguy
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
Footballguy
I'm all about the chalk - all of mine have appeared (but at least one is a different version, so bonus!)
simey
Footballguy
zamboni
Footballguy
Hadn't thought of it, but now I can't unsee it. Good thing he never transferred to Brown University.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?
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
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
Footballguy
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?
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Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
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.
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
Footballguy
And I first became familiar with THAT song via a cover.
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