It's Either Sadness or Bookphoria...: cover songs

Showing posts with label cover songs. Show all posts

Friday, January 10, 2014

Cool cover song of the week...

One of my favorite 80s heavy metal songs is Quiet Riot's Cum On Feel the Noize. Ironically, since this blog post features a cover version of that song, Quiet Riot's version is also a cover, of Slade's 1973 hit. While the song was Slade's fourth #1 hit in the United Kingdom, it never made it big in the U.S., peaking at #98 on the Billboard chart. Quiet Riot's 1983 version, on the other hand, hit #5 on the charts, and was actually the first heavy metal song to reach the top 5.

I've been a big fan of Oasis since I first heard their music in the mid-1990s. While the offstage antics of the Gallagher brothers got a bit exhausting, I've always loved their sound, and both brothers bring that sensitivity to their post-Oasis projects.

Here, Oasis brings their quintessentially-Oasis sound to their cover of Cum On Feel the Noize:

Here's Quiet Riot's version:

And here's Slade's original:

Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:

Borderline by The Counting Crows

How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen

I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls

Only You by Joshua Radin

Pure Imagination by Maroon 5

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Blake Stratton

What a Fool Believes by Neri Per Caso

Poker Face by Daughtry

Back to Black by Ronnie Spector

I Will Survive by Cake

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by The Stereophonics

Rolling in the Deep by John Legend

Go Your Own Way by Lissie

Winner Takes it All by McFly

What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramone

Careless Whisper by Seether

I Walk the Line by Live

Dear Prudence by Siouxsie and The Banshees

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Who Wants to Live Forever by Breaking Benjamin

Redemption Song by Chris Cornell and Audioslave

Love Me Tender by Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile

All You Need is Love by The Flaming Lips

Lovesong by Adele

I Love It by Robin Thicke

Billie Jean by The Civil Wars

Across the Universe by The Scorpions

Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix

Wicked Game by James Vincent McMorrow

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) by The Postal Service

Jolene by The White Stripes

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) by Justin Timberlake

More Than This by Norah Jones

Royals by Mayer Hawthorne

I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) by The Bird and The Bee

Ain't No Sunshine by Silent Rider

Crazy by Ray Lamontagne

Stairway to Heaven by Heart

Nothing Compares 2 U by Capital Cities

Roar by Oscar Isaac

Time After Time by Quietdrive

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

If you've read my blog or any of my other social media posts before, or simply if you know me well enough, it's no secret that I'm an unabashed child of the 80s, despite the fact that I was 11 when the decade began. Even though I love all kinds of music, 80s music has a special place in my heart—and my memory.

Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time was released in 1984 as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was Lauper's second most commercially successful single after Girls Just Want to Have Fun. In their joint ranking of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs, MTV and Rolling Stone ranked Time After Time #66.

I love the spareness of this song and the lyrics are so poignant. While some 80s songs are more like novelties, this one truly has stood the test of time for me.

Minnesota alternative band Quietdrive released their version of Time After Time in 2006. While their version didn't have the success of Lauper's, only reaching #25, it was used in several movie soundtracks. Their version is more upbeat but it doesn't take away from the song's best qualities, which some covers do.

Here's Quietdrive's version:

Here's an instrumental version recorded by the late, great Miles Davis:

And here's Lauper's original. Still so great. (And I've always loved this video.)

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

One of the songs you can't escape on pop radio these days is Katy Perry's Roar. It's certainly catchy, and it became Perry's eighth non-consecutive #1 song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #1 on various charts, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top five on most international charts, including France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

Oscar Isaac is a singer and actor, who performed one of my favorite songs of 2012, Never Had, in one of my favorite movies of last year, 10 Years. He's about to become a huge star, as he's the lead in the Coen Brothers' newest movie, Inside Llewyn Davis, which is about a folk singer struggling to make it in the world.

The other night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Oscar proved he could turn almost anything into a folk song, with a (sadly) very quick version of Roar. (Which boasted some impressive harmonies from Fallon himself.) I really hope Oscar hits it big, as he's exceptionally talented (and not bad to look at either).

Here's his performance:

And here's Katy Perry's original:

Monday, December 2, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

While Sinéad O'Connor first hit the U.S. music scene in the late 1980s with her album, The Lion and the Cobra (which earned her a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy nomination), it wasn't until she recorded a version of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U that she achieved stardom.

O'Connor's version of the song, released in 1990, became a worldwide hit, topping charts in 13 countries, including her native Ireland and the United States, where it spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It became the third best-selling single of 1990 and the 82nd best-selling single of the 1990s. Rolling Stone ranked it at number 162 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, which contains only two songs of the 1990s ranked higher, and Billboard ranked the song at number 77 on its list of the Greatest Songs of All Time.

