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15.11.09

The Top 10: Cover Songs

by Peter Johnston

The Top Ten

10. Faith No More – Easy
Not many bands would immediately think of covering A Commodores song, but in saying that, Faith No More aren’t many bands. Euooo!

9. Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Once dear ol’ Kurt got a whiff of this Leadelly song he originally did a duet with Mark Lanegan on his first solo album, entitled The Winding Sheet. Mostly recognisably though, it appears in flawless form on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged session.

8. Marmaduke Duke – Single Ladies
By no means the Scottish Beyonce, Biffy’s Simon Neil and Sucioperro’s JP Reid combined (with the other Biffy members) for this cover in Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Like the other covers Simon Neil has turned his hand to in recent years, this turns out excellent.

7. Roger Waters Feat Van Morrison and The Band – Comfortably Numb
Found on The Departed soundtrack, you might end up seeing something almost quite beautiful in Van’s otherwise totally out of place addition.

(N.B. Yeah I know this clip is the concert version, but it’s good too)

6. China Drum – Wuthering Heights
Shattering the delicacy of Kate Bush’s original might be sacrilege for some, but if you’re gonna do it, do it properly. And preferably with a lot of distortion.

5. Manic Street Preachers – Suicide Is Painless
Ok, it comes from the Manics slightly glam era, but it’s still a priceless cover and a slightly ironic song for the Welshmen to come off with, just a few years before Richey Edwards ‘disappearance’.

4. Pearl Jam – Last Kiss
Made famous by Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders in 1962, Pearl Jam’s take allows Vedder’s voice to take centre stage in the otherwise fairly low key cover. Still, though, it’s Pearl Jam’s biggest hit to date – it’s true.

3. The Twilight Singers – My Time (Has Come)
When singer Greg Dulli appeared on Italian-based band Afterhour’s version of this song, originally called ‘White Widow’, it was no surprise it then turned up on his latest Twilight Singers album Powder Burns.

2. Deftones – The Chauffer
Not an instantly recognisable song. Featuring on the ‘b-sides and rarities’ album, the Deftones bring their own smooth take on this Duran Duran song.

1. Johnny Cash – Bridge Over Troubled Water
Everyone knows his cover of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’ is heart-renderingly brilliant. Though Bridge Over Troubled Water, which also features Fiona Apple, should be considered just as impressive.