Cover Versions

I was a big fan of Electric Light Orchestra back in the Dark Ages of my youth and, when pissed, regularly shoved on headphones and “sang” along to my favorite track which was “Do You Want My Love”. This was long before karaoke was invented so it was just you, your drink-fuddled mind and Jeff Lynne and his mates blasting out fab stuff.

Anyway, as I was waiting at the traffic lights the other day, I became aware of a familiar tune I hadn´t heard in decades and then realized it was “Living Thing”, another brilliant stomper from ELO. But instead of that heavy rhythm and electrifying guitar magic that makes it impossible to stand still, this was a tinny, anaemic version that sounded as if it was being squeezed out of the voice boxes of adenoidal choirboys in a large, cold cathedral. The source was a cut-price carpet shop which had put a speaker outside blasting out this pitiful, criminal cover. I was tempted to kick it over, go in and set fire to the place for desecrating a great band.

Cover versions – fuck ´em, I say! Here´s a link to get your adrenalin flowing ISACers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Y-rfbzmgY

Nominated by Mr Polly

166 thoughts on “Cover Versions

    • I used to love this version and found it hilarious but now the sight of Mullard makes me want to puke.

  1. The cover versions done by X factor robots and shit like Ellie Goulding are a load of crap, but there are some great cover versions:

    Saxon – “Ride Like Wind”
    Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Little Wing”
    Jimi Hendrix – “All Along the Watchtower”
    Aerosmith – “Love Me Two Times”
    Guns & Roses – “Sympathy for the Devil”

  2. Surprised nobody has mentioned the rather excellent Sex Pistols/Sid Vicious cover of My Way, which included this amusing lyric substitution:

    Original lyric:
    My friend, I’ll say it clear
    I’ll state my case of which I’m certain

    Sid’s Lyric:
    You cunt, I’m not a queer
    I’ll state my case of which I’m certain

    Very apt for ISAC. Enjoy:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDyb_alTkMQ

    • Miles & MNC –
      Yes indeed, I find you correct on both counts. Well observed and well remembered. Both excellent efforts by the Vicious one. Both bought by me as singles back in the day.

      Being a Smash Hits reader in those days, I’d heard about the rather fruity lyrics to the B side of Something Else, namely the excruciatingly funny Friggin’ In The Riggin’. I didn’t have my own record player at the time so had to ask mumsy if I could use her music centre (remember those?). Family was gathered in the front room, so having sought said permission I put on Friggin’ In The Riggin’ and made a sharp exit. I thought it would be funny. I got a bollocking. Some parents have no sense of fucking humour at times. Cun…erm…better not.

      • Check out Sids brilliant phone conversation with Rodney Binginheimer, IY!
        Rodney (70s music biz type) thinks hes talking to Johnny Rotten on the pistols american tour, its actually Sid,
        Rodney “you can get anything you want out here!”
        Sid “can you get egg n chips?”

  3. Excellent Nom!

    Normally, covers stink… However one or two surpass the original:

    The Damned – Citadel (Stones)
    The Dickies – Paranoid (Much more energy than the Sabbath version)
    Penetration – Nostalgia (Buzzcocks)
    SLF – Love Of The Common People

    Did I grow up during the punk era ? Yes, obviously !

  4. Great topic for cunting; the electronic sampling approach has its purpose in advertising and elevators,

    Honest reworkings can be marvellous; a couple not already mentioned:

    Price of love: Status Quo<Brian Ferry
    White room: Cream<Ace Frehley

  5. At early Stone Roses gigs the band used to cover Sigue Sigue Sputink’s ‘Love Missile’… I saw them do this a few times… A shame they never recorded it, as it was better than the original…

    The master of the cover? Scott Walker interpreting the work of Jacques Brel…

  6. The Jam did some great covers…

    Batman Theme
    Get Yourself Together
    Stoned Out Of My Mind
    Fever
    So Sad About Us
    Disguises
    Taxman – I mean Start!

  7. I hear now that ‘Superstar DJ’ twat and arch libflake fanny, Fatcunt Slim is going to make a record with Greta Thunberg Gambolputty de von Ausfern- schplenden- schlitter- crasscrenbon- fried- digger- dingle- dangle- dongle- dungle- burstein- von- knacker- thrasher- apple- banger- horowitz- ticolensic- grander- knotty- spelltinkle- grandlich- grumblemeyer- spelterwasser- kurstlich- himbleeisen- bahnwagen- gutenabend- bitte- ein- nürnburger- bratwustle- gerspurten- mitz- weimache- luber- hundsfut- gumberaber- shönedanker- kalbsfleisch- mittler- aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm…

    Maybe it’ll be a Hallowe’en cash in… A remake of an old creepy classic, they could call it The Mongster Mash…

    • Aye, you’re right. It appeared on my JewTube recommendation list, fuck knows why. The Fatboy has sampled her whining speech over a choon he was successful with years ago and played it at some live gig. How desperate does he have to be for attention to pull that bullshit? I’m fed up seeing her scowling face as it is and I certainly don’t want to hear her moaning all over music I previously enjoyed. So, now even a classic choon has been tainted by the miserable, midget aspie. Double cunting ahoy sir, one for an old man posing as a hip deejay, and one for the Swedish troll.

  8. Oh come on, who doesn’t love that classic Christmas Number One hit Mambo Number 5 by Bob The Builder??? A true classic!

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