A few weeks back, while writing up my rave of the new Robert Plant/Alison Krauss record, I mentioned their cover of Randy Weeks' "Can't Let Go" and how I thought Lucinda Williams owned that song. Last night, while listening to "Shades Of Deep Purple," I thought the same regarding their take on Joe South's "Hush."
So, since not much else is happening in the world of music, I thought you might enjoy coming up with cover versions that are not necessarily superior to the originals, though that is what I am thinking with the three I've posted here, but songs that made you think, "Really? That's a cover?"
Since Three Dog Night were basically a covers band, a couple of their tunes comes to mind. Their version of "Easy to be Hard" is definitive. Also since you posted Harry Nilsson; I think their version of "one" is better
ReplyDeleteSteve Earle does a good job on The Beatles "I'm Looking Through You"
ReplyDeleteYes Unknown, he sure does. But I'm not looking for good covers. No one would ever think "I'm Looking Through You" wasn't a Beatles song.
ReplyDeleteBonnie Raitt owns several songs - Angel from Montgomery, Cry Like a Rainstorm and Paul Siebel's Louise.
ReplyDeleteThe Band - Don't Do It
ReplyDeleteHarry obviously owns Badfinger's "Without You"
ReplyDeleteAnd practically anybody that had a hit song from "Hair" (The Cowsills, Three Dog Night, 5th Dimension, etc) -- owns those as the original broadway cast album is...meh.
Because I'm a Detroit-area homer, I always thought Mitch Ryder owned Prince's "When You Were Mine" and especially Lou Reed's "Rock N Roll"
And speaking of Prince: Sinead O'Connor owns "Nothing Compares 2 U". Full stop.
Twist and Shout by, The Beatles.
ReplyDeletePlease Mr. Postman- The Beatles
ReplyDeleteYou Really Got A Hold On Me- The Beatles
Just reread the post and some people seem to be posting their choices for good covers instead of covers that are not better than the originals, which is what Sal asked for.
ReplyDeleteWith that in mind, I'll throw in a recent one, Bruce's cover of Rhinestone Cowboy, which to me seems tossed off and not different enough from Glen Campbell's original. Big Bruce fan here, like the Western Stars album and love the song, but his version adds nothing to it and the vocal seems perfunctory, almost like a run through.
Okay, I reread what I wrote, too. I can see the confusion.
ReplyDeleteDeep Purple's "Hush," The Beatles' "Twist & Shout," Nilsson's "Without You," all make you forget they were covers.
Who owns the song written by someone else?
You might like Fred Neil's original "Everybody's Talkin'" more than Nilsson's, but there is no question who had the memorable hit. Nilsson owns it.
Wrong answers:
good covers
bad covers
covers you like
covers you think are better
Connecting to yesterday's Ry Cooder post, when I started picking up his albums, I didn't really look at the credits that much, so I thought maybe Ry had written most of the songs. His version of Go Home Girl from Bop Til You Drop definitely owns. And I love Arthur Alexander.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Costello's version of Peace, Love, and Understanding own's Nick's/Brinsley's original.
Bill
"And I think Costello's version of Peace, Love, and Understanding own's Nick's/Brinsley's original."
ReplyDeleteYes! Exactly.
"Really? That's a cover?"
ReplyDeleteJudas Priest: The Green Manalishi
Led Zeppelin: Basically, half of their catalog.
Santana: Black Magic Woman
With some 80's nostalgia, I'll add
Joan Jett: I Love Rock and Roll
Bananarama: Venus
No commentary on the relative merits of the covers.
Dang, I didn't know that Lucinda Williams didn't write "Can't Let Go"!
ReplyDeleteI would second the nomination of Bonnie Raitt's "Angel from Montgomery" (her version of "Song About The Midway" on the same LP is another personal favorite), as well as The Band's version of "Don't Do It" (especially the live performance on Rock Of Ages with Allen Toussaint's horn arrangements).
Would it be safe to say that The Pretenders own "Stop Your Sobbing"?
