Cover songs that are instrumentals

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I was listening to Jimmy Smith's cover of "Let's Stay Together" from the Root Down Live! album. As I was listening to it, I was thinking: What are some good instrumentals that are covers of songs that originally have lyrics to them?

― Horridmonsta (MichaelCostello1), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:19 (twenty years ago)

Grant Green's "Let the Music Take Your Mind"

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:21 (twenty years ago)

I could cite at least a dozen Booker T. and the MGs songs.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:22 (twenty years ago)

The Oxes did a really pretty, haunting instrumental cover of "Everlong" by Foo Fighters. I wish I had it to YSI. But it's worth seeking out.

― Nostalgic for the Pre-Conservative Hendrie (Bent Over at the Arclight), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:22 (twenty years ago)

Lots of Herbie Hancock or Wes Montgomery. See "A Day in the Life" for the latter and "All Apologies" for the former.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:47 (twenty years ago)

Brad Mehldau doing Paranoid Android is pretty great. He has a bunch of other Nick Drake, Beatles, Radiohead, etc. covers as well.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

The jazz trio the Bad Plus do "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Velouria," "Heart of Glass," and a couple of others.

I assume we're limiting this to covers of "rock" songs? Because otherwise, I mean, THE ENTIRE GENRE OF JAZZ to thread.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

Yoshiki did an instrumental cover of Black Diamond on "KISS my Ass"

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 03:35 (twenty years ago)

Ramsey Lewis, "Wade in the Water" is a personal favorite.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

This Polish jazz trio whose name I can't remember did a very pretty slowed-down version of Bjork's "Hyperballad."

And those Kraftwerk covers by the Balanescu Quartet are pretty nice as well.

― Roz (Roz), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:05 (twenty years ago)

j.fahey's version of summertime is the best ever.

― marcus, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:20 (twenty years ago)

ugh, search James Last, Frank Mills, et al.

this is a horrid sub-genre of easy-listening.

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:21 (twenty years ago)

Did Miles Davis' version of "Time After Time" have a singer?

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

loads of surf-rock songs.

― badass porcelain knives (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:06 (twenty years ago)

check Booker T & the M.G.s cover of "Something"

― jared++, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:12 (twenty years ago)

Jeff Beck's ultra-cool cover of A Day in the Life.

― Cunga (Cunga), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:49 (twenty years ago)

Wes Montgomery and Grant Green did instrumental guitar versions of that too. Think I prefer the GG, haven't heard the Jeff Beck.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:54 (twenty years ago)

Stevie Ray Vaughan's rather good version of "Little Wing"

― gear (gear), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:54 (twenty years ago)

Kronos Quartet "Marquee Moon"

― donut ferry (donut), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 07:17 (twenty years ago)

The Entire Vitamin Records String Tributes comps.

― donut ferry (donut), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 07:18 (twenty years ago)

Robert Wyatt's very short version of the Style Council's The Whole Point of No Return (?) on Schleep.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 07:21 (twenty years ago)

Floyd Kramer - Windy
Ramsey Lewis - Hard Day's Night, and The in Crowd (Jimmy Savile used it for his Sunday show)

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

that funk cover of 'back in the ussr'

― N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 10:01 (twenty years ago)

Floyd Cramer's "The In Crowd"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

Death In Vegas did New Order's "Age of conscent"

― Sami (Sami), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

Also, Grant Green's Sookie Sookie

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

Christopher O'Riley's two albums worth of transcriptions of Radiohead songs for solo piano.

Miles Davis 'Time After Time' was mentioned above. Yep, no vocalist on that one. He also did Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' and (I think) a version of Scritti's 'Perfect Way'. Of course there are loads of instrumental versions of old standards on old Miles and Coltrane albums, and just in jazz in general.

― avery keen-gardner (avery keen-gardner), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

Manfred Mann - I Got You Babe

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

Van Dyke Parks - (Donovan's) Colours

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

Joe's Allstars' version of Hey Jude on Brixton cat is great!

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

I seem to remember the Dixie Dregs doing a cover of Kashmir on a live CD.

― mclaugh (mclaugh), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

'Terry Edwards plays the music of Jim & William Reid' and 'Terry Edwards salutes the magic of The Fall' eps. Both fantastic.

― robertw, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

MMW's "Everday People" from Combustication
Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith's "Baby, Its Cold Outside"
Tony Rice "High Noon","Shenandoah" and "My Favorite Things"

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

I adore the Dream Academy cover of "Please Please Please Let me Get What I Want" from the Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack.

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

Grant Green - "It's Your Thing"

I have a TON of New Orleans brass bands doing old r&b tunes and getting some new shit out of them. Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Cameo, Levert, etc. etc.

Also, jaymc OTM.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

Hangedup - "New Blue Monday"

― Ben, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

The Model - Tremolo Beer Gut

― Palomino (Palomino), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

I am not recommending it, I am pointing out it exists:

Boogaloo to Beck by Lonnie Smith

― Rob Upt1ght, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

Well.... The Ventures released about 30 records.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

I adore the Dream Academy cover of "Please Please Please Let me Get What I Want" from the Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack.

seconded.

charlie hayden does a cover of "spiritual" by spain, his son josh's band: it is exquisite. i heard the cover first; when i discovered the original version had dubious vocals, i was rather disappointed.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 22:09 (twenty years ago)

Wedding Present and Incubus both did the Shaft theme (which had some lyrics in it originally)

― aeh (aeh), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

the cat's miaow's version of the seekers 'georgie girl'

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

Somebody did an orchestral version of DJ Rolando's "Knights of the Jaguar" once.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

Bob James' oft sampled 'Take me to the Mardi Gras' is a bit special.

― charith dimitri, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 02:06 (twenty years ago)

Pixies covering "Cecilia Ann"

― ng, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 03:29 (twenty years ago)

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