What possessed the Bangles to ruin...

[bluntforcemama]

a perfectly good song by Simon and Garfunkle? Hazy Shade of Winter.... crap, I'll never get the remake out of my mind. Speaking of remakes, what are some GOOD remakes of songs that you know of? I heard Limp Bizkit's remake of George Michael's "Faith," but wasn't impressed. Then there's the Alien Ant Farm's remake of "Smooth Criminal," which I hope is a parody, because it's too funny to be real. And then there's Puff Daddy (P Diddy?) who did the remake/mutation of Robert Plant's famous guitar riff. And pity Sting, for his song "Every Breath You Take" was completely ruined.

 

[Dillinger]

Ah... I liked the Bangles version...

Other good remakes, off the top of my head...

Frank Zappa's remakes of "Purple Haze," "Whipping Post" and "Stairway To Heaven"

King Crimon's remake of Donovan's "Drop In"

Bowie's remake of Pink Floyd's "See Emily Play"

Todd Rungren's remake of The Beatles "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Something's Coming" from West Side Story.

Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa's remake of "Stayin' Alive"

(Great idea for a thread, btw)

 

[Pokerman]

Jimmy Buffett covering Uncle John's Band. I have a friend who was a total Deadhead and even SHE loved this version...

 

[shadowsource]

Good & bad -

One of the best ever: Jimi doing Dylan's ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER!

Of the worst, I rate Bananarama's VENUS (the original was so sexy) and Natalie Merchant's BECAUSE THE NIGHT. Was just bitching about that Bangles cover a couple of days ago.

 

[Bubblegum *sugarless*]

Some other good covers:

Metallica - Seger's Turn the Page

Skid Row & Concrete Blonde - Hendrix Little Wing

Even Duran Duran did a decent cover of Lou Reed's Perfect Day

 

[CelestialBody]

 

[Dillinger]

I thought of a few more that I have really enjoyed... some for the creativity (completely rethinking the entire song) and other's just because they are damn good.

The B-52's remake of "Downtown" by Petula Clarke

John Cale doing Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel" (WOW - incredible - saw him at CBGB's... it was a GREAT show!)

Devo doing the Stones "Satisfaction" (I remember seeing them do this on Saturday Night Live and was blown away).

Adrian Belew doing The Beatles' "I'm Down"

Emerson, Lake and Palmer doing Ravel's "Bolero"

The Fugees doing Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

The Flying Lizards doing The Beatles' "Money"

801 Live (Eno and Manzanera) doing The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows"

Magazine doing Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"

Electric Light Orchestra doing The Move's "Do Ya" (Jeff Lynee was a member of both groups - there was also a great version of this song done by Todd Rundgren and Utopia)

The Ramones doing Somebody To Love, Surf City, Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Substitute and everything on the Acid Eater's album)

The Residents - covering tons of old rock 'n roll in the most unique and "fucked up" style on "Third Reich 'N Roll"

Both Bryan Ferry's and The Talking Heads cover of "Take Me To The River"

Soft Cell mixing "Where Did Our Love Go" into their "Tainted Love" remix

Roxy Music doing Midnight Hour and Eight Miles High

The Contortions (James White and the Blacks) doing "Tropical Heatwave" by Irving Berlin

(Seems there are quite a few Beatles remakes! *smile*)

 

[kwt]

a perfectly good song by Simon and Garfunkle? Hazy Shade of Winter.... crap, I'll never get the remake out of my mind. Speaking of remakes, what are some GOOD remakes of songs that you know of? I heard Limp Bizkit's remake of George Michael's "Faith," but wasn't impressed. Then there's the Alien Ant Farm's remake of "Smooth Criminal," which I hope is a parody, because it's too funny to be real. And then there's Puff Daddy (P Diddy?) who did the remake/mutation of Robert Plant's famous guitar riff. And pity Sting, for his song "Every Breath You Take" was completely ruined.

I heard an interview with the Alien Antfarm guys and they said they weren't parodying at all .. they love MJ and hope they did his song justice. But the rest of their music is pretty different and a lot harder, so I think it was one of those "gimmick-get-us-started" songs. But I still like it

My vote goes to Lenny Kravitz doing American Woman.

kwt

 

[bluntforcemama]

Anyone like "Sympathy For the Devil" by G and R, originally by the Stones? I don't mind it, but I prefer the original, I think.


kwt, ever seen the video of that song by Alien Ant Farm? It's hilarious. Oh, and you have mail, dimple man.


