Hot Contender for Most Horrendous Cover of All Time.
Playlist and Truly Awful Cover discovered by Algernon
Thought I’d look at a few more cover versions. The covers aren’t necessarily the most famous covers of these songs but interesting interpretations just the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Tiz6INF7I
Hit the road Jack – Ray Charles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hta0HrMyRHA&feature=related
Hit the road Jack – the Lennon Sisters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHIAZUxlr8g
Eloise – Paul Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b31L4P7G5j8
Eloise – The Damned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIsnIt1p978
It’s my party – Lesley Gore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri8OCDUbFig
It’s my party – Amy Winehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-ponMaR-2E
Dedicated to the one I love – The “5” Royales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8h6lPMk9kw
Dedicated to the one I love – The Mamas and the Papas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T3FXFnoTzE
Don’t let me be misunderstood – Nina Simone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2FT4FprxDg
Don’t let me be misunderstood – The Animals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnZdlhUDEJo
Hazy shade of winter – Simon & Garfunkel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRx4PkXeVM
Hazy Shade of winter – The Bangles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfwcLdP5Xk
Wichita Linesman – Glen Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqz3lgnroVc
Wichita Linesman – Dennis Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7cHPy04s8
Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o
Satisfaction – Devo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t-2GeZFDdc
Mr Bojangles – Jerry Jeff Walker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86wME5d_yZM&feature=fvst
Mr Bojangles – Nina Simone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWvwP72FuVg
Heard it through the grapevine – Gladys knight and the pips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kU3m7oWpBg
Heard it through the grapevine – Creedence Clearwater revival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y9mopy0ly8&feature=fvst
Quinn the Eskimo – Bob Dylan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liIQLIx2Onw
Mighty Quinn – Manfred Mann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7F2X3rSSCU
Lucy in the sky with diamonds – The Beatles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SZ6J6fjw9w
Lucy in the sky with diamonds – Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeLdF7ONGts
You were always on my mind – Elvis Presley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2aMaMkDwTA
You were always on my mind – Pet shop Boys
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
That cover Alg, that really is deeply disturbing. Do you think they’re family? You sometimes get families like that out in the back blocks.
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There are plenty more like that Waz, Its just so wrong on many levels. You wonder what they were thinking when they produced these albums.For a moment I did count the fingers and yes I wondered whether they were related.
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Perhaps you should have posted Duelling Banjos?
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Did someone cover that?
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Sorry, I buggered off for some tucker.
Look somebody probably did. I mean it’s a sort of standard now. However, as you probably know/guessed, I was alluding to the mumpheads in the film.
The family photo: above.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_Banjos
There ya go Algy. It was a retard playing in the film. But a musician plucking the strings.
There is a version on YouTube, by David Garret, the violinist, who’s flavour of the month…everywhere
Gotta go. I can hear Dusty Springfield on Heartbeat. I love the acting in Heartbeat. It’s just so English. And 60s settings.
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I think I posted Dueling Banjos once there VL.
The realy old versions of Heartbeat are the ones I prefer. I lost interest after a few series.
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I don’t think that I explained my little joke very well. Then you – unfortunately – compounded it by not reading the wiki reference, Algy.
In the film Deliverance – which I didn’t refer to by name – there was a family, not unlike the picture that you tabled, as an odd album cover.
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‘Duelling Banjos’, was played in the film!
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Another great list Algorhythm, loved them all. But “Mr Bojangles” got me thinking about Tom T Hall and his storytelling songs, and that reminded me of this country classic.
“The Man Who Shot Himself”
This is one of my favourite songs. An entire novel in a few verses.
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Beautiful, Thanks for posting it.
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Barry Ryan, not Paul. Though maybe Paul is his twin brother. (I’ve just checked on Wiki and his twin was called Paul!)
I remember the first time I heard Eloise. It was in the small hours and I had the old Ferris portable under the bedclothes trying to pick up distant AM pop stations. 2GZ stopped broadcastng at midnight in those days. I think it was a Canberra station that played “the new one” from Barry Ryan. I loved it instantly. So much grandiose pop orchestration and a fabulous though somewhat overamped vocal.
I wonder what did happen to him. (Quickly checks Wiki)
“Ryan married Her Highness Tunku (Princess) Miriam binti al-Marhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim (born 1950), the only child of Major-General H.R.H. Paduka Sri Sultan Al-Haj Sir Ibrahim al-Mashur ibni al-Marhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar, Sultan of Johore, and his fourth wife, Sultana Marcella (née Marcella Mendl, 1915–1982). Married in 1978 and divorced in 1980, they had no children.”
I bet he just called him “dad”.