"That's a cover?"
ReplyDeleteThis Flight Tonight by Nazareth, cover of the Joni Mitchell song
"Would it be safe to say that The Pretenders own "Stop Your Sobbing"?"
ReplyDeleteHell yeah. Good pick.
I assume we are not putting Respect by Aretha and All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix on this list as they are always son the list.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that Johnny Cash owns Hurt.
Dave Edmunds - From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
ReplyDeleteNeko Case- Runnin' Out Of Fools
Rod Stewart - Tomorrow Is Such A Long Time
Go To Blazes - For Lovin' Me
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis was not a difficult assignment.
ReplyDeleteRod’s Never a Dull Moment has a bunch of great covers, now better than Sam? Not so much but Bob and Jimi, yes imo.
ReplyDeleteAngel
Mama, you’ve been…
I’d rather go blind
Twistin the Night Away
Rosalie by Thin Lizzy
ReplyDeletePaul Simon Anji
Bobby Fuller I Fought The Law
Led Zeppelin Nobody's Fault But Mine
Linda Ronstadt Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Woodstock CSN&Y
Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Shadows Of Knight Gloria
Eric Clapton I Shot The Sheriff
Could go on, but I'll stop here.
Great list, FD13NYC!
ReplyDeleteOne question--Did Bobby Fuller not write "I Fought The Law," or did you mean to say The Clash own it? I thought that was a BF4 song.
I respectfully disagree on "I'd Rather Go Blind". I don't think Rod bettered Etta James' original.
ReplyDeleteEric Clapton goes on a dreadlock holiday and owns "I Shot The Sheriff"? Clapton himself disagrees:
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/eric-clapton-admitted-didnt-get-i-shot-sheriff.html/
PS to Sal re. "I Fought The Law":
ReplyDeleteWritten by Sonny Curtis, and first recorded by The Crickets in 1960.
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/3932/versions
I did not know I Fought The Law was a Crickets tune. Wow.
ReplyDeleteThe Band - When I Paint My Masterpiece
ReplyDeleteBonnie Raitt - Thing Called Love
The Rascals definitely own "Good Lovin". Blondie own Hangin' on the Telephone. I wouldn't say the Clash own "I Fought the Law," but they sure as hell own "Brand New Cadillac." And as great as Erma Franklin's version was, Janis Joplin owns "Piece of My Heart."
ReplyDeleteMarc
Glen Campbell--Gentle on my Mind
ReplyDeleteRamones -- Surfin Bird
NY Dolls-- Pills
Talking Heads--Take Me to the River
Dream Syndicate--See that my Grave is Kept Clean (Live)
Rod Stewart--Downtown Train
Detroit Cobras--all albums
same guy who wrote IFTLATLW wrote MTM theme song!
ReplyDeleteI did know that Sonny Curtis wrote MTM theme. Somehow I just assumed IFTL was Bobby Fuller's.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm here:
Elvis- Suspicious Minds
Moody Blues-Go Now (though I prefer Bessie Banks)
Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou ...written by Gene Pitney for Johnny Duncan
ReplyDeleteBlind Faith - Well All Right ...not co-written by Sonny Curtis
Allman Brothers - Statesboro Blues
Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
Shriner...always felt Prince recreated Joni Mitchell's 'Case of You' beautifully, tho, returning the vibe? And Brittany Howard doing 'Both Sides Now' at the Kennedy Center Honors was unreal!
ReplyDeleteSoft Cell's "Tainted Love" would fit I imagine, in so much as I didn't realize it was a cover until decades later.
ReplyDeleteThis Magic Moment- Jay & The Americans
ReplyDeleteLouie Louie - Rockin' Robin Roberts
Mustang Sally - The Young Rascals
I'm Not Your Stepping Stone - Paul Revere & The Raiders
Wild One (Real Wild Child) - Jerry Lee Lewis
I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got -- Bettye LaVette
ReplyDelete"I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got -- Bettye LaVette"
ReplyDeleteI'm confused, Anon.
