.xX{ Soundtracks }Xx.
Some artists are hesitant to include well-known cover tunes on their albums. Instead, these tracks either end up in their live repertoire, or used as one-off soundtrack submissions. Here are a few classic cover tunes that I discovered via movie soundtracks.
37. “Johnny B. Goode” from Back to the Future (original by Chuck Berry)
Near the end of Back to the Future, Marty McFly entertains his (future) parents’ at their prom with a rockin’ rendition of Johnny B. Goode. I was actually quite familiar with Berry’s version when the movie came out, but after picking up the soundtrack and listening to the BTTF version dozens of time, it grew on me. (By the way, that’s not really Michael J. Fox singing; it’s musician Mark Campbell.)
Chuck Berry’s version
Back to the Future version
38. “Come Together” by Aerosmith (originally by The Beatles)
So here’s a weird one for you. The Beatles originally recorded and released “Come Together” on their “Abbey Road” album in 1969. Then they made another album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Then in 1978 they made a movie based on that album, and had other musicians cover their music for the soundtrack, including Aerosmith who covered “Come Together” which wasn’t even from the Sgt. Pepper album. Make sense? Who cares, it doesn’t have to. Both versions rock, and Aerosmith’s still gets regular radio rotation to this day.
The Beatles version
Aerosmith’s version
39. “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Poison (originally by KISS)
The Less Than Zero soundtrack contained several cover tunes, including the next two entries on the list. The first of which is Poison’s cover of the KISS classic “Rock and Roll All Nite”. While I’ll be the first to admit Poison is no KISS, I kind of like this version. It’s slick and smooth and Poisonriffic. The biggest problem with Poison’s version is, they’re not KISS. KISS’s version continues to survive today while Poison’s version faded into obscurity.
KISS’s version
Poison’s version
40. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Slayer (originally by Iron Butterfly)
The second Less than Zero track in a row is Slayer’s version of the psychedelic classic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. Whereas the original is known for being long and dreamy and meandering, Slayer is known for none of those things. From around the same time period as “South of Heaven”, Slayer’s version of the Iron Butterfly stand by is stripped down, raw, and about 1/8th the length of the original (all good things).
Iron Butterfly’s version
Slayer’s version
.xX{ Miscellaneous }Xx.
We’re almost at the end, so screw it. The rest of today’s entries are just great songs.
41. “Three is a Magic Number” by Blind Melon (originally by Schoolhouse Rock)
Shannon Hune was Blind Melon, and the band’s hit single “No Rain” (that I recently wrote about) made them rock stars. The same year the band’s second album was released, Hune died of a cocaine overdose. Before leaving, the band left us with this beautiful version of “Three is a Magic Number,” a song most of my generation will remember hearing on Schoolhouse Rock in between Saturday morning cartoons. Blind Melon’s version encapsulates everything that was cool about the band.
Schoolhouse Rocks version
Blind Melon’s version
42. “One” by Korn (originally by Metallica)
After taking over the metal underground, four albums into their career Metallica took over MTV with their war-inspired single, “One”. That led to the Black Album, which made them all billionaires, and then Lars sued Napster, or something like that. Anyway, during Metallica’s induction as an MTV Icon, masters of nu-metal Korn performed a tuned-down and cranked up version of the tune. Hearing cover tunes of songs that were popular in my my lifetime makes me feel old.
Metallica’s version
Korn’s version
43. “Lake of Fire” by Nirvana (originally by the Meat Puppets)
I almost didn’t include this one because I suspect more people are familiar with Nirvana’s version that the Meat Puppets’, but I decided to go ahead and list it. One of the coolest things Kurt Cobain and Nirvana did with their newfound fame was promote all the bands that had inspired them. Shortly after the grunge explosion of 1991, bands such as the Meat Puppets (and the Melvins) were “suddenly discovered” by the mainstream. Nirvana went as far as to invite Meat Puppets’ brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood to perform with them on their live acoustic MTV special. Nirvana’s take on “Lake of Fire” is much different and stripped down than the Puppets’, but both are cool in my book.
In 2003 Cris attacked a security guard with the guard’s own baton and was subsequently shot in the stomach. He survived the shooting, but served almost two years in prison over the incident. Kurt Cobain died less than six months after the video below was filmed.
