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:

  1. 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

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  2. getawaygoober8/25/2023 4:04 AM

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

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  3. 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

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  4. 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

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  5. 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

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  6. Roger Miller was great in Mission of Burma.

    I kid, I kid!

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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."

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  9. 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)

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  10. Keeping it short and simple:

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

    Captain Al

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

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  12. 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

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  13. 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

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  14. 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

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  15. 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

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  16. 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)

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