Amazingly enough, the song was originally recorded by Prince's funk band The Family in 1985 but it was not released as a single. Following O'Connor's success with the song, Prince performed the song as a live duet with Rosie Gaines, and subsequently released it on his 1993 compilations The Hits/The B-Sides and The Hits 1. Prince also recorded a solo version of the song for his concert film, Rave Un2 the Year 2000, as well as for his 2002 live album, One Nite Alone...Live! (All of that, and I can't find a YouTube video of it.)

The pop duo Capital Cities, which recently topped the Billboard charts with their hit Safe and Sound, recorded a version of Nothing Compares 2 U for their YouTube channel, and its more upbeat twist has received raves.

Here's Capital Cities' version:

And here's Sinéad O'Connor's version:

Monday, November 25, 2013

Did you know these were covers??

My love for cover songs has been well documented on this blog. But after seeing a recent post on one of my favorite blogs, kenneth in the (212), which led me to a post on Soundwaves, I was amazed to learn that a number of 80s songs we know and love (or at least ones I know and love) were actually cover versions of earlier recordings. Who would've thunk?

Take one of my all-time favorite 1980s songs, Tainted Love, by Soft Cell. I recognize the song by the opening chords. But what's amazing, is that this song was actually recorded in 1964 by R&B singer Gloria Jones, who later re-recorded it as more of a disco song in 1976. It wasn't until Soft Cell released the song in 1981 that it became a hit, peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts.

Here's Gloria Jones' version:

And here's Soft Cell's version:

Switching gears, I wonder if I'm the only one who thought Cyndi Lauper wrote her first hit song, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Well, if I was, then I'm the only one mistaken, as new wave/rock singer-songwriter Robert Hazard actually recorded the song in 1979, five years before Lauper. (I actually found out that most of her big hits on She's So Unusual—including All Through the Night and Money Changes Everything—were actually covers, too.

Here's Hazard's version:

And here's Lauper's iconic hit:

While Cher made one of her infamous comebacks in 1987, starting with the hit I Found Someone, the song was actually recorded originally a few years later by another 1980s icon, the late Laura Branigan, although Cher's version was a hit.

Here's Branigan's version:

And here's Cher's version:

See the Soundwaves post for more of these 1980s hits that might surprise you, including I Want Candy and Bette Davis Eyes.

Ah, 80s music. The gift that keeps on giving.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

There are few rock songs as iconic as Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. From the opening chords to the memorable lyrics (I'll admit I find myself saying, "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now" every now and again, but I'm odd) to the way the song changes tempo and volume as it progresses, it's amazing how this 8+-minute song has endured, more than 40 years after it was released in 1971.

Rolling Stone ranked Stairway to Heaven #31 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," and in 2000, VH1 ranked the song #3 on its list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs. It was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the United States in the 1970s, despite never having been officially released as a single there.

In 2012, Led Zeppelin was among the annual Kennedy Center Honorees. While the honor itself is pretty amazing, what's even cooler (at least in my opinion) is the talent they assemble each year to honor the recipients. There have been memorable speeches, emotional moments, and incredible performances (witness Tony winner Heather Headley's rendition of Your Song during the 2004 ceremony when Elton John was honored).

During the 2012 ceremony, Heart performed Stairway to Heaven. (And while Heart's heyday started in the 1970s, as a child of the 80s, I've always been a huge fan.) But if the performance itself wasn't enough, on the drums during this performance was Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin's legendary drummer, the late John Bonham.

So here's Heart's tribute performance of Stairway to Heaven:

And here's the classic original. (Have your lighter ready.)

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

There was a time in the mid-2000s that you couldn't escape hearing Gnarls Barkley's Crazy on the radio. Between the frequent refrain of "Does that make me crazy" and Cee-Lo Green's soaring falsetto, the song was a huge hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topping the charts in countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Rolling Stone named the song the best song of 2006 (as well as the #1 song on its list of the 100 top songs of the decade), and it won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2007.

I first heard of Ray Lamontagne when I worked at Barnes & Noble in 2004-2005 while personal cheffing. Lamontagne's soulful growl, in full effect on his debut CD Trouble, was heard quite often at the bookstore, as it was a CD in heavy rotation for a while. (I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on the preview CD once it left the store's rotation, and played the heck out of it for some time.) His rendition of Crazy brings his full vocal arsenal to bear, bringing something completely different to the song. And as much as I love the original, I'm a big fan of Lamontagne's version.

Here's Ray Lamontagne's rendition:

Here's Violent Femmes' cover version, repaying Gnarls Barkley for their cover of Gone Daddy Gone:

And here's the original:

Friday, November 1, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

While it's difficult to truly assemble a list of my favorite songs given how long I've been a music fan, one song that continually comes to mind when I think about tackling that task is Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine. First of all, Withers' voice is so resonant and rich (on this and so many of his other songs), and this song in particular is plaintive and mournful, yet I don't find it depressing in any way. It's just such a beautiful song.

