What are some memorable covers in a language other than the original?
April 1, 2019 9:12 PM Subscribe
What it says on the tin!
Idly thought about this. I always thought the cover of the cranberry's (rip) dreams used in chunking express (https://youtu.be/3hHznB-_Gbs) was really excellent. And now I'm wondering what other covers in other languages are good!
Idly thought about this. I always thought the cover of the cranberry's (rip) dreams used in chunking express (https://youtu.be/3hHznB-_Gbs) was really excellent. And now I'm wondering what other covers in other languages are good!
Der Kommissar was a German language hit for Falco, then was an English language hit for After the Fire.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:24 PM on April 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Chrysostom at 9:24 PM on April 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Here's a great thread on a similar topic from 2012. I enjoyed making a playlist out of it at one point, so I'm glad to see the topic raised again with a wider focus.
posted by Wobbuffet at 9:31 PM on April 1, 2019
posted by Wobbuffet at 9:31 PM on April 1, 2019
Gipsy Kings' cover of Hotel California (as seen in The Big Lebowski) is pretty well known.
Marie la Laforêt's version of Paint it Black manages to be both punchy and lilting.
Annie Phillipe singing Baby Love sounds nice in French, though her voice can't hold a candle to Diana Ross.
Algerian rockstar Rachid Taha did a creditable cover of the Clash's Rock the Casbah.
I've always liked Cornershop's Punjabi cover of Norwegian Wood.
As a bonus (because it's not 100% in French), Johnny Hallyday and Emmylou Harris' duet of If I Were a Carpenter is lovely.
posted by theory at 9:41 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Marie la Laforêt's version of Paint it Black manages to be both punchy and lilting.
Annie Phillipe singing Baby Love sounds nice in French, though her voice can't hold a candle to Diana Ross.
Algerian rockstar Rachid Taha did a creditable cover of the Clash's Rock the Casbah.
I've always liked Cornershop's Punjabi cover of Norwegian Wood.
As a bonus (because it's not 100% in French), Johnny Hallyday and Emmylou Harris' duet of If I Were a Carpenter is lovely.
posted by theory at 9:41 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
"Volare" has had many great covers outside its original Italian over the decades. Some standouts are by Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Gipsy Kings.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:03 PM on April 1, 2019
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:03 PM on April 1, 2019
Enrique Morente and Lagartija Nick did a cover in Spanish of First we take Manhattan: https://youtu.be/z8gJLy2We7k
posted by gregjones at 10:07 PM on April 1, 2019
posted by gregjones at 10:07 PM on April 1, 2019
Chapeaumelon's cover of The Who's My Generation. It was notably used over the opening credits of the movie Eurotrip.
posted by fuse theorem at 10:21 PM on April 1, 2019
posted by fuse theorem at 10:21 PM on April 1, 2019
Leonard Cohen’s The Partisan was originally a French song called “La Complainte du Partisan”. More detailed context and lyrics from Genius here. It’s been translated into lots of languages and covered by many artists.
By the way, if you like the music that Cohen set it to, he uses a rather similar melody in both Avalanche and (less noticeably) Tonight Will Be Fine. It’s also sampled in Trentemøller’s The Very Last Resort.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:35 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
By the way, if you like the music that Cohen set it to, he uses a rather similar melody in both Avalanche and (less noticeably) Tonight Will Be Fine. It’s also sampled in Trentemøller’s The Very Last Resort.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:35 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh, and Cypress Hill released an album of Spanish-language versions of many of their own hits:
Los Grandes Exitos En Español
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:39 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Los Grandes Exitos En Español
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:39 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Somewhere Beyond the Sea was an English version of the original, La Mer
posted by acidnova at 10:40 PM on April 1, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by acidnova at 10:40 PM on April 1, 2019 [5 favorites]
Shakira is another artist who releases both English and Spanish-language versions of much of her work.
And Nena released 99 Red Balloons in English after the success of the German-language original.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:44 PM on April 1, 2019
And Nena released 99 Red Balloons in English after the success of the German-language original.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:44 PM on April 1, 2019
The soundtrack to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou by Seu Jorge is a collection of Portuguese covers of David Bowie songs.