Her a cappella cover of Sinéad maybe
Deletehttps://youtu.be/7BJzq7BsmLk
Silence is Golden Tremeloes do 4 Seasons
ReplyDeleteSeveral Bettye Lavette (as already mentioned) and I'll throw in another Bonnie Raitt Dimming of the Day... And now (this could be sacrilege)Liz Simmons Who knows where the Time Goes.
ReplyDeleteNightlife B.B. King owns
ReplyDeleteDon't Leave Me This Way Communards own
Junco Partner Dr. John owns
Superstar, actually Karen Carpenter owns.
Gloria. Patti Smith removed from earthly discussion of who owns. Van's version was great. and then SNL Patti happened and all we talked about on the basketball courts that week was that performance. that intro. that presence. that intensity. that something we would never ever ever ever be though we wished we could.
Sorry I misunderstood Sal's original post. Think I have it now.
ReplyDeleteI'll go with: The Band- Atlantic City. Bruce's is fine, but the Band flesh out the arrangement and yes, make it their own IMO.
1. "Rock Around the Clock," amirite? (The original's
ReplyDeleteby Sonny Dae and His Knights.)
2. Although it's debatable as to who actually owns "The
Train Kept A-Rollin'," it's probably safe to say the
answer isn't Tiny Bradshaw.
3. The song above might possibly illustrate an
additional category as well, something like, "How the hell
could anybody have derived THIS from THAT?" A case in
point would be Wilson Pickett's "Teardrops Will Fall,"
which over the years has given rise to a slew of pretty
decent covers: Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, John
Mellencamp. But the first version of all was by Dickie
Doo and the Don'ts. And now, in retrospect, it appears
that each and every one of the covers can make the
original itself sound improbable.
Kiss - King of the Nighttime World (Hollywood Stars/Kim Fowley original)
ReplyDeleteNaked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me (Bacharach/David song - several earlier versions)
Frank Sinatra - It Was a Very Good Year (The Kingston Trio found it first)
Sal, you don't strike me as a man who confuses easily! Or perhaps its me who's confused. Either way, with the assignment of "Who owns the song written by someone else?", Bettye LaVette's spellbinding a capella version of Sinead is, in my estimation, Exhibit A.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, onward to a safer, saner, healthier New Year.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteWith respect, I wasn't asking for amazing cover versions. Sinead's "I Do Not Want" was not a hit. It wasn't even a single. Sure, Bettye Lavette took it to new heights, but my definition of "owning" something was made clearer in the comment section. Sorry, but Lavette's cover does not qualify. It's not a hit. No one thought it was a Lavette original.
For the record, here are the suggestions I believe qualify:
ReplyDeleteThree Dog Night- Easy To Be Hard
Badfinger- Without You
Sinead- Nothing Compares 2 U
The Beatles- Twist & Shout
Elvis Costello- Peace, Love & Understanding
Santana: Black Magic Woman
Joan Jett- I Love RNR
The Pretenders "Stop Your Sobbing"
Aretha- Respect
Jimi- Watchtower
Glen Campbell--Gentle on my Mind
Talking Heads--Take Me to the River
Bobby Fuller I Fought The Law
Linda Ronstadt Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Woodstock CSN&Y
Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Shadows Of Knight Gloria
Eric Clapton I Shot The Sheriff
The Rascals "Good Lovin"
Blondie - Hangin' on the Telephone
Janis- Piece Of My Heart
Elvis- Suspicious Minds
Moody Blues-Go Now
Soft Cell's "Tainted Love"
Superstar-Carpenters
Frank Sinatra - It Was a Very Good Year
I sent some in earlier, but they didn't post, so here's try number 2; I've left off the ones that showed up after my first attempt.
