Pick a songwriter. Your 5-10 favorite covers of their work?

Jimmy Webb:

The Moon's A Harsh Mistress: Joe Cocker
The Moon's A Harsh Mistress: Glen Campbell
The Moon's A Harsh Mistress: Linda Ronstadt
Didn't We: Richard Harris
The Worst That Could Happen: Brooklyn Bridge
Wichita Lineman: Glen Campbell
By The Time I Get To Phoenix: Glen Campbell
Nina Simone: Do What You Gotta Do

 

I’m usually not impressed with cover versions, and I’m especially hard on covers of Beatles songs but I like this one.

I think it’s a clever mixture of George’s later love of Indian music added to an earlier song of his.

It’s by a band called Show Of Hands

 

And Keith also considers it the best version

 

I really liked their take on “Halo of Flies” with Jello

 

Rolling Stones

Wild Horses - The Sundays
Sympathy For The Devil - Laibach
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - DEVO
Let's Spend The Night Together - David Bowie
She Smiled Sweetly - Lindsey Buckingham

1002

 

Graham Gouldman:

For Your Love: The Yardbirds
Heart Full of Soul: The Yardbirds
Evil Hearted You: The Yardbirds
Look Through Any Window: The Hollies
Bus Stop: The Hollies
Listen People: Herman’s Hermits
No Milk Today: Herman’s Hermits
I'm Not in Love: 10 cc
The Things We Do for Love: 10 cc

 

I also like when a song can still sound cool jumping genres, proving a good song will still sound like a good song regardless.

 

Bob Dylan

Manfred Mann - 'With God on Our Side'
Manfred Mann - 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now'
Manfred Mann - 'Just Like a Woman'
Manfred Mann - 'The Mighty Quinn'
Paul Jones - 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll'

 

Bob Dylan:
Mama, You Been On My Mind - Rod Stewart
Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Elvis Presley
I Shall Be Released (incomplete) - Elvis Presley
All I Really Want To Do - The Byrds
This Wheel’s On Fire - The Byrds
Positively 4th Street - The Byrds
Mr. Tamborine Man - The Byrds
All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Drifter’s Escape - Jimi Hendrix
Highway 61 Revisited - Johnny Winter
If You See Her, Say Hello - Jeff Buckley
Like A Rolling Stone - The Rolling Stones

 

Neil Young

Mr. Soul - Dream Syndicate
Ohio - Isley Brothers
Winterlong- Pixies
Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Saint Etienne
Cortez the Killer- Slint

Bob Dylan

Ballad Of Hollis Brown- Nazareth
All Along the Watching- Hendrix
If You Gotta Go, Go Now- Flying Burrito Brothers
Percy’s Song - Fairport Convention
Absolutely Sweet Marie - Jason and the Scorchers

Donovan

There Is a Mountain- Allman Brothers
Hurry Gurdy Man - Butth*le Surfers
Atlantis - second half of Breathe -Trouble
Fat Angel - Jefferson Airplane
Get Thy Bearings- King Crimson

 

Sam Cooke...

From the very beggining Otis Redding adored Little Richard & Sam Cooke

1.Otis Redding / You Send Me (1964)

2.Otis Redding /A Change Is Gonna Come (1965)...Whether Sam or Otis, Soul music's defining moment

3.Otis Redding / Chain Gang (1966)

4.Otis Redding / Nothing Can Change This Love (1965)

5.Otis Redding / Bring It On Home To Me (1967)

6.Otis Redding / Shake (1965)

7.Otis Redding / Wonderful World (1965)

 

Metallica covering Diamond Head...

1) "It's Electric"
2) "Helpless"
3) "Am I Evil?"
4) "The Prince"
5) "Sucking My Love" (recorded once, on a boom box in a garage, 1982)

 

Mickey Newbury

American Trilogy - Elvis Presley
Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings - Tom Jones
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - Kenny Rogers
San Francisco Mabel Joy - Kenny Rogers
Love Look At Us Now - Johnny Rodriguez

 

Little Junior Parker/ Mystery Train.(1953)...there are many versions of this early rocknroll masterpiece, a few in my collection & off the top of my head...

1.ELVIS / Mystery Train
2.Alvin Lee & Co. (Live) Mystery Train
3.Paul Butterfield & The Band (Live) Mystery Train
4.Junior Wells / Mystery Train
5.Rick Nelson / Mystery Train
6.UFO / Mystery Train
7.Neil & Shocking Pinks / Mystery Train
8.Soft Boys / Mystery Train
9.Neville Bros. / Mystery Train
10.Bad Company / Master Of Ceremony...long atmospherical take on Mystery Train

 

Nice, but you should credit her cowriter Gerry Goffin (most/all of these?), unless it's just the music and not the words that you like about these songs.

 

Nice, but you missed The band's version where they added a bit of a bridge/break for contrast, unless you know it and don't like it. In which case you're wrong!

 

Chuck Berry

Maybellene - Marty Robbins
Roll Over Beethoven - Beatles
Rock 'n Roll Music - Beatles
Around & 'Round - Rolling Stones
Come On - Rollin' Stones
Bye Bye Johnny - Rolling Stones
Too Much Monkey Business - Yardbirds
Johnny B. Goode - Buck Owens
Memphis - Lonnie Mack (inst.), Johnny Rivers (vocal), both hits
Promised Land - Elvis
Going Back to Memphis - the Band (bonus on reissue of Moondog Matinee)
Back in the USA - Linda Ronstadt
Almost Grown - the Lovin' Spoonful