Meat Puppets’ version
Nirvana’s version
44. “Raining Blood” by Tori Amos (originally by Slayer)
Well here’s an odd one. Slayer’s 1986 thrash masterpiece (thrashterpiece?) was once named “the heaviest album of all time” by Kerrang magazine. The entire album clocks in at 29 minutes and averages 210 beats per minute. Tori Amos is a solo performer known for her emotional piano-driven songs. If it seems like an odd match, it is. According to Slayer guitarist Kerry King, “it took me a minute and a half to find a spot in the song where I knew where she was. It’s so weird. If she had never told us, we would have never known. You could have played it for us and we’d have been like, ‘What’s that?’ Like a minute and a half through I heard a line and was like, ‘I know where she’s at!'” I guess I just like this cover because it’s so completely bizarre.
Slayer’s version
Tori Amos’ version
This wasn’t Tori Amos’ only foray into odd cover tunes; check out her version of the Nirvana classic “Smells like Teen Spirit“.
45. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” by Megadeth (originally by Alice Cooper)
I know there was a time when Alice Cooper was edgy and scary, but as a child of heavy metal from the 80s, Cooper’s shtick always seemed a little hokey to me. Megadeth took Cooper’s classic “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and made it sound like it being performed by guys who were not nice. Megadeth’s version was used as the theme song from Wes Craven’s 1989 horror film, Shocker.
Alice Cooper’s version
Megadeth’s version
46. “Hurt” by Johnny Cash (originally by Nine Inch Nails)
Typically it’s newer artists covering songs from established acts and not the other way around, but in 2002, Johnny Cash covered the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” (from the band’s 1993 album “The Downward Spiral”) in his own style. To plagiarize Wikipedia because it’s getting late, “the song was one of Cash’s final hits, the video featured images from his life, and the video was voted best video of the year by the Grammy Awards and Country Music Awards.”
Nine Inch Nails’ version
Johnny Cash’s version
47. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Weird Al Yankovic (originally by Queen)
Weird Al includes a polka-medley on every one of his albums, but on 1993’s Alapalooza, Al opted to simply include a polka version of a single song, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s Weird Al, Queen, and some mean accordion playing. What’s not to like?
Queen’s version
Weird Al’s version
48. “Ball of Confusion” by Love and Rockets (originally by The Temptations)
Once again I’m embarrassed to admit that I originally had no idea this was a cover song. My friend Justin introduced me to Love and Rockets, two albums before they hit pop radio’s radar with their hit single “So Alive”. The Love and Rockets (three-fourths of Bauhaus) 1986 album “Express” was one of my favorites for many years. One big pet peeve of mine is that the CD version of “Ball of Confusion” is not the same as the cassette version. The CD version is way to long and has a weird arrangement.
The Temptations’ version
Love and Rocket’s version
Other notable bands that have covered “Ball of Confusion” include Anthrax and Duran Duran. Justin’s BBS was also called Ball of Confusion BBS.
49. “Look At Your Game, Girl” by Guns and Roses (originally by Charles Manson)
This cover tune is perhaps more interesting than it is good. To help raise money for his defense fund, Charles Mason released the album “Lie: The Love and Terror Cult” in 1978 (the first year Manson was eligible for parole) which contained the original version of the song. In 1993, Guns and Roses released an album’s worth of cover tunes titled “The Spaghetti Incident?”, which included a hidden track featuring Axl Rose covering the Manson tune (to the objection of most of the rest of the band’s members). Soon after the release of the Gunner’s album there were many complains about the Manson tune, mostly because if the album sold well they would have to pay royalties to a convicted serial killer. Fortunately (I guess), the album sold pretty horribly. Manson didn’t get rich and Guns and Roses didn’t release another album for fifteen years. Wow, I’m old.
Charles Manson’s version
Guns and Roses’ version
50. “Superfreak” by Mordred (originally by Rick James)
I first heard Mordred’s version of “Superfreak” while mopping the floor at Mazzio’s Pizza and listening to Metalshop on the radio. I thought to myself, “Thank goodness someone has covered this forgotten classic. Now no one will forget Rick James’ Superfreak!” Of course there are only twelve people on the planet who have heard Mordred’s cover version, but the following year an obscure named “MC Hammer” took the bass line from Superfreak and released a song that no one has heard of called “Can’t Touch This” which sold more copies than every Mordred album combined times ten. Doesn’t matter to me; it still kicks ass.
