great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes

Subject: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Eric the Streetsinger
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 02:58 PM

We've seen a good number of folk tunes from unexpected sources-
what about great pop-rock covers by folk singers?
I'm thinking of "Rag-Doll" and "Rave On" by Steeleye Span
just now (as they are playing on my "iTunes" player)
Also I'm recalling Mary McCaslin's renditions of "Pinball
Wizard" (on the banjo! incredible!) and "Set Me Free"

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 03:21 PM

Martin Carthy has done a couple, including Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Nothing Rhymed".

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 03:23 PM

Len Wallace (Accordion god and sometimes Mudcat Guest) does a truly KILLER cover of Taking Care Of Business

Mick O'Brien and the Distractions are world-reknown for their cover of "Blister In The Sun" by The Violent Fems... and "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers...

Luther Right and the Wrongs redid the whole Pink Floyd album "The Wall" as bluegrass... and it SMOKES!

John Hiatt does a great bluegrass version of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones

-I- cover the hell outa Prince's "When Doves Cry" (Luca Bloom can eat my shorts) and Duran Duran's "View To A Kill"... not to mention "Too Old To Rock N Roll: Too Young TO Die" by Jethro Tull, and "After Midnight" by JJ Cale... Oh... and "Overkill" by Colin Hay (Men At Work)... but no one knows that song but me... heh


:-)

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Ernest
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 03:24 PM

De Dannan made an album named "Hotel Connemara" covering Pop/Rock songs, then there are the Chieftains with Tom Jones doing "Tennessee Waltz", and propably a lot more someone else will think of...
Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Sooz
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 03:30 PM

Dave Burland's version of "I don't like Mondays", and Sharon Fountains "Heavy Horses".

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Teresa
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 04:00 PM

Battlefield Band's version of "Bad Moon Rising".

A collaboration by a bunch of U.S. East coast folk ... _Only Human_ has a neat version of Bruce springsteen's "My Home Town"

T

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Mark Ross
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 04:19 PM

Dave Van Ronk had a great version of ALLEY OOP with the Hudson Dusters.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Cluin
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 04:23 PM

Hayseed Dixie did a couple of albums of rock tunes done bluegrass style, funny and pretty good too. The first one was a tribute album to AC/DC (how they formed their name).

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 04:27 PM

Steve Goodman did a great medley of "dead teenager songs," and John McCutcheon regularly does a rock 'n' roll hit or two. It's a nice break from the folk music, and keeps the performer from getting overly serious or sickeningly sincere.
I think Beach Boys songs would be particularly good for folk performers.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 04:48 PM

I've heard Garnet Rogers do a wicked cool cover of "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits...

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 05:05 PM

Martin Carthy's Heartbreak Hotel.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Cluin
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 05:15 PM

Dolly Parton singing Stairway to Heaven. (really)

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,milk monitor
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 05:18 PM

Cluin I REALLY don't want to believe that, say it isn't so.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: ThreeSheds
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 05:48 PM

Norma Watersons version of Solid Air I'd rather hear this version than the original

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Fiona
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 06:14 PM

I like Dick Gaughans cover of 'Ruby Tuesday'

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 06:17 PM

Jim Eldon does Bat out of Hell, and Can't Start a Fire.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 06:29 PM

Martin Simpson does a great instrumental version on slide guitar of Cat Stevens "The First Cut is the Deepest".

There are indeed some rock songs which to the imaginative ear are just crying out for a folkie treatment. These are songs which ideally lend themselves to being played in alternate (alternative) rhythms in open tunings.

The one I am working on at the moment is "Whiter Shade of Pale", in Open D, but I have a feeling that Open G may work even better.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Guest, granny 2
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 06:35 PM

I'm suprised nobody's mentioned Tickled Pink's version of Kraftwerk's "The Model" described by them as a " country & western tango from Dusseldorf" - quite the best thing I've heard in ages!

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 04:15 AM

June Tabor sings Joy Divisions "Love will tear us apart" on the new Big Session CD.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Gigix
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 06:40 AM

Niamh Parsons sings Tom Wait's "The Briar and the Rose", and Mark Knopfler's "Done with Bonaparte". The latter on a different tune. Both great.
Luigi

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 11:52 AM

Eric Winter, I think it was, used to do Blue Suede Shoes to the tune of The White Cockade! (I've done it myself once or twice, with success.) Someidy else did/does Heartbreak Hotel to the same tune.

