Cover Songs: Volume 8
Click on streaming service of your choice to listen to the playlist as you read along.
This is the eighth installment of an ongoing series exploring the art of the cover song. In the first volume, I outlined various types of cover songs (Straight-up; Modernization; Tempo Change; Genre Change; Reinvention) which provides the framework for my analysis. Reading the introduction of that first volume will help before continuing here.
The Playlist
“Black Magic Woman” \ Fleetwood Mac (1968); “Gypsy Queen” \ Gábor Szabó (1966) \ “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” \ Santana (1970)
“Oye Como Va” \ Tito Puente (1962) & Santana (1970)
“The Tide is High” \ The Paragons (1967) & Blondie (1980)
“I'm Free ‘ \ The Rolling Stones (1965) & The Soup Dragons (1990)
“Superstition ‘ \ Stevie Wonder (1972) & Stevie Ray Vaughan (1986)
“Stupid Girl” \ The Rolling Stones (1966) & Ellen Foley (1979)
“I Put a Spell on You” \ Screaming Jay Hawkins (1956) & CCR (1968)
“All Along the Watchtower” \ Bob Dylan (1967) & The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
“Sweet Jane” \ The Velvet Underground (1973) & Cowboy Junkies (1988)
“I Am a Rock” Paul Simon (& Garfunkel) (1965/’66) & Red House Painters (1993)
“After Midnight” \ J.J. Cale (1966/’71) & Eric Clapton (1970)
“Dear Prudence” \ The Beatles (1968) & Siouxsie & The Banshees (1983)
“Ziggy Stardust” \ David Bowie (1972) & Bauhaus (1982)
“Gimme Shelter” \ The Rolling Stones (1969) & The Sisters of Mercy (1983)
This volume focuses on some of my top-tier favourite covers, many of which are also among the most famous in rock history. Some of these are so famous that I suspect most listeners would not know they were covers at all.
“Black Magic Woman” \ Fleetwood Mac (1968); “Gypsy Queen” \ Gábor Szabó (1966); “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” \ Santana (1970)
We’re going to kick things off with two of Santana’s early breakout hits, both of which were excellent covers that brought a more international flair into mainstream rock.
Carlos Santana was born in Mexico where he both learned guitar (his father was a mariachi performer) and an ear for rock ‘n’ roll. After his family moved to San Francisco he formed a blues band in his late teens. Building off the hippie Bay area rock sound, they eventually started to broaden their sonic palette to include more Latin rhythms. Building their reputation around bars and clubs, particularly with the help of Bill Graham of The Fillmore Auditorium, the Santana Blues Band was signed to Columbia Records, shortening their name to just Santana.
The band released its self-titled debut album in August 1969, just a few short weeks after making a splash at the Woodstock music festival (their slot also courtesy of Graham), where their performance was one of the festival’s highlights. Covers were a staple of their early recordings, drawing on Latin and African songs as the inspiration for their rocking jams, which not only focused on Carlos’ searing, expressive guitar solos, but the incredible talent of his band. Their first two singles were excellent examples, “Jingo,” which was a cover of “Jin-go-lo-ba” by Nigerian percussionist, Babatunde Olatunji, and “Evil Ways,” written by Clarence “Sonny” Henry and performed by Willie Bobo, a Puerto Rican jazz percussionist. “Jingo” had modest success, but the pop-styled “Evil Ways” reached the US top ten, while the album reached #4.
When the Woodstock film and album came out in the spring of 1970 and included Santana’s stupendous performance of “Soul Sacrifice,” the band was truly set-up for success with the arrival of their second LP, Abraxas, in September 1970. The LP’s first two singles were “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.” The first reached #4 in the US chart while the latter reached #13, propelling the LP to the top spot in the US album chart and a top ten in the UK.
Fleetwood Mac was a blues band from London and formed in 1967 when guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood, and bassist John McVie (after an initial, short stint by Bob Brunning), broke away from John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Along with Jeremy Spencer also on guitar, the new band was named after an instrumental track they had titled from their rhythm section of Fleetwood and McVie. Their 1968 self-titled debut LP reached the UK top ten and was followed by two non-album singles, the first of which was “Black Magic Woman.” Inspired by Otis Rush’s, “All Your Love,” a track he’d performed with Mayall, Green incorporated Latin rhythms into Fleetwood Mac’s composition of “Black Magic Woman.” The short track was drenched in bluesy guitar and finished with a jazzy guitar and bass outro.
Gábor Szabó was a guitarist from Hungary who had emigrated to the US in the late 1950s. He liked to incorporate rock into jazz. After stints in a couple bands he released his first solo LP, Spellbinder, in 1966. The instrumental album featured Szabó’s crisp guitar work over jazz rhythms, often with a Latin flair featuring quick, colourful percussion. The album featured a track, “Gypsy Queen,” which leaned heavily into this sound as the guitar flitted over congos and shimmering cymbals, accented with yelps from the band.
