Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, in honor of the first days of summer, my Oriental houseboy Kato and I are joining a gaggle of Druids at an upstate New York Stonehenge for a weekend of introspective contemplation of our oneness with the Earth (and a little oral sex). Could be a hot one!!!
In the meantime, here's another little project for you all:
Best Cover of a Bruce Springsteen Song NOT By Somebody Who Lived In Bruce's General Neighborhood!
My totally off the top of my head Top Five:
1. Robert Gordon with Link Wray -- Fire (the single version is slightly different from the album cut -- don't remember which one is better. Anyway, either one is way better than the Pointer Sisters version)
2. Greg Kihn -- Rendezvous
3. Any Trouble -- Growin' Up
4. Patti Smith -- Because the Night (yes, I know she's from Jersey, but the Pine Barrens is not Asbury Park, okay?)
5. Johnny Cash -- Highway Patrolman
Join in, won't you?
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22 comments:
I like 10,000 Maniacs "Because the Night"
Advatage of being a west coast dude: it's still early here, and I'm again the first in.
4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) - The Hollies
Brilliant Disguise - Elvis Costello
Cover Me - Thea Gilmore
I'm On Fire - Big Country
Atlantic City - The Band
And just for fun:
The Big Payback - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
Mike:
The Hollies version of Sandy is exquisite.
But did you ever hear Alan Clarke's "Born to Run"?
He actually released it before Bruce's version...
Ooh -- and I forgot my absolute favorite --
Alan Rich (son of Charlie) -- The Fever.
Okay, not first in.
I love that Hollies cover. I thought I had Allan Clarke's version of BTR somewhere, but I guess I was wrong. I do have his recording of If I Was The Priest, according to my official records.
That Growin' Up by Any Trouble is crackin' as well.
Greg Kihn's version of "For You" is the greatest Springsteen cover ever.
It was the reason Springsteen wrote "Rendezvous" for him.
I also like Bowie's cover of "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City".
I know Steverino disagrees with this...
dave™© said...
I also like Bowie's cover of "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City".
I know Steverino disagrees with this...
Well, haven't heard it in years, but if memory serves...
...haven't heard it in years, but if memory serves...
Check it out!
And here's Greg Kihn!
OK, what's the name of that song about being ripped up like a douche? :o)
Hank Williams III cover of Atlantic City, and Dar Williams, doing Highway Patrolman.
No love for Manfred Mann on this thread, huh?
OK, how about the Elmer Fudd version of Fire?
Oh, I don't know, MM's Spirit in the Night was interesting. He did 2 slightly different versions iirc.
And here's a few more...
Jeanne Needs a Shooter - Warren Zevon
State Trooper - Steve Earle
Pink Cadillac - both Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis
I'm on Fire - Johnny Cash
If I Should Fall Behind - Linda Ronstadt
Pink Cadillac - Natalie Cole
From Small Things (Big Ones Come) - Dave Edmunds
Racing in the Street - Emmylou Harris
Stolen Car - Patty Griffin
State Trooper (live version )- Steve Earle
-bill buckner
Portastatic -- Growin' up
No love for Manfred Mann on this thread, huh?
Well, it just seemed too obvious.
It's true, though, that most people would never have heard anything by Springsteen if it weren't for their versions of "Spirit in the Night" and "Blinded by the Light."
I lived in a weird little town where the AM Top 40 station in the next big town over actually played the Springsteen version of "Blinded by the Light" when the first album came out. And "Born to Run".
But "Born to Run" was not a big hit, and there was a certain amount of backlash from the Time/Newsweek cover stories.
as for 'best', I'd agree with both feral liberal and anonymous. In particular, the patty griffin version of stolen car is chilling.
Not the best, and not even my favorite, springsteen cover, but it made me cry (despite my best efforts, people!) when I saw it: melissa ethridge covering "Thunder Road" along with Springsteen on her Unplugged special. In retrospect, it was (like most of ME's stuff) too overdone, but it was a big "lesbian music" moment. It's one thing for a lesbian to sing that song, it's quite another for the man that wrote it to sing it with her.
"All That Heaven Will Allow" as done by the Mavericks. I just adore Raul Malo's voice.
Streets of Philadelphia by Richie Havens
Stolen Car by Elliot Murphy
Atlantic City by Kurt Neumann of the BoDeans
One Step Up by Paul Cebar
Janey, Don't You Lose Heart by Mrs. Fun
All on a comp called "One Step Up/ Two Steps Back"
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