Hank The Drifter

I'll do a song that I know has been covered many, many times. I know I know, another post made by me related to Hank Williams, sorry. heh. I kinda obsess over covers of his songs, and this is one of his most covered songs.

Original by Hank Williams

This lonesome song basically defines heartbreak and lonesomeness. If you are a Country music fan, you've no doubt heard this song, and this song has been covered by so many and throughout so many genres many many non-country fans have had the chance to hear it. Anyway, this song just captures feelings you've never known were there before. If you're feeling down this song can almost pick you up out of it because you realize you're not nearly as down as ol' Hank seemed to be when he recorded this.

First Place cover: By Johnny Cash and Nick Cave

I think this version of the song worked it so well because Cash done a very good job at capturing the overall mood of the song. He had that very rough sounding voice in his later years and put such a depressive spin on everything. I suppose he was a fairly depressed man at this particular point in his life though. Also, Nick Cave does a very good job with the backup vocals in my opinion.

Second place cover by Dax Riggs

Alright, maybe this isn't fair but its too good not to include and honestly what of the best versions of the song I've heard. Its live and the only recording I can find of Dax doing this, sadly. He does a damn good job with this cover and I highly recommend it.

Weird and cool versions of this song,
By The Residents

Well, you can't expect anything but weird out of The Residents, but that's certainly not a bad thing. This is them mixing up a bunch of old Folk songs to make I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry. Wow, this is different but very cool. This has such an eerie atmosphere that its super depressive and once again catches the overall mood of the song.

Sorry for the kinda hurried writing guys. I'll write something else for this thread at a later time.

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“If a song can't be written in 20 minutes, it ain't worth writing.” - Hank Williams

dankrsta

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

This song has quite an interesting early history. It is probably the most famous Motown Records song and most people know it as a Marvin Gaye song (including me before this research). It was written in 1966. by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and was recorded first by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, although went unreleased at the time. The next two versions were both recorded in 1967. a few months apart from each other. Marvin Gaye song was recorded first, but Gladys Knight & the Pips version was released first in 1967. and went to become a big hit. Marvin Gaye's song was added to his 1968 album In the Groove and after its success, 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' was finally released as his single and became an even bigger hit then the Gladys Knight version and one of the biggest Motown hit singles.




Now, I won't rank these first three versions, but will rather pick a classic. All three songs are very good for different reasons, be it an r&b cool flow of The Miracles version or Gladys Knight's strong, almost gospel feel, but my favorite is by far Marvin Gaye's song. He added a certain melancholy and sadness that give those lyrics even more layers. His song is undeniably the classic, as it is the version that is covered the most.

5. The Temptations (1969)

The Temptations were one of the first acts to record their own version in 1969. after Marvin Gaye made a huge hit out of it. This one is more in that soul line of Gladys Knight & the Pips version and since I like that one a lot more, The Temptations take 5th place.

4. Roger Troutman (1981)

Roger Troutman, singer of the funk band Zapp made this extremely catchy, dance version for his solo album The Many Facets of Roger in 1981. This song was a big hit in the 80s and another 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' version that managed to top the charts. And I can just see why

3. The Slits (1979)

Well, everybody on this forum knows The Slits, I hope, a famous female punk/post-punk band. Their highly energetic cover is on the 1979. album Cut and it almost made it to the second place on this list. Actually, I'll consider it a tie with the 2nd place. With heavy bass opening, funky groove and African rhythms it still manages to retain that punk feel, which makes it a great post-punk cover of a soul classic.

2. Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

This is maybe the most famous 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' cover and the one I heard first, even before Marvin Gaye. That is one of the reasons it's in the second place, as this is the band I used to listen a lot when I was in my classic rock phase. Beside nostalgic reasons, this is a ****ing great song, especially the 11min. album version from Cosmo's Factory (1970)

1. Tuxedomoon (1977 - 1983)

This cover appears on the compilation of band's rare songs from 1977 - 1983., Pinheads on the Move (1987). So why is this bizarre, iconoclastic version in the first place? Tuxedomoon took a classic, transformed it and totally made it their own. We can still recognize the song just fine as it retains the same lyrics, although delivered with a lot of humor and hinting on a gay relationship. But beneath this seeming bizarre playfulness there is a constant intense whirlpool of contrasting sounds that give us a feel of madness and desperation that's going on in the mind of a lover when he finds out he's been cheated and is not loved anymore. So, in some strange way this cover actually complement that pain which can be sensed in Marvin Gaye song. And, of course, I'm incurably biased towards Tuxedomoon.

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crushedblind

City of New Orleans

original:



covers:



perfect. the song is perfect. the atmosphere is perfect. the singularity and the sobriety is perfect. may be the most sincere version of this song i've ever heard.



god bless shotgun willie. this is the first version i heard and deep down still probably my favorite.

i'm going to be really biased here and not include any other covers---but! a lot of other great artists cover this song so don't let me discourage you from checking their versions out---John Denver, Arlo Guthrie, Jerry Reed---these are songs for the day

but the good versions--the johnny cash and the willie nelson versions--are songs for the night. these are the versions you scream out the window on a midnight drive. the voices of the disappearing railroad blues.

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gimme danger little stranger

VEGANGELICA

THE ORIGINAL: Divinyls - "I Touch Myself" (1991)

When I first heard this song on the radio, I felt it was very liberating to have a sexuality-drenched song sung by a woman. I also thought to myself, "Ooo! Is it legal to broadcast songs like this?! Is no one listening to the lyrics?!" And then I listened again and again. And again.

Apparently, other people *were* listening to the lyrics, because they have made covers. I just realized that today, hence this post. Here is the original by the Divinyls followed by covers that I have ranked in order of my preference:



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1st PLACE: Genitorturers - "I Touch Myself" (Cover) (2000)

This delicious industrial metal song is much better than the original, in my opinion, because of the Genitorturers' harsher, more powerful sound and the slight change they made in the lyrics to turn the woman from the desperately desiring party into someone who desires but is also the recipient of adoration.

This cover is sometimes erroneously thought to be by Jack Off Jill...which is how it came to my attention as I was listening to some of their music.



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2nd PLACE: Tiffani Wood - "I Touch Myself" (Cover) (2006)

I didn't know what to expect from this cover, and, having been spoiled by Genitorturers, I wasn't expecting to like it, but *gosh darn it*, that Tiffani Wood is so cute and humorous in the role of horny girlfriend chasing after reluctant and rather horrified boy, that I couldn't help but be charmed.

I gave the song 2nd PLACE mostly for the boy's expressions...but also for Tiffani Wood because she does have a very nice, strong warm voice, and brings some wholesome girlish fun to a topic often seen as a little lewd:



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98th PLACE: Scala & Kolacny Brothers - "I Touch Myself" (Live) (2005)

Now this classical choral version of "I Touch Myself" by the Belgian all-girls choir startled me with the creepiness of all these teen girls singing about touching themselves and giving blow jobs (implied by the lyrics) as if this were a simple love song instead of one dripping with lust, while the director encourages the audience to clap along Kumbaya style!



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99th PLACE: The Girls of FHM - "I Touch Myself"

I almost always loathe this style of dance song with the repetitive pulsing beat that makes we want to slash off wallpaper, and this song was no exception. Ear torture:



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99.5th PLACE: Eve6 - "I Touch Myself"

For some reason I imagine Muppets are singing this annoying, acoustic guitar version of the song that I find to be completely unerotic...although I couldn't help but notice that the shrieking female audience members didn't seem to share my opinion!



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Last PLACE: Pink - "I Touch Myself" (Cover) (2009)

There must be other covers of the song out there, but without even listening to them I am sure that Pink's is the ABSOLUTE, ROCK-BOTTOM!! Horrifyingly insipid, this song is an insult to the good name of masturbation:

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Mrd00d

Have a Cigar, by Pink Floyd



10. Foo Fighters

It's not that it's worse than number 9... I just really hate the Foo Fighters. Even when the drummer sings...