Santana’s single, “Black Magic Woman,” featured only the cover of the Fleetwood Mac track, but the album was a longer medley that included “Gypsy Queen.” The full version was so enchanting that most radio stations – thanks to the burgeoning ‘album-oriented rock’ format – played it in full, making it the best-known version. With both original tracks already featuring Latin flavours, they were perfect for Santana to adapt to its style, though of course the band amped it up to a rocking, lively mix. Though the foundation of their version was straight-up, the rock elements brought in a genre change and, combined with some tempo changes not to mention the two-song medley, resulted in a reinvention.
Santana’s cover opened with an extended intro, beginning with a slight organ leading to Carlos’ guitar riding over congas and bass. Things picked up with some jazz-styled organ before settling into the structure of Fleetwood Mac’s original. Sung by the band’s keyboardist, Gregg Rolie, the subtle vocals also drew on jazz to complement the rhythms. Just short of three-and-a-half minutes, the song transformed into a rocking instrumental sequence before settling into “Gypsy Queen.” This back half of the song mostly featured Carlos’ guitar front and centre, with his playing moving between slight, accented notes that drew on Szabó’s original, while also charging it with some crunchy, heavy rock riffs down the closing stretch propelled with quick percussion. Santana’s version became an instant classic, far outweighing the stature of the originals, especially in the US, and continued to propel Santana’s career and distinctive style into a leading spot in the exploding classic rock scene.
“Oye Como Va” \ Tito Puente (1962) & Santana (1970)
Santana’s Abraxas LP featured both “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” and “Oye Como Va”
Tito Puente was a legend in the Latin music scene, bringing his heritage Puerto Rican styles of mambo and jazz to American audiences. Born in New York, his career as a percussionist grew over the 1950s and 1960s as he also mixed Cuban cha-cha-chá music into his sound, most famously in his 1963 hit, “Oye Como Va” (which was the first part of the phrase in the song, “Oye cómo va, mi ritmo,” which translates to, “Listen to how, my rhythm goes”). His most popular album was 1958’s Dance Mania, a title which reflected the main reason for his music’s appeal, people loved to dance to it. This was also the reason Santana started incorporating their own version of “Oye Como Va” into their live sets early in their career, it got people dancing.
While Puente’s version was carried by horn blasts, harmonic vocals, and flute and percussion accents, Santana’s version was a Latin-rock composition from start to finish. Mixing organ and guitar over the rock rhythm section, the harmonic vocal style was retained. Of course, it was Carlos’ exquisite guitar playing that made the song so expressive and catchy. There was also an organ solo, but the guitar really shined as the song’s signature sound. While it was a slight genre change, overall, the version was straight-up and served primarily as another opportunity for Santana to establish himself as one of rock’s preeminent guitarists.
“The Tide is High” \ The Paragons (1967) & Blondie (1980)
Blondie frequently did covers, plucking obscure tracks and making them hits with their infectious, driving rock sound. They were also known for shifting styles and incorporating various influences into their sonic mix. Starting in 1974 as a pop-punk act out of New York’s Bowery district and the famed CBGB’s club, Blondie had combined disco in their 1978 mega hit, “Heart of Glass,” and then had flirted with reggae on their 1979 album, “Eat to the Beat.” By 1980, they were one of the best selling rock and pop acts in the world as they shifted markedly to a diverse range of styles for their fifth LP, 1980’s “Autoamerican.” This was most evident on the album’s two #1 singles, the rap-styled, “Rapture,” and the island rhythm infused, “The Tide is High.”
The Paragons were a rocksteady vocal trio in Jamaica. Led by singer and songwriter, John Holt, and produced by legendary sound system DJ, producer, and label owner, Duke Reid, “The Tide is High” was their best-known song. Released in 1967, the track rode the familiar rocksteady rhythm and featured violin by “White Rum” Raymond Young. Harmonies underpinned Holt’s lead vocal. The song remains a constant in any collection of 1960s Jamaican music and was a popular choice for Jamaican artists to perform.
Blondie’s singer, Debbie Harry, had been given a collection of ska and reggae songs that included original, “The Tide is High.” She was certain it could be a hit, and though Blondie had tried its hand at reggae, she instead wanted to record it with UK ska act, The Specials. Reggae and ska were enjoying an international breakthrough thanks to hits over the 1970s from Bob Marley, Desmond Dekker, Johnny Nash, and most recently the second wave of ska in the UK. When The Specials declined Harry’s offer, Blondie decided to do its own version.
