This came about in conversation with a couple of friends of mine and has solidified into my very first OME post in 4 years (eek). So thanks Josh and Matt! The task is to list my favourite 15 covers of songs by other artists.
This initially felt like a great idea, but quickly turned trickier than I thought. In conversation, I was all “yeah there are so many”, but in actuality a lot of the ones that come more readily to mind are when I’ve seen a band live, and they’re not always recorded. Looking at you, David Ford. Call me crazy, but I feel like there should be a realistic way for people to read this article and semi-easily listen to my choices, rather than, “trust me, Hannah Peel and David Ford singing Jolene was sick brah”. So I made this a Spotify playlist. Before you tell me I could have done a YouTube or Apple Music playlist – I’ve still not got my head around either of those. Sue me.
Then there are artists who went the other way and left me with some impossible choices. Nirvana come to mind here. Choosing between any of the covers on Unplugged is such a devilish task. Not to mention the songs that also left me with some impossible choices. How are you supposed to pick between Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright?
Having said it was tricky to find tracks, once I got into it (and discovered some shortcuts via the War Child compilations and BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge compilations), I ended up with nearly 30 tracks I had to whittle down to 15. Which, now I think about it, is still tricky, just in its own special way. Much like your good articleist here :). I ended up having to be harsh with the cull, losing some amazing covers from the likes of Dave Matthews Band, David Ford, Peter Gabriel, Placebo, Duke Special, and more.
In the process of trying to find songs I knew, I found a bunch I hadn’t heard before but which I had to investigate. There’s something about a pairing of great song and great artist that has a very specific anticipatory thrill. You have to be careful with that – as much as I want to love Peter Gabriel’s cover of Street Spirit (Fade Out) it just doesn’t do it for me. In any case, some of my discoveries actually made it onto the longlist, and one made it into this list. I’ve given you that information below.
I’ve not been too scrupulous in my methodology with who was in and who was out. I went with a gut reaction for the most part. You could catch me on a different day and this would be a different playlist. Which is as it should be.
The question of what makes a good cover is tricky to unpick. As I mentioned above, it’s not always just “artist you like + song you like = great cover” as much as I wish it would be. In the conversations I’ve had there seemed to be a bit of consensus that a great cover happens when a band brings something of themselves to the cover – makes it into something different from what it originally was. And generally, I’m not overly fond of straight covers other than at covers gigs or open mics.
That said, sometimes a straight cover from a great artist is just great. beabadoobee’s sparkling cover of Elliott Smith’s Say Yes plays it pretty straight, albeit without Smith’s brooding ASMR-adjacent delivery, but it’s sublime.
Another thought that sprang to mind was that I was surprised how many of these songs are songs where I heard the cover first. Two thirds of them! There seems to be a lot of that going about (Toploader’s Dancing in the Moonlight anyone?). I’ve given you that information below as well. Cos I’m a nice chap. I think it’s more likely for the cover to be your favourite version if you heard it first, but it can go either way. Even the songwriter can prefer the cover: Bob Dylan liked Hendrix’s cover so much he changed the way he played it!
Nearly time to drop the list, but before I do, it’s also worth mentioning that because I made this a Spotify list and because of (I assume) licensing issues I wasn’t able to even longlist:
- Sugarman by Just Jinjer (originally Rodriguez)
- Aaron Sprinkle’s mashup of The Beach Boys’ Hang On to Your Ego with I Know There’s an Answer – the same song but not the same song
- You Belong to Me by Jason Wade, from Shrek (originally Joni James, made famous by Jo Stafford)
That’s probably enough waffle. Here’s my list! It’s not in order of preference.
-
All Along the Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix
- Original
- Bob Dylan
- Written by
- Bob Dylan
Probably one of the most iconic covers of all time. Kind of obvious to add it, but then kind of weird to not add it.
-
Cum on Feel the Noize Remastered
Oasis
- Original
- Slade
- Written by
- Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
There’s every possibility that my favourite Oasis song is a Slade song. Round Are Way is still in contention to be fair.
-
Jump in the Line
Ash
- Original
- Lord Kitchener
- Well-known version
- Harry Belafonte
- Written by
- Lord Kitchener
This has absolutely no business being as great as it is. But it is great.
