Friday, August 25, 2023

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "So What If Boris Johnson is an Idiot?" Edition

Okay, BG and I have arrived, safely, in (unsurprisingly) rainy London town, and we're off to the Royal Portrait Gallery to see an exhibition of Paul McCartney's early Beatles-era photography.

Could be a hot one!

That being the case, of course, I can't imagine a more appropriate song to post in celebration of our good fortune than this one.

Ah, Roger Miller. Incidentally, I'm beginning to think a critical reappraisal of that guy is long overdue. I am reminded of the fact that on his eponymous critically acclaimed but short-lived network variety show (which ran on NBC for 13 weeks between September 1966 and January 1967) there was a full-size train set that featured regularly in the show's musical numbers. Miller blew it up on camera during the final episode, and how cool is that?

But now to business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) American post-Elvis pop, country, blues, soul, or rock song British artists covered and then beamed back at USA audiences is...?

Discuss.

Oh, BTW, I'm voting for Bessie.

Meanwhile -- have a great weekend, everybody!!! We should have some interesting pictures and stuff to share with you guys on Monday.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Roger Miller was incredibly talented. He claimed that he was able to write all those songs in the 60's so quickly thanks to little white pills which isn't really surprising. He also wrote a song about a train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZHLNLq76mk
Tom Peckman

getawaygoober said...

Not Fade Away - Rolling Stones
I'm a Man - Yardbirds
House of the Rising Sun - Animals

Anonymous said...

Irma Thomas - Time Is On My Side
Evie Sands - I Can't Let Go
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Isley Brothers - Twist and Shout
Big Joe Williams - Baby Please Don't Go
Muddy Waters - I Just Want to Make Love To You
Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign
Alvin Robinson - Down Home Girl
Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman
Miracles - You Really Got a Hold On Mee
Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Carl Perkins - Honey Don't
Carl Perkins - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
Bob Dylan - If You Gotta Go
Bob Dylan - Quinn the Eskimo
Willie Dixon-Howlin' Wolf-Sam Cooke - Little Red Rooster
Wilbert Harrison - Kansas City
Muddy Waters-Earl Hooker-Willie Dixon - You Shook Me
Chuck Berry - Little Queenie
Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle
Bob Dylan - I'll Keep It With Mine
Joni Mitchell - Eastern Rain
Doris Troy - Just One Look
Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Solomon Burke - Cry To Me

VR

edward said...

Act Naturally - The Beatles
Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann
You Really Got A Hold On Me - The Zombies
Route 66 - Rolling Stones
Fear Is A Man's Best Friend - Billy Bragg (Counting Cale was "American" for these purposes)
You Can't Hurry Love - The Stray Cats
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood -The Animals/Elvis Costello
I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down - Elvis Costello
Richard Thompson - I Did It Again
John Wesley Harding - Like A Prayer

Anonymous said...

Don Covay - Mercy, Mercy
Eddie Cochran - Somethin' Else
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
Moby Grape - Hey Grandma
Moby Grape - Seeing
Moby Grape - 8:05
Valentinos - It's All Over Now
Al Green - Take Me To the River
Exciters - Do Wah Diddy
Earl Jean - I'm Into Something Good

VR

Anonymous said...

Roger Miller was great in Mission of Burma.

I kid, I kid!

Cleveland Jeff said...

Love Potion Number Nine- The Clovers
Needles and Pins- Jackie Deshannon
When You Walk In The Room- Jackie Deshannon
Don't Throw Your Love Away- The Orlons
What Have They Done To The Rain-Joan Baez
Ain't That Just Like Me-The Coasters

All songs covered by the Searchers.

pete said...

There's a great story in the Roger Miller box set. Someone asked Thumbs Carlyle, guitarist in Miller's band, what was the longest he'd ever seen his boss stay awake. He replied, "I've only been with Roger a year and a half. I don't know how long he was awake before then."

Alzo said...

The Kinks: Long Tall Sally (Little Richard)
The Beatles: Twist and Shout (Isley Bros.)
Status Quo: Rockin' All Over the World (JC Fogerty)
Deep Purple: Hush (Joe South)

Allan Rosenberg said...

Keeping it short and simple:

Reeling & Rocking - Dave Clark 5
Milk Cow Blues - Kinks
Train Kept A Rollin' - The Yardbirds

Captain Al

danny1959 said...

The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" covered by Graham Parker and The Rumour.

M_Sharp said...

Ain't Superstitious - Howlin' Wolf - Jeff Beck Group
Sneakin' Sally Trough The Alley - Allen Toussaint - Robert Palmer
I Hear You Knockin' - Smiley Lewis ......and Connie Francis! - Dave Edmunds
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come) - Bruce Springsteen - Dave Edmunds
...and a whole lot more by Dave Edmunds

Anonymous said...

And some more. There's no end to the fun and suffering.

