The world's worst (and best) cover versions
Total Guitar have today voted Celine Dion's cover of AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long the worst cover version EVAH.
While it is undeniably heinous (Celine does air guitar and duck walks, so those of a delicate disposition are advised to close your eyes. And ears), there are surely worse offenders. Not least:
Hilary Duff - My Generation (The Who)
Hilary Duff does The Who’s My Generation. So, two things, really. 1) Hilary Duff. And, 2) Hilary Duff.
Korn - Another Brick In The Wall (Pink Floyd)
What is worse than Pink Floyd’s manifesto-on-a-postage-stamp, Another Brick In The Wall? Why, it is Another Brick In The Wall as channelled by nu-metallers Korn. And as the YouTube title points out, this is only part one of three. Part one of three. PART ONE OF THREE.
Michael Bolton - Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding)
Otis Redding recorded Sitting on the Dock of the bay at the age of 26, and died three days later. One imagines this was something of a blessing, considering this – a truly amazing and godawful re-imagining by The Love Lion, Michael Bolton.
The Corrs - Everybody Hurts (REM)
Here are The Corrs, of whom younger viewers will be blissfully unaware. Consider yourself lucky, as they once did this, an ‘unplugged’ (read: shit boring) cover of REM’s Everybody Hurts.
Bon Jovi - Mercy (Duffy)
Christ on a bike, here are Bon Jovi, murdering Welsh soulstress Duffy’s Mercy. One of the worst things about this is the addition of LA-accented vocals. So instead of "I don’t know what this is, but you do it well" suddenly becomes AH dohne-no whatchoo DEW butchadewid WEHWL jus leye-kah NOOOO-OO-WUD. Shiver-inducing.
And if you now feel a sudden urge to stab yourself in the ear with a rusty coathanger, please don’t. Listen to these instead:
Nick Cave - Disco 2000 (Pulp)
Lovely scarysexy Nick Cave doing Pulp’s Disco 2000. Just him applying his moustachioed chops to the word ‘Deborah’ will take the Dion-induced pain away.
Candi Staton - Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley)
Here's Candi Staton doing Suspicious Minds. And this is her doing Tammy Wynette’s Stand By Your Man. Basically this woman could sing a Hollyoaks script and the whole universe would still swoon.
Final Fantasy - Peach Plum Pear (Joanna Newsom)
Joanna Newsom is amazing and plays the harp. Final Fantasy (nee Owen Pallett) is amazing and plays the violin and does lots of breathtaking business with repeat pedals. This is the latter doing Peach Plum Pear at a very well-behaved Swedish festival.
The Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed (Fun Boy Three)
I heart The Go-Go’s, who were sort of the US equivalent to Bananarama. And in a marvellously circuitous way, this is a cover of Our Lips Are Sealed, by brother band to the Bananas, Fun Boy Three. Very pleasing.
The Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye)
Here is what a proper cover version should sound like – Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through The Grapevine with all the original bits intact. And yet totally re-owned by The Slits. Heaven.
Jose Gonzales - Hand On Your Heart (Kylie Minogue)
One of the most plaintive and oddly moving moments in Kylie’s PWL career, as strummed by Jose Gonzales. The fact that he is a bit wet does not stop this from being utterly lovely.
As I've just been saying in the office...
The best cover version is Hard Rain's Gonna Fall by Roxy Music. Fact. It really is. I could probably listen to it all day.
my best cover versions are
The Supremes - All I Want (Joni Mitchell). Post-Diana. Frank Wilson does something amazing with the production on this and this interpretation in no way affects one's appreciation of the sublime original.
Grace Jones - La Vie En Rose (twelve inch). Lipster, have I blinked and missed your post-Meltdown Grace review/hagiography?? I expect it daily!
The very idea of Bon Jovi covering Mercy = LOL.
small but mighty
I very small band from Australia, Frente!, did a cover version of Bizarre Love Triangle...
Very sweet, in the way that your brother's new girlfriend is very sweet.
But I think it holds up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ1c9ErCn7w
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