Produced by Mike Chapman, who had helped transform Blondie’s catchy, edgy rock sound into pop sensations, did the same as the band more assertively embraced the reggae vibe for, “The Tide is High.” Built around horns and strings, the rocksteady rhythm was flavoured with steel drums while Debbie provided an easygoing vocal that matched the laid back, island feel of the track. Fans ate it up, giving Blondie its third #1 single in the US (and fifth in the UK) and making it one of only a few reggae-styled songs to top American charts.
“I’m Free” \ The Rolling Stones (1965) & The Soup Dragons (1990)
When I assembled this volume of classic covers, I didn’t realize I’d picked no less than three Rolling Stones tunes. It’s not surprising, given the stature of the band and their vast list of great songs that have inspired a legion of bands across multiple genres. It also shows the gaps between modern and classic rock artists aren’t that far, and that modern rock musicians had been raised and influenced by rock’s early progenitors.
1990 was a breakout year for modern rock, with one of the driving forces being the Madchester sound in the UK. The mixing of club beats with early rock sounds made for an intoxicating sound, and with the acid house approach of trippy psychedelia, the results could be transcendent. Though not geographically linked to Madchester, The Soup Dragons, out of Bellshill, Scotland (southeast of Glasgow), employed the same approach though with a more direct, pop instinct. Started in 1985, the band originally mined the late ‘70s punk sound before evolving for their second LP, 1990’s Lovegod. Having lost their drummer, the use of electronic beats brought a dance vibe to their sound. While their earlier singles had some success on the UK Indie charts, it wasn’t until Lovegod’s fourth(!) single, “I’m Free,” that the band broke through to a top ten placing in the UK singles chart.
“I’m Free” was the closing track on The Rolling Stones’ third UK album, Out of Our Heads, released in September 1965. In the US, it was issued as a single and included on their fifth album, December’s Children (And Everybody’s), released in December 1965. As a single, the track didn’t make a mark but was emblematic of the The Stones’ early, simpler rock sound. Mick Jagger’s vocals featured prominently over the band’s steady, medium paced, bright, repeated melody. The lyrics also incorporated the “hold me, love me” line from The Beatles, “Eight Days a Week.”
The Soup Dragons reinvented the song, adding toasted vocals, delivering the song’s repeated melody line in a deep, bass-laden, funk rhythm, and seasoned it all with exultant, gospel backing vocals, edgy wah wah guitar licks, and toe-tapping dance beats. It was the Madchester mold delivered in a celebrational, fun vibe. The song’s message was, “I’m free to do what I want, any old time,” and The Soup Dragon’s version fully captured that spirit.
“Superstition” \ Stevie Wonder (1972) & Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble (1986)
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble established their reputation as pre-eminent practitioners of blues and southern rock over the course of their first three, top forty selling albums. So, in 1986, when they released their first live album, Live Alive, there were plenty of great songs from their repertoire from which to draw. However, one of the standout tracks was a new track, their live version of Stevie Wonder’s classic tune, “Superstition.”
I was not a fan of Stevie Wonder. As a child of the ‘80s, my exposure to him had been via the nausea inducing, massively overplayed 1984 hit, “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” If the simplistic synth music wasn’t bad enough, his nasally voice was the final piece to send me running. He did nothing to win me over with his 1985 single, “Part Time Lover,” which was further evidence to me that mainstream ‘80s music was doomed and continued my dive into modern rock genres. If you had told me there was Stevie Wonder music I would not only appreciate, but unreservedly like, then I would have considered those fighting words. Vaughan and his band managed that feat through their version of “Superstition,” Wonder’s second career #1 hit, released in 1972.
I prefer to stay away from live versions for these cover song volumes, since live covers are so frequent and, to me, a lesser commitment to the art form. Of course, artists should pay homage to their favourite songs and artists, and live covers are wonderful ways to do that while also providing a surprise and change to artist’s set lists; but a studio recording suggests a stronger pledge and a more lasting tribute, and something more worthy of analysis and consideration. However, a great cover is a great cover, so sometimes a live version is all we get and an exception to the rule is needed; and at least this version was provided via a live album.
The interplay between Vaughan’s frenetic guitar work, the pulsating keyboards from Reese Wynans and lively beats from Chris “Whipper” Layton, driven by the accelerating tempo of the song’s repeated rhythm, was thrilling. After three mesmerizing minutes, SRV then propelled the song further with an amazing solo over the remaining ninety seconds, mixing his blues-rock picking with wonderful strumming that amplified the song’s core rhythm and brought the tune to an energetic finale. It was one of my favourite performances by Vaughan and I loved it from the first time I heard it.
