Ok--here's one for the kids at home: if you were a singer in a rock band--a really good rock band (insert your favorite here)--and you had a 3-5 minute hole on your next CD, which pop song would you choose to cover to fill up the CD and why?
Now no arguing that really good rock bands do not play covers. I don't want to hear that. Just name your damn song and tell us all why.
Depends on the album. If it is poppy, then I've always thought Sweet was under appreciated. A song like Ballroom Blitz could be really fun to cover.
ReplyDeleteIf humor is OK I have REALLY wanted to hear someone cover the theme song from The Courtship of Eddie's Father. For not particular reason than it is a wierd song.
I used to "collect" cover songs that sounded great but were arranged very differently than the original song. I have a cover of "Don't Rain on My Parade" by an 80s glam band called Japan. I just love it.
"In Your Room" by the Bangles; "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)," written by Isaac Hayes; "Work to Do" by the Isley Brothers. If we're going further afield, "Buckets of Rain," Bob Dylan; "Is You Is (or Is You Ain't My Baby?)"; or "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet. Why? Because they are all f***ing great songs.
ReplyDeleteThere are a ton of great covers, let me say. Shawn Colvin did an unbelievably beautiful cover of the Beatles' "I'll Be Back Again" at a concert I once went to. My favorite--I've actually never heard it--is Richard Thompson, guitar hero and quirk-fiend, covers Britney Spears, "Oops I Did it Again." He recorded it on a disc called "1000 Years of Popular Music," available at
http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=117
Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime" or "Burning Down the House"; B-52's "My Own Private Idaho" because they are all great songs. Plus that Idaho thing. Or any song by the Bangles (I did a lip-sync Bangles thing in HS with some friends. We were hot!)
ReplyDeleteAnything by Carole King...does anyone realize how many great songs she has written? And I'm pretty sure she has the royalty contracts on file.
ReplyDeleteWell I would cover something more obscure so people would think it was mine (like many bands do): maybe something by PJ Harvey ("The Life & Death of Mr. Badmouth" comes to mind) or "Time has Told me" by Nick Drake. For something rocking I'd pick a Nick Cave song or maybe even a Prince song (hey if Sinead can do it, my imaginary rock band can!)
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear the Wookie doing Bobby Byrd's "Hot Pants." "AaarrragggagghghhhhI'm comin' babyarragragaghgh!"
ReplyDeleteI would also like to hear someone like Mazzy Star or Lisa Loeb or even the Cardigans or Aimee Mann doing a stripped-down acoustic version of Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand" off of the underrated "Let Love In" album.
Hah. I haven't forgotten about the pimp movie, E. Just been busy.
ReplyDeleteAs homage to our world's situation:
ReplyDeleteFrom A Distance by Julie Gold.
if I was Johny Cash I'd cover a Megadeth song
ReplyDeleteAnything by Erasure.
ReplyDeleteBecause they're hot.
no, anything by Thirsty Alley.
ReplyDeleteya.