Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Songs that should never be covered.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Songs that should never be covered.

    There are ones that are constantly like "New York, New York" (I know) and "My Way" (although I do have a ridiculously soft spot for Sid Vicious' version). However, I mean songs that are never - or, very rarely - covered that should never be. It can be because the originals are too distinctive or tied to their original artists. I suppose "Bitch I'm Madonna" is in the latter (as if anyone would really want to cover it) but I also think it odd when people cover "Motörhead" (again, I know).

    The ultimate, I think are

    Bat Out Of Hell
    Bohemian Rhapsody.

    I don't know whether it is their length and bombastic nature, their originality or just they are so synonymous with Meat Loaf and Queen respectively but I just would never want to see or hear a cover of them. I can't see how they would work.

    #2
    Panic! At The Disco covered Bohemian Rhapsody.

    I heard it the other day, and it is exactly as bad as you might imagine.

    Comment


      #3
      Dunno why you've said that Bohemian Rhapsody is rarely covered, Bored. There's bloody loads of versions out there - in fact, there's a long-since-dead thread about the most covered songs and I expressed my surprise that it wasn't in the article that inspired said thread.

      As for the point raised in the OP... there's probably fewer sacred cows than you'd think. Name any vaguely popular and well-regarded act and there's probably at least one cover that most would regard as better than the original... apart from Slade, maybe.

      Comment


        #4
        Apologies, I should put this Bohemian Rhapsody cover behind a spoiler with a trigger warning given that the artist concerned has been convicted of indecent assault.

        [spoiler]

        But if you were wondering what it would sound like with a wobble-board, here you go.

        [/spoiler]
        Last edited by Kevin S; 21-08-2018, 11:22.

        Comment


          #5
          I once saw an astonishing version of Bohemian Rhapsody on Star Academy - (the french version of X Factor/Star Academy) a few years back.
          The guy in a kind of Adam and the Ants outfit and full on dandy highway man set , really went for it, and as a flourish at the end of this standing ovation announced he was quitting the show.

          Phil Collins who was a special guest that week, didn't understand what was going on, and seemed totally bewildered.

          While a very striking version, it and Star Ac, will always be the symbol to me, of how bad french "light" entertainment is; but it was certainly memorable.

          Comment


            #6
            Probably around 75% covers that exist 'should not have been recorded', tbh - but, to answer the OP properly, I'd pitch Anarchy in the UK: obviously, it has been covered several times - there are spectacularly bad versions out there by Megadeth, Green Jelly and Mel C, to name but three - but should clearly never be touched given that it only really makes sense in its original incarnation.

            I'd imagine 'anything by Frank Zappa' would probably also fit the bill.

            Originally posted by VTTBoscombe View Post
            Phil Collins who was a special guest that week, didn't understand what was going on, and seemed totally bewildered.
            His usual look, then.

            Comment


              #7
              Mel C did Anarchy? Jesus.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Sits View Post
                Mel C did Anarchy? Jesus.
                I remember reading about that. I believe she sang: "I am an antichrist. I am Sporty Spice."

                Shame really, I quite like her otherwise.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Further to VTTB's post, surely no one ever has done/could do a cover of Prince Charming?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by pebblethefish View Post
                    Further to VTTB's post, surely no one ever has done/could do a cover of Prince Charming?
                    Rolf Harris. Except he covered it several years before AaTA.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Stumpy Pepys View Post
                      I remember reading about that. I believe she sang: "I am an antichrist. I am Sporty Spice."

                      Shame really, I quite like her otherwise.
                      Yep, ditto. However, when all the Spices started recording solo material, some lunatic tried to re-invent her as an 'indie rock chick' and even-more-stupidly convinced her that covering Anarchy would make a good lift-off point for this.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Jedward used to sing "teenage kicks "at their gigs, hopefully they never recorded it

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by elguapo4 View Post
                          Jedward used to sing "teenage kicks "at their gigs, hopefully they never recorded it
                          Sadly Busted did.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Frank Sidebottom's cover of "Anarchy in the UK" was great.

                            In a similar vein Manchester comedy rock band Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoios did an acapella folk music treatment of the song which worked well when they did it without any introduction in their stage set
                            but was less funny when they recorded it.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Everything that the wonderful Albertos did was less funny when they recorded it...

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Africa. As proven by Weezer. For some reason US radio has fallen in love with it.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by caja-dglh View Post
                                  Africa. As proven by Weezer. For some reason US radio has fallen in love with it.
                                  It really has. And it's the biggest nothing going. It's almost an exact replica of the original.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    I heard that the other day (on UK radio).

                                    Weezer go from just-okay to godawful so often that I've no idea where I stand with them anymore.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Stick with "god-awful" and you will be there or thereabouts always.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Ha - I didn't mind Say It Ain't So or Hashpipe at the time, but they've not aged well, it must be said.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          I saw Weezer live a couple of times and they were great.

                                          Taken your points on board about there being many covers of "Bohemian Rhapsody" but stand by my conviction that there shouldn't be.

                                          The Rolf Harris one reminds me that, when I was in a metal band in Tunbridge Wells, the bass player always wanted to appear very very outrageous, well as outrageous as a middle class white bloke from Tunbridge Wells can be. He suggested that we pinch the black traffic cones that marked out the church car park and put them onstage. They had little crosses drawn on them. I suggested that if he really wanted to disgust "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", we should "Do you wanna touch" or "Leader of the Gang". The Kentish Manson was oddly reluctant.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Hang on, Party Fears Two has just popped up on shuffle on my phone. Pretty relevant for here.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by WOM View Post
                                              It really has. And it's the biggest nothing going. It's almost an exact replica of the original.
                                              We're just back from our US trip and this quickly became the anthem of the trip. We were already going to see them during the trip so the first time it came on the radio my son was saying I hear Weezer are playing this in their set and I was saying yeah apparently Toto are doing Hash Pipe in response, and as we were chatting it took a while for the penny to drop that we were actually listening to Weezer's cover rather than the original.

                                              It then became something of a running joke, as it came on any time we had the radio on for any period of time. We then saw them do it at the gig (which was excellent by the way, if unusually padded out with covers for a band that has so much material to choose from) and continued to hear it for the rest of the trip. As we made the last drive to drop the rental car off, my daughter (son had gone home by this point, only doing part of the trip for work reasons) said there's only one way to finish this, and played it from Spotify. Then we dropped the car off, went for food, sat down to eat and it came on. There really was no escape.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Here's another cover of Anarchy In The UK.



                                                Can't really imagine a worthwhile cover of Autobahn.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Anything by Dexys would be hard to reproduce without Kevin's unique vocals

                                                  Comment

                                                  Working...
                                                  X