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#songcovers #wars #literature #writers #pubtrivia #quiz #trivia #triviaquestions #didyouknow #youknowwhat

“She Don’t Use Jelly” (Cover by Ben Folds Five in 1997; originally by the Flaming Lips in 1993)

https://youtu.be/y1h4eshrlNo (audio only - studio version)

https://youtu.be/3OgQ2XRWw30 (live performance)

At first glance, the Flaming Lips and Ben Folds would seem to have little in common. Then again, both have a devout fan-base which has remained faithful over several decades and both have had some commercial success, but nowhere near what either deserves. The Lips, like every incarnation of Folds or the Ben Folds Five, rely on musical substance and creativity more than smooth vocals or Top40-style production. They each kinda go their own ways, and it largely works.

“She Don’t Use Jelly” was the first song most of us heard from the Flaming Lips, and remains their most commercially successful release. This Ben Folds Five cover was first released as part of 1997’s “Lounge-A-Palooza,” a compilation of various artists and a complete mess I won’t go into here. The second time around was on the 2005 remastered re-release of “Whatever and Ever Amen,” the Ben Folds Five’s 1997 breakout album which included both “Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Brick.”

While the studio version is naturally richer and more layered, the live version included here is phenomenal in its own way as the Ben Folds Five (which consists of only 3 lads) passes around the lead vocal seamlessly and manages to produce a wall of sound you’d swear required at least double their number. It’s just that damn good.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #BenFolds #FlamingLips

“Punk Rock Girl” (cover by SNMNMNM in 2001; originally by the Dead Milkmen in 1988)

https://youtu.be/RE-5ezgHnSk (audio only)

Tribute cover albums are usually a mixed bag with more disasters than golden nuggets. 2001’s “Flogging a Dead Cow: A Tribute to the Dead Milkmen” is no exception. The good news is that the golden nuggets are seriously golden and make wading through the rest of this compilation well worth the time.

SNMNMNM is/was an acquired taste from their very beginning. Their love of substituting accordion and tuba for more traditional rock’n’roll instrumentation and their sincere nerd-nasal vocalizations aren’t for everyone, but in some ways epitomize the very definition of “punk rock.”

This cover of the Dead Milkmen’s biggest hit was certainly a risk - but one which pays off several times over. Like many great covers, SNMNMNM retains the best elements of the original while stretching it almost to the breaking point with their own inflections and interpretations.

I won’t try to describe it more fully - this is one you kinda gotta experience on your own.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #DeadMilkmen #SNMNMNM

“I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” (Covers by Moxy Fruvous in 1997 & 1998; originally by the Bee Gees in 1968)

https://youtu.be/WFVsB8neUxY (audio only, studio version)

https://youtu.be/luHw8vuYOwg (audio only, live version)

There simply aren’t enough songs about convicted felons trying to pass along one last sentiment to their spouse after murdering their illicit lover.

This track was originally a hit for the Bee Gees way back in 1968 - their second #1 in England and their first Top 10 single in the U.S. It was apparently released in several versions which differed primarily in terms of the speed at which the final mix was captured. (That’s weird, right?)

The song has been covered several times, most notably by Percy Sledge to whom it was originally offered, but none match the magical interpretations (plural) of Canadian wonder-group Moxy Fruvous.

Fruvous recorded the track twice - once in the studio and once on tour. Both are included here because the interpretations are in many ways quite different. The studio version takes a counter-intuitive “uber-mellow white boy funk” approach which should absolutely NOT work… but totally does. The live performance, on the other hand, is a capella and more traditionally earnest. (When the Bee Gees did their “One Night Only in Las Vegas” version of the tune in 1997, it was somewhat similar, but with instruments and a far-too-Vegas ending. It’s uncertain whether one influenced the other.)

Moxy Fruvous was a magical moment in musical history and lasted far too brief a time. This is one powerful example of why.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #MoxyFruvous #BeeGees

“For Your Love” (Cover by Michael Been in 2007; originally by the Yardbirds in 1965

https://youtu.be/9q5Btu4HYeI (music video - fan video?)

Been is best remembered as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for The Call, an intense and spiritual alternative band who never quite fit into the “Christian” market but who clearly had more on their minds than sex, drugs, or rock’n’roll. You’ve probably heard “I Still Believe (The Great Design)” or “Let The Day Begin” somewhere along the way - the latter either in its original form or covered by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (which includes Been’s son, Robert).

His 2007 solo album, “On The Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough” has a similar intensity, although I confess not every track stirs me quite as much as the opening track (“Us”) and this amazing cover, hidden about three-quarters of the way through.