Dill, thanks for pointing out some of the better remakes, I have hope! And thanks for telling me to go to the doctor for my eye. I remember how much your eye hurt you when it was infected (bad boy, you waited too long to go to the doctor, didn't you?).

 

[Dillinger]

Anyone like "Sympathy For the Devil" by G and R, originally by the Stones? I don't mind it, but I prefer the original, I think.


kwt, ever seen the video of that song by Alien Ant Farm? It's hilarious. Oh, and you have mail, dimple man.


Dill, thanks for pointing out some of the better remakes, I have hope! And thanks for telling me to go to the doctor for my eye. I remember how much your eye hurt you when it was infected (bad boy, you waited too long to go to the doctor, didn't you?).

Those are all great remakes and worth checking out...

Actually - I did wait too long to go to the doctor - but even when I did the general practicioner didn't realize the seriousness of what I had and just gave me some regular eye drops... it took an optometrist to provide the correct diagnosis and by then things had seriously degraded... thankfully all is OK now...

kwt - I agree - Kravitz' "American Woman" is a great remake and a great video.

Here's another one I just thought of...

The Doors doing Kurt Weill and Brecht Eugen "Alambama Song" (Show Me The Way To The Next Whiskey Bar)

 

[shadowsource]

Good ones, Dillinger -

In addition to Devo's SATISFACTION, Cat Power has a very good, incredibly understated beauty.

Laibach (from Slovenia) did a great version of SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, incredible video. Though I feared I'd get killed a few years ago at an airless, totally jammed, seethingly violent Laiback concert packed with skinheads in East Berlin. I left early.

And Jane's Addiction covered their own JANE SAYS extremely well.

P.Diddy/Daddy Pee is the least talented, most obnoxious copycat artist since that "rapper" who used to be a ball boy and fooled people for a year or two.

 

[Darowyn]

Good remake:- The Corrs version of "Little Wing"
Really bad remake: Shaggy's version of "Angel of the Morning"
Do you get annoyed when feeble new songs use recognisable samples from old catchier ones?
There are two around at the moment.
Janet Jackson uses the guitar riff from America's "Ventura Highway" and the main tune from one of Eric Satie's "Gymnopedies" while she twitters away about meeting somebody who "drives a funky car" and she can call her lover.
A band who's name has not made any inpression on me has a record out which uses the main melody hook from the Walker Brothers' "Make it Easy on Yourself" while they sing a boring little three chord tune over the top of it- it's called "Kelly" or something like that.
I must admit though, that after a while, I got to like Gabrielle doing "Rise" over the top of the backing vox for Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door"

 

[Laurel]

I've never been all that fond of Tori Amos' cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". It smells like something, but it ain't teen spirit.

 

[Guest]

Do you get annoyed when feeble new songs use recognisable samples from old catchier ones?

It makes me sick! It's like Brian dePalma being declared a genius for spackling thefts from great Hitchcock films (or the worst, the stairway sequence from Eisenstein's BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN for his lame railroad station scene in THE UNTOUCHABLES) into his pathetic movies.

 

[RudeNastyAssBitch]

I Love Prince's Kiss!

But, Tom Jones And The Art Of Noise Did A Fantastic Job Of It

Prince Also Wrote, Money Changes Everything, But Cyndi Lauper Made It Great

Sinead OConner Just Killed, Nothing Compares To You Prince And That Chick Did It Soooo Well!

I Just Wish They Made The Proper Version On CDG.

 

[shadowsource]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prince Also Wrote, Money Changes Everything, But Cyndi Lauper Made It Great:

Tom Gray of The Brains, a Georgia New Wave band, wrote and recorded MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

 

[lavender]

 

[RudeNastyAssBitch]

K So Yer Right

I was Wrong

OoOps

 

[shadowsource]

Excellent -

I was Wrong

OoOps

Now, bend over and sing Ian Dury's HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM STICK. Maybe I'll help ya cover it....

 

[RudeNastyAssBitch]

ShadowSource!

Hit Me With Yer Best Shot

I'm Bent Over And Waiting...

 

[Purple Haze]

I hate most covers, especially country artists redoing Elvis and the Beatles.

A buddy of mine brought over a recording of "Hayseed Dixie", a really good bluegrass band doing AC/DC songs. Way cool.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Though I love Tori, I don't much care for her remake of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" either. And is it just me, or does she have an orgasm in every song?