Best Covers Artist of the Last 60 Years

That would be either Storm Thorgerson or Roger Dean :)

Elvis

Side one
"It Won't Be Long" – 2:13
"All I've Got to Do" – 2:04
"All My Loving" – 2:09
"Don't Bother Me" (George Harrison) – 2:29
"Little Child" – 1:48
"Till There Was You" (Meredith Willson) – 2:16
"Please Mister Postman" (Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland, Robert Bateman) – 2:36

Side two
"Roll Over Beethoven" (Chuck Berry) – 2:47
"Hold Me Tight" – 2:32
"You Really Got a Hold on Me" (Smokey Robinson) – 3:02
"I Wanna Be Your Man" – 1:59
"Devil in Her Heart" (Richard P. Drapkin) – 2:27
"Not a Second Time" – 2:08
"Money (That's What I Want)" (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy)

I love the Beatles, but their covers were easily their least remarkable tracks.

Mostly because the others were so strong though. "Twist And Shout" is a great cover.

Okkervil River covering Big Star's "O Dana". Absolutely jaw-dropping.

This is really interesting stuff. Except the Beatles stuff - Aretha Franklin taught the Beatles a thing or two about doing covers.

The way the Byrds have affected the way Dylan is heard makes them obv winners for me

It's gotta be Nilsson. Everybody's Talkin. Without You. Nilsson Sings Newman. He made other people's songs (1) his own and (2) better.

I don't know much Soft Cell, but "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go?" is my favorite cover, I think.

dirtbombs!

Glen Campbell

Pet Shop Boys?

Tracks


1 Not Fade Away Holly, Petty 1:48
2 Route 66 Troup 2:21
3 I Just Want to Make Love to You Dixon 2:18
4 Honest I Do Abner, Calvert, Hurron, Reed 2:10
5 Now I've Got a Witness Phelge, Spector 2:32
6 Little by Little Phelge, Spector 2:40
7 I'm a King Bee Moore 2:37
8 Carol Berry 2:34

10 Can I Get a Witness Dozier, Holland, Holland 2:56
11 You Can Make It If You Try Jarrett 2:02
12 Walking the Dog Thomas 3:09

1 Around and Around Berry 3:04
2 Confessin' the Blues Brown, McShann 2:48

4 Time Is on My Side Ragovoy 2:54

6 It's All Over Now Womack, Womack 3:27
7 2120 South Michigan Avenue Nanker Phelge 3:39
8 Under the Boardwalk Resnick, Young 2:47

11 If You Need Me Bateman, Pickett, Sanders 2:05
12 Susie Q Broadwater, Hawkins, Lewis 1:50
1 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love Burke, Russell, Wexler 3:00
2 Down Home Girl Butler, Leiber 4:13
3 You Can't Catch Me Berry 3:40

6 Mona (I Need You Baby) McDaniel 3:35
7 Down the Road a Piece Raye 2:56

9 Pain in My Heart Neville 2:12
10 Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin') Ozen 2:09
11 Little Red Rooster Burnett, Dixon 3:06

etc.

runnerup: Santa Esmeralda

Second runnerup: Nazareth

(Okay, actually, Elvis and the Beatles were probably way better cover artists than Santa Esmeralda and Nazareth, I admit. But they were already mentioned.)

Xhuxk OTM. Everywhere here.

Ray Charles also made a pretty good case for himself with The Genius of Ray Charles, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," etc.

Yeah except the Beatles covers really are cringe-worthy in the early years, I don't get it.

Side one
2. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Bredon/Page & Plant -- as if)
3. "You Shook Me" (Dixon/Lenoir)
4. "Dazed and Confused" (Page -- as if) – 6:26

Side two
4. "I Can't Quit You Baby" (Dixon) – 4:42

pound for pound i'd take the beatles covers over the stones covers. among the great ones: money, twist and shout, anna, boys, bad boy. and yes, there were some questionable ones too.

I nominate Johnny Cash's American Recordings catalogue, but only about 50% of it.

It's gotta be Nilsson. Everybody's Talkin.

I passed this over but now it strikes me - didn't Nilsson write this? I mean, great song though.

http://www.myspace.com/pukesband

xp Yeah, Zep definitely occured to me, too. How many of their covers weren't even credited as such ("When The Levee Breaks," for instance)? A bunch, right?

http://diddywah.lunarpages.net/pix/tina.jpg

http://www.lagalette.fr/blog/images/IMG_0529.jpg

And what about the Clash? "Police On My Back," "Police and Thieves," "Junko Partner," "Pressure Drop," "Armagideon Time," "Time Is Tight" -- those are all pretty great. There must have been others I'm not thinking of right now, too.

"SINNERMAN" OH SHIT!

CREEDENCE - HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

OK OK, but let's keep it to 'the best' cover of the last 60 years. Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...

claudine longet

***I was playing Nina's take on "Sinnerman," and everyone in the journalism room was complaining really loudly. So, this one kid is like, 'guys, this song rocks, you're just listening to a reallllly bad version. why don't you put on the Nina Simone version, chris?'

BAN HUMANSUIT

LOL! GODDAMIT!!!!

xxp - so did you put on the Nina Simone version?

didn't Nilsson write this?

strange thing about nilsson is that he broke into the biz as a songwriter and wrote some pretty big hits for other people, but his own biggest hits were indeed covers (of badfinger and fred neil).

Yeah I was checking this out - and Fred Neil wrote that. Very interesting, and I would have to put Nilsson in the running myself then. I learned something today.

i'd put the walker brothers up there based entirely on their two masterpieces, "the sun ain't gonna shine anymore" (original: frankie valli) and "make it easy on yourself" (jerry butler).

Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...
Heard It Through the Grapevine isn't even that great an original song ...

xxp - so did you put on the Nina Simone version?

