“Witchi Tai To”: post your favorite versions here

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Here is the original by Everything Is Everything, with composer Jim Pepper singing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg9LT4qR_Dw

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:46 (one year ago)

Which I hadn’t actually listened to until Steve Shasta posted it over here:
Pavement:Classic or Dud

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:48 (one year ago)

Harper’s Bizarre version sounds very similar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1L9RPEM634

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:50 (one year ago)

Harpers Bizarre

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:50 (one year ago)

Brewer & Shipley amped it up a bit and apparently messed up some lyrics but it still sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkVjd1fJMME

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:53 (one year ago)

For completism here is The Supremes version that was in the vaults for decades:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_kZIHqf4PE

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:55 (one year ago)

Ralph Towner with Oregon, featuring a sitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtLqPaP_PA4

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:57 (one year ago)

mainly familiar with the version from Pepper's Pow Wow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YeEUlyhQw

Judi Dench's Human Hand (methanietanner), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:58 (one year ago)

For corny indie olds, Pavement is the ~third~ Drag City artist to cover WTT… both Jim O’Rourke & Will Oldham have also covered it live in the past 25 years.

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:59 (one year ago)

!

Ralph Towner with Gary Peacock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_iaZESVRuo

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 15:59 (one year ago)

The only version I know is the Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson Quartet version (Garbarek on soprano sax, Stenson on piano, Palle Danielsson on bass, Jon Christensen on drums). Could easily post this in the "songs you belatedly discovered were cover versions" thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw9d4_luZdE

Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:00 (one year ago)

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4kBkgxkMfaAg65eddmBlq9

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:14 (one year ago)

https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2024/06/witchi-tai-tai-by-biologica.html

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:15 (one year ago)

https://www.davidbelbin.com/blog/2017/01/witchi-tai-to/

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:22 (one year ago)

Still have to listen to the Topo D. Bil version.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:26 (one year ago)

Which is a weird project of Larry “Legs” Smith along with another Bonzo or two and then Chris Squire and Keith Moon.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:27 (one year ago)

Sorry, “Legs” Larry Smith

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:31 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bskGHCHlU7U

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:33 (one year ago)

is there a recording of the jim o'rourke version anywhere?

ufo, Friday, 16 May 2025 16:52 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU646asPghM

ah here it is, with eiko ishibashi!

ufo, Friday, 16 May 2025 16:54 (one year ago)

One of those songs that get some people convinced it's going to be a big hit, and then it isn't.

Mark G, Friday, 16 May 2025 16:55 (one year ago)

Eiko/Tatsuhisa/Gianni/Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU646asPghM

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Friday, 16 May 2025 16:57 (one year ago)

Love the Harper's Bizarre one, the bassline is sublime.

Blake the Messenger (Tom D.), Friday, 16 May 2025 17:15 (one year ago)

Apparently Ry Cooder played side guitar on the album. No idea who played bass, whoever the guy in Harpers Bizarre was.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 18:26 (one year ago)

Like to imagine that band took their name from the third VU album.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 18:27 (one year ago)

Also had no idea Ted Templeman was in that band.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 18:27 (one year ago)

From the cover of the third VU album

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 18:29 (one year ago)

BMX Bandits used to play this live a lot back in the day which is how I got to know it, don't know if they ever recorded it tho

( X '____' )/ (zappi), Friday, 16 May 2025 18:57 (one year ago)

Posts are delivering, thanks

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 May 2025 19:49 (one year ago)

Jack DeJohnette

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sldSfKV3jPU

bbq, Saturday, 17 May 2025 01:24 (one year ago)

Anyone else here hear this song for the first time in the movie Sleepers?

bbq, Saturday, 17 May 2025 01:27 (one year ago)

No

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 May 2025 03:02 (one year ago)

One of those songs that get some people convinced it's going to be a big hit, and then it isn't.

Makes sense, although the original version was a minor hit.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 May 2025 03:03 (one year ago)

It’s kind of a slow-motion earworm and, based on the high level of enjoyability or at least tolerability of the various covers, it’s seems to have an indestructible quality

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 May 2025 03:04 (one year ago)

It not it’s second time round

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 May 2025 03:05 (one year ago)

Feel like it’s in a similar space to “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” in that it’s something that sounds like it could almost be Muzak, but instead is incredibly catchy and somehow deep.

Rocket from the Toonces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 May 2025 04:52 (one year ago)

By ear, D - C /C# - Bm - G - Em - A - D

calstars, Saturday, 17 May 2025 05:12 (one year ago)

BMX Bandits version was redone with Future Pilot AKA in 2001: https://www.discogs.com/release/1045005-Future-Pilot-AKA-Tiny-Waves-Mighty-Sea

with hidden noise, Saturday, 17 May 2025 19:45 (one year ago)

What a gift of a thread! + Spotify playlist,.thanks, James! I only knew the Brewer & Shipley version & pavement from the reunion tour. I always spin the b&s in the spring because of their lyric change, not realizing it was in fact a change. The tabla percussion is great on a few of these tracks.

BrianB, Sunday, 18 May 2025 00:17 (one year ago)

1st version i heard was this...tom thumb, nz band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NjH6vDev18

unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Sunday, 18 May 2025 00:22 (one year ago)

Xpress-2 f Tim DeLaughter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9NGZqhmCQ

...

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 May 2025 19:36 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdkZ5f4WFVw

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Friday, 30 May 2025 12:11 (one year ago)

Damn, this really is a Pavement song

jeff bezoar (sawdust lagoon), Friday, 30 May 2025 20:36 (one year ago)

The only version I know is the Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson Quartet version (Garbarek on soprano sax, Stenson on piano, Palle Danielsson on bass, Jon Christensen on drums). Could easily post this in the "songs you belatedly discovered were cover versions" thread:

📹

Finally listened to this one. Pretty good!

35 Millimeter Dream Police (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 June 2025 13:39 (eleven months ago)

Pavement too on the nose for me.

35 Millimeter Dream Police (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 June 2025 14:08 (eleven months ago)

three months pass...

JR&tB, wait for the chorus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO1aqqyGcJg

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 11 September 2025 06:50 (eight months ago)

Wow love that, what a great idea

waste of compute (One Eye Open), Thursday, 11 September 2025 12:49 (eight months ago)

four months pass...

RIP Ralph Towner

Eric Blore Is President (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 19 January 2026 07:06 (four months ago)


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