Most great cover songs bring something new to the original while retaining what already worked; this one - in my humble opinion - is far superior.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #TheCall #MichaelBeen #Yardbirds

“‘Til the End of the Day” (Cover by the Verbs in 2015; originally by the Kinks in 1965)

https://youtu.be/GPWTX6F89LI (audio only)

This is a great cover of a classic by the Kinks from the mid-1960s. There’s nothing particularly profound about either version - the song is simply a defiant celebration, an assertion of joy yet to be realized, but nevertheless claimed. It walks that wonderful line of staying faithful to the source material while somehow making it sound fresh and sincere.

The album on which it appeared was all cover songs, although many of them possibly unfamiliar to anyone not thoroughly steeped in album-oriented rock. The band itself - the Verbs - consists of that guy who played drums for the Rolling Stones several years ago when Charlie Watts didn’t want to go… and his wife. That means that counting me, and now you, there are roughly four people in the world who’ve heard of The Verbs, and yet here they are throwing all that energy into what they’re doing. I like that little metaphor as well.

“Baby, I feel good from the moment I rise - feel good from morning ‘til the end of the day…”

#UnCovered #SongCovers #Kinks #Verbs

“Beautiful” (Cover by Clem Snide in 2003; originally by Christine Aguilera in 2002 )

https://youtu.be/x3fdYaPWZLU

Clem Snide is most commonly billed as an “alt-country” band named for a fictional William S. Burroughs character. Despite their “alt cred,” the band has never shied away from sentimentalism or popular songs - but according to lead singer Eef Barzelay, they only do tunes they genuinely like (even when that results in an entire album of Journey covers).

They didn’t wait long before grabbing Aguilera’s empowerment anthem “Beautiful,” nor were they alone. The tune (written by Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes) has been covered something like a billion times, and it's almost always still pretty good. Few capture the honesty of this early version, however - maybe because the lads seem to genuinely mean it.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #Beautiful #ClemSnide #Aguilera

“Three Is A Magic Number” (Cover by Blind Melon in 1996; Original by Bob Dorough for “Schoolhouse Rock!” in 1973)

https://youtu.be/14erppzpy2o (music video)

In the mid-90s, someone got the idea that it would be a great idea to have alternative artists cover 15 or so of the most popular songs from “Schoolhouse Rock!” - those wonderfully catchy-but-educational cartoons shorts so many of us grew up with in between regular Saturday morning cartoons. The resulting album (“Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks”) was released in 1996.

For all its charm, the results were (and are) pretty hit-and-miss. The strongest tracks, perhaps not surprisingly, are from the handful of artists most of us had actually heard of - Better Than Ezra, Moby, and for this track, Blind Melon. The key to successfully covering these childhood favorites seems to be taking them seriously - as what they are - without trying to force them (or yourselves) into something sufficiently “alternative” or, worse, “clever.” Blind Melon exemplifies that here with a cover that sounds genuinely affectionate towards the source material but still very much like, well… Blind Melon. It’s one of the strongest on the collection, even all these years later.

Side Note: While not technically a “cover”, De La Soul’s “The Magic Number,” which borrows heavily from the original track, was released in 1989 (https://youtu.be/pxkOWjZAPLs - lyric video). Back then, this new “rap and hip-hop” stuff was still exciting and felt very creative - at least to us shielded, suburban types. In any case, it’s easy to suspect that Blind Melon’s subtle upping of the “groove” factor in their version owes at least some inspiration to this take.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #SchoolhouseRock #BlindMelon #DeLaSoul #Three

“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” (Original by Robert Hazard in 1979; Cover by Cyndi Lauper in 1983)

https://youtu.be/6zeOag2fU3s (audio only)

Sometimes a good cover doesn’t just bring fresh life to an old favorite - it takes a relatively obscure track and makes it a feminist anthem which still pops up everywhere 40 years later.

This track was arguably THE breakthrough track for Lauper, who deserves substantial credit for reworking some of the lyrics and reshaping the style so that anyone not paying attention could easily overlook the fact that these are the same basic song released only four years apart.

#UnCovered #SongCovers #CyndiLauper #RobertHazard

“Army” (Cover by The University Of Rochester Midnight Ramblers in 2009; originally by the Ben Folds Five in 1999)

https://youtu.be/x1m1jMZTAhw (audio only)

**LANGUAGE WARNING IN LINK**

This one walks a line between being a true cover song and a “revamp” by the original artist. In 2009, Folds released “Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!”, a collection of his own songs done by various, well… university a cappella groups.

