Covers for Sunday

Covers for Sunday is somewhat strange. It features covers old and new yet it never features really famous covers. Covers so famous that when you here the name of the track you think of the cover before the original. I realise that this is different for everybody. While I may think of Hendrix's cover when I hear the name All Along The Watchtower other may well think of the original by Bob Dylan. None of this means I'm trying to say the cover is better than the original though.

So this week, and at another couple of times in the future, I'm going to feature songs that when I here the song title I think of the original first.

I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down by Ann Peebles (This is in fact originally by Ann Peebles. I had always thought it was, but a few years ago I was informed it was in fact originally sung by Paul Young. I assumed that was true and posted it here on that basis. But I was reading about Ann Peebles again today and noticed that she was the first artist to release this and Paul Young's cover was released 12 years later in 1985. But it is far too good a song to remove so cover or not it stays).
I first heard of Ann Peebles in the book High Fidelity. I bought a best of, all the A and B sides from her singles released on the Hi Records label. I normally don't like buying best of albums, especially when it's the first album I own of someone but there was no alternative. The only albums I could find where best of ones. Anyway. I bought it, listened to it and fell in love with the voice. She has the perfect soul voice. It wasn't until a few years later I found out that this was originally by Paul Young. That was a rare occasion I was proud of my ignorance.

David Watts by The Jam (originally by The Kinks). This came from a best of as well, the first album by The Jam I owned, it was a present given to me just after I'd sat my GCSE's. I found out from obsessively reading the liner notes (I was 16) that this was written by Ray Davis. Because I'd be raised properly (thanks dad) I knew Ray Davies was from The Kinks. I like the cover and original pretty much equally but this is the one that comes to mind first.

All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (originally by Bob Dylan). There's not much to say about this. One well known and respected artist covers another well known and respected artist. They're both huge, huge stars. This may be the most famous cover ever.

American Woman - Lenny Kravitz (originally by The Guess Who). I'm not a huge fan of Lenny Kravitz, but I don't hate him the way some of my friends do. I don't know why they do, he's not the greatest musician in the world but he has some good stuff. This is one of them. I always thought this was a cover of a Simon & Garfunkel song, so I guess that's another reason the cover comes to mind before the original. Also, The Butthole Surfers cover of this is excellent.

Mrs Robinson - The Lemonheads. I first heard this on a late night TV programme called The Word. Not long afterwards my brother bought the album this is on, It's A Shame About Ray, and I liberated and taped it.

Killing Me Softly - The Fugees (Roberta Flack). The Fugees were huge when I was at college and, sadly, nobody had heard of Roberta Flack. The Fugees disintegrated after one album and haven't really had the solo careers that were expected of them. Still, this is one of my favourite ever covers and it seems fitting to enjoy the post here.

Enjoy the songs, we're back to a more 'normal' Covers for Sunday next week.