Song #19 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Crossroads”, originally by Robert Johnson and covered by Cream. Here’s the original: Robert Johnson was just an amazing pioneer of blues music, who had a huge influence on rock and roll music. Odds are pretty good that if you like rock, you’re familiar with some [...]
Posts under ‘Music’
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 6
More Memphis and more foreign places. 1. Leningrad – Billy Joel 2. Lisdoonvarna – Ceili’s Muse 3. Liverpool Sunset – Gerald Jay Markoe 4. London Homesick Blues – Flying Fish Sailors 5. (Making The Run To) Gladewater – Michelle Shocked 6. Marching Bands Of Manhattan – Death Cab For Cutie 7. Memphis Exorcism – Squirrel [...]
Saturday video break: Der Kommissar
Song #20 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Der MKmmissar”, originally by Falco and covered by After the Fire. Here’s the original: I guess I have to add this to the “originals I’d not heard before” list, since I didn’t know the original was in German. Unlike many other unknown-to-me originals, this one [...]
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 5
It’s hard to be a saint in the city, y’all. 1. I’ve Been To Memphis – Lyle Lovett 2. (I’ve Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo – Glenn Miller 3. In London So Fair – Susan McKeown 4. Independence, Indiana – Eddie From Ohio 5. (Is Anybody Going To) San Antone – Doug Sahm And Band [...]
Saturday video break: Superman
Song #21 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Superman”, originally by The Clique and covered by REM. Here’s the original: Add this to the long list of “I didn’t know this was a cover” songs. Of those, this might be my favorite previously-unknown original. Unlike a lot of them, which really needed a [...]
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 4
“Ah, The City. My The City.” What, am I the only one that ever watched The Tick? 1. Galveston Bay – Bruce Springsteen 2. Galway Farmer – Ceili’s Muse 3. The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto 4. The Girl From New York City – The Beach Boys 5. Goodnight Houston – [...]
Saturday video break: You Really Got Me
Song #22 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “You Really Got Me”, originally by The Kinks and covered by Van Halen. Here’s the original: Man, I love these old black and white videos – you can tell this one was dubbed from a VHS tape. And I have no idea what that was [...]
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 3
Just a city boy with some city songs… 1. Dallas, Texas – Austin Lounge Lizards 2. Detroit Rock City – KISS 3. Do You Know The Way To San Jose? – Dionne Warwick 4. The Duke of Dubuque – Manhattan Transfer 5. Dusty In Memphis – Dusty Springfield 6. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo – Duke [...]
Saturday video break: For Boston
This is how you sing the national anthem: And switching sports, but with the same sentiment: Three cheers for Boston’s hospitals as well as their first responders. You are all amazing. For anyone who wants to help, here’s what you can do. I wish I had a song for Waco as well, but I can’t [...]
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 2
More cities, more songs. 1. Asheville/Crashville – Austin Lounge Lizards 2. Beaumont Boys – Ezra Charles 3. Boston – Augustana 4. Chattanooga Choo Choo – Glenn Miller 5. Chinatown – Joe Jackson 6. Cold Chicago – Humming House 7. Darlington County – Bruce Springsteen 8. Debbie Does Montreal – team9 vs Stereogum 9. Detroit – [...]
Saturday video break: Me And Bobby McGee
Song #23 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Me And Bobby McGee”, originally by Kris Kristofferson, and covered by Janis Joplin. Here’s Kristofferson’s original version: I love Janis Joplin’s iconic version of this, but there’s something about Kristofferson’s voice that just gets to me. When he sings the line about how Bobby is [...]
Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 1
The musical geography continues as we move from states to cities. If only I had at least ten songs about city-states… 1. Abilene – Yes 2. Albuquerque – Weird Al Yankovic 3. All The Way To Memphis – Mott the Hoople 4. Allentown – Billy Joel 5. Amsterdam – Asylum Street Spankers 6. Anahuac – [...]
Saturday video break: I Will Always Love You
Song #24 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “I Will Always Love You”, originally by Dolly Parton and covered by Whitney Houston. Here’s Dolly: Yes, I continue to have a soft spot for the movie version of “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas”. Tiffany and I saw a stage production of it a [...]
Friday random ten: Fifty states of random, part 3
Our tour of the musical United States comes to an end this week. 1. Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen 2. Mimosas In Missouri – Eddie From Ohio 3. Mississippi Delta Blues – Elena James 4. Pennsylvania Six-Five Thousand – Glenn Miller 5. Sweet Rhode Island Red – Ike & Tina Turner 6. Do Not Go To [...]
Saturday video break: Mad World
Song #25 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Mad World”, originally by Tears For Fears and covered by Gary Jules. Here’s the original: Never heard it before. I’ve listened to rock radio for most of my radio-listening life, and back in the 80s the only Tears For Fears songs that got played on [...]
Friday random ten: Fifty states of random, part 2
Following up on last week, our musical tour of the United States continues. 1. Massachusetts – Greg Greenaway 2. There’s A Panther In Michigan – Trout Fishing In America 3. Montana – Frank Zappa 4. Minnesota 1945 – Eddie From Ohio 5. A Crazy Little Tune – Nevada Newman 6. A Night With The Jersey [...]
Saturday video break: Walk This Way
Song #26 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Walk This Way”, originally by Aerosmith, and covered by Run-DMC. Here’s the original: I figure if there was ever a time to post a video with lyrics, this would be it. And if you’re not grimacing musically while listening to that, then you just don’t [...]