So yeah, it was surprising when I learned it was a Stevie Wonder tune. It was more surprising when I eventually heard the original. This was the late ‘80s, when unless I bought it or heard it on the radio, the song essentially didn’t exist for me – and I didn’t listen to radio stations that would play such tunes! So it took awhile, but when I heard it I was amazed to realize all the facets of the SRV version that I loved, save for the guitar work, came from the original. The funky, pulsating keyboards, the accelerating rhythms, and the catchy melody were all there. Wonder’s voice was deeper and more in the mix, letting the soulful horn blasts (which SRV provided via guitar in his version) carry the song’s emphasis. An interesting footnote was that the song was written during a collaboration with Jeff Beck, and while it came out of a session with Beck in which a demo was recorded, Wonder was the only writer credited as he had improvised the song’s key elements. Originally intended as a song for Beck, Stevie chose to release his version first, while Jeff’s came out a year later.
“Stupid Girl” \ The Rolling Stones (1966) & Ellen Foley (1979)
Like “I’m Free,” this is another example of an artist taking one of The Stones’ early album tracks and revealing the power and beauty within it. Ellen Foley’s debut LP, Night Out, was a fantastic collection of covers, one of which, “Thunder and Rain,” was included in Volume 1 of this series. Her powerful voice had already made its mark as Meat Loaf’s backing singer, most notably in 1977’s, “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” (Karla DeVito appears in the video, lip syncing to Foley’s recording). Produced by famed glam-era artists, Mick Ronson (Bowie and solo) and Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople and solo), Night Out brought passionate renditions to a selection of Foley’s favourite songs, and perhaps none more so than “Stupid Girl.”
The track originally appeared on the fourth Stones’ UK LP, 1966’s Aftermath, and was also the B-side to the single, “Paint It Black.” Mixing blues and pop, it wasn’t The Stones most distinctive tune, though Charlie Watt’s drumming was worthy of attention, and was overshadowed on the LP by the likes of “Mother’s Little Helper,” “Under My Thumb,” or even the sublime, “Think” (which I included in The Stones Deep Dive profile).
However, for Ellen Foley, giving it a little more tempo, the full-on power of Ian Hunter’s band, and a snarling, vocal assault, “Stupid Girl” came alive. Saxophone provided additional colour between the driving guitars and the song had a big sound, giving plenty of foundation to Foley’s forceful performance. With lyrics (with minor changes from the original) like, “The way she powders her nose / You see that vanity it shows and it shows / She is the worst thing in this whole round world / Look at that stupid girl,” the delivery from a male could be taken as sexist, or as has been suggested and supported by Jagger himself, bitter and accusatory. Foley’s delivery, from a female’s perspective, shifted the tone to jealous, angry, and spiteful. Foley gave it all the invective the lyrics required, regardless the emotion. Her version was a good crossover between the big band rock of the late ‘70s and the recent challenge of punk.
“I Put a Spell on You” \ Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1956) & Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was a contributor to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, helping to provide some personality, edge, and grit to the growing genre. Jalacy Hawkins hailed from Cleveland where an original goal of becoming an opera singer gave way to the blues, and after serving in WWII, he began singing with bands in Philadelphia. Going solo in 1953, he started as a typical blues singer, but with “I Put a Spell on You,” he adopted the “Screamin’ Jay” persona, complete with costumes of leopard skins, leather, wild hats, a bone through his nose, and a staff with a skull on it. First recorded in 1955 but not released, it was issued in 1956 after being re-recorded into the version we all know now. It was his fifth single, becoming his most famous and influential. Typical of its time, it was short and spare in its sound, however, its delivery was anything but usual. Built around a tango-like rhythm of piano, drums, bass, guitar, and sax, Hawkins unleashed a screaming fury worthy of his name. It was unlike any rock performance of its time, which resulted in it not charting but still gaining notoriety on rock radio stations, TV performances, and leading to many notable covers, not the least of which by the inimitable Nina Simone in 1965.
CCR’s version was the first track on their debut, self-titled album in 1968, eventually being released later in the year as the LP’s third single. “I Put a Spell on You” was a fantastic introduction. The band achieved its first success via covers, as their first hit single was a cover of Dale Hawkins’, “Suzie Q.” Whereas other covers of Screamin’ Jay’s track had turned it into a blues standard, CCR’s version captured some of the energy and menace of the original, with John Fogerty’s vocals able to capture some, but certainly not all, of Screamin’ Jay’s raw energy. The most notable change was a quicker tempo and the primacy of guitars to carry the song’s staccato rhythm. Including a great solo and a powerful, strummed outro, CCR’s guitars brought psychedelia and a holistic rock vibe to the song, making it mostly a modernization cover. Whereas the original was tense and raw, the CCR cover was fluid and sweeping both sonically and emotionally. Though this cover failed to match “Suzie Q’s” top twenty placing for CCR in the US charts, it became a well-known rock classic and a staple of the band’s legacy.
“All Along the Watchtower” \ Bob Dylan (1967) & The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
I approach this song with some hesitancy, as what else can be said about one of rock’s all-time classic tunes, performed not just by one, but two of the genre’s titans? Well, to not include “All Along the Watchtower” as one of the greatest cover songs ever – perhaps as the defining example – would be a bad miss, so let’s ensure we cover the facts and the undeniable greatness of this track.
Bob Dylan brought us the song on his renowned 1967 LP, John Wesley Harding. It was his eighth LP and came after a trio of albums that saw him ‘go electric,’ the last of which was his colossal, Blonde on Blonde. Rehabilitating after a motorcycle accident and recording with his backing act, The Band, Dylan returned some of his original folk spirit to the next album, which came after an abnormally long gap of eighteen months from the prior LP. However, this LP specifically was recorded mostly by himself, though Dylan also recorded as a trio with a rhythm section of Kenneth Buttrey on drums and Charlie McCoy on bass. The album was another hit for Dylan, despite being out of step with the wave of notable psychedelic rock releases that year.
“All Along the Watchtower” was a simple and instrumentally sparse folk-rock composition, with Dylan’s voice out front, backed by light acoustic guitar, a simple drum, and slight bassline. His vocals alternated with harmonica passages that helped reinforce the song’s strong melody. Of course, lyrics were a prominent focus in such a Dylan track, and the conversation between the joker and the thief, the joker’s lament that “businessmen, they drink my wine / plowmen dig my earth / None will level on the line / Nobody offered his word,” the thief’s assertion that, “There are many here among us / Who feel that life is but a joke,” and the subsequent reveal that they are approaching a watchtower have invited analysis that the lyrics were inspired by the bible, conflicts between Dylan and his label, or courted mystery as the balladry setup of the first two verses ended abruptly with the broader contextual elements of the third and final verse. It all certainly offered an open-ended, ‘slice of life’ perspective set in a mythical past, leaving much to interpretation. However, whether because of the popularity of the Hendrix version or the sublime appeal of the song’s core melody, this became a beloved Dylan tract more for its musical composition than it’s the usual appeal via his lyrical profundity.
As was the case with most rock musicians of the time, Jimi Hendrix was enthralled with Dylan’s songs and had performed, “Like A Rolling Stone,” in concert. Given an early pre-release recording of Dylan’s upcoming album, Hendrix chose to make a version of “All Along the Watchtower” with his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Recorded in January 1968, a mere two months after Dylan recorded his version, it was included on the band’s third and final album, Electric Ladyland, and released as the LP’s first single. It became the best-known version of the song, one of Hendrix’s signature tunes, and one of the best classic rock tunes of all time. Even Dylan adjusted his performances in future to adapt some of Hendrix’ more epic take. Never very commercially successful during his time – Jimi was well ahead of his time – Hendrix’ version was his first single to reach the US top twenty, though he’d had several top ten hits in the UK, with “Watchtower” doing the same.
With one of the all-time best, most explosive song openings in rock history, Hendrix made it immediately evident this was not going to be a straight-up rendition of the Dylan track but a complete reinvention. Though The Experience was a trio, the recording included Dave Mason (from the band, Traffic) on a 12-string acoustic, helping generate the track’s expansive and mighty sound. Hendrix leaned into the mysterious elements of the song’s themes to create a musical landscape that was vast and stormy. Naturally, the song featured tremendous playing from Jimi, both in rhythm and solo, laying down some of his most famous riffs. It was a song that has inspired and intimidated many as they’ve embarked in their guitar journeys. Also of note, and often overlooked, Jimi provided a strong and passionate vocal that matched the song’s impressive feelings of power and drama.
The combination of a clever and beautifully melodic track from Dylan combined with Hendrix’ extreme skill gave us an epic result, in many respects beyond anything else either artist achieved on their own. The cover version of “All Along the Watchtower” was everything that made rock music great, creating escape, exhilaration, wonder, awe, and joy. As a reinvention, it is arguably the best example of what a great cover song should be.
“Sweet Jane” \ The Velvet Underground (1973) & Cowboy Junkies (1988)
The Velvet Underground has a mythical presence in modern rock history. It is almost incalculable the influence they’ve had on the legion of artists that have built the multi-faceted sub-genres like punk, post-punk, new wave, grunge, and indie/alternative rock. As an example, we have already visited a cover of their song, “All Tomorrow’s Parties” by Japan in Volume 2 of this series.
In 1970, the band was in flux. After the experimental and, eventually, hugely influential albums, The Velvet Underground and Nico and White Light/White Heat, co-founder John Cale was forced out by Lou Reed as he opposed the more experimental direction Cale wanted to take the band. Doug Yule replaced him, joining Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Moe Tucker to record the band’s third, self-titled, LP. Tucker sat out the recording of the band’s fourth LP, Loaded, due to pregnancy, while Morrison only participated sparingly due to having returned to school full-time, so it was mostly a Reed/Yule project. The LP resulted in two of the Velvet’s best known and endearing tracks, “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll.” With Lou Reed leaving the band before the album was released, the LP became the last of the (mostly) original Velvet Underground line-up, with only 1973’s Squeeze released thereafter.
The album realized much of Reed’s goal of bringing The Velvet Underground to a more traditional and commercial rock sound. Their label, Atlantic, supported this and was hoping for an LP ‘loaded’ with hits, and thus the LP’s title. “Sweet Jane” was the second track and was pop-styled more than much of what The VU had offered prior. With a sparkling, bright opening settling into a recurring, swinging guitar riff (layered in both acoustic and electric), Reed’s lead vocal and the somewhat strangled backing vocals still managed to set it apart from your typical popular rock tune. Despite their influential legacy, The Velvets were never a charting act. In 1974, an earlier, down tempo and live recording from 1969 of “Sweet Jane” was issued as part of a live album release, it was this version that inspired The Cowboy Junkies.
Formed around the siblings, Michael, Peter, and Margo Timmins, and joined by Alan Anton, Toronto’s Cowboy Junkies established themselves with their second LP, 1988’s The Trinity Sessions. The band had developed a quiet performance style in response to neighbours’ complaints (so very Toronto!) when they rehearsed in their garage. Margo preferred the effect of her hushed delivery (likely because it matched her reserved personality) and the band liked the moody sound when playing underneath her (rather than burying her vocal in the mix), the result was a sultry, ambient style of blues-rock that gave The Cowboy Junkies a distinctive aural signature. After releasing a debut LP independently, the band sought to record an LP in a purer, less technical way, choosing to record in the old Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto. The raw, live recording within the church’s acoustics gave the band’s sound a beautiful effect. With a batch of strong songs and their appealing, unique sound, the band saw the album break through, reaching the top forty in both Canada and the US.
The album included many covers, one of which was “Sweet Jane,” which benefitted tremendously from the band’s style and ambience of its recording environment. The cover was a beautifully understated yet powerful song. It was a tempo change from the original Velvet album cut, but was inspired by the later live version, so in the end it was mostly a straight-up cover with a bit of modernization. Margo’s voice echoed with sweet resonance over brushed beats, light bluesy guitar, and a subtle bassline. Lou Reed acknowledged the version as his favourite, and it became an unlikely minor hit for The Cowboys, reaching #75 in Canada and #5 in the brand-new US Modern Rock chart.
“I Am a Rock” \ Paul Simon (& Garfunkel) (1965/’66) & Red House Painters (1993)
Though originally recorded (likely in ’64) and released in 1965 as a sparsely acoustic, solo song by Paul Simon, the most famous version of “ I Am a Rock” appeared the following year on Simon & Garfunkel’s landmark second LP, Sounds of Silence in the UK or Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme in the US. It was a top ten hit in the US and top twenty in the UK. The duo’s full-band treatment gave the song a catchy, broad sound that underpinned their always perfect harmonies. Mixing acoustic and electric guitar over an urgent beat and energetic bassline, organ countered the rhythm and offset the melodic vocals. It was one of Simon & Garfunkel’s most pop-styled offerings, and despite coming out of the New York folk scene, the track fit more with the brighter sounding, west coast folk-rock sound emerging that year thanks to two popular LPs by The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn!.
Like The Cowboy Junkies, Red House Painters, led by Mark Kozelek, mined a subdued, moody soundscape that was part of differing genres such as slowcore and shoegaze/dream pop. Given how much of a fan I am of the shoegaze style, I do find any cover from the genre compelling, and this one was no different. Likely drawing more on Simon’s original, folk take of the track, “I Am a Rock” had a good structure, with its uplifting chorus, to suit the Painters’ approach. The cover was issued as a promo single in 1993 and appeared on the Painters’ second self-titled LP that year (nicknamed Bridge to distinguish from the other). Employing their spacey, ambient sound to the Paul Simon classic, the jaunty vibe of the original was subsumed into the down tempo, echoey context of the band’s composition. Kozelek didn’t harmonize, but his echoey vocal effect called back to the famous duo’s version. It was a beautiful cover, mostly a tempo change, but with some elements of a genre change and reinvention.
“After Midnight” \ J.J. Cale (1966/’71) & Eric Clapton (1970)
The sequencing of these two versions is a bit odd, as J.J. Cale recorded two versions, the second of which is the better known but came after Eric Clapton’s cover. Therefore, since the original is only available via YouTube, I am offering the original in the YouTube playlist and the later, album version in the Spotify playlist.
From Oklahoma, John Cale made his name in the clubs of L.A. where he had to adopt, “J.J.”, to distinguish himself from John Cale of The Velvet Underground. He recorded “After Midnight” as a single in 1966, but it didn’t get much distribution through the label, Liberty Records. However, it did make its way to Eric Clapton via Delany Bramlett when Eric was touring with Delaney & Bonnie in late 1969. The notable detail of the original Cale version was that it was up-tempo, with horns and intricate guitar with a country tinge.
