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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
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Like I said in the “All the Young Dudes” post earlier this morning, the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” made me into somewhat of a Queen fan.
I was always a fan of the song “Under Pressure” but I thought that Queen and David Bowie recorded it together. I never realized that Queen recorded it on their own. At any rate Queen and Bowie do a great version of it together.
And I was not familiar with this song until Sayed played it for me. You all probably already know it but it somehow alluded me and I think it is a fine song,
David Bowie wanted to help out his buddy, Ian Hunter and his band Mott the Hoople, so he wrote “Suffragette City” for them to use. Ian said ‘thanks, but I’m looking for something better’. As the story goes, Bowie sat in the middle of his living room floor, cross-legged, all night, and by morning he had completed “All the Young Dudes”.
This rock ‘n’ roll anthem consistently finds its way onto critic’s lists for best rock songs of all time.
The Original
Mott the Hoople:
And The Guy Who Wrote It
Bowie waited two years before he played it live:
And this is from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Aids Awareness Concert. It features an all-star cast of Bowie, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson and Queen. This classic clip also includes Bowie’s “Heroes” and ends with a touching tribute from Bowie to Freddie and all others with Aids:
I have never been a fan of Queen but my son, Sayed, insisted that I watch the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody”. He said I would enjoy it regardless. Man was he right! It is an excellent film. And I never thought I would say this but I just might be a fan of Queen now …
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Well … after those clips these bands have their work cut out for them with their covers. But I think you’ll find that they all acquit themselves quite well.
Robyn Hitchcock vs. Billy Bragg & Jill Sobule vs. Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
Robyn Hitchcock:
This was an encore performance at a show in 2011 at the Three Kings pub in London, a show in which Robyn and company played the entire Beatles’ album “Revolver”. Yeah, what would you have given to be at that show!
Billy Bragg & Jill Sobule:
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs:
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.
Oh Look Out You Rock ‘n’ Rollers, Pretty Soon You’re Gonna Get Older…
What could you say? Last night we lost an icon, innovator, genius. David Bowie will surely be long remembered as one of the most talented, creative and bizarre musicians of our lifetime!
Enjoy a bevy of tributes to David Bowie. The styles and genres of these cover songs are as diverse as the man himself.
Absolute Beginners
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Carla Bruni:
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Ashes to Ashes
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Paul Dempsey:
Hezekiah Jones:
Happy Rhodes:
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All the Young Dudes
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Billy Bragg & Jill Sobule:
World Party:
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Changes
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Echo and the Bunnymen with Sharleen Spiteri:
The Illinois State University’s Clef Hangers:
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Heroes
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Magnetic Fields:
The Coal Porters:
Nico:
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It Ain’t Easy
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Hazel:
Kelly Hogan & Robbie Fulks:
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Jean Genie
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Camp Freddy:
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Kooks
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Brett Smiley:
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Life on Mars
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Robyn Hitchcock:
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain:
And of course it would not be a proper tribute without … ABBA!!!:
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Moonage Daydream
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J. Hell:
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Oh You Pretty Things
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Jun Jun Clinic:
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Rebel Rebel
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Iggy Pop & Lenny Kravitz:
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Sound and Vision
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Beck:
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Space Oddity
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Real-Life Astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield:
(Shatner cannot be happy over this infringement of his territory!)
John Otway:
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Starman
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of Montreal:
Arcadian Walnut:
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Under Pressure
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Flaming Lips:
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Watch that Man
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The Fur Ones:
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Ziggy Stardust
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Def Leppard:
Massacre:
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A Late Addition
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“Life on Mars” happens to be one of my favorite Bowie songs. So when I saw this interesting rendition, I just had to add it to the tribute. Reminds me of the classic Procol Harem church scene in “The Commitments”.
By the way, if anyone has a favorite Bowie cover that is not included then please let me know. If possible I will add it.
Nicholas Freestone (organ scholar at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire):
The Commitments: Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) and Steven ‘Soul Surgeon’ Clifford (Michael Ahern):
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Another Late Addition
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This next video is proof-positive of just how cool David Bowie was. From The Cher Show, Bowie and Cher begin a set collaborating on Young Americans, which is weird enough. But things turn completely bizarre as Young Americans morphs into a very long medley of bad songs. Bowie had to be suppressing laughter throughout yet on the exterior appears way-cool to the nth degree. Now I ask you, how many musicians could have pulled this off without looking completely ridiculous?