I also have a tremendous soft spot for The Gypsy Vagabonds' Spanish-language cover of The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel.
posted by terretu at 11:47 PM on April 1, 2019
I also have a tremendous soft spot for The Gypsy Vagabonds' Spanish-language cover of The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel.
posted by terretu at 11:47 PM on April 1, 2019
Many artists sang Jacques Brel's Ne Me Quitte Pas as If you go away, but Marc Almond's rendition is the most memorable
posted by runincircles at 11:53 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by runincircles at 11:53 PM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
If we’re talking Brel, the recently departed, much missed Scott Walker’s Brel covers on Scott, Scott 2 and Scott 3 are all memorable.
posted by Omission at 12:06 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by Omission at 12:06 AM on April 2, 2019
The Austrian band Ostbahn Kurti & die Chefpartie covered a lot of R&B and R&R in east Austrian dialect and even 15 years after the band dissolved are still local hits.
posted by 15L06 at 12:07 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by 15L06 at 12:07 AM on April 2, 2019
My Way (Paul Anka/Frank Sinatra) is a cover of Claude François' Comme d'habitude.
posted by elgilito at 12:31 AM on April 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by elgilito at 12:31 AM on April 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
Oh God - I've picked up enough of these over the years to totally bore everybody! Many in earlier thread cited. Here are just 2 recent discoveries:
16 Toneladas - Noriel Vilela : Fabulous cover of Merle Travis' "16 Tons"
Freddy Quinn - DAY O - Rather orthogonal French cover of "The Banana Boat Song"
posted by rongorongo at 12:48 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
16 Toneladas - Noriel Vilela : Fabulous cover of Merle Travis' "16 Tons"
Freddy Quinn - DAY O - Rather orthogonal French cover of "The Banana Boat Song"
posted by rongorongo at 12:48 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
I adore this German cover of "These Boots Were Made for Walking"
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:59 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:59 AM on April 2, 2019
The soundtrack to In the Mood for Love has Nat King Cole singing Quizás, quizás, quizás, which is the Spanish original on which Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps was based.
posted by rd45 at 2:23 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by rd45 at 2:23 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Baby, baby, wo its unsere Liebe?
The Supremes, auf Deutsch.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:35 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
The Supremes, auf Deutsch.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:35 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
I adore this German cover of "These Boots Were Made for Walking"
Also in French:Eileen :Ces bottes sont faites pour marcher.
Spanish: Nancy Salinas - Estas Botas Están Hechas Para Caminar
Japanese: （日本語カバー）-Asato Yusuhara（梼原朝人）
posted by rongorongo at 2:47 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also in French:Eileen :Ces bottes sont faites pour marcher.
Spanish: Nancy Salinas - Estas Botas Están Hechas Para Caminar
Japanese: （日本語カバー）-Asato Yusuhara（梼原朝人）
posted by rongorongo at 2:47 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
99 Luftballons by Nena.
You mean 99 Red Balloons. The German version is the original.
You can get some hilarious reactions by playing the English version to Germans who haven't heard it before.
posted by automatronic at 4:09 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
You mean 99 Red Balloons. The German version is the original.
You can get some hilarious reactions by playing the English version to Germans who haven't heard it before.
posted by automatronic at 4:09 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Plugz Hombre Secreto (Secret Agent Man)
Susannah McCorkle's The Waters of March (cover of Jobim's Aguas de Marco)
The Gimmicks did a lot of good Swedish covers of Sergio Mendes such as Hall I Gang (cover of Roda).
Brecht & Weill's music has been covered well by artists in other languages, Bobby Darin's cover of Mack the Knife for example. Betty Carter's version of Lonely House is also amazing.
Ruben Blades' Pedro Navaja is not strictly a cover of Mack the Knife, but worth mentioning because it's so good.
posted by heatvision at 4:28 AM on April 2, 2019
Susannah McCorkle's The Waters of March (cover of Jobim's Aguas de Marco)
The Gimmicks did a lot of good Swedish covers of Sergio Mendes such as Hall I Gang (cover of Roda).
Brecht & Weill's music has been covered well by artists in other languages, Bobby Darin's cover of Mack the Knife for example. Betty Carter's version of Lonely House is also amazing.
Ruben Blades' Pedro Navaja is not strictly a cover of Mack the Knife, but worth mentioning because it's so good.
posted by heatvision at 4:28 AM on April 2, 2019
Bonnie Tyler and Kareen Antonn do an outstanding performance of Total Eclipse of the Heart in both English and French
posted by yclipse at 4:43 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by yclipse at 4:43 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love this version of Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out in French (and in 6/8).
Also Drinking Water (Agua De Beber) by Sinatra & Jobim.
posted by STFUDonnie at 4:49 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also Drinking Water (Agua De Beber) by Sinatra & Jobim.
posted by STFUDonnie at 4:49 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Frank Alamo - Heureux tous les deux is the Turtles' "Happy Together" but French.
posted by papayaninja at 5:43 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by papayaninja at 5:43 AM on April 2, 2019
Sung in French by René Joly, La Guerre des étoiles is a cover of the Star Wars theme.
The early hit songs of French pop/rock idols from the 1950-1970s were largely covers of US/UK hits. Those covers were - and often remain - more popular in France than the original songs, since most people didn't even know that they were covers! Here's a small sampling:
Johnny Halliday - Le pénitencier / House of the Rising Sun
Richard Antony - J'entend siffler le train / 500 Miles
Claude François - Si j'avais un marteau / If I Had a Hammer
Eddy Mitchell - Toujours un coin qui me rappelle / (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
Françoise Hardy - Comment te dire adieu / It Hurts to Say Goodbye
Frank Alamo - Biche, ma biche / Sweets For My Sweet
posted by elgilito at 5:46 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
The early hit songs of French pop/rock idols from the 1950-1970s were largely covers of US/UK hits. Those covers were - and often remain - more popular in France than the original songs, since most people didn't even know that they were covers! Here's a small sampling:
Johnny Halliday - Le pénitencier / House of the Rising Sun
Richard Antony - J'entend siffler le train / 500 Miles
Claude François - Si j'avais un marteau / If I Had a Hammer
Eddy Mitchell - Toujours un coin qui me rappelle / (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
Françoise Hardy - Comment te dire adieu / It Hurts to Say Goodbye
Frank Alamo - Biche, ma biche / Sweets For My Sweet
posted by elgilito at 5:46 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Fatima Al Qadiri's Shanzhai (Ft. Helen Feng) sounds like Nothing Compares 2U, but is a word-salad of phonetic Mandarin
posted by scruss at 6:06 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by scruss at 6:06 AM on April 2, 2019
More of a mashup than a cross-language cover, but I probably watch this video of the Leningrad Cowboys covering Sweet Home Alabama with the Red Army Choir at least once a year. Pro tip: watch all the way to the end.
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:15 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:15 AM on April 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Bonnie Tyler and Kareen Antonn do an outstanding performance of Total Eclipse of the Heart yt in both English and FrenchSpeaking of which: a version of that song is also featured in the German stage musical Tanz der Vampire
(If you're generally interested in songs translated into other languages, musicals are great, since they often get performed in other countries with localised songs. Same goes for Disney movies.)
posted by Gordafarin at 6:36 AM on April 2, 2019
OMG I adore Mo Horizons - Pé Na Estrada (Hit the Road, Jack - Brasilian Portuguese)
posted by Mchelly at 7:16 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 7:16 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Katherine Ho's cover of Coldplay's Yellow got a lot of attention when Crazy Rich Asians came out last year.
posted by TwoStride at 7:35 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by TwoStride at 7:35 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Autumn Leaves" (many covers, posted Chet Baker's as an example) and "Les Feuilles Mortes" (Yves Montand's version as an example) are the same song.
posted by Seeking Direction at 7:36 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by Seeking Direction at 7:36 AM on April 2, 2019
João Gilberto - Trolley Song
Louis Armstrong - La Vie en Rose
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 7:43 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Louis Armstrong - La Vie en Rose
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 7:43 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Mack the Knife" was originally German ("Die Moritat von Mackie Messer") as part of Die Dreigroschenoper, so English versions of that would qualify. Louis Armstrong's and Bobby Darin's versions are probably best known.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:31 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:31 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Japanese cover of "Country Roads" in the Studio Ghibli anime movie "Whisper of the Heart": カントリー・ロード
posted by mshrike at 9:41 AM on April 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by mshrike at 9:41 AM on April 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
Billie Holiday singing Gloomy Sunday-- it was originally a Hungarian song.
posted by noxperpetua at 10:04 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by noxperpetua at 10:04 AM on April 2, 2019
Because of a post on the blue when Weezer's cover of "Africa" hit a while back, I ended up in a rabbit hole of Gaelic covers of songs, including Can't Stop Us, Shake It Off, and (of course) Africa.
posted by hanov3r at 10:12 AM on April 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by hanov3r at 10:12 AM on April 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
I’ve always been partial to Tanzwut’s ‘Eisenmann’. Bunch of angry bald Germans in kilts playing ‘Iron Man’ on bagpipes.
posted by myotahapea at 10:15 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by myotahapea at 10:15 AM on April 2, 2019
jb: Angelique Kidjo - "Summertime"
And for another close-but-not-quite from Kidjo: Remain in Light covered in full. I believe it's most, if not all, in English as original.
Another close-but-not-quite: Mike Patton's Mondo Cane album (Wikipedia) -- featuring a forty-member orchestra and fifteen-piece backing band, the album contains a series of cover versions of 1950s and 1960s Italian pop music. Also, all in original Italian, as far as I know.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:24 PM on April 2, 2019
And for another close-but-not-quite from Kidjo: Remain in Light covered in full. I believe it's most, if not all, in English as original.
Another close-but-not-quite: Mike Patton's Mondo Cane album (Wikipedia) -- featuring a forty-member orchestra and fifteen-piece backing band, the album contains a series of cover versions of 1950s and 1960s Italian pop music. Also, all in original Italian, as far as I know.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:24 PM on April 2, 2019
Oh my goodness I can’t believe I forgot about Mexrrissey. Their album is called “No Manchester”, which is a pretty good pun in Mexican Spanish.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 2:44 PM on April 2, 2019
posted by chappell, ambrose at 2:44 PM on April 2, 2019
I'm partial to Cheb Bouaa's Moroccan Arabic/French version of Akon's "Right Now (Na Na Na)", titled "La La La".
It's not quite a translation, but both songs are about a relationship that has ended. Cheb Bouaa's version has the nice touch of a female singer giving voice to the other side of the story.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:55 PM on April 2, 2019
It's not quite a translation, but both songs are about a relationship that has ended. Cheb Bouaa's version has the nice touch of a female singer giving voice to the other side of the story.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:55 PM on April 2, 2019
Placebo The Ballad of Melody Nelson (feat. Jane Birkin), cover of Gainsbourg’s Ballade de Melody Nelson (feat. Jane Birkin).
(Placebo also have a French version of their song Protect Me From What I Want.)
Probably mentioned in one of the previous threads, but Bowie - Port of Amsterdam (Brel Original).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 5:35 PM on April 2, 2019
(Placebo also have a French version of their song Protect Me From What I Want.)
Probably mentioned in one of the previous threads, but Bowie - Port of Amsterdam (Brel Original).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 5:35 PM on April 2, 2019
The Apocalyptica cover of David Bowie's "Heroes", featuring the lead singer from Rammstein on vocals.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:06 PM on April 2, 2019
posted by bile and syntax at 6:06 PM on April 2, 2019
The Apocalyptica cover of David Bowie's "Heroes", featuring the lead singer from Rammstein on vocals.
Interestingly, Bowie had already recorded a German version of Heroes called Helden. So if Apocalyptica is covering Bowie's German version - does that technically mean they're not doing a cross-language cover?
posted by acidnova at 8:58 PM on April 2, 2019
Interestingly, Bowie had already recorded a German version of Heroes called Helden. So if Apocalyptica is covering Bowie's German version - does that technically mean they're not doing a cross-language cover?
posted by acidnova at 8:58 PM on April 2, 2019
The soundtrack to In the Mood for Love has Nat King Cole singing Quizás, quizás, quizás,
I'd also like to call out Nat King Cole's parallel language releases of his own song "L.O.V.E" -in French, Italian , Japanese and Spanish. There should be a special sub-category for artists who do that, right?
I got married last year. This was our first dance. I had an idea to ask our band to sing a verse in each language in honour of my polyglot fiancée. The singer was visibly relieved when I relented on the idea
posted by rongorongo at 3:17 AM on April 3, 2019
I'd also like to call out Nat King Cole's parallel language releases of his own song "L.O.V.E" -in French, Italian , Japanese and Spanish. There should be a special sub-category for artists who do that, right?
I got married last year. This was our first dance. I had an idea to ask our band to sing a verse in each language in honour of my polyglot fiancée. The singer was visibly relieved when I relented on the idea
posted by rongorongo at 3:17 AM on April 3, 2019
Laura Branigan's mega-hit of 1982, Gloria was an English cover of Umberto Tozzi's Italian original
posted by scruss at 9:19 PM on April 3, 2019
posted by scruss at 9:19 PM on April 3, 2019
Really? I thought the line in Gloria about the Main Line was talking about the wealthy Philadelphia suburbs.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:40 AM on April 4, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 8:40 AM on April 4, 2019
Really? I thought the line in Gloria about the Main Line was talking about the wealthy Philadelphia suburbs.
The lyrics in the Italian original and Laura Brannigan cover are very different. Brannigan was from New York - and she re-wrote the lyrics to give the song a more American feel. I could not see any sources for the Philadelphia theory - but it sounds plausible.
posted by rongorongo at 11:10 AM on April 4, 2019
The lyrics in the Italian original and Laura Brannigan cover are very different. Brannigan was from New York - and she re-wrote the lyrics to give the song a more American feel. I could not see any sources for the Philadelphia theory - but it sounds plausible.
posted by rongorongo at 11:10 AM on April 4, 2019
Stacey Kent's seductive French cover of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo " from Bedknobs and Broomsticks, is fun.
posted by rongorongo at 11:46 PM on April 13, 2019
posted by rongorongo at 11:46 PM on April 13, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by booooooze at 9:21 PM on April 1, 2019 [9 favorites]