Now That's What I Call Cover Versions
We all love a great cover version. With the introduction of a cover feature in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, it's always interesting to see bands and artists thrown out of their comfort zone. There have been some great cover versions over the years. Here are some of the one's that we think are the best.
Arctic Monkeys - Love Machine (Girls Aloud)
We all know about their cover of that Drake song. But back in 2008 Arctic Monkeys had won everything at the Brit Awards and set about world domination with the release of their third album 'Humbug'. Yet, they still had time on their hands to cover "Love Machine" originally by Girls Aloud for BBC Radio 1. This version see's the vocals shared by front-man Alex Turner and drummer Matt Helders. They've clearly added an indie twist to the song, they've also added their stamp with their recognisable Sheffield accent.
Manic Street Preachers - Umbrella (Rihanna)
"Umbrella" spent an age at the top of charts back in 2007 bringing Rihanna huge success in the process. When this cover came out it was a strange one. The Manics covering Rihanna is strange concept. However, they do an absolutely brilliant job of "Umbrella" it's energetic and James Dean-Bradfield's powerful vocals lifts the chorus to new heights. An excellent cover.
The Fall - Victoria (The Kinks)
Post-punk pioneers The Fall took an unexpected turn and changed their sound quite drastically in the 80s. Their early sound was quite jarring and messy, but spearheaded by the angry rants of Mark E Smith, The Fall were on the verge of stardom. Their cover of "Victoria" is one of the lighter and pleasant songs contained within the bands vast back catalogue. They don't change the song too much, it sounds a bit angrier and packs more of a punch, but the melodies are there.
Deftones - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
Deftones covering The Smiths is another strange combination. Deftones are known for their heavy riffs and powerful songs, and The Smiths, well, aren't. Morrissey's vocal style is distinctive and rather melancholy, add that to Johnny Marr's intricate riffs and the engine room that was Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke and you've got The Smiths. Now, Deftones change this song not too much in the way of musical key, but vocal style and instruments. Marr's guitar is soft, and melodic whereas This version the guitars are brutally heavy and the vocals are equally aggressive.
Devo - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones)
Infantile pop meets classic rock. Is one way to sum up this cover of "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by Devo. The band from Ohio completely changed the whole dynamic of the song. Gone is that famous guitar riff and in it's place comes an extremely funky bass line and off-beat guitars. It's quite a strange cover in the sense that it sounds like it could be a Devo song and have nothing to do with The Rolling Stones. Which is what we want from a cover version.
People Are Strange - Echo and The Bunnymen (The Doors)
The band from Liverpool recorded this cover for the film The Lost Boys back in 1987. It was then released as a single scoring the band a top 40 hit. As covers go it's pretty rudimentary. It takes a lot of what made the original great, but The Bunnymen updated for their era. They didn't really add anything musically, but nonetheless, it's still a solid cover.
The Struts - Royals (Lorde)
You may not have heard of British based indie-glam rock band The Struts but if you have you would know about their frankly, awesome cover of "Royals". For those who don't, Lorde's original version is very minimalist and basic. But when The Struts got hold of it they gave it a complete new lease of life. It sounds absolutely massive and the chorus is almost stratospheric. Right from the first chord, they have you hooked and then Luke Spiller's vocals enter the fray and the song just grows and grows.
The White Stripes - Jolene (Dolly Parton)
You've surely heard this one right? Jack and Meg White at their finest with this cover. They strip the song down to its barest, just a guitar riff and simple drums. But Jack's vocal performance is one full of emotion and when the chorus hits the guitar goes from hiding behind his voice to centre stage. They're clearly going for the quiet verse and loud chorus dynamic (as made famous by The Pixies). Dolly would be proud of this version.
The Flaming Lips - I Am The Walrus (The Beatles)
People at the time thought The Beatles' "I Am The Walrus" was a tad wacky. That's nothing compared to this version by The Flaming Lips. Imagine if The Beatles were taking double the amount of LSD they were taking when writing this song and it probably would have sounded like this version. It's a lot more rugged and simple, but still weird. If you watch the video, guitarist Steven Drozd is sat on the floor covered in tin foil whilst doing the backing "vocals". It's also a lot heavier than The Beatles original, another example of a band known for a certain style adding that to another song.
Miley Cyrus - Jolene (Dolly Parton....again)
It seems this one is a popular choice for people to cover. Unlike The White Stripes' version, Miley Cyrus opts for a version which makes the most of the instruments, very similar to her godmothers (that's Dolly Parton by the way). She (like Echo and The Bunnymen) has updated the song for a modern era. Her country style voice not too dissimilar to Parton's is strong throughout the song, proving that once she wasn't all about twerking.
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