Wild Ones - Wild Thing (Troggs)
Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High (Deep Purple; Animals; Easybeats (OZ); Long John Baldry)
Elvis Presley - I Forgot To Remember To Forget (Quarrymen; Beatles)
Leaves/Tim Rose - Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix Experience; The Creation; Deep Purple)
Sonny West-Buddy Holly - Rave On (Hullabaloos; Beatles; Mickie Most)
Chuck Berry-B.B. King - I Got to Find My Baby (Beatles)
Ray Charles - I Believe To My Soul (Animals; Van Morrison; Humble Pie)
Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Animals; Joe Cocker; Brian Auger & Julie Tippetts)
Box Tops - The Letter (Joe Cocker)
Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights Big City (Rolling Stones; Animals; Them; Zoot Money)
Shirley and Lee - Let the Good Times Roll (Animals; Searchers; Amen Corner; Slade)
Cookies – Chains (Beatles)
Everly Brothers - Love Hurts (Nazareth; Jim Capaldi)
Buddy Holly - Love's Made a Fool of You (The Bunch; Cochise)
Wilson Pickett - In the Midnight Hour (Chris Farlowe; Them sans Van; The Jam; Roxy Music)
Big Joe Turner – Honey Hush (Fleetwood Mac; Foghat; Elvis Costello; Paul McCartney)
Bo Diddley - Road Runner (Rolling Stones; Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; Animals; Pretty Things)
Buck Owens - Act Naturally (Beatles)
Larry Williams - She Said Yeah (Rolling Stones; Animals; Cliff Bennet & the Rebel Rousers; Undertakers; Paul McCartney)
Isley Brothers – Shout (Lulu & the Luvvers; Alex Harvey; Beatles)
Joe Tex - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Animals)

VR

Anonymous said...

Steve Simels: re Roger Miller - England Swings -

In the day before's post about the Beau Brummels' "Good Time Music" you mentioned that you were going to England. I commented on the Bruumels single and I initially signed off with "England swings like a pendulum do, VR." But I scrapped it because I thought it was a bit too cute. Ha. Shoulda left it.

Oh, I just thought I’d keep with the subject by giving an obscure UK cover of Roger Miller:
Roger Miller – Dang Me (The Bystanders)
------------------
Speaking of Graham Parker, he did lot of covers besides his terrific "I Want You Back." Namely,
Trammps - Hold Back the Night
Jerry Garcia - Sugaree
Sam Cooke - Cupid
Supremes - You Can’t Hurry Love
Bruce Springsteen – Pink Cadillac
Elvis Presley (Otis Blackwell) – Paralyzed
Bob Dylan – License To Kill
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
R. Dean Taylor – There’s a Ghost In My House (Graham Parker)

Probably more. He often brings out different covers for each tour.

Speaking of R. Dean Taylor as Sal did the other day:

Gotta See Jane was covered by The Fall (as noted on Burning Wood) and also by Golden Earring on their "Love Sweat" covers album. However, they're Dutch so whatever. It is across the Atlantic.

Here's a lot of songs covered by Brits:

Lou Johnson (Bacharach-David) - (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me (Sandie Shaw)
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
Chan Romero - Hippy Hippy Shake (Swinging Blue Jeans; Beatles)
Coasters - Searchin' (Hollies)
Neil Diamond - Kentucky Woman (Deep Purple)
Chuck Berry - Almost Grown (Ivy League / Bowie)

VR

Anonymous said...

Randy Newman – You Can Leave Your Hat On (Joe Cocker)
Billy Boy Arnold-Jimmy Reed-Calvin Carter - I Ain't Got You (Yardbirds; Animals)
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom (Animals; Yardbirds)
Little Richard (Bobby Troup) - The Girl Can't Help It (Animals; Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; Fourmost)
Chuck Berry - Sweet Little Sixteen (Joe Brown; Billy Fury; Searchers; Animals; Hollies; John Lennon)
Everly Brothers - So How Come (No One Loves Me?) (Beatles)
Nappy Brown - The Night Time Is the Right Time (Animals; Lulu & the Luvvers; Graham Bond Organization)
John Lee Hooker - I'm Mad Again (Animals)
Beach Boys – Girl Don’t Tell Me (Tony Rivers & the Castaways) (Nice job) (While the original features Carl Wilson with no backing vox, Rivers' version has backing vox. A winner on both counts) link below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxEWvxQGiXU

Anonymous said...

Ray Charles - Hallelujah I Love Her So (Tony Sheridan; Beatles; Animals; Humble Pie)
Frankie Ford - Sea Cruise (Herman’s Hermits)
Wilson Pickett - If You Need Me (Rolling Stones)
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me (Animals)
Nina Simone - Gin House Blues (Animals; Amen Corner)
Sam Cooke - Good Times (Rolling Stones)
Jackie Wilson - Squeeze Her Tease Her (Animals)
Arthur Alexander - Anna (Go To Him) (Beatles)