Rick James’ version
Mordred’s version
51. “Sweet Dreams” by Marilyn Manson (originally by the Eurythmics)
This actually should be been grouped with the “reinventions” on day one but I forgot about it.
Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, better known as the Eurythmics, ushered in MTV with this song and video all the way back in 1983. I would describe the song as electronic and industrial, perhaps even haunting, but definitely not sinister. Leave it up to Marilyn Manson to take something nice and make it evil. We just can’t have nice stuff around here anymore, can we.
Eurythmics’ version
Marilyn Manson’s version
Speaking of taking nice things and making them not-as-nice (and I mean that as a compliment), check out Marilyn Manson’s versions of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus, Soft Cell’s Tainted Love, and the poem (titled Prelude: A Family Trip from Willy Wonka’s boat ride.
52. “Higher Ground” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally by Stevie Wonder
The first song I ever heard from the Red Hot Chili Peppers was “Black Eyed Blonde”, which appeared in the best skateboard movie of all time, Thrashin’. The second song I ever heard from them was the Steve Wonder cover tune, “Higher Ground.” If nothing else, check out the video to see Flea’s infamous “stuffed animal pants”.
Stevie Wonder’s version
Red Hot Chili Pepper’s version
53. “Blue Monday” by Orgy (originally by New Order)
I was never a big fan of Joy Division, and while Blue Monday wasn’t even my favorite New Order song (I was more of a “True Faith” and “Bizarre Love Triangle” guy), I always felt like Orgy knocked this one out of the park by maintaining the soul of New Order’s performance and injecting it with the angst of a new generation. It was a good song that, in my opinion, Orgy made great.
New Order’s version
Orgy’s version
54. “Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker (originally by The Beatles
According to family legend, after seeing Joe Cocker perform this song live, my father was convinced he was watching a Jerry Lewis marathon and was embarrassed because he thought they had actually put a handicapped person up on stage to sing. You be the judge.
Finally the Orgy song appears.
Also, don’t forget Marilyn Manson’s cover of Rock and Roll N***ER and I Put a Spell on You in his list of covers. They are much better than his newer covers and from the same album as Sweet Dreams.
I will never let my brother forget the night in 1985 when we were in his room listening to Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits and, following the track “Come Together”, he looked at me in utter seriousness and said, “That’s a great song. It sucks that the Beatles totally ripped them off for it.”
Two other quick things:
1. I agree 100% about Orgy’s version of “Blue Monday” – a good song made great.
2. On that note, it’s your list and all, and it’s getting near the end, but I’m going to be a little shocked if there’s no similar comparison of the different versions of “Sweet Jane” done by Velvet Underground and the Cowboy Junkies. Even Lou Reed himself says he likes the Junkies’ version better.
So here’s a weird one for you. The Beatles originally recorded and released “Come Together†on their “Abbey Road†album in 1969. Then they made another album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Then in 1978 they made a movie based on that album, and had other musicians cover their music for the soundtrack, including Aerosmith who covered “Come Together†which wasn’t even from the Sgt. Pepper album. Make sense?
Actually it does make sense when you realize that the movie plays most (if not all) of the songs from the Abbey Road album. Mean Mr. Mustard is one I remember particularly well. I also remember liking the Aerosmith cover, although I thought it was very strange.
I actually watched that movie in the theater when it came out. I cringed throughout the movie. Disco-ized Beatles. Ugh! I haven’t seen that movie in 30 years. My skin is thicker now so I’m curious if the movie is as bad as I remember it. I think I’ll NetFlix it.
If I wake up one day, find that I’m five years old and discover I’m reliving my life, I’m going to learn to play the accordion, call myself Weird Charles and play a cover of “Another one bites the dust” on the Tomorrow show with Tom Synder. I love the energy Weird Al puts into all his songs, it’s something that can’t be beat. All of the Weird Al covers are better then the originals.
dont suppose theres any more Ninja stories left?