Amazingly, Ain't No Sunshine was originally released by Withers as the B-side to another single called Harlem (remember B-sides?), yet disc jockeys played Ain't No Sunshine instead. In September 1971, it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the U.S. R&B charts. Rolling Stone ranked the song as #285 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

I stumbled on this cover version of Ain't No Sunshine by a band called Silent Rider, and I can't get it out of my head. It's totally different from Withers' version and some purists may totally loathe it, but I think it's pretty cool and ethereal sounding.

Here's Silent Rider's version:

Here's a version by American Idol's Season 8 winner, Kris Allen:

And here's the master, Mr. Withers himself:

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

What would 80s music have been without Hall & Oates? I can't even imagine. So many of their songs remind me of a specific place or time, and I honestly just loved Daryl Hall's vocal range. One of their hits was even on my first K-TEL compilation album (please don't tell me if you don't remember what those were).

I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) was the duo's second hit single off Private Eyes, and the fourth number-one song of their career. It held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks in late 1981/early 1982. VH1 ranked the song #6 on its list of the top 100 songs of the 80s, and according to BMI, this is one of 14 Hall & Oates songs that have been played on the radio over one million times.

Indie pop duo The Bird and The Bee released Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates in 2010. While there are a number of great Hall & Oates covers on the album, this one combines a little of the song's soul with a different, slightly twee twist that is the hallmark of The Bird and The Bee's vocals.

Here's their version:

Here's a version by Brian McKnight:

And here's the original. There's no touching this.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

Almost every time I turn on the radio lately I hear Lorde's hit song, Royals. I don't honestly know most of the words short of the chorus (although I can make out "Grey Goose" and "driving Cadillacs in our dreams"), and I didn't know what the song was about until I read an interview with her, where she said the song was about the luxury and lifestyle of pop artists. (Interestingly enough, Lorde was inspired by seeing an image in National Geographic, of all places, which showed a baseball player signing baseballs, with his shirt displaying "Royals.")

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in August 2013, Lorde became the first female solo act to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart since Tracy Bonham in 1996. Not bad for a 16-year-old, huh?

I've been a big fan of Mayer Hawthorne for several years now. I love the way so much of his music has a great old-soul vibe, and he has a terrific voice. He added some funk to Royals as part of VEVO's "Unexpected Covers" series, and I was completely taken by his rendition. It's a great counterpoint to Lorde's version.

Here's Hawthorne's take:

Here's a live version from Selena Gomez, which is a little closer to Lorde's rendition:

And here's the original, in case you can't get enough of it, or if you have no idea what I'm talking about:

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

True confession time: as much as I consider my musical tastes to be eclectic now, growing up—especially in middle school and high school—I was almost strictly a top-40/pop type of guy. (It was the 80s, after all, so there's nothing wrong with that.)

It wasn't until I got to college that I started listening to so-called "alternative" music—The Smiths (and Morrissey), Roxy Music, Joy Division, etc. (I joked for a while that the moodier the music, the more I played it to irritate my classic rock- and heavy metal-loving roommates.) One of the songs that I remember being utterly mesmerized by was Roxy Music's More Than This.

Still am, actually.

I was amazed to find out that the song was actually recorded in 1982, and while it hit #6 on the UK charts, it didn't get any higher than #102 here in the U.S. Yet it's still a song that endures, and is probably more popular now than it was then.

I heard this version of the song by Norah Jones and jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter (from Hunter's 2001 album Songs from the Analog Playground) just the other day, and I was captivated by its dreaminess, its, well, Norah Jonesiness. Like many covers, I don't think it's as good as the original (nothing beats Bryan Ferry), but I like this version for what it is.

I'm reminded of the great scene in Lost in Translation (fantastic movie, BTW) where Bill Murray tackles this song:

Then, of course, there is the original.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Cool cover song of the week...

Michael Jackson was so exceptionally talented, there have been (and continue to be) so many artists who have tried to emulate or imitate him. While some have been more successful than others in these attempts, it is a tribute to the breadth and depth of Jackson's talent that his music and his dancing continues to live on through others.

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) was released by The Jacksons in late 1978. It hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979, and #3 on the R&B Singles chart. The first performance of the song was on the second leg of The Jacksons' Destiny Tour in 1979. In 1984 it was performed on the Victory Tour, and it would be the last song performed live by the Jacksons before the death of Michael Jackson in 2009.

Justin Timberlake has proven himself to be far more talented than people gave him credit for when he hit the scene with N'Sync in the late 1990s (after his stint as a Mouseketeer). He sings, he dances, he acts, and he's proven tremendously deft with comedy, as his many appearances on Saturday Night Live have proven. He recently took on a live performance (dancing and all) of Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) for BBC Radio 1, and it's pretty impressive.

Give it a look:

And here's the original from the Jacksons: