She was so, so talented. Such a sad story that everybody could see happening in basically real time.
I was worried that was a cover of Steve Winwood’s “Valerie”, which I absolutely despise solely due to a dancemix cover version that I was subjected to several times in a bar in Poland in the early '00s. It was just the chorus “Valerie…call me (repeat several times), I’m the same boy I used to be” over and over and over and…
Seu Jorge is amazing in general, but, yeah, his Bowie covers are special. I’ve heard him sing Life on Mars in person several times and I am invariably rendered completely immobile, just struck completely dumb(er).
The Netflix documentary is heartbreaking. It correlates what was happening in her life with what she was writing, and it’s so eye opening. So when she sings “they tried to make me go to rehab” and “my daddy thinks I’m fine”, it’s because she went to rehab and her dad pulled her out so that she could do some gigs. Shortly thereafter, she was dead.
She was the golden goose for a bunch of family members and hangers on…and they killed her.
There are some superb covers mentioned here, but this one also belongs:
Blind Faith covering Buddy Holly’s “Well All Right”.
I was wondering when Me First would get mentioned.
I was at that concert. I won tickets at a bar from Stevens and Pruett from KLOL (RIP). They were literally the top row in the Summit as far away from the stage that was possible. Still a great show.
Some rando covers that came to mind-
Manic Monday- The Bangles
Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends- Joan Osborne
Me Olvide Vivir- The Mavericks
Don’t Change (Live)- Bruce Springsteen
Wish You Were Here (Live)- Sting
When my old laptop crashed years ago, my bootleg mp3 copy of this version was compromised and I’ve never been able to find another.
Honorable mention-
Life on Mars- Seu Jorge
As my brother mentioned, his Life Aquatic work is fantastic
We were in the lower prom directly across from the stage about 10 rows or so up. A perfect view.
Not a cover (afaik), but XM Deep Tracks yesterday played Osborne’s “One of Us” while I was out working in the yard. It’s probably been 10 years since I heard that, but I really enjoy it. Part of the reason is because it was used as the closing song in a particularly arresting episode of “Homicide: Life on the Street” a long time ago.
I mentioned Brownout (if you’re familiar with Grupo Fantasma, this is their side project) earlier and just learned while randomly looking up tour info (June 10 in SA is all they have listed) that they did an instrumental latin-funk cover of Public Enemy’s album Fear of a Black Planet (called naturally Fear of a Brown Planet, echoes of their Brown Sabbath alter ego) that I very much need to check out.
I was at the Armadillo that night, leaning on the stage, stage right. I’m still bothered by that concert, because of the strange mix of artificiality, commitment, and enforced disengagement, plus I was in a long downward spiral with my date. They were Talking Heads. Weirdly, I don’t remember the B-52s at all. We probably came late.
Artificiality, commitment, and enforced disengagement sounds exactly like a downward spiral with a date.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
Layla and Other Love Songs - Derek and the Dominoes
Elite Hotel - Emmylou Harris
Viva Terlingua - Jerry Jeff Walker
Sweet Dreams - Emmylou Harris
Goin’ Back to Harlan - Emmylou Harris
Little Drummer Boy - Emmylou Harris
Hard Times Come Again - Emmylou Harris
I Fought the Law - The Clash
Wait, I’m confused now…Viva Terlingua is a cover song?
I think he did two lists, his favorite records and then his favorite covers.
Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back (and/or NWA: Straight Outta Compton)
Getz/Gilberto: Live at Carnegie Hall
Metallica: Master of Puppets
New Order: Substance
Oh I get it now, you just named 6 of my favorite albums, all of which are still in regular rotation (digitally, at least)
And that was just the Talking Heads.
That second post was your list.