Under The Covers. One More Time...

Cover versions – now there’s a tricky business. Which is weird when you think about it, as really, in the olden days like, pretty much every song was a cover version; or "standards" as those crazy old folks called them. And yet something happened to songs from the sixties onwards that meant cover versions were suddenly a mine-field; even for the old pros.

And it’s not just that songs became more complicated with all their strange hippy lyrics and psychedelic bit and bobs; take Yesterday for example; in its basic version it’s just really vocals and guitar. Such a simple song and allegedly the most covered song in history; and yet I’m not sure I’ve heard a decent version of it other than by the boy Macca. It’s even defeated the holy trinity of Frank, Elvis and Marvin!

In fact, considering the vast amount that have been produced it is relatively hard to find decent covers of Beatles songs, although all and sundry have had a pop at them. Many a good man/woman/band has fallen trying to take on a Lennon/McCartney. And yet Dylan on the other hand is a different matter. It seems almost impossible to do a bad version of a Bob Dylan song. And why is that? Is there something intrinsically different in the song-writing?

Maybe his songs are better crafted and so can survive being re-arranged whilst Lennon/McCartney songs, due to the intricate and skilful way in which George Martin put them together, are a house of cards that collapse when you move them.

Or maybe the Beatles just played Lennon/McCartney songs in the best way they could possibly be played (with one or two exceptions), whilst more talented singers than Dylan could do different and wonderful things with his songs.

I don’t know the answer, but I suspect there may be something in both those arguments.

The Observer Music Monthly has been compiling a list of Greatest Cover Versions Ever.

As well as some of the usual suspects there are some unexpectedly great choices as well as some terrible ones. I’ll leave you to judge which is which (but I will just say I hate The Pet Shop Boys version of Always On My Mind and have been in many arguments over it).

The one that catches my eye at this moment though is Mr Bojangles by Nina Simone, which is undoubtedly a beautiful song. However, I think that she trumped it herself with at least two other covers not present in this list and I present them to you below.

I think these are the greatest covers of Beatles (tellingly a Harrison who I would argue has more in common with Dylan when it comes to song-writing than with Lennon/McCartney) and Dylan songs ever recorded.

Nina Simone - Here Comes The Sun

Nina Simone - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues


These were all released a few years back on the double album To Love Somebody/Here Comes the Sun.

Also on these albums are fantastic versions of I Shall Be Released (Dylan), Just Like A Woman (Dylan) and To Love Somebody (Gibb) and so I’d heartily recommend it.

By the way, if you know any better Dylan or Beatles covers you feel I might have overlooked, please leave a comment to let me know. Or start an argument about.


Ricky Stardust