Since I've talked about The Ramones I was going to give equal time to the Sex Pistols but then I started thinking about the Monkees and cover songs and got derailed. I could only think of three Monkees covers off the top of my head -- "Stepping Stone" by the Sex Pistols, "I'm A Believer" by SmashMouth and "Daydream Believer" by Anne Murray -- but I knew there had to be more so I went looking and wow. Nine covers of "Porpoise Song" alone? For a fake band that's pretty cool, I'd say.
There's one cover in particular that's always amused me more than it should. The first vinyl version of "Mary Mary" was by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band on their 1966 album East-West.
So, a serious blues band released a great track of a great song. Later the same year the Monkees released their version of the same song on an album that one of the band members later called "the worst album in the history of the world." The blues community howled in protest that a great song was being sullied and smack-talking bubble gummer and wool hat pimp daddy Mike Nesmith might have agreed except for the small fact that he wrote it. Oops. Papa Nez 1, Bluesheads 0. Run-D.M.C. sampled the Monkees version on Tougher Than Leather in 1988. I love this video.
So, what's your favorite cover? Comments are open.
That Run DMC video was hilarious! I love it when bands don't take themselves too seriously and have fun in the process. That fun is contagious.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to sound stupid, but it's a cover of a Grateful Dead song that I heard in 1993. I'm trying to fish the details out of my memory.
ReplyDeleteOK, it was Jane's Addiction's cover of Ripple.
ReplyDelete@bccmee...Run DMC never did take anything seriously.
ReplyDelete@Kurbiss...I love that one, too. Not a huge Jane's Addiction fan but that's one that I do really like.
I just have to wax nostalgic about the Monkees. Used to watch them every Saturday morning. Loved that show. ;) Hmmm--not sure what my favorite cover is. Oops, my Alzheimer's cat is in here . . . have to make sure he doesn't go somewhere he isn't supposed to. *sigh* Later.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do a Satruday morning cartoon post one of these days, angie, keep your eyes peeled.
ReplyDelete