Results were mixed, if we’re being honest, but you can do that sort of thing when you’re Ben Folds. Several tracks, however, remain quite strong after all this time. This is one of them. It maintains the wry verve of the original while weaving in enough of that vocal magic which makes a cappella interesting to truly bring something new to the song.

Because this one might not be QUITE as familiar to everyone as most of what I share here, I’ll go ahead and link to the original as well…

https://youtu.be/Yr_s6-Q7f00 (music video)

#UnCovered #SongCovers #ACappella #BenFolds #BenFoldsFive #Army

“Plateau” (Cover by Nirvana in 1993; originally by the Meat Puppets in 1984)

https://youtu.be/Sj8UbmdV7bk

Leave it to Nirvana to do MTV’s “Unplugged” and fill the set with covers of their favorite artists in lieu of the expected hits-a-palooza. Three of these amazing covers were from the Meat Puppets, with songwriter Curt Kirkwood and brother Cris on stage playing along.

The performance and resulting album became somewhat iconic, with Kurt Cobain’s evident nervousness adding to the beautiful tension and pathos of the performance.

#SongCovers #UnCovered #Nirvana #MeatPuppets #KurtCobain

"You Oughta Know" (Cover by Jonathan Coulton in 2011 {?}; originally by Alanis Morissette in 1995)

https://youtu.be/ThYOcH4XL80
(lyric video / fan video)

**LANGUAGE WARNING IN THE LINK**

Coulton is probably best known for his humorous (but always quite musical and genuine) songs and his contributions to at least one pretty nifty video game series ("Portal"). This acoustic cover of one of the angriest songs of the 90s could have easily become silly, or satiric, or just plain melodramatic. He doesn't even change the gender pronouns or leave out the dirty words.

And yet, somehow, while quirky, it's oddly poignant and beautiful at the same time. It works because he's esoteric, but sincere.

Er... I think?

#UnCovered #SongCovers #JonathanCoulton #JoCo #Morissette #angst

Woke up this morning from Johnny Cash doing a cover of The Ramones song "I Wanna Be Sedated"

He did great covers but even now it's fading as to how it exactly went. Not sure if it ever happened for real and not just on my dream city.

Writing it down now as I just remembered it and its fading again.

#dream #music #SongCovers #songs

I covered Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. What do you think? Did I get close to the sound of the original?

https://on.soundcloud.com/K12Nn

#SongCovers

I covered Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. What do you think? Did I get close to the sound of the original?

https://on.soundcloud.com/K12Nn

#SongCovers

(repost because I made the last toot private somehow)
Working on Bad Bad Things. I'm pretty sure Sean Bonnette sold his soul to someone to be able to strum like that

#AJJ #FolkPunk #SongCovers #DIYMusic #AcousticGuitar

Enjoy the leftist audio
No More Tears by AJJ
#FolkPunk #SongCovers #AJJ

[Verse 1]
No more tears; no more cryin'
No more sighin', lyin', or dyin'
No more HIV; no more tweakin'
No more drugs or immune systems bein' weakened

Just happy times and half-assed rhymes
And mimes 'cause mimes are dears
But most of all I want no more tears

[Verse 2]
No more bad times; no more bummers
No more SUVs and no more Hummers
No more racism; no more discrimination
No more fat dumb fucks keepin' people out of our nation
We're all one big band across this land and we should sing in tune
Let's grow the balls to break the walls, we've got to do it soon

[Outro]
But most of all I want:
No more tears; no more cryin'
No more sighin', lyin' or dyin'

Dropping my DIY cover here if y'all don't mind
The Hand You Reach Out Is Empty As Is Mine by Pat the Bunny
Lyrics in alt text.
#FolkPunk #Music #DIYMusic #SongCovers #AcousticGuitar #PatTheBunny #RamshackleGlory

Dropping my DIY cover here if y'all don't mind
The Hand You Reach Out Is Empty As Is Mine by Pat the Bunny
Lyrics below.
#FolkPunk #Music #DIYMusic #SongCovers #AcousticGuitar #PatTheBunny #RamshackleGlory

Magnificent #songcovers:

"One" cb Chainsaw Kittens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsUKS-3am9I

"Happy Together" cb Slothrust

https://slothrust.bandcamp.com/track/happy-together

"Wolf Like Me" cb Local H

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgTNEgr2xD8

"Time in a Bottle" cb Sponge

https://open.spotify.com/track/6qN2fDJEgImp5mG4DyAArn?si=efab143659424bc0

"Wish You Were Here" cb Catherine Wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hUXOgFuvR8

"Hey Bulldog" cb Firewater

"There's No Way Out of Here" cb David Gilmor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDssNn8PvDU

...and Monster Magnet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVK5rl0_pU

What are some of your favs?