David Bowie on The Cher Show (November 23rd 1975):
Broccoli For Miles And Miles And Miles And Miles And Miles … Oh Yeah!
With an unusually low vote count, especially given the splendosity of our subject song, the 7-Day results of the competition between Bruce Dickinson and World Party covering “All The Young Dudes” by Mott the Hoople via David Bowie ended in a tie.
However, THERE ARE NO TIES ON COVER ME IMPRESSED!
Hence, a 3-Day runoff to settle the issue. If the runoff should also end in a tie then I’ll be forced to contract a maiming of the members of all musicians and bands concerned (i.e. David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Bruce Dickinson and World Party) and at least one individual totally unrelated to the proceedings (probably Billy Joel), which may seem a bit harsh and arbitrary but, hell, something will have to be done …
Now PLEASE VOTE. For those who do not partake in the voting I will hereby contract Bruce Dickinson to come to your home and sleep on your couch for two weeks. Did you get a good look at this gutterpup in the video? There’s more grease on that carcass than in your average Huddle House kitchen. So in other words, VOTE!
Original Studio Versions
As the story goes, due to a lack of commercial success, Mott the Hoople was ready to call it quits when David Bowie stepped in to help. David first offered the song “Suffragette City”, which the band rejected. So David wrote “All the Young Dudes” (supposedly while sitting cross-legged in his apartment with Ian Hunter intently looking on). Mott the Hoople released its masterpiece in 1972. Bowie also recorded a studio version of the song in 1972 but did not release it until decades later.
In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked “All the Young Dudes” No. 253 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and on its 2010 update the song rated No. 256. The song was also included on “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”.
I guess passing on Suffragette City was the right move …
David Bowie (1972):
Mott the Hoople (1972):
A Couple of Great Live Versions
David Bowie, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Queen & others at the Freddie Mercury Tribute (London’s Wembley Stadium 1992):
David Bowie Live in New York (1997):
The Cover Songs Competition
Bruce Dickinson vs. World Party
Bruce Dickinson:
This video is sappy to the point of comical. Probably a good thing Dickinson never pursued acting as a career.
World Party:
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. Only one cover tune will live to play another day and it is your solemn responsibility to decide which one prevails. So tell me … Which Side Are You On?!!?
Also, keep in mind that if you should spontaneously self-actualize while playing a cover then you could – and probably should – nominate it for Top 10 (i.e. “Impeccable”) consideration.
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Votes can be cast up to seven days from the day and time of the original post.
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
Broccoli For Miles And Miles And Miles And Miles And Miles … Oh Yeah!
As the story goes, due to a lack of commercial success, Mott the Hoople was ready to call it quits when David Bowie stepped in to help. David first offered the song “Suffragette City”, which the band rejected. So David wrote “All the Young Dudes” (supposedly while sitting cross-legged in his apartment with Ian Hunter intently looking on). Mott the Hoople released its masterpiece in 1972. Bowie also recorded a studio version of the song in 1972 but did not release it until decades later.
In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked “All the Young Dudes” No. 253 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and on its 2010 update the song rated No. 256. The song was also included on “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”.
I guess passing on Suffragette City was the right move …
Original Studio Versions
David Bowie (1972):
Mott the Hoople (1972):
A Couple of Great Live Versions
David Bowie, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Queen & others at the Freddie Mercury Tribute (London’s Wembley Stadium 1992):
David Bowie Live in New York (1997):
The Cover Songs Competition
Bruce Dickinson vs. World Party
Bruce Dickinson:
This video is sappy to the point of comical. Probably a good thing Dickinson never pursued acting as a career.
World Party:
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. Only one cover tune will live to play another day and it is your solemn responsibility to decide which one prevails. So tell me … Which Side Are You On?!!?
Also, keep in mind that if you should spontaneously self-actualize while playing a cover then you could – and probably should – nominate it for Top 10 (i.e. “Impeccable”) consideration.
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Votes can be cast up to seven days from the day and time of the original post.
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 