9. Felipe Limon - If you want your Have a Cigar with an accent...


8. Out of Phase
no Youtube video it seems

7.House of Fools


6. Rosebud

This disco one is probably the most different, and is a very fun concept. I just don't like disco that much...

5. Gov't Mule - "That's really cool by the way...Which one's the Mule?"


4. Walter Ego


3. Neal Morse


2. Bobby Kimball of Toto

On an unrelated note, excellent music video here.
Not too shabby of a cover here at all...

1. Primus


Primus' version is my favorite, merely for loving all of Les' Pink Floyd covers. I think he's got a great voice to cover these songs; yes it's different, yes it's still correctly and well done... Especially the instrumentation

Honorable remix:

Wick-it Dubstep remix

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Mrd00d's Last.fm

Mrd00d

Ted Nugent's Stanglehold



1. Tool


2. Cross Canadian Ragweed


3. Killdozer

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Mrd00d's Last.fm

VEGANGELICA

The Classic: "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James & The Shondells (1968).

I've always liked this song. I was in a mood to listen to it tonight, which caused me to discover that there are two covers. Since there are only two, ranking them will be easy!

I like the original because of the phaser effect (such as at 2:25) that gives a dreamy feeling to the song. I like the way the song alternates between longing and confidence, sounding first wistful and yearning before becoming more energetic and excited then reverting to yearning again. A sweet, intriguing song:



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FIRST PLACE: Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - "Crimson and Clover" (cover)

She's hot, what can I say. I mostly just spent the video watching her and forgetting about the music. But when I paid more attention to the song, I thought that it's interesting to hear a woman singing it, since the song is about being in love with a woman. I'm glad they didn't change the lyrics to try to make the song hetero.

I feel this cover sounds stronger and more seductive than the original...less wistful, more confident and raunchy. It's a very good cover, although I prefer the classic's subtlety and variety of sounds.




DEAD LAST PLACE: Prince - "Crimson and Clover"

I don't like this cover at all! I don't like the placid drum beat, I don't like the electric guitar warble that makes it sound Country to me, I don't like the boring electric guitar solos that sound like a zillion other electric guitar solos I've heard.

And YIKES! I really don't like Prince's voice in this song! His voice sounds too warbly, whispery, and whiny for my tastes. I view the song as being just a step above elevator music. That's not good, because I really don't like elevator music.

Ah well, here is the video below. If you're a knitter, keep the needles farrrrr away from you so that you aren't ovecome by the sudden, desperate urge to jab them into your ears and end your awareness of this song:

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Lisnaholic

A lot of really good songs and some amusing reviews in this thread. Well done, MBers.

If they did, the song would have to go: I think I could love him, Crimson and clovhim.

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I`d like to share a song that almost everybody knows - an evocation of adolescent romance from a more innocent age, called Do You Wanna Dance

In the case of this song, some of the covers are better known than the original, so I`m going to start with them, in reverse order of merit :

No.8 By Walter Beasley (1998), who gives it the Kenny G treatment. Not worth posting a link to this !

No.7 By Cliff Richard (1962). A very mundane pop version that doesn`t hold any real interest either.

No.6 By Marc Bolan (1975). He gamely rides it out over some hammy background vocals and seems to be treating the song as a joke:-




No.5 By The Ramones (1977). They run through this so fast, that the speed is the most exhilarating thing about it. I liked dismissive vocal delivery, but the rather sweet lyrics don`t really match the Ramones` style, or their reputation as punk rockers:-



No.4 By Del Shannon(1964). A spirited, sincere-sounding version with a surprising change of register from our man, Del:-



No.3 By the Mamas and The Papas (1966). This starts out so well, with an exquisite voice and slow pace that wrings out every drop of sentiment from the lyrics.The voices rise up and cut through a rather saccharine backing of strings, but unfortunately,as the song progresses, the saccharine slowly triumphs :-



No.2 By John Lennon (1975). Lots going on musically in this version, which showcases the biting voice of John, who has changed the song into a loping, slow reggae number:-



