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Cover Versions That BREAK The Deal

pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
edited January 2007 in Strut Central
Back in October, there was a Soul Strut thread called "Cover Versions That Seal The Deal." Like if you're looking through a stack of old vinyl and you buy the record because it has a version of THAT song on it, the song that no one could fuck up (even if it was by Kevin Federline with David Hasselhoff on background vocals). Well, I was looking through that old thread and decided: what about the songs that BREAK the deal? A standard that you can't deal with in ANY version?For me, it's"Little Green Apples""Over The Rainbow""God Bless The Child""Fool On The Hill"I ain't heard a version of these songs that I like YET. For instance, When I bought a CD reissue of Fifty Foot Hose's Cauldron, the first time I played it, when "God Bless The Child" came on I hit that fast-forward button with the quickness. Yeah, it had these random electronic squiggles running through it constantly, almost making it seem like a parody, but even then I couldn't deal with it. (Most of the rest of the disc is quite fine, though...)What's the song that makes YOU go "aw shit, not this again"?
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  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    A lot of Beatle hits, mostly ballads... I suppose I'll make it easy and pick "Yesterday" since there are good covers of a lot of them though

    "Shaft" covers: so ubiquitous, so boring - I kinda liked the 'Mac' one but that is the only exception I'm aware of and there are SO many
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    I really WANT to say "Hey Jude" but the Bar-Kays cover
    was at least listenable, so I'll Say, Hey Jude*
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    You dont like Patti Labelle's Over The Rainbow?

    What's the song that makes YOU go "aw shit, not this again"?

    Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
    Jennifer Holiday - And I Am Telling You
    Marvin Gaye - What's Goin On

    And no one has used the Substitution braek better than Ego Trippin'.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Izzy does a great, perhaps definitive, cover of OTR. I could imagine a good version of FOTH, I just haven't heard it.

    I agree with your list. Can't think of additions at the moment.

    Last note, I'd listen to Cassandra Wilson cover almost any song.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    You dont like Patti Labelle's Over The Rainbow?

    Nope. Hey, even in the sixties she was a big ham!
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    You dont like Patti Labelle's Over The Rainbow?

    Nope. Hey, even in the sixties she was a big ham!

  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    I really WANT to say "Hey Jude" but the Bar-Kays cover
    was at least listenable, so I'll Say, Hey Jude*

    Second....I can't stant that song at this juncture. Just unbearable when covered.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Well, I was looking through that old thread and decided: what about the songs that BREAK the deal? A standard that you can't deal with in ANY version?

    For me, it's
    "Little Green Apples"
    "Over The Rainbow"
    "God Bless The Child"
    "Fool On The Hill"

    Add to the list:
    "Eleanor Rigby"
    "My Funny Valentine"
    "St. Louis Blues"

    The only version of "Eleanor Rigby" I ever liked was a PARODY (by Doodles Weaver), but apart from that, I can do without.
  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    Big Maybelle's Eleanor Rigby is fine by me; i'll also ride for Big Aretha's.
  • GenePontecorvoGenePontecorvo 5,612 Posts
    I don't have any dealbreakers but I was very disgruntled and moved to comment on the "Ode to Billy Joe" cover found on some record I was interested in last weekend. Didn't buy it.
  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    i like stanley jordan's Eleanor Rigby
  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Windmills Of My Mind.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I don't have any dealbreakers but I was very disgruntled and moved to comment on the "Ode to Billy Joe" cover found on some record I was interested in last weekend. Didn't buy it.

    What was it?
  • catalistcatalist 1,373 Posts
    Windmills Of My Mind.


    Dorothy Ashby.......

  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Windmills Of My Mind.


    Dorothy Ashby.......


    Even that one, dude. I just can't get with that song.
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    Gene Chandler's[/b] Eleanor Rigby is fine by me; i'll also ride for Sugarcane Harris[/b]
  • edpowersedpowers 4,437 Posts
    Hey Jude
  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    just tonight i found an awesome cover of "Down by the River" from this band Music Box

    should i post it?

    is anyone interested?
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    just tonight i found an awesome cover of "Down by the River" from this band Music Box

    should i post it?

    is anyone interested?

    Another thread, please - no offense, but we're talking about cover versions we HATE no matter what!
  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    the Theme from SWAT for me. i remember when eothen was hollering at me all geeked over some obscure covers of this track (this was in the 90s) and i was
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    i like Booker T & the MGs' Eleanor Rigby
  • GenePontecorvoGenePontecorvo 5,612 Posts
    I don't have any dealbreakers but I was very disgruntled and moved to comment on the "Ode to Billy Joe" cover found on some record I was interested in last weekend. Didn't buy it.

    What was it?

    I think it was Curfew. Faceless poppsych on United Artists. I call it faceless because there were no pics of the band. The cut "Photogenic Jenny" is dope though.
  • HamHam 872 Posts
    I thought this thread was going to be about breaks in cover versions that weren't in the original.
  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

    Otis Redding did a very nice cover of that tune.
  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    I really WANT to say "Hey Jude" but the Bar-Kays cover
    was at least listenable, so I'll Say, Hey Jude*

    Overton Barry's instrumental version is very nice though, and I think Wilson Pickett and the Temptations were able to pull it off as well, but haven't listened to those in a while.
  • DJ_NevilleCDJ_NevilleC 1,922 Posts
    "Yellow Bird"
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

    Otis Redding did a very nice cover of that tune.

    Co-Sign. I know PickWick does not like Brenton Wood's version of A Change, but I like that one, too.



    I haven't heard a version of I Shot the Sheriff that I like yet, though I'm sure there are hundreds.
  • asstroasstro 1,754 Posts
    Pretty much any Marley cover, especially if the artist in question isn't normally a reggae artist.

    And punk bands should never play Misfits songs, ever again.
  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts
    I really WANT to say "Hey Jude" but the Bar-Kays cover
    was at least listenable, so I'll Say, Hey Jude*

    Overton Barry's instrumental version is very nice though, and I think Wilson Pickett and the Temptations were able to pull it off as well, but haven't listened to those in a while.

    Yeah, I was just going to say Wilson Pickett killed that song. Better get familiar.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzmXL821mKM


    As for deal-breakers, 'Rainy Days and Mondays' and 'People.'
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    i like Booker T & the MGs' Eleanor Rigby

    Ah, I knew there'd be one exception - the MG's version of this is quite good.
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