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Cover Me Impressed
With a focus on the 60's-90's music scene, CMI is a Paradiso for Lovers Cover Songs! Each post focuses on a particular song and provides its original and most popular recordings as well as covers versions. Patrons of CMI vote on the most deserving cover version, which will then live to compete again, battling other cover songs in a future post.
Bands, musicians, troubadours, and their ilk, submit your cover songs for future CMI competitions.
CMI welcomes the opportunity to introduce new artists.
Contact RDubbs at RDubbsTunage@gmail.com
Music Genres?
We've Got 'em Covered ...
Rock / Alt-Rock / Rock 'n Roll / Rockabilly / Indie Pop / New Wave / Old Wave / Surf / Reggae / Ska / Punk Rock / Psychobilly / Cowpunk / Alt-Country / Bluegrass / Folk / Croon-Tunes / A Cappella / Motown / Gospel / Blues / Rhythm & Blues / Jazz / Big Band / Lounge / Classical / Celtic / Bossa Nova / Worldbeat / Show Tunes / Cartoons / Bizarro / Musical Calamities
Less Than Jake vs. Wycliff Jean feat. Eve vs. Scott Bradlee Postmodern Jukebox feat. Cortnie Frazier
Less Than Jake:
Wycliff Jean feat. Eve:
Scott Bradlee Postmodern Jukebox feat. Cortnie Frazier:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
“Fairytale of New York” and “Thousands Are Sailing” are, perhaps, The Pogues’ two most extraordinary storytelling ballad masterpieces. And its simply remarkable that they both appear on the same album, the transcendent “If I Should Fall From Grace With God“.
The Pogues:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
I’ve read that The Mahones do the definitive cover of this song. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere to be found.
The Chancey Brothers vs. East Wall vs. Jiggernaut
The Chancey Brothers:
East Wall:
Jiggernaut:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
I was tempted to put this in the competition but The Pretenders’ cover is almost iconic and I saw at least one critic call it the definitive version. Don’t know about that but it certainly is a medalist!
The Pretenders:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Action Camp vs. Jonathan Richman vs. Euro-Trash Girl vs. Rhoda Dakar
Action Camp:
Jonathan Richman:
Euro-Trash Girl:
Rhoda Dakar:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
While in Ireland last July, blissfully hunkered down in a Killarney pub with about 200 of my newfound best friends, I was enjoying the hell out of a surprisingly good solo musician playing a mix of Irish songs and a selection of truly great tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, when late into the evening he careened off into a bizarrely hysterical ballad that I was not familiar with. Well the drunkard gallery was certainly familiar with it as everyone in the place enthusiastically sung along. It looked like Victory Over Europe Day in there as the mob drank, swayed and gayly crooned to the gem of a tune.
I described it to our resident musicologist, Pete Black, and Mr. Black recently got back to me with its origin. A goofball Irish musical comedy team, The Rubberbandits (featuring the esteemed maestros Blindboy Boatclub and Mr. Chrome) released the bawdy, satirical hip-hop parody in 2010 with it only to become a demented Irish standard that nearly claimed the Irish Christmas No. 1 spot, accumulating over 25 million YouTube viewers.
Well there’s no shortage of Irish musicians who have appropriated it on YouTube with one proud family filming their eight-year old kid belting it out, lyric for lyric. Gotta love the Irish!!!
The Original
The Rubberbandits:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Three of the best from the multitude of covers …
Kelly’s Men vs. Katlin Tierney vs. Thom Dunn
Kelly’s Men:
Katelin Tierney:
Thom Dunn:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Girlschool vs. Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 vs. The Upside Downers
Girlschool:
Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13:
The Upside Downers (aka The Del Gatos):
The first song from this EP is Fox on the Run. If you like it there are three more covers: September Girls, I Want You To Want Me and Pleasant Valley Sunday.
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Rappresaglia vs. The London Punkharmonic Orchestra vs. Toy Dolls, ALL, UK Subs and Brittany Bowman
Rappresaglia:
The London Punkharmonic Orchestra:
Toy Dolls, ALL, UK Subs and Brittany Bowman:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Flamin’ Groovies vs. REO Brothers vs. Billy Bragg vs. Stone Temple Pilots
Flamin’ Groovies:
REO Brothers:
Billy Bragg:
Stone Temple Pilots:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
As you could imagine, there is a ridiculous number of great covers for this classic. I picked these three interesting ones for today. I am sure that I will revisit this gem again sometime down the road.
U2 vs. Ciara vs. First to Eleven
U2:
Ciara:
First to Eleven:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Okay, this song has a convoluted history. It was originally composed by Bob King to be just an instrumental. Ray Charles heard it and along with Renald Richard put lyrics to it. Of course, Ray and His Band had a massive hit with their new creation, which was released in December 1954. Meanwhile, the instrumental version that Bob King composed did not hit the airwaves until 1960 when Jimmy Smith released his version.
Mega-Hit: December 1954
Ray Charles and His Band:
Original Instrumental Version: 1960
Jimmy Smith:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Got some heavy-hitters here …
Toots & The Maytals vs. The Beatles vs. Them
Toots & The Maytals:
The Beatles:
Them:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Apocalypstiks vs. NoFX vs. Molly Tuttle vs. Krackin’ Kellys
Apocalypstiks:
NoFX:
Molly Tuttle:
Krackin’ Kellys
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 