Jules, the 1968 Richard Harris album that MacArthur Park comes of, “A Tramp Shining”, is an absolute ripper and still available on CD if you’re interested. His craft skills as an actor control his rather limited voice to perfection, giving all the songs a depth of emotion not often realised by singers of greater voice. From memory most if not all the songs are by Jimmy Webb including a fantastic version of “Didn’t We”, and the title track.
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Yes, The Ryans. I knew them. They weren’t friends. We were all just part of the scene. They had an entertainment pedigree and I was sort of nouveau riche. Well not very riche; just trendy, I suppose.
I was friendly with one of their girlfriends. They were on and off. She took me somewhere to make him jealous. I can’t remember her name. She had bright ginger hair and was a cover girl. The face for something or other. A perfume or lotion.
I should try and google her I suppose. Hard if I don’t remember her name.
Best to let sleeping dogs lie, I suppose.
I’ve got Harris’s record somewhere, in vinyl…And of course I recall, ‘Didn’t we’: another great song.
Bit of an enigma; Richard Harris. And I didn’t know him 🙂
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Just as an aside. I saw Rod Stewart, in Brisbane last Wednesday.He performed Tom Wate’s , ‘Downtown Train, & Robert Palmer’s, ‘Some guys have all the fun!
I am meaning to write a short story about that, but feel like blurting it out. Typical Tory 🙂
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Did the Major General answer to wheelbarrow I wonder.
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Well done, here Algy. Good to see them juxtaposed like this. I’m off to watch SBS news, so I’ll come back to the songs.
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Thanks VL, I like this way of listing when comparing.
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I got through a few then Algy. And knew most.
I didn’t remember the Simon & Garfunkel song, even though I had that LP, and probably still do.
I’ve got a soft spot for The Mamas and the Papas–and that song. I confess to never having heard the other, original, version.
I know both versions of Heard it TTGV, however Marvin Gaye’s version is my favourite. Creedence’s version, is a bit monotonous.
Amy Winehouse had such a powerful voice, WoW! I’d forgotten till I listened to this. However being an older than you I am stuck on the original 🙂
I knew Paul Ryan, I think that he had a couple of hits. I can’t remember the other. He had a twin brother. It’s funny how someone can make a fabulous record and then…poof! That’s it. Like Macarthur’s Park by Richard Harris. I know other people covered it, but I just always loved his version of Webb’s song.
Anyways, thanks for putting in the effort.
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My preferences are probably not much different to yours here VL.
I thought Elivs did the original of You are alway on my mind but found that Brenda Lee did the original. My preference here though is the Pet shop Boys version. I included the Creedence version of Heard it through the grapevine as it was different to the Gladys Knight version. My preference is the same as yours though.
Amy Winehouse was included as a sort of segway to last weeks list by Warrigal, Quincy Jones was involved with its production. My music tastes are 80’s and earlier and much of the later music I find ordinary by comparison. There are exceptions of course. Amy had a fantastic voice as you say really powerful, I find the orginal better though.
Thank you for the encouragement VL, these lists now are a back up for when Warrigal doesn’t have time to produce one.
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It is odd how music from the past takes us into the future. Listening to Simon and Garfunkel it reminded me how they seemed to be always an optimistic kind of sound.I don’t know how sound can be optimistic but listening again I can’t say it dates or has become passe. There is a kind of cheerful and upbeat timbre to their music, perhaps the ascending notes and the staying of those notes in the higher register is the reason for it. It’s always so abstract to define feelings or emotions as a result of music. One shouldn’t even try, just listen.
I haven’t listened to them for ages but as always, the CD is missing. I don’t know what happens to our musical cd’s, but after many years, they just disappear. Do they explode or pulverize into nothing?
Will this happen to our chairs or mattresses, all of a sudden a chair is gone?
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I find a lot of the music of this period uplifting gerard, and Simon & Garfunkel certqainly fit the bill here. Like you I’m forever looking for CDs only to find them some years later.
The chair didn’t disappear over night, did it?
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I’m imagining off the wall, Algy. 🙂
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Very good, alge, this will take me away Rudd and Gillard….lots of nice songs there, I started with Nina Simone, goose pimple stuff…
Simon and Garfunkel next, then Beatles, Elvis…lovely!
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They are all good – brilliant. If only we could ‘turn back time’ !!!
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Yes we need the distraction as things can get quite heated. Its almost saturation isn’t it , Rudd picks his ear and they report it….
The real things in life matter too. Junior turns 20 this week so we’re off celebrating with family as a couple of friends soon.
So a little music always helps and this selection is a nice mix.
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The mercury is climbing here towards 40ish. I will have a listen when I eventually turn on the cooler (sarvo). Thank you Algernon.
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Thank you shoe, mostly easy listening here, nothing to get worked up about.
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