-- humansuit, Thursday, August 2, 2007 2:33 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

No, I got all confused and put "99 Red Luftballoons." Everyone started high fivin' and electric slidin' and then my teacher came in and yelled, "POWER TO THE PEOPLE!" and we all got high and went to bed

xp
more by the clash: brand new cadillac, wrong 'em boyo.

ooh, watching stax documentary on pbs right now reminds me:

1. "Walk on By" (Bacharach, David) – 12:03
2. "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" (Hayes, Isbell) – 9:38
3. "One Woman" (Chalmers, Rhodes) – 5:10
4. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Webb) – 18:42

and what about

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9b/My_Favorite_Things.jpg/200px-My_Favorite_Things.jpg

http://www.sleazeroxx.com/censored/virgin1.jpg

i'd put the walker brothers up there based entirely on their two masterpieces, "the sun ain't gonna shine anymore" (original: frankie valli) and "make it easy on yourself" (jerry butler).

These kill, and I was gonna pipe up about the Walker/Brel stuff, all I've heard of that's so great.

Kind of strange that most of the acts named are so old ... who's the best covers artist of the last 25 years? Most of the recent people I can think of who do lots of covers are just reapplying their signature sound or doing pisstakes, not so much creative reinterpretation.

Low do lots of covers - they do apply their signature sound but that's OK by me. Some good ones: Paperback Writer, Transmission, I Started A Joke, and Down By The River

Willie Nelson should get a nomination for best covers artist: If You've Got The Money, Help Me Make It Through The Night, Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain, all of the Stardust album, Pancho & Lefty, etc.

yo la tengo have some gems and seemingly can pull off just about any tune they try - from Sun Ra to Dylan to Daniel Johnston, eh

Joan Jett deserves a nomination here, too -- maybe even for the last 25 years, though her very best stuff was probably before then.

If she's too old, for the last 25 years, off the top of my head, I nominate the Sirens:

1 Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll) Glitter, Leander 2:59
2 I've Got to Use My Imagination Goffin, Goldberg 2:56
3 Chez Maximes Matheson, Steel 3:16
4 I'm Leaving You Gallagher, Vinnedge 2:05
5 Diversion Grant 2:59
6 Glycerine Queen Quatro, Tuckey 3:03
7 Destroy That Boy Hampton 2:06
8 Gudbuy t'Jane Holder, Lea 3:28
9 Don't Slander Me Erickson 1:57
10 Ain't Gonna Cry No More Byers 2:12
11 Push Hall, Huffman 2:56
12 I'm Blue Turner 3:16
1 Hellraiser Chapman, Chinn 3:09
2 1-2-3-4 Rock and Roll Blakemore, Gore, King, Napoli 2:42
3 Go Back Fennelly 2:57
4 High School Davis, Kramer, Smith, Thompson ... 2:19
Composed by: Davis, Kramer, Smith, Thompson, Tyner
5 Saturday Night Coulter, MacPhereson, Martin 2:40
6 Right Now Not Later Bateman, Hollon, Mosel 2:27
7 Rock & Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire) Holder, Lea 6:08
8 Wig Wam Bam Chapman, Chinn 3:31
9 Tear Me Down Trask 4:03
10 Tonight Davis, Kramer, Smith, Thompson ... 3:01
Composed by: Davis, Kramer, Smith, Thompson, Tyner
11 Tumble with Me Matheson, Steingroven 3:48
12 Fox on the Run Connolly, Priest, Scott 3:57
13 Rock N Roll Suicide Bowie 3:17

Other possibilities: Detroit Cobras? Though I don't know; I've always had mixed feelings about them. The Nomads and Gore Gore Girls both have a few really great covers, though it's not their specialty. And in the past couple years, bands like Tesla and Poison and especially Def Leppard have put out pretty good all-covers albums, for what it's worth.

And oh yeah, better than most of the ones I just nominated: Girlschool!

And duh, Guns N Roses, in honor of their second best album The Spaghetti Incident?, plus "Nice Boys" and "Mama Kin."

And Crazy Frog, too.

Nina Simone, obviously. No contest.

A couple other good ones from the last 30 years if not 25 (both distiguished by most of their best tracks probably being cover versions):

-- Grace Jones (on Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing, anyway; I've never cared about anything that came before or after those.)

-- George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Also (going back a few decades again), I would like to mention the Kingston Trio.

Think you're right that the Stones covers blow away the Beatles (tho Act Naturally's great). Thinking of British Invasion groups got me wondering, did Pink Floyd do any covers, or were they just a monolithic totality?

please to define: "cover artists" VS "interpretative singers"

historically, cover versions = white musicians re-recording songs originally recorded by black musicians. see also: crossing over.

ooh, watching stax documentary on pbs right now reminds me:

1. "Walk on By" (Bacharach, David) – 12:03
2. "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" (Hayes, Isbell) – 9:38
3. "One Woman" (Chalmers, Rhodes) – 5:10
4. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Webb) – 18:42

-- fact checking cuz, Thursday, August 2, 2007 3:51 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Link

very much OTM.

also: yes to aretha ('until you come back to me', 'spanish harlem'), nina ('my sweet lord', 'i can't see nobody', 'to love somebody'), dirtbombs, detroit cobras.... and the posies' covers were pretty awesome too ('i am the cosmos', 'surrender')

and baby huey's cover of 'a change is gonna come' (one of my favourite pieces of music ever) and sly's 'que sera sera'

I'll Detroit Cobras a nod for taste in covers, but the execution is ahh, let's seee ...runs gamut from decent to annoying.

give

i love the 'life love and leaving' album but yeah, i guess they can be hit and miss. pretty rub live too, bizarrely, because they sound like they should be a blast.