[choc e-Claire]

Cover songs are a risky game. If you perform the cover well, then it's a really good way to pay tribute to whoever made it and can even make you look like you're as good as the original artist.

If you fail, however, then you look like an idiot. And you've insulted someone you love dearly.

So, with that in mind: let's laugh at the bands who thought they could pull it off, but couldn't.

I'll start with a band that's laughable enough anyway: Panic! at the Disco, and a fairly bland cover of Radiohead's 'Karma Police'.
You are not Thom Yorke, and you are not interesting or edgy for yelling 'fuck' to a crowd of twelve year olds.

[_tunic_]

ok, I'll give you some:


1. people doing techno dubstep or whatever remixes of Godspeed You Black Emperor songs, like this one.

(actually most of such remixes of any song are crap, e.g. the Owl remix album of Low songs)


examples 2 and 3 are actually the same guy


2. there was this concert in Cologne (Germany) a coupe of years ago. Rivulets from the US was the main act, Love Like Birds from Belgium was the support. But there was this other local band that played first. I don't recall their name and it doesn't matter, and I don't recall any of the other songs they played. But one kept stuck in my head, it was so bad that it was actually quite good
They started playing this song and I thought "hey I know that one", but couldn't figure it out. Then the guy started singing in German and I was like, what the fuck I know that song but I can't tell what it is

Took me a couple of minutes to discover that it was actually a cover of Joy Division, it was either Transmission or Love Will Tear Us Apart
The guy didn't know the rule that you should not sing Joy Division in German, probably because that rule only exists in my head.


3. Scout Niblett also live in Cologne Germany, playing on top of a museum with the cathedral in the background. Here's footage of Nevada and Can't Fool Me Now (with strings!). One of the most wonderful / special concert venues I've been at. But she also played her cover version of No Scrubs, which on her album is a duet with Bonnie Prince Billy. Of course Bonnie couldn't make it, so that same guy from example 2 did the duet. Suddenly the concert changed to a late night drunken karaoke performance.

There's no YT footage of that song on that night, but here is another duo performance of that song from another concert she did in Cologne. The guy is drumming and doing backup vocals. She's still awesome, but his vocals just don't mix with hers.


I'm not sure who the guy is actually (apartfrom his name), I guess he's a booker in Cologne, arranging shows, and sometimes booking himself then too.

[_tunic_]

Oh here's another one:


Some might argue that this is an extremely bad cover version. I beg to differ. Let's not tell who or what this is. Click the link and press play
and no cheating! Don't read the text. Song is quite long, I wonder how long it will take you to figure out what it is.

[Antagon]

There's a hilariously misguided electronic cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry" by the German outfit "Terminal Choice". From the cheesy synths to the stoical teutonic pronounciation, this version is a complete tonal failure. Whilst I buy the "Hiding the tears in my eyes" part in the original version, this blunder of a cover makes me think that Terminal Choice legitimately believe that boys don't cry. So don't you dare getting misty eyed. Those guys (and pretty much all of the projects the vocalist is involved in) are a total laughing stock by the way. And this is a perfect example as to why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_B4yur2zkA


I tried to luff ah-bout it, cover it all up with lice
I tried to luff ah-bout it, hiding the tiers in my iiiiice

[Antagon]

Another cover that completely missed the point of the original: Peter Gabriel's schmaltzy rendition of The Magnetic Fields's "The Book Of Love". To me the appeal of the original are its stripped down nature and Stephin Merritt's sardonic vocals. This however is a kitschfest tailor-made for ho-hum romantic comedies and the sort.

[Peterpuff]

Pretty heavily covered song, with many good and bad versions out there. For some reason though, this one always got under my skin. Just sort of had its own head a bit too far up its own ass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG_dlOrcgbU
Sucker Punch - Soundtrack 07 - Where Is My Mind? (Yoav and Emily Browning)

[choc e-Claire]

@_tunic_: Oh god.

@Antagon: I couldn't make it to the singing, I was just way too put off.

@Peterpuff: When I was doing Music last year my teacher suggested my band play that song, but I was the only one who liked it.

[Antagon]

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

@Antagon: I couldn't make it to the singing, I was just way too put off.

Are you referring to the Boys Don't Cry cover? Yeah, it's pretty damn awful. It's fascinating, really. Like, what made them think that these synths and that stale beat were a good idea? Then again, it pretty much sums up their whole career.

[Antagon]

Also: Time for a little anecdote here. Weddings are a perfect occasion to hear well-known songs get absolutely butchered. Like that one time I got treated to a church-approved German reinterpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", right down to the musty choir. Woof. People in my family seem to have a knack for misappropriating that particular song for wedding ceremonies. I blame it on the language barrier. And Shrek maybe, possibly Shrek.

[choc e-Claire]

Originally Posted by Antagon

I blame it on the language barrier. And Shrek maybe, possibly Shrek.

Bereft of context, this is one of the funniest things I've read in months.

[!@#$%!]

when i was growing up at school they’d make us sing a catholic version of “blowin’ in the wind” haaaaahaaaahaaa

something about the return of j.h.c. or something

—

eta: it’s possible they might have ruined bob dylan for me lmao

[_tunic_]

oh oh oh oh oh



Bob Dylan


Ruined




yes yes yes






Christmas Songs




!!!!!!




Hahaha.

 

[The Gazpacho Gestapo]

lol there are lots of songs i would never want to use as a blanket

They arent warm enough to be proper covers

i get cold feet at night

[_tunic_]

I have this fantasy of Godspeed You Black Emperor surprising the audience with a full set of Ramones songs, Shonen Knife style. ONE TWO THREE FOUR! For 2 hours



The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me

[choc e-Claire]

Imagine that you went to see Rivers Cuomo of Weezer play a solo show.

Imagine if he decided to open his set with a cover of 'Losing My Religion'.

Imagine no more.

[_tunic_]

you might want to put all your glassware away for safety before you play this one:
The X Factor Season 4 Favourite Bad Auditions

those people that come in and honestly believe that they can be the new Christina Aguilera and fail so hard and then get over the piss pissed off when they are told that they suck (check the girl at 15th minute for instance.)

to one other contestant Simon says: "everything was great about your audition until you started singing"



this one is not a cover, the guy wrote his own song, but oh my god!
he made one of the judges throw up, ha ha ha ha

[Peterpuff]

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

Imagine that you went to see Rivers Cuomo of Weezer play a solo show.

Imagine if he decided to open his set with a cover of 'Losing My Religion'.

Imagine no more.

Odd...

[Peterpuff]

Originally Posted by _tunic_

you might want to put all your glassware away for safety before you play this one:
The X Factor Season 4 Favourite Bad Auditions

those people that come in and honestly believe that they can be the new Christina Aguilera and fail so hard and then get over the piss pissed off when they are told that they suck (check the girl at 15th minute for instance.)

to one other contestant Simon says: "everything was great about your audition until you started singing"



this one is not a cover, the guy wrote his own song, but oh my god!
he made one of the judges throw up, ha ha ha ha

These warm my soul.

[choc e-Claire]

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

You are not Thom Yorke, and you are not interesting or edgy for yelling 'fuck' to a crowd of twelve year olds.

...apparently the early demos for 'Karma Police' had the lyric 'when you fuck with us'...

[choc e-Claire]

I'm building a playlist of punk covers of stuff - they're both terrible and awesome; and I'm grinning madly the whole time.