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Post by kds on Jul 25, 2022 12:50:44 GMT
The side discussion on the amount of non catalog covers on The Beach Boys Concert album inspired me to start a thread of the subject of live non catalog covers in concert.
When I say non catalog covers, I mean an artist playing a cover live of a song that they never recorded. For example, Sloop John B would not count, as The Beach Boys recorded it, but The Wanderer would as it never appeared on a BB studio recording.
Non catalog covers are relatively common in throughout history. Even as concerts evolved from 30 minute sets to full on shows as the 60s turned into the 70s. Bands like The Who, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Queen would regularly throw in some covers, often of early rock songs, in their sets. Queen continued to do this throughout their live career.
Tom Petty pretty regularly included a cover or two at a lot of his shows. Same goes for Jimmy Buffett. In fact, CSN's Southern Cross has been a mainstay on his setlists for over 20 years now, despite the fact that he never cut a studio version.
In recent years, tribute covers have become very common. A lot of artists adding Prince songs to their setlists after he passed.
So, what does everything think?
Personally, especially with the increasing costs of ticket prices these days, I'd prefer to hear songs from an artist's own catalog. If it's limited to one or two covers, I don't mind it too much.
And, occasionally a live non album cover can be pretty good on a live album. Blue Oyster Cult's version of Kick Out the Jams comes to mind, which I actually much prefer to the MC5 original.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 25, 2022 13:30:56 GMT
I've always enjoyed a well-chosen cover. There can be something really exciting about bands either showing their influences, or supporting other contemporary artists, through covers. (In fact, I'd say I prefer that latter, the more contemporary covers: it was common in the 50s and 60s, but is relatively rare in recent decades.)
Being in Minneapolis, I've seen a lot of bands covering Prince while they were here, even long before he died. The Shins did Purple Rain (which is the most common such tribute), while Eels did a fantastic version of "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" during their mid-00s "Eels with Strings" tour.
Of Montreal used to toss in some covers, with their "Tropical Ice-Land" (The Fiery Furnaces) being a favorite. But they ran the gamut from Velvet Underground ("Beginning to See the Light") and the Zombies ("Friends of Mine") to then-contemporary MIA ("Paper Planes") and Cee-Lo ("Crazy").
Speaking of Prince, in his 2004-05 Musicology tour, he did several covers. Some Zeppelin, some Beatles...I can't recall what else. Joni Mitchell?
But I think there is a limit to how many covers I'd want in a show. For example, I've seen some 80s Beach Boys set lists where I thought there were just too many. Granted, they had also recorded several of those songs, too. But even so, it just can be too much when we're talking half a dozen covers.
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Post by kds on Jul 25, 2022 13:48:31 GMT
I agree there are limits. I think one, maybe two, in a 90-120 minute set is reasonable. Nobody should feel like they're paying hundreds of dollars to see a bar band.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 25, 2022 15:33:04 GMT
The side discussion on the amount of non catalog covers on The Beach Boys Concert album inspired me to start a thread of the subject of live non catalog covers in concert. When I say non catalog covers, I mean an artist playing a cover live of a song that they never recorded. For example, Sloop John B would not count, as The Beach Boys recorded it, but The Wanderer would as it never appeared on a BB studio recording. Non catalog covers are relatively common in throughout history. Even as concerts evolved from 30 minute sets to full on shows as the 60s turned into the 70s. Bands like The Who, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Queen would regularly throw in some covers, often of early rock songs, in their sets. Queen continued to do this throughout their live career. Tom Petty pretty regularly included a cover or two at a lot of his shows. Same goes for Jimmy Buffett. In fact, CSN's Southern Cross has been a mainstay on his setlists for over 20 years now, despite the fact that he never cut a studio version. In recent years, tribute covers have become very common. A lot of artists adding Prince songs to their setlists after he passed. So, what does everything think? Personally, especially with the increasing costs of ticket prices these days, I'd prefer to hear songs from an artist's own catalog. If it's limited to one or two covers, I don't mind it too much. And, occasionally a live non album cover can be pretty good on a live album. Blue Oyster Cult's version of Kick Out the Jams comes to mind, which I actually much prefer to the MC5 original. Blue Oyster Cult was the first band I thought of who covered other artists/songs live. You mentioned "Kick Out The Jams" and that is a great one. Here's a couple more covers BOC played live:
- I Ain't Got You - Born To Be Wild - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - Roadhouse Blues
It's rumored they performed "Be My Baby" (an outtake from Spectres) but I can't confirm it.
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Post by kds on Jul 25, 2022 15:44:17 GMT
The side discussion on the amount of non catalog covers on The Beach Boys Concert album inspired me to start a thread of the subject of live non catalog covers in concert. When I say non catalog covers, I mean an artist playing a cover live of a song that they never recorded. For example, Sloop John B would not count, as The Beach Boys recorded it, but The Wanderer would as it never appeared on a BB studio recording. Non catalog covers are relatively common in throughout history. Even as concerts evolved from 30 minute sets to full on shows as the 60s turned into the 70s. Bands like The Who, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Queen would regularly throw in some covers, often of early rock songs, in their sets. Queen continued to do this throughout their live career. Tom Petty pretty regularly included a cover or two at a lot of his shows. Same goes for Jimmy Buffett. In fact, CSN's Southern Cross has been a mainstay on his setlists for over 20 years now, despite the fact that he never cut a studio version. In recent years, tribute covers have become very common. A lot of artists adding Prince songs to their setlists after he passed. So, what does everything think? Personally, especially with the increasing costs of ticket prices these days, I'd prefer to hear songs from an artist's own catalog. If it's limited to one or two covers, I don't mind it too much. And, occasionally a live non album cover can be pretty good on a live album. Blue Oyster Cult's version of Kick Out the Jams comes to mind, which I actually much prefer to the MC5 original. Blue Oyster Cult was the first band I thought of who covered other artists/songs live. You mentioned "Kick Out The Jams" and that is a great one. Here's a couple more covers BOC played live:
- I Ain't Got You - Born To Be Wild - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - Roadhouse Blues
It's rumored they performed "Be My Baby" (an outtake from Spectres) but I can't confirm it.
They did a studio version of Born To Be Wild (it's actually pretty weak compared to live versions), but I don't think it was actually released until the Secret Treaties reissue around 2000. The last time I saw BOC, they closed with a great version of Born To Be Wild, which was appropriate since it was the first annual Ocean City BikeFest in 2011.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 25, 2022 15:50:24 GMT
Blue Oyster Cult was the first band I thought of who covered other artists/songs live. You mentioned "Kick Out The Jams" and that is a great one. Here's a couple more covers BOC played live:
- I Ain't Got You - Born To Be Wild - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - Roadhouse Blues
It's rumored they performed "Be My Baby" (an outtake from Spectres) but I can't confirm it.
They did a studio version of Born To Be Wild (it's actually pretty weak compared to live versions), but I don't think it was actually released until the Secret Treaties reissue around 2000. The last time I saw BOC, they closed with a great version of Born To Be Wild, which was appropriate since it was the first annual Ocean City BikeFest in 2011. I saw BOC perform "Born To Be Wild" at The Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1978, and that was when all five members grabbed a guitar and jammed to the song. The place went nuts. And it was LOUD!
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Post by kds on Jul 25, 2022 15:54:15 GMT
They did a studio version of Born To Be Wild (it's actually pretty weak compared to live versions), but I don't think it was actually released until the Secret Treaties reissue around 2000. The last time I saw BOC, they closed with a great version of Born To Be Wild, which was appropriate since it was the first annual Ocean City BikeFest in 2011. I saw BOC perform "Born To Be Wild" at The Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1978, and that was when all five members grabbed a guitar and jammed to the song. The place went nuts. And it was LOUD! That's pretty awesome. That 2011 show was the only time in the four times I saw BOC that they did a non catalog cover (since the studio cut wasn't released until decades later, I think BTBW still counts). The thing I'll always remember about that show was the weather. In was mid September 2011, and a Noreaster came through Ocean City. It was rainy, chilly, and windy all day. Despite playing in a tent, it was still rather cold, and I just had a cheap windbreaker.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 27, 2022 16:30:38 GMT
Ray Manzarek was born and raised in Chicago and was very much influenced by the blues. While Jim Morrison wasn't considered a big fan of music growing up, he later showed an affinity for the blues. The Doors recorded a few blues' covers including "Back Door Man", "Crawling King Snake", and "You Need Meat (Don't Go No Further)". They also performed several blues' covers - or turned some songs into blues' versions - in concert including:
- Money - I'm A King Bee - Who Do You Love - Rock Me Baby
- Close To You (Willie Dixon) - Crossroads - Little Red Rooster - St. James Infirmary - Baby Please Don't Go - I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Lucille - Mean Mustard Blues - Heartbreak Hotel
- Carol - Mystery Train
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 30, 2022 12:07:41 GMT
Pearl Jam has been known to perform covers of their favorite artists. A few include:
Pink Floyd - "Comfortably Numb" Pink Floyd - "Mother" Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Fortunate Son" Neil Young - "Rockin' In The Free World" The Who - "Baba O'Riley" The MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams"
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Post by B.E. on Jul 30, 2022 12:23:00 GMT
Eddie Vedder must have performed hundreds of covers over the years.
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Post by kds on Jul 30, 2022 14:45:12 GMT
In the past, bands like Phish and Dream Theater have done full albums of other bands' material. Primus recently did a Rush tribute tour.
Zakk Wylde has toured as Zakk Sabbath doing full sets of Sabbath covers.
That definitely takes the concept of non catalog live covers to the extreme.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 30, 2022 15:00:47 GMT
I know I already mentioned Of Montreal, and I know I'm the only real fan of them around, but that said, here is a sampling of what I know they've done as covers live:
Spanish Dance Troupe (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci) Color Me In (Broadcast) Know Your Onion (the Shins) Delinquency (V-Twin) What Have They Done To My Song (Melanie) She's My Best Friend (Velvet Underground) I'm Beginning to See the Light (Velvet Underground) Rain (the Beatles) I Will (the Beatles)
Friends of Mine (the Zombies) September Gurls (Big Star) More Than a Feeling (Boston) Tropical Iceland (Fiery Furnaces) Crazy (Cee-Lo Green) Paper Planes (MIA) Tonight (Sibylle Baier)
Especially from about 2000 through 2008, they would typically do 1-2 per show. I know I am missing a lot, but you get the idea. Particularly in the late 90s to mid 00s, you could count on the Kinks, Zombies, Velvet Underground, or Big Star making an appearance, and then often a contemporary indie pop one like the Shins or Fiery Furnaces.
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