Interesting Cover Songs You Though You'd Never Hear

[Wannaplan?]

So I spent the week-end driving up to northern Michigan and listened to the radio. I abhor the radio. But my trip yielded some surprises on the radio. You know, hitting the scan/seek button to keep your mind occupied.

I heard a country song version of the Pet Shop Boys "Always On My Mind." An excellent cover. Surprising to say the least. I don't know who the artist was.

Then I heard No Doubt's new one that's coming out on their greatest hits CD. It's a cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life." I'm an 80s junkie and I thought their version was mesmerising. Loved it!

Then there's Johny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails "Hurt." Amazing. Beautiful. Can't give that song enough praise. Just gives me lls thinking about that song.

What others have you heard? I'm finally excited about music once again!

 

[nerudite]

I haven't heard the No Doubt song you refer to (I mean the new cover, I love the original Talk Talk song)... I hope they step up the ska beat again for it. I love ska covers of 80s songs. Like Reel Big Fish does Hungry Like a Wolf and Take on Me...

I thought the Pet Shop Boys "always on my mind" was a cover of Elvis... and *everybody* covers Elvis (and the Beatles).

 

[giff57]

I heard a country song version of the Pet Shop Boys "Always On My Mind." An excellent cover. Surprising to say the least. I don't know who the artist was.

That would be Wille doing a cover of Elvis, and the Pet Shop Boys did it last.

Always On My Mind

written by Wayne Thompson, Mark James, and Johnny Christopher
recorded by Elvis Presley
also recorded by Willie Nelson, the Pet Shop Boys, and others

 

[gkmo62u]

dittos on Johnny Cash's version of Hurt. It is epic.

I have a version of Bob Dylan doing Blue Moon, though I forget which album now.

My favorite strange cover ever---Drop Kick Murphy's doing Amazing Grace.

 

[FueledByRamen]

New Found Glory - Glory of Love

(by Peter Cetera off of the Karate Kid II Sountrack )

 

[The Irish One]

Grateful Dead 10-23-89 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, N.C. (Mon)

Song: California Earthquake

Originally Rodney Crowell

 

[tsc]

Wynonna,,, Freebird
Dolly Parton,,, Stairway to Heaven


and... I believe "Always on My Mind" is a Willie Nelson song.

 

[donk]

Dolly Parton,,, Stairway to Heaven

They played this on the CBC last spring. I am embarassed to admit it was hauntingly beautiful.

Nirvana's Man who Sold the Moon (Bowie) was enjoyable.

The Who's "Young Man Blues"

 

[Tom R]

LZ1

Many of the songs on Led Zeppelin 1 are either covers or were stolen.

 

[Repo Man]

My all time favorite cover is The Meatmen covering REMs "Losing My Religion."

Dynamite Hack covering NWA's "Boyz-N-Tha-Hood"


Worst cover ever is Orgy covering New Order's "Blue Monday." Nothing angers me more than a crappy band covering someone I like.

 

[Planderella]

I heard the No Doubt version of "It's My Life." It's an okay cover, but they really didn't add anything special to the song. My favorite cover is Alien Ant Farm's version of "Smooth Criminal."

 

[Seabishop]

Nu-Metal bands are good at really bad covers, usually because they try to make everything sound tough and scary. A new one is Limp Bizkit covering "Behing Blue Eyes" by the Who. Fred Durst sounds like a whiny brat singing No one knows what its like. . ."

A weird cover I heard once was a dance version of "In My Dreams" by Dokken.

I've always wondered why bands would want to cover someone like Hendrix - do they really think anyone will like their version better?

 

[biscuit]

I've always wondered why bands would want to cover someone like Hendrix - do they really think anyone will like their version better?

Several years ago Belly did a cover of Are You Experienced that wasn't too bad.

Some covers I like include:
Save Farris - Come On Eileen
10,000 Maniacs and Michael Stipe - To Sir With Love
That bluiegrass cover of Gin and Juice
There was a local band back in college who did a great bluegrass version of Brickhouse.

One of the worst songs to cover is The Smiths - How Soon is Now. Every version of this I've ever heard has been really, really bad.

 

[Repo Man]

One of the worst songs to cover is The Smiths - How Soon is Now. Every version of this I've ever heard has been really, really bad.

I kind of liked Love Spit Love's version.

 

[nerudite]

Another bizarre song that turned out alright is the Fun Lovin' Criminals doing "I'm Not in Love". I don't know who the original singer was (a female I think).

 

[Planderella]

Another bizarre song that turned out alright is the Fun Lovin' Criminals doing "I'm Not in Love". I don't know who the original singer was (a female I think).

I think "I'm Not In Love" was originally sang by 10cc (some british dudes), then Will to Power remade it in the 80's.

 

[Wannaplan?]

Another bizarre song that turned out alright is the Fun Lovin' Criminals doing "I'm Not in Love". I don't know who the original singer was (a female I think).

Ohhh! I know that song! I even heard the cover you're referring to. Wouldn't the original be a cheesy 70s break-up song? And yes, the ladies be singing the original.

 

[Wannaplan?]

I think "I'm Not In Love" was originally sang by 10cc (some british dudes), then Will to Power remade it in the 80's.

Yes! That's it!

 

[Big Easy King]

At one point, it seemed odd to me that the Red Hot Chili Peppers covered Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." Their version, however, is damn good!

 

[nerudite]

Ohhh! I know that song! I even heard the cover you're referring to. Wouldn't the original be a cheesy 70s break-up song? And yes, the ladies be singing the original.

Yeah, I have the Lounge-A-Palooza cd, and it's on that. Another good one off that cd is the Pizicatto Five doing "The Girl from Ipanema".

 

[Wannaplan?]

At one point, it seemed odd to me that the Red Hot Chili Peppers covered Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." Their version, however, is damn good!

The RHCP are (were) the funkmasters of rock!! Both versions are super cool!

 

[Big Easy King]

Tom Jones covering Prince's "Kiss."

 

[Tom R]

covers

I've always wondered why bands would want to cover someone like Hendrix - do they really think anyone will like their version better?

"Little Wing" by Derick & the Dominoes is as good if not better than Hendrix's version. Duane Allman is awesome on it.

Of course, Hendrix covered "All Along the Watchtower" and "Hey Joe." But I really don't think that his version of "Watchtower" is really a cover. It's almost a completely different song with the same lyrics. The same goes with Otis Redding's and Aretha Franklin's versions of "Respect" and Gladis Knight & the Pip's and Marvin Gaye's versions of "Heard it Through the Grapevine."

 

[donk]

Luther Wright and the Wrongs did an awesome concept album called "tear down the wall". It is a complete interpretation of Pink Floyd's The Wall, done as Bluegrass.

The ramones version of Palisades Park was pretty good too.

 

[ilikefish0]

Everyone remembers Falco's "Rock me Amadeus," right?

Would you believe "Watch out Armadillos" ?

Sample lyric--

"1986--the cajun rock group Atchafalaya records...Watch out aramadillos, aramadillos, aramadillos...."

Yes this is a real song. Last heard on WRBH new orleans in the late 80's. (except for my cassette!)

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Celine Deion - You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

Made me want to blow chunks.

 

[NHPlanner]

Made me want to blow chunks.

Lucky chunks.

 

[Tom R]

chunks

Celine Deion - You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

Made me want to blow chunks.

I'm hip.
You should hear Willie Dixon do it.

 

[Bangorian]

Ben Folds Five's cover of "She Don't Use Jelly" (orig. by the Flaming Lips) is a classic. Loungy as hell. Also on the aforementioned "loungeapalooza" disc.

Anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes should qualify here. "Rocketman" is a fave.