What songs that have grebt potential are just waiting for an artist competent enough to perform them ably?

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"Morning Angel" has all the ingredients for a fantastickal ditty but Olivia Newton John's arrangements were too gloopy and the Sublime version I heard this morning was too reggae. Actually the best version so far has been Patti Smith's from her "Friends" cameo.

― Leee (Leee), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:32 (twenty-three years ago)

the Pastels early work owns this thread

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"Saving All My Love For You" probably would have been really great if sung by Billie Holiday. Shame she had been dead for almost 40 years when that song was written though...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"Jump Into the Fire" by Nilsson is SCREAMING to be covered by someone with fire-honoring moxie!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:43 (twenty-three years ago)

"Dont It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" - maybe I'll cover it. I love that song.

"Too Much of Nothing" - everyone drops the ball.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Errr that's supposed to be "Angel of the Morning" and Juice Newton who is apparently not ONJ. And the Pretenders one is too dissipated too.

― Leee (Leee), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:46 (twenty-three years ago)

all Beat Happening songs should be covered by Dream Theater

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:50 (twenty-three years ago)

There are those who believe David Berman's Silver Jews songs, from Bright Flight specifically, would be worth a lot more if sung by someone else. Personally I love 'em the way they are.

― Famous Athlete, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Always thought someone should cover "Hey Bulldog" by the Beatles. No one has, though, or at least not to my knowledge.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:52 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah is there a great version of angel in the morning?
i was disappointed with nina simone's version,and i would have thought if she couldn't make it great noone could,but at the same time i have a version in my head that was great,no idea who its by though

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:55 (twenty-three years ago)

PP Arnold, maybe? Or Merrilee Rush. Those are both great versions.

― Arthur (Arthur), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 01:38 (twenty-three years ago)

alex, there is an absolutely wicked french version of "hey bulldog" done soon after the beatles' original. very dirty-sounding and heavy on the distortion. unfortunately i don't know the name of the band. it's one of those obscure 45s for which silly collectors pay far too much $.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 01:57 (twenty-three years ago)

This desperately needs to be covered by a punk band of some sort

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 02:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Sounds fab, Lauren, but who did it?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 03:03 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't know, alex. i wish i did!

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 15:29 (twenty-three years ago)

"Jump Into the Fire" by Nilsson is SCREAMING to be covered by someone with fire-honoring moxie!

Robin Zander covered it, but not totally well.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 15:47 (twenty-three years ago)

up the hill and down the slope

― Evan (Evan), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 15:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Robin Zander......of Cheap Trick?

WOW. "Up the Hill and Down the Slope"!!! by the LOFT! DAMN if I haven't heard that in ages.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Of Cheap Trick, yus. Who WOULD cover the Loft well? I have a feeling the House of Love would have done it as a matter of course.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 16:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I totally wanna hear an industrial-metal cover of "Whip It" with growling and distortion and whip-crack samples aplenty.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 17:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd love to hear:

A Fantomas Tribute to Wesley Willis

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

A few years back, Jim O'Rourke said he was going to do a covers album of songs that are generally considered to be "bad." Part of his idea was that some of them aren't actually bad as much as poorly performed or arranged. The only one I can remember him mentioning was Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" (!) Seems like he's given up on that idea, but I'd still love to hear it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 17:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Anything by Lambchop. Then again maybe I'm being optimistic

― dave q, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 18:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Re: Nick
Brilliant idea! I'd like to see a tribute album to
Willis, with his best songs done in a conventional
but imaginative manner.
Only one problem: who would get the "star spot,"
"Rock N' Roll McDonalds?"
I vote for Simian or, failing that, Wondermints.

The end product we be much like _More Oar: A Tribute To
Skip Spence_, which converted his sketchy little
ditties (brilliant as they were) into full-on songs,
most of them damn good.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

"Spit on a Stranger" by Pavement. Some contemporary bluegrass-lite pop band should cover it with really breathy and "cute" vocals.

― Famous Athlete, Wednesday, 12 March 2003 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

"Talkin' 'Bout the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants to Live Forever)"
"Freak Scene"
"Vwlocity Girl"
"Touch Me, I'm Sick"
"Gimme Indie Rock" (with different lyrics)
"Come Together" (Primal Scream, the one with the Jesse Jackson sample. Someone needs to build it up more and turn it into a huge rock anthem at the end. As it is, it doesn't really go anywhere over its 10 minutes and 24 seconds of existence)
"Maggot Brain" (same as above. As it is, it's absolutely fantazmo for five minutes, good for the next two, and kinda worn out its welcome after that. Long songs need to GO SOMEWHERE, people!!)
"Rock and Roll Star" (Oasis)

― Evan (Evan), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 02:57 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't really see how "Velocity Girl" or "TMIS" could be improved upon

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 04:39 (twenty-three years ago)

"Velocity Girl" is TOO SHORT!!And the guy's pansy vocals don't fit with a song about, uhhh, "playing with a spike."

Ehhhh... uhhhhh.... you're probably right about "Touch Me I'm Sick" though. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that.

― Evan (Evan), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 10:52 (twenty-three years ago)

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