Slowed down cover songs

Up On The Roof by the Drifters is one of my favorite oldies ever. Damned if Laura Nyro didn't almost top it. Almost.

 

Nouvelle Vague- Dancing With Myself (Generation X cover):

 

Joe Cocker's cover of "With a Little Help From My Friends" was the theme song for The Wonder Years, if I recall correctly. I know the Beatles loved that version, but it never worked for me. A bouncy, joyous pop song turned into a dirge.

 

"Eye In the Sky" Jonatha Brooke

 

"Wichita Lineman" Johnny A

It doesn't get more gentle or tasteful than this.

 

A slowed down version of their own hit.

 

Aztec Camera's version of Jump, released in 1984.

 

Sixteen Horsepower did a cool slowed down version of "Bad Moon Rising" on the Ditch Digger single, really gives it a dark and sinister tone ...

 

Heard this on a commercial and then discovered it was Stevie Winwood's daughter Lilli:

 

Cross Country, which was several members of The Tokens in disguise, slowed down "In the Midnight Hour" and had a medium-sized hit in 1973:

 

One of the biggest slowed-down hits of all time was James Taylor's almost torch-song version of Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man" in 1977. Taylor would slow down several other classic oldies on later albums, but none were as big.

 

It he let Gregg Allman on "Rain"

 

Devine and Statton's cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Even As We Speak - Bizarre Love Triangle

...and Even As We Speak in a similar vein (though they covered it first, I believe); actually, I'm not so sure that theirs is really "slowed down", the vocal melody seems about the same tempo. Frente had a go at it, too, but the idea was a bit played-out by then...

 

Here´s another slow version of Steve Winwood´s "HIGHER LOVE". I wouldn´t say I prefer it over the original, but both versions work.

 

Covenant's Cover of Lee Hazlewood's Rider on A White Horse

 

Gorgeous Holly Cole treatment of I Can See Clearly Now:

 

Believe it or not, this is an extremely slowed-down cover. Head on over to YouTube and check out the original 1966 folk-rocker by the Will-0-Bees.

 

Here's one that was used in a recent Fargo episode.
World Party's Ship of Fools done by Fargo tv show creator Noah Hawley and show composer Jeff Russo.
Super slowed down at the beginning, then somewhat slowed down chorus. That's show dialogue in the middle.
It wouldn't work outside of the show, much too slow especially at the beginning.

 

Our independent radio station in Alberta plays a lot of new artists that do slowed down cover versions...you know, just to be different. For the vast majority of them I find them to be rather boring and tiring.

 

This isn't radically slower than the original, but obviously a completely different feel:

 

"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" by The Cardigans

 

Every time I see this clip (as well as some others of Carmine Appice) it makes me think immediately of Steve Moore ("The Mad Drummer") -- and I mean that in a good way


Edit: to answer your question, from Wikipedia:
Stein and Bogert had played in a local band called Rick Martin & The Showmen. The pair were so impressed by the swinging sound and floods of organ of The Rascals they decided to form their own band in 1965

 

The Box Tops did the classic version. Two years later, The Arbors toned down The Letter.