Country covers Rock

This song is in the repertoire of nearly every bluegrass band on the planet.

But I'll bet only the more knowledgeable of fans know that it began life as a song by Manfred Mann.

"Fox on the Run" – Emerson and Waldron

 

Here's another country take on Chuck Berry's "Thirty Days," this time from Ernest Tubb.

 

Sturgill Simpson - “In Bloom”

 

The great Rose Maddox covers Ruth Brown's "Wild Wild Young Men":

 

Legendary bluegrass duo Jim & Jesse McReynolds did a whole album of Chuck Berry covers, Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys: "Cherry Pickin' in the Country" (1965).

Here is "Too Much Monkey Business":

 

Skeeter Davis covered the Bee Gees' "Don't Forget to Remember" and just missed the country Top 40 charts with it in 1973.

The country station I was working at during this time used to play it.

 

In 1975, country singer Bobby G. Rice ("You Lay So Easy on My Mind") covered The Fortunes' "Freedom Come, Freedom Go." But someone (the producer? Bobby himself?) got the idea that they should change the title and concept to "Freda" instead.

Bizarre!

 

Webb Pierce (with some lyrical help from Red Sovine and Wayne Walker) came up with a vocal version of "Raunchy" by Bill Justis and called it "The New Raunchy" in 1958.

I have this on a Webb Pierce comp, and I didn't realize until just now when I looked it up that this single was issued under a pseudonym (the immortal "Shady Wall").

When I first heard this, my supposition is that the whole gang (Webb in particular) was drunk in the studio when they put this together!

 

Every Top 40 country hit maker performs a cover of a rock song live rather than a cover of a country classic.

 

Freddy Weller made a whole country hit career out of covers of rock songs.

 

Townes Van Zandt "Dead Flowers"



(Whether the original is a rock song is kinda' debatable though.)

 

I Don't Want To Spoil The Party - Rosanne Cash. A number one for her.

 

And while many country artists have covered Townes' songs, it's also debatable as to whether he is really a country artist.

But he is indisputably a great one.

 

Pam Tillis does a real nice version of "When You Walk In The Room":

 

Buck Owens Salutes The Beatles (1966 album)

 

Alison Krauss almost makes you forget "Oh Atlanta" is a Bad Company tune. Would love to hear AK and Paul Rogers duet - Rogers still sounds great. Better than Plant.

 

Country style covers (parodies) of rock songs is all Hayseed Dixie does.

 

Like Hayseed above, The Cleverlys are also actually highly skilled bluegrass musicians having fun

 

'Norwegian Wood' - Waylon Jennings

 

Ok this is cheating but I don’t care. Rock band during country phase covering heavy metal.

 

Oh, cheating might be allowed?
OK: Gretchen Wilson doing "Barracuda"!!