No.1 By The Beach Boys (1965) The song is so appropriate for The Beach Boys, and was such a hit for them, that for years I assumed it was one of Brian Wilson`s own songs. I suspect that after it was released, this was the version that other artists covered, rather than the original. That`s why I`m putting it at number one - and also for the glorious moment at 0:27 when the chorus slams in :-



Saving the best for last, here is the original, recorded in 1958 by Bobby Freeman with its brief, but unequalled, guitar break. What`s surprising, though, is that the song`s real hook, the repetition of " Do ya, do ya, do ya...." is only squeezed in at one place, just before the song closes. It`s as if Bobby Freeman didn`t realise the value of the unforgetable gem he had just written :-

VEGANGELICA

Ha ha!

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Today I heard the song "The Good Life" for the first time while starting to watch the movie "Nothing But Trouble." I felt the song offers wise words about love, relationships, and life choices, so I became curious about it. I looked up the song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Life_(1962_song) and learned that numerous covers exist.

I won't be able to rank all the covers in one sitting, but here's a start:

THE ORIGINAL:

"La Belle Vie" sung by Sacha Distel and composed by Jack Reardon (1962)
A nice, stereotypical, crooning love song...in French!



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COVER #1: "The Good life" by Frank Sinatra (1964)
He sings this peppy version very clearly.



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COVER #2: "The Good Life" by Tony Bennett (1963)
Slower and a little schmaltzier, but still nice.



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COVER #3: "The Good Life" by Ray Charles
I had difficulty understanding all his words in this recording, in which he sings the song much faster than the original. This version sounds a little more humorous than the other covers.



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A surprising number of additional covers (more than twenty) exist. Maybe in time I'll rank a few more besides those I've done.

Seeing how many covers of "The Good Life" exist made me wonder which song has been covered the most in all of human history. If the number of covers is a good measure of a song's popularity, then "The Good Life" seems to be an extremely popular song!

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VEGANGELICA

While watching "The Full Monty" yesterday with my parents, I realized during the final scene that I'd heard the song, "You Can Leave Your Hat On," in another movie, "9 1/2 Weeks."

So I became curious about the song...although perhaps that was due to its tendency to be paired with scenes of stripping. I don't know, maybe that has something to do with it. Below is the original, followed by my ranking of its covers:

THE ORIGINAL:
Randy Newman - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1972)
This song appeared in his album Sail Away. It's a good song. It serves its purpose well. My only real complaint about the original is that it lacks a little pep compared to some of the future covers.



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COVER #1:
Tom Jones - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1997)
Tom Jones covered the song for the British film "The Full Monty." This cover has a lot more pizzazz and excitement than the original. I like the trumpets! Below is the song used in the cute final scene from the movie, which I feel is sweet because it shows how anyone can be sexy, since sexy is an attitude and not just a look. My favorite scene happens earlier, though, and is when Dave, who feels self-loathing and shame over his weight, doesn't want to strip and asks his wife dejectedly, "Who would want to see this?!" She looks at him and answers, "I would." Awwwww.



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COVER #2:
Joe Cocker - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1986)
Used in the movie "9 1/2 Weeks." Maybe I'm biased by seeing Kim Basinger's playful striptease, but I think the cover is pretty nice.



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COVER #3
Michael Grimm - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (2010)
I didn't expect to like this cover, since I wasn't too impressed by Michael Grimm's style of singing on America's Got Talent, but I admit his voice works well for the song. This was a disappointment, because I liked disliking his music.



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COVER #4
Ty Herndon - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1999)
I also didn't expect to like this version, since Ty is a country singer. Although I don't prefer his country accent and I feel the song seems a little bland, I still didn't hate the cover. I think that's because I feel the song is simply a good composition: short, sweet, amusing, seductive. Even a country singer couldn't kill off its good qualities entirely.



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COVER #5
Three Dog Blind - "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1975)
Sounds a little sluggish and I don't care so much for the singer's slurred voice or the organ (of course) in the background.

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