Steve

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Rain Dog
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 12:35 PM

As mentioned earlier, Niamh Parsons does a cover of the Tom Waits song ' The Briar and the Rose ' .
This song has also been covered by Cloudstreet , The Cottars , Popcorn Behaviour,The Granary Girls.There is also a cover by Dave Donohoe ( with Niamh Parson on backing vocals )

Dave Donohoe also does a version of 'GRapefruit Moon ' by Tom Waits

Solas have done a cover of the Tom Waits song ' Georgia Lee ' . The song has also been covered by Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman.
Georgia Lee is a very fine song, well worth listening to even if the subject matter is not the most cheerful.

If anyone knows of any covers of Tom Waits by 'folk' artists, please let me know. I am always interested in tracking down covers of his songs.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: PoppaGator
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 12:47 PM

Tom Rush's first (eponymous) album included tunes by both Chuck Berry ("Too Much Monkey Business") and Bo Diddly ("Who Do You Love?"), along with eight or ten of the more traditional folk/blues numbers one would normally expect of a "folksinger."

I always enjoyed that album, and thought highly of Rush for recording the songs he enjoyed, regardless of how the "purists" of that era might react.

This was in the early-to-mid-60s, at the peak of the "folk revival" and years before Dylan went electric and people began using the phrase "folk-rock."

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Once Famous
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 12:53 PM

Cluin, I've heard Dolly's Stairway to Heaven It really was quite OK.

she also did "Shine On" which I believe was a U2 song.

Somehow she can make anything work.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Grab
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 01:11 PM

Can't believe no-one's mentioned Show of Hands (although they're probably not known much outside the UK). Covers of "First we take Manhattan", "Time after time" and others.

Murray, I've arranged "Whiter shade of pale" in drop-D. I've not written it down, but PM me if you want, and I'll send you my version. Though I do say so myself, it works pretty well. (I also do "Sweet dreams" by Eurythmics in open Gm7. :-)

Graham.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Brakn
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 01:16 PM

Luke Kelly - Days(the kinks)

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Eric the Streetsinger
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:09 PM

Murray, I do "Whiter Shade"fingerstyle in open "C", capoed on 4... lets me have a nice segue into "Bad" (U2) that way, and a lovely tune by the Pushstars called "Wild Irish Rose". The trio is one of my favorite set pieces.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Cluin
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 04:22 AM

I never said it was bad, MG. That whole album is pretty good.

Since her return to more bluegrass and trad material, I'd like to hear her re-record "Jolene" in a more acoustic and folky trad way, with bluegrass instrumentation. To me, that song always sounded like it had an old-time ballad feel to it.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: sharyn
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:13 AM

Swan Arcade did a killer version of "Lola" by the Kinks.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: alanabit
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 02:07 AM

Sting's songs often cover well. I forget which folk singer or group covered "We Work The Black Seam Together", but it sounded very much like a traditional song. Don't forget Johnny Cash's excellent version of "I Hung My Head". Some of these songs could be around for a while.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Folkien
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 05:16 AM

"I'm thinking of "Rag-Doll" and "Rave On" by Steeleye Span"

Steeleye also did a version of 'To Know Him Is To Love Him' with David Bowie guesting on sax. Truly awful.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: alanabit
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 07:06 AM

Even the Beatles sounded pretty wet doing "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (ammended slightly to be more gender appropriate). It's a bloody awful song. "Rave On" was great though. I listen to that version often.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: alanabit
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 07:07 AM

Which reminds me of the Arizona Smoke Review's version of Springsteen's "Factory". I always thought that was a gem. It sounds so good a cappella.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Mrs_Annie
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:32 AM

Oysterband do 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Rockin' in the Free World' live. The first now recorded on their limited edition CD '25'.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,mandotim
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 01:03 PM

Whole album full of old soul classics; The Reel and Soul Association. Kelly While, Thea Gilmore, Maartin Allcock et al. Some really good stuff on here, but my special fave is (Let me rock you in my)Warm and Tender Love, complete with Uillean pipes solo; stunningly pretty playing.
Tim

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: shepherdlass
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 01:25 PM

Gregson and Collister's "Heard it through the Grapevine". Also Ms Collister's solo version of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird". Basically the woman has a fantastic blues/soul voice as well as being able to handle traditional stuff with great delicacy.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 05:10 PM

Joan Baez covered a few rock tunes...don't recall the album title...wasn't, in my admittedly biased opinion, her finest work, I'm afraid.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Murkey
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 06:38 PM

Back in the late 60s/early seventies, a whole group of people from the English Fairport/Steeleye/Thompson folk-rock scene recorded an album called Rock On under the name, The Bunch. I haven't heard it yet, but it was all covers of classic rock and roll tracks. It was recently reissued by Fledg'ling.

I remember that Show of Hands covered Radiohead's 'High and Dry'.

And of course Richard Thompson covered everyone from the Who to Squeeze, Abba to Britney Spears on his 'Thousand Years of Popular Music' LP, although you could argue that he moved on from being a folk artist many years ago!

I'm pretty sure I read that Norma Waterson covered a Freddie Murcruy song, alongside quite a few other contemporary numbers on one of her solo albums.

Love to hear the Oysterband/Tabor take on 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'!

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Chris Green
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 06:44 PM

Does it exist?! I'd love to hear it too!

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:40 PM

It's already been mentioned, but Richard Thompson doing "Not That Innocent" is absoloutely brilliant – listening to him sing it made me realise – for the first time – all the irony, scorn, edge – and wit – that can be found in that song. It was amazing!

Also, The Four Bobs (an a capella group) doing Purple Haze... totally awesome!

YY

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 10:01 AM

Amazing Blondel doing "Paranoid"

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 11:05 AM

Give Simon Ritchie's new CD 'Squeezebox Schizophrenia' an earful. Everything from 'Sweets for my Sweet' to 'Anarchy in the UK' with a wicked version of Dylan's 'Tangled up in Blue' for good measure. (X-Tradition TMM 1956).
John K and Chris Partington managed the Who's 'Squeezebox' at Sidmouth this year. I've often murdered Cliff's 'Travelling Light' unaccompanied, and the Move's 'Flowers in the Rain' at music sessions. I also recall Lawrence Heath dressed as a mole at Bracknell performing a solo jig to Blondie's 'Sunday Girl'.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Murkey
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 12:35 PM

Yeah Thompson's take on 'Oops I Did It Again' is cool (although it always was a good song, old Britney's had a good few great singles!). Rather interestingly he also performs an 'Anonymous fragment from the 13th century, possibly from Brittany, to bring us full circle' entitled 'Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt'. It's at the end of the in concert album, but when I saw him in London he did it straight after 'Oops...'. Amusingly it is somewhat familiar, being more or less the melody to 'Oops I Did It Again'! Goes to show that as much as muisc has evolved it's still basically the same thing!

My mate evn heard Thompson's version of 'Oops' played on the radio, although I've yet to find out where, when and why! Personally, I think his takes on Prince's 'Kiss' and Abba's 'Money' are even better.

On a similar note, John Martyn does a great cover of Portishead's 'Glory Box' on his Church with One Bell album.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,Roving Gipsy
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 07:23 AM

flowers & frolics cover of tom robinson's 'Martin' is cute, from 'reformed Characters" HEBECD002, and Bob Davenport's always coming out with stuff 'live' like 'Poison Ivy' for instance, his recent CD 'The Common Stone' features Brecht & Weill's 'Alabama Song' which most people know from The Doors.

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Mr Fox
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 10:49 AM

White Rabbit
Wheels on Fire
All Along the Watchtower - June Tabor and Oysterband

Wildwood - Eliza Carthy (Her version is actually 'poppier' than Paul Weller's original).

And, of course, who could forget Bluehorses' version of Led Zep's 'Rock and Roll'?

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 11:08 AM

i know someone who does the Clash's White Riot on ukelele..


and i'm sure he would'nt be the 1st to do that..


because punkrock song structures were so obviously influenced
by George Formby

Subject: RE: great folk artists cover pop/rock tunes
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 12:08 PM

The Dillards did the Beatles "Yesterday" (not sure which album) and "I've just seen a face" (on Wheatstraw Suite) many years back.

They probably did a good few others as well.