By 1970, Eric Clapton had established himself as one of the top blues and rock guitarists going. He’d been busy during the 1960s running through stints in The Yardbirds, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and then the supergroups Cream and Blind Faith. He had also lent his talents to many other legendary acts and their recordings, such as Delaney & Bonnie. He now set out to record solo material, issuing his self-titled, debut solo LP in August before turning to his one-off project with collaborators under the band name, Derek and the Dominos.
“After Midnight” appeared on Clapton’s solo LP and was his first solo single, issued in October 1970. It didn’t chart well the UK but reached the top twenty in the US and top ten in Canada. It was a straight-up cover and featured some intricate guitar work from Eric and Delaney, jump blues rhythms, soulful, female backing singers, and all delivered at an energetic pace.
Cale was struggling financially and hadn’t managed to get his career off the ground. The success of Clapton’s “After Midnight” brought much-needed money and recognition to Cale, paving the way for him to record his first LP, Naturally, released in 1972. Deciding to differentiate his version of “After Midnight” from Clapton’s (and ironically, his own original), he chose to slow the song down. It was a fortuitous move, as the slow, bluesy approach fit Cale’s voice and created an alluring, subtle ambience for the song. Shifting the musical focus from the guitar to piano, there was still a short, melancholic guitar solo at the two-thirds mark. Naturally was a wonderful album and, while Cale’s version of “After Midnight” just fell short of the US top forty, as did the album, it helped launch Cale’s career. He was further boosted in 1974 when Lynyrd Skynyrd covered another track from Naturally, “Call Me the Breeze.”
“Dear Prudence” \ The Beatles (1968) & Siouxsie and the Banshees (1983)
I omitted Siouxsie and the Banshees’ cover of “Dear Prudence” from their profile playlist despite it being one of their best songs, since I prefer to focus on artists’ original material in the profiles but also because the track deserves proper treatment as one of my all-time favourite covers. It was one of the first tracks I ever heard by The Banshees and I instantly fell in love with it (and was entranced by the video, not to mention my thirteen year-old innocence was a little shaken by Siouxsie’s hairy underarms), making it a critical juncture in my shift from top forty pop music into the world of modern rock.
A still from the rather psychedelic video of “Dear Prudence” by Siouxsie and the Banshees, which was shot in Venice, Italy
The Beatles’ version appeared on their self-titled, 1968 LP, better known as ‘The White Album.’ Infamously written about Prudence Farrow (actress Mia’s sister), who preferred to stay isolated during her stay with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and The Beatles in India. John Lennon wrote the song about their effort to get Prudence to socialize with the larger group. While the White Album was a return for The Beatles back to their rock and pop foundations after several psychedelic albums, “Dear Prudence” was one holdover to the psychedelic vibe. It was an exquisite song, delivered mid-tempo along a melodic bass with precise, jangly guitar and the usual band harmonies floating behind. Some lovely drumming from Ringo over the back half added to the song’s slightly off-kilter feel. The performance captured the song’s elements of mysticism, hopefulness, and beauty against the melancholy of a person who wouldn’t, “come out to play.”
Siouxsie and her band brought their dark, swirling, post-punk magic to the track, which was released as a non-album single in 1983. With The Cure’s Robert Smith on guitar, the band amped up the song’s psychedelic vibe, providing swirling guitars and keyboards around their typically dense rhythm section. Siouxsie’s faraway vocals fit the song perfectly, especially when she harmonized, sending the song into the clouds of the song’s lyrics. It was borderline a straight-up cover, but with some modernization and a bit of genre change as the song helped contribute to the emerging goth style. It was such a mesmerizing track that epitomized all that was cool about the early dark wave era, drawing on pop instincts but pushing into brooding, otherworldly vistas with the whirling, reverberating composition. It was a perfect cover song.
“Ziggy Stardust” \ David Bowie (1972) & Bauhaus (1982)
Again, this ranks as one of the best covers I’ve heard, and like Siouxsie’s take on The Beatles, I dare to suggest that Bauhaus too dared to exceed the original. It seems sacrilegious to suggest that against the likes of The Beatles and David Bowie, but it’s testament to how outstanding these covers delivered. I also acknowledge that, despite my view that the best covers require some level of reinvention, both were mostly straight-up. However, when delivered so masterfully, it’s hard to deny that the cover artists didn’t put their stamp on them.