ReplyDeleteJanis Joplin - Ball And Chain
Elvis - Mystery Train
Elvis - That's Alright Mama
Animals - House Of The Rising Sun
Animals - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Toni Basil - Mickey
Cyndi Lauper - Money Changes Everything
Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Spirits In The Night
Clash - Police On My Back
Nick Lowe - Switchboard Susan
Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Hendrix - Hey Joe
Bowie - China Girl (yes, I know he's co-writer of the version Iggy did first)
Toots & Maytals - Take Me Home, Country Road
Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou
Stones - Time Is On My Side (and I love Irma!)
Stones - It's All Over Now
Dwight Yoakam - This Thing Called Love
ELO- Roll Over Beethoven
Humble Pie - I Don't Need No Doctor
Eno - You Don't Miss Your Water
James Taylor - Handyman
Willie - Always On My Mind
C in California
Frank Sinatra, "New York, New York."
ReplyDeleteAmii Stewart, "Knock on Wood."
Carpenters, "Close to You"
Bruce H
I Can't Let Go - The Hollies
ReplyDeleteMy Little Red Book - Love
EDIT
ReplyDelete*Crazy Little Thing Called Love (for Dwight Y.)
C in California
Has everyone forgotten the lilting tones of William Shatner singing "Rocket Man?"
ReplyDeleteBrothers Johnson, "Strawberry Letter 23"
ReplyDeleteByrds, "Turn Turn Turn"
Elvis P., "Hound Dog"
Nat "King" Cole, "The Christmas Song"
Dave Edmunds, "I Hear You Knocking"
Janis Joplin, "Me and Bobby McGee"
Sammy Davis Jr., "The Candy Man"
Barry Manilow, "I Write the Songs"
Bruce H
seeing the great Tracy Allman on Curb reminded me of "They Don't Know"
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of Three Dog Night, I’ll submit Eli’s Coming…
ReplyDeleteI heard "Bad Case of Lovin' You" on the radio and thought, "This is perfect for Sal's list!"
ReplyDeleteBrothers Johnson, "Strawberry Letter 23"
ReplyDeleteByrds, "Turn Turn Turn"
Elvis P., "Hound Dog"
Nat "King" Cole, "The Christmas Song"
Dave Edmunds, "I Hear You Knocking"
Janis Joplin, "Me and Bobby McGee"
Sammy Davis Jr., "The Candy Man"
Barry Manilow, "I Write the Songs"
All excellent, Bruce.
And yes Todd, assuming you heard the Robert Palmer version.
And Neal T, totally forgot the Kirsty Version. I knew she wrote it, but totally forgot she recorded it.
Marvin Gaye and ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.
ReplyDeleteI read that Gladys’ version was the biggest single in Motown history - until Marvin released his version
Eric
Damn! Sorry I missed this one. Aretha owning "Respect" is probably the ultimate answer. Although Otis owns "Try A Little Tenderness".
ReplyDeleteI think Bruce owns "Jersey Girl".
I bet most people think "To Make You Feel My Love" is an Adele song.
Soft Cell owns "Tainted Love".
Will try to think of more
C'mon Sal. No one is gonna hear Moon Martin's version on the radio.
ReplyDeleteAnd Barry Manilow didn't write "I Write the Songs"? What kind of weird multiverse level of crazy is that?
"C'mon Sal. No one is gonna hear Moon Martin's version on the radio."
ReplyDeleteGood point.
Though I am sure there are others, the one omission I see is CCR's Proud Mary covered by Ike & Tina Turner.
ReplyDeleteGOOML
scrolled thru 2 make sure not here but we missed a biggie Arlo's "city of New Orleans"
ReplyDeleteHey Sal,
ReplyDeleteTryin to reconnect with you n burning shed but having problems setting up account?
Can you help?
Have a brill 22
Ed
Ed,
ReplyDeleteThe blog doesn't need a subscription or account.
You should have all access at all times.
Many moons ago, I would send out an email blast, but that annoyed more people than helped.
Maybe bookmark the site and when you're having a cuppa tea, checking e-mails, you can stop by here a few times a week, as well.
Have a brill new year, too!
xo
Sal