Friday random ten: Fifty states of random, part 1
Let’s take a musical tour around the fifty states, shall we? Or at least, around the states for which I have songs with a state name in the title. 1. Ant In Alaska – Liz Phair 2. Alabama – Neil Young 3. Mary Queen of Arkansas – Bruce Springsteen 4. Arizona Skies – Los Lobos [...]
Saturday video break: Hound Dog
Song #27 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Hound Dog”, originally by Big Mama Thornton and covered by Elvis Presley. Here’s the original: Okay, so 1) I had no idea Elvis’ version was a cover; 2) That was awesome; and 3) That’s Buddy Guy on the guitar, which makes this even more awesome. [...]
Friday random ten: Talk the talk
In honor of the recent Senate talking filibuster, ten songs about talking. 1. Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love – Van Halen 2. Careless Talk – Billy Joel 3. Let Them Talk – Spoek Mathambo 4. Something To Talk About – Bonnie Raitt 5. Talkin’ To You Eye To Eye – Roomful of Blues 6. Talk To [...]
Saturday video break: Wild Horses
Song #28 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Wild Horses”, originally by the Rolling Stones and covered by The Sundays. Here’s the original: I’ve never been a huge Stones fan, but I like this song, and I love this acoustic version of it. Mick Jagger, man. What can you say? Here’s the cover: [...]
Friday random ten: The year in new music for me so far
Because I had nothing else in the queue, here’s a sample of the music I’ve acquired so far this year, from various sources. 1. Dumbledore – Steve Goodie 2. This Thing Has Started – OK Go 3. Baby Got Back (In the style of “Glee”) – Jonathan Coulton 4. A Good Gal’s Hard To Find [...]
Saturday video break: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Song #29 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, originally by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Here’s the original: I have heard this version before, but I daresay I’m not alone when I say it’s not in the top two when I [...]
Friday random ten – Name That Tune 2
I did this before some months ago and thought it was fun, so here we go again. I’m going to post some lyrics from ten songs in my collection. Your job is to name those tunes, and for extra credit the artists. I don’t think any of these songs are particularly obscure, so you should [...]
Saturday video break: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Song #30 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, originally by the Rolling Stones, and covered by Devo. Here’s the original: I trust we’re all familiar with this one. I love seeing 60′s-era videos of the Stones. For all the freaking out certain cultural types did over Elvis and [...]
Friday random thirteen: Cracked covers
You know how much I love lists and cover songs, so you should not be surprised to learn that this 20 worst pop music covers list in Cracked, which I discovered while looking for their story about dirty old-time songs for my previous entry, would be catnip to me. I have thirteen of the listed [...]
Saturday video break: Everybody’s Talkin’
Song #31 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Everybody’s Talkin’”, originally by Fred Neil and covered by Harry Nilsson. Here’s the original: Nice little country ballad. Never heard it before, but nice. Here’s Harry Nilsson: I take it back, I have heard this before, I just hadn’t realized it by the title and [...]
Friday random ten: More unromantic Valentine’s Day songs
I did this last year and it was fun, so I thought I’d do it again. 1. Lord, I Wish I was A Single Girl Again – Elena James 2. Don’t Get Married, Girls – Ceili’s Muse 3. Put Another Log On The Fire – Jonny Fritz 4. Whatever – Asylum Street Spankers 5. You [...]
Saturday video break: Got My Mind Set On You
Song #32 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Got My Mind Set On You”, originally by James Ray and covered by George Harrison. Here’s the original: Add this one to the “Songs I hadn’t realized were covers” pile. Recorded in 1963, it was already an oldie by the time Harrison got his synthesizer [...]
Friday random ten: You can’t say that on the radio!
You might have heard, or heard about, Ravens QB Joe Flacco’s post Super Bowl f-bomb. That got me to thinking about the things you’re just not supposed to say, or to sing, on the radio. Here are ten songs on the aubject. 1. Who Are You? – The Who 2. Money – Pink Floyd 3. [...]
Saturday video break: Killing Me Softly
Song #33 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Killing Me Softly”, originally by Lori Lieberman and covered by The Fugees. Here’s the original: This one I have heard before, on an episode of Coverville. For some reason, I was under the belief that this song was written as a reaction to Don McLean’s [...]
Friday random ten: That’s just super
Ten super songs for Super Sunday. 1. Super Freak – Big Daddy 2. Super Frog – Asylum Street Spankers 3. Super Trouper – from “Mamma Mia” 4. Champagne Supernova – Oasis 5. John Lee Supertaster – They Might Be Giants 6. Ode To A Superhero – Weird Al Yankovic 7. Sonic Superslide – The Go-Go’s [...]
Saturday video break: Unchained Melody
Song #34 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Unchained Melody”, originally by Todd Duncan and covered by the Righteous Brothers. Here’s the original: I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard that version before. You can see the bones of the Righteous Brothers’ version there, though, which is easily the most famous of the [...]
Friday random ten: For the sake of randomness
You know what I haven’t done in awhile? A Friday random ten that was actually random. So here we go. 1. Mrs. Robinson – Pomplamoose 2. Say What! – Stevie Ray Vaughan 3. Adios, Lorena – Eddie From Ohio 4. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band 5. The Recruited Collier [...]