From 1968, please behold in breathless wonder not untalented Sinatra-wannabe Frankie Randall and the damndest cover of The Who's classic "I Can See For Miles" ever heard by sentient mammalian ears.
Really -- words kinda fail me on that. I am informed, however, that the album it's from -- The Mods and the Pops -- is a minor masterpiece of similar mishegass, including swinging remakes of The Move's "Flowers in the Rain"(!) and Donovan's "Lelainia."(!!)
In any case, I had completely forgotten that Randall's version had appeared on one of Rhino's Golden Throat compilations, which leads us, inexorably, to the subject of today's business. To Wit:
...and your favorite (or least favorite) unintentionally amusing/stylistically inappropriate/or just plain freaking weird cover version of a well known song originally done by a post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/r&b singer is...????
In case you're wondering, apart from the above, my new fave has gotta be this.
I mean -- how surreal is that? He's actually mentioned by name in the lyrics. 😎
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
36 comments:
The Best Worst! Mr Tambourine Man - William Shatner
Can't argue with that. 😎
Little Roger and the Goosebumps - Stairway to Gilligan's Island
Aztec Camera - Jump
Pretty much everything by Big Daddy, though particularly fond of their version of Superfreak.
Also, Puddles the Clown
My Way - John Ritchie aka Sid Vicious 😉
The bird and the bee do a fantastic version of Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
https://youtu.be/EUhUPTNypkY?si=gXVwxcOjKLsAz-un
Oooh -- good call. 😎
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fiXVVKxY8&list=RDn9fiXVVKxY8&start_radio=1
Petra Haden. This whole album is wonderful.
I'm so creeped out by this topic I think I will pass on commenting unless something jumps out and scares me from the back of my creepy mind later today.
PS: I saw Puddles performing up in Montreal while on vacation a few weeks ago. It was truly an alternate universe experience. My reaction was "What the fuck have I just seen?".
Captain Al
Sinatra's "Mrs. Robinson". So how's your bird, Mrs. Robinson? https://youtu.be/oHLNSxIAZiA?si=RZCfekcox85TcCiM
My favorite (and it does appear on one of those Rhino "Golden Throats" cds) is Sammy Davis Jr's hilariously over-the-top version of Elvis Presley's "In The Ghetto". At one point, Sammy is so busy trying to be hip that he literally loses the flow of the lyric and does a really clumsy ad-lib. More pungent cheese you will not encounter. (I should point out, in fairness, that there is some jazzy vocal stuff from Sammy that I genuinely love).
Around 1974 or '75, a singer named Ronnie Charles did a version of Derek & The Dominoes' classic "Layla"; it was on the 20th Century label and was released as a single (I have the 45). It's another example of something excruciatingly over-the-top, Charles over-emoting while a big orchestra plays behind him. In retrospect, Ronnie may have been an eerie foreshadowing of Michael Bolton's 80s hits :-( :-(
The cover itself is not bad, but they obviously have no idea what they are singing about …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKslYBMycHM
Nick Lowe’s wonderful Halfway to Paradise Cleveland Jeff
I was on the site about 5 minutes after you opened but was afraid to be the first to post 😉
I actually shelled out for Pat Boone's 'In a Metal Mood.' Money I will never see again.
So do the Minutemen https://youtu.be/k0C0Yke9tww
- Paul in DK
I'd forgotten that one! Hadn't heard it since the 80s
A friend of mine sent me this yesterday. Kasey Chambers doing a very different version of Eminem’s Lose Yourself. I haven’t heard the original, but this is worth your time.
https://youtu.be/S70xek3x4ro
- Paul in DK
Who could forget Tiny Tims performance - People Are Strange, and let's not forget - Rebel Yell.
a favourite of mine is Laugh at Me the Sonny & Cher song as covered by Mott the Hoople. Ian Hunter kills on the lead vocals.
rs
Jeff Tweedy Singing 'I Gotta Feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-kTS3B4fQ0
Got To Get You Into My Life, by Little Joe (Joe Pesci) from 1968's "Little Joe Sure Can Sing"
Ha Ha. I bought that album too. I happened to be at Tower Records on Sunset when Boone staged a publcity stunt to promote it. He rode into the parking lot with about 30 bikers, some of whom were rock stars. Dressed in his leather biker outfit, he looked kinda gay. But he was in really good shape. I couldn't resist getting a copy and having him sign it. He even remembered the time I met him on a bench at a mall in the valley and we sang Moody River together. Say what you will, he seemed like a really nice guy.
VR
Think I'll play Speedy Gonzales
Oh. My. God.
Horrible but enjoyable:
Rocket Man - William Shatner
Just plain horrible butcher jobs:
Fortunate Son - U2
Dancing In the Street - Bowie & Jagger
We Can Work It Out - Humble Pie
Tomorrow Never Knows - Grateful Dead
Why Don't We Do It in the Road - Grateful Dead
Werewolves of London - Grateful Dead
Rain - Grateful Dead
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Grateful Dead
Louie Louie - Grateful Dead
Baba O'Riley - Grateful Dead
It's a Man's Man's Man's World - Grateful Dead
Hey Jude - Grateful Dead
Get Back - Grateful Dead
Midnight Hour - Grateful Dead
VR
The Randall song gives me Sinatra/Mrs. Robinson vibes. Like how he messes up the first verse (s/b magic in my eyes, not hers) and totally screws up the phrasing in the Eiffel Tower/clear day line.
I sense a theme there....😎
Nothing will top Shatner's 'Rocket Man' -- video version especially -- but his ol' compadre Lenny Nimoy gets close with his version of 'If I Had A Hammer'. You MUST stick around for the spoken part near the end. MUST.
C in California
How about "One Toke Over The Line" being covered on the Lawrence Welk Show by a couple of his Singers? I still think someone must have been pulling a prank, or maybe Lawrence was a really cool kat. My dad sure didn't know what they were singing about,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxhrvORxFmk
Finally got one. This has creeped me out my entire life.
Killer Joe - The Rocky Fellers.
Captain Al
That's a cover?
My bad! I just hate to performance so much I forgot it wasn't a cover version.
Captain Al
How did I forget Richard Thompson's cover of Ooops, I Did It Again. Should have been a hit on its own.
haha Steve :)
FOW version of Ooops is great
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