Bowie’s original of, “Ziggy Stardust,” from his breakthrough 1972 LP, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was a landmark of the glam rock genre. Driven by Mick Ronson’s guitar and the iconic, alien rocker persona of Bowie as Ziggy, the song was a mix of drama and swagger. However, as a mostly mid- to down-tempo track, the kinetic energy of the song seemed restrained. Moving between its catchy, melodic verses and edgy interludes, the track seemingly led to a crescendo that, ultimately, failed to satisfactorily deliver. I think it wasn’t in Bowie’s repertoire to deliver a bigger, more over-the-top, rock ‘n’ roll finish. Therefore, there was opportunity for someone to take the song to its next level and realize the potential the original left in the ether.
David Bowie, performing as Ziggy Stardust along with his band, The Spiders from Mars
One of goth’s founding acts would seem an odd fit to take up the project. Bauhaus had already drawn from glam’s stock of great rock tunes, having covered T. Rex’s, “Telegram Sam,” as a single in 1980. They met Bowie while filming the vampire movie, The Hunger (1983). Bauhaus performed their iconic goth track, “Bela Legosi’s Dead,” in the movie, and while on set had launched into an impromptu version of “Ziggy” to honour Bowie. Enchanted by what they heard, they decided to record it and release it as a single along with their new LP in the fall of 1982, The Sky’s Gone Out. The single’s B-side was another glam era track, “Third Uncle,” by Brian Eno, which also appeared on the forthcoming album. The 12” for “Ziggy” also included a live cover of The Velvet Underground’s, “Waiting for the Man.” The band also recorded a version of Bowie’s, “Cracked Actor,” during those sessions, but it didn’t see the light of day until its inclusion in a 1989 compilation.
Crisply produced by the band, Bauhaus’ version of “Ziggy Stardust” revealed its heightened energy from its opening, searing guitar notes from Daniel Ash. Singer Peter Murphy perfectly channeled Ziggy-era Bowie, while drummer Kevin Haskins gave it an outsized feel with echoey, thundering drumming on a sparkling snare. More up-tempo than the original, the cover was mostly straight-up, but the harder guitars, bigger sound, and a wonderfully amped up crescendo, in which Murphy gave it the vocal treatment the song needed, realized the latent potential of the original. Bauhaus’ version was so powerful, so good, that it forever changed my ability to listen to the Bowie version with a less critical ear.
“Gimme Shelter” \ The Rolling Stones (1969) & The Sisters of Mercy (1983)
In the same vein, though with not quite so overwhelming effect, we look at another goth cover of a classic rock masterpiece. Deciding to cover one of The Stones, and the ‘60s generation’s, most iconic tunes, was an interesting choice for an ‘80s semi-electronic goth band.
“Gimme Shelter” was the opening track on The Rolling Stones epic 1969 LP, Let It Bleed. With its shimmering guitars, Jagger’s dramatic vocals, Watt’s impeccable drumming, and the sensational vocal from Merry Clayton, the song was a smash that perfectly captured their generation’s dismay over their world’s violence. Amazingly, given it is one of the band’s best-known and critically lauded songs, it was never released as a single.
The Sisters of Mercy were a dark wave band out of Leeds, England. Led by Andrew Eldritch, the band varied from a trio to a quartet that used a drum machine, nicknamed Doktor Avalance, which gave their edgy, dark toned music a harsher, electronic edge. The band built their repertoire from 1980 through 1984 with a series of singles and EPs leading to their debut LP in 1985, First and Last and Always. One of the singles in 1983 was, “Temple of Love,” and the B-side featured their cover of “Gimme Shelter.” The band had reached back to that era before when they covered The Stooges track, “1969,” for their Alice EP in 1982, and they routinely covered classic rock tracks in their live shows. “Temple of Love” didn’t chart but did raise the band’s profile, but I suspect for many it was their take on The Stones classic that helped build their notoriety. I was aware of their cover well before I heard the A-side.
The Sisters’ version of “Gimme Shelter” was slow, stark, and dark. In the same way The Stones had conveyed their anguish with drama and bombast, The Sisters did it with a cold, austere, menacing delivery. Riding a cold, electronic beat, rumbling bass, haunting and harmonic vocals, and mixes of jangly and buzzing guitar, the song was deconstructed and reinvented into a pulsating, goth masterpiece. Extending nearly ninety seconds longer than the original, the drawn out, a cappella finish of Eldritch’s resonant voice furthered the song’s ambience of lament and horror. The Stone’s version was compelling and engaging due to its lush playing, knockout vocals, and outsized sound, and The Sisters of Mercy managed to create an alternately affecting version by going the opposite way in all those respects. It was a genre change, a tempo change, and a reinvention and just an impressive example of how to cover a song and completely make it one’s own.
Classic originals and inventive and masterful covers – this collection included some of my favourite covers ranging a variety of musical styles. The theme in this volume was the quality of the covers with less focus on clever inventiveness. In almost every case the argument can be made the cover was better than the original, though nothing is taken away from the quality foundations the first compositions provided.