-
Sweet Talkin Woman
Five Iron Frenzy
- Original
- ELO
- Written by
- Jeff Lynne
Weirdly I first heard of ELO via Five Iron Frenzy as Reese Roper apparently “has all their albums”. I’ve since seen them live at Glastonbury.
-
It Must Be Love
Madness
- Original
- Labi Siffre
- Written by
- Labi Siffre
This is a great song, and I remember being surprised to find that it was in fact a cover.
-
Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse) Version Revisited
Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse
- Original
- The Zutons
- Written by
- Abi Harding, Boyan Chowdhury, Dave McCabe, Russ Pritchard, Sean Payne
Another iconic cover – and another one where a lot of people were wildly unaware that it was a cover.
-
Lady Marmalade From “Moulin Rouge” Soundtrack
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, P!nk
- Original
- The Eleventh Hour
- Well-known version
- Labelle
- Written by
- Bob Crewe, Kenny Nolan
The All Saints version was also good. And the Moulin Rouge soundtrack was responsible for other great covers too.
-
Now That We Found Love
Heavy D & The Boyz, Aaron Hall
- Original
- The O’Jays
- Well-known version
- Third World
- Written by
- Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff
This song always sticks in my head when I hear it and I discovered that it was a cover. I used to think the lyric was “what a week on the do”.
-
Always on my Mind
Pet Shop Boys
- Original
- Gwen McCrae
- Well-known version
- Elvis Presley
- Written by
- Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, Mark James
I remember putting on “discos” in my friend’s bedroom after school when we were probably 9 or 10 and this was always a floor filler.
-
The Man Who Sold the World Live
Nirvana
- Original
- David Bowie
- Written by
- David Bowie
This whole album blew my mind when my friend gave me a copy on cassette (I’ve since bought it on CD and DVD before you give me a hard time), and it’s astonishing how many gorgeous covers are on here. Feels like almost half of the record.
-
Shining Light
Annie Lennox
- Original
- Ash
- Written by
- Tim Wheeler
Tim Wheeler is an amazing songwriter. This is a garden I am willing to tend, and here’s a solid piece of evidence supporting my cause: Annie Lennox covered one of his songs. If Annie Lennox ever covered a song I wrote I’m not sure where else there would be for me to go after that.
-
Days
Kirsty MacColl
- Original
- The Kinks
- Written by
- Ray Davies
Another song I heard first, and was surprised to learn it was a cover. See my other post for more on this album.
-
Say Yes
beabadoobee
- Original
- Elliott Smith
- Written by
- Elliott Smith
My daughter introduced me to beabadoobee and mentioned she was an Elliott Smith fan, but I only just discovered this lovely cover.
-
Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime
Beck
- Original
- The Korgis
- Written by
- James Warren
This song is in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Which is an amazing soundtrack.
-
Speak Soft
Poor Old Lu
- Original
- The Swoon
- Written by
- Dan Lancaster
Obscure cover of an obscure song. My sister used to make me play this for her.
There we have it. Feel free to take my musical taste to pieces in the comments. Or, y’know, recognise that taste is subjective and should be enjoyed and shared rather than criticised? Either way, I’ve told you mine, tell me yours.
I think covers are a hit and miss thing but some artists aren’t cut out for them (Peter Gabriel?)
Nah, there are some teeeeunes on Scratch My Back. Book of Love and Heroes are the obvious choices (partially because of Scrubs and Stranger Things, respectively), but My Body is a Cage, I Think it’s Going to Rain Today, and Mirrorball are up there, with others.
I’m obviously no-one to tell Peter Gabriel what to do, but I would be really interested to hear some of these tracks with a more conventional band (and featuring some of his usual suspects) instead of in the orchestral setting. The orchestra really lends itself to some of these songs, but not others.
Imagine the claustrophobia and sweeping grandeur of Family Snapshot applied to Street Spirit. Or maybe Climbing Up the Walls. Woof.
First up, you are welcome.
Secondly, that is a good covers album. There are a few I’m not so keen on, there are a couple in there that I will definitely add to my long list.
My short list is still currently at 19 and we have 3 matches. I’d be interested if you can work which 3. I will endeavour to cut it to 15 and then share my playlist with you. Not sure I will be able to be quite so introspective but I will try to explain my choices.
Really can’t imagine which three! Conservatively: Hendrix, Ronson/Winehouse, and Nirvana?
Hendrix and Nirvana yes. Winehouse no.
Hrrm. My next guesses would be Oasis or Madness.