June 21, 2005
Coverville 101: The Best of the Worst Cover Songs
It's hard to really pick the worst cover songs of all time. So I pick the best of the worst. Songs that could have been great, but just missed the mark. Well, stuff like that, and William Shatner and Eilert Pilarm, who never had a chance. Here's what's on the show tonight:| Title | Artist | Original Artist: |
| The Greatest Love of All | Kevin Rowland | Whitney Houston |
| Rocket Man | The Fastbacks | Elton John |
| Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | William Shatner | The Beatles |
| You're My Best Friend | The Supernaturals | Queen |
| In The Ghetto | Eilert Pilarm | Elvis Presley |
| Watching the Detectives | Duran Duran | Elvis Costello |
If you haven't already, please answer a few questions in the June Coverville Survey!
Posted by bibbott at June 21, 2005 9:19 PM
Oh, come on Brian, you know you love that "bitchin" cover of Rocket Man ;)
http://www.notacult.com/forums/showpost.php?p=29631&postcount=6
By the way, I think the worst thing about it is that the vocals are off key!
Posted by: Mark at June 22, 2005 1:04 AMFYI -- Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All," is itself a cover of the original George Benson version which was on the 1977 soundtrack to the Muhammad Ali film (which itself is largely forgetable) "The Greatest."
Benson's version enjoyed a time on the charts during that time frame. It can be found now on Benson's 2003 release, "The Greatest Hits of All."
Great podcast -- I just found it this week. I'm loving it and slowly working my way backwards through your archive! I'm sure we'll talk more later...
M
Wow ... Kevin Rowland really did a number on that one. You mentioned his attempt to do "Thunder Road" ... well, it's available online here in all its glory:
http://www.dexys.co.uk/audio.htm
Scroll halfway down for the full-length track. Oy.
Posted by: Andy Levy-Stevenson at June 22, 2005 12:56 PMInteresting article on the re-found popularity of quality covers.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2121216/
I vote for "In The Ghetto."
Wow, was that bad.
Posted by: Brian Munroe at June 25, 2005 11:33 AMI keep waiting for you to play what I believe is the WORST cover ever, I expected it early in the silly covers show.... and was surprised to not see it here... Hayseed Dixie doing AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirth Cheap". I know you've played some of their covers before and I was surprised that some of them are actually pretty decent. The first time I ever heard this cover I was sitting in an Arby's and I wanted to get up and find their radio and change the channel.
I wasn't sure what was meant on the show, but for tragic clarity: Eilert Pilarm's Elvis "renditions" aren't in Swedish, but sung sort of like a Swede who doesn't speak English hears the lyrics.
He's quite something, though friends of mine have pointed out he's more sad than fun: a man who's probably mentally ill being published on Swedish "Green Pig Productions".
Posted by: David Helgason at June 30, 2005 9:10 AM