Covers for dinner music?

March 13, 2008 4:18 PM

Putting together a dinner music playlist entirely composed of covers...

And I need suggestions/recommendations! Anything and everything really that would be appropriate to play while having dinner/cooking.

I've already got Jose Gonzales' cover of Heartbeats and Ryan Adams cover of Wonderwall, Cat Power's cover albums, and Bright Eyes' cover of Devil Town.

Also, anyone know where I can find Matt Weddle's cover of Hey Ya in mp3 or other high quality audio format?

posted by shotgunbooty to Media & Arts (43 answers total)

Anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. My favorites albums of theirs are Have a Ball, Blow in the Wind, and Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah.
posted by korres at 4:26 PM on March 13, 2008

The Postal Service's cover of Against All Odds?
posted by mckenney at 4:27 PM on March 13, 2008

aztec camera's 'jump' (yes, the van halen song) is actually peasant and dinner-y

nouvelle vague does jazz-bandish covers of punk and early new wave stuff. not jokey; serious and rather good.

patti smith has a new cover album, it's ok.

just for the sake of all that is good and decent (and to preserve appetites) please not the new rod stewart cover debacle. gratuitous covers, what, to win a grammy? why did he even bother?

maybe it's just me?
posted by KenManiac at 4:28 PM on March 13, 2008

Tori Amos' Strange Little Girls is an album of covers that's not in your face, and a couple of the tracks are pretty good. I would also recommend Nina Gordon's 'one girl and her guitar' version of Straight Outta Compton for the shock value if you have friends round, when they work out what's going on in the background music :)
posted by Jakey at 4:35 PM on March 13, 2008

Devo's version of the Rolling Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction has been hardwired into my subconscious such that upon hearing the Cat Power cover several years ago, I remarked to the girl I was seeing at the time, "Whoa, is this a DEVO cover?"

We broke up shortly thereafter.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:37 PM on March 13, 2008

Richard Cheese
Stina Nordenstam - People Are Strange
Cat Power - The Covers Album
posted by rhizome at 4:46 PM on March 13, 2008

Off the top of my head:

The Decemberists - Bridges and Balloons (Joanna Newsom)
TV On The Radio - Mr. Grieves (Pixies)
Tegan and Sara - When You Were Mine (Prince)
The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (Postal Service)
The New Pornographers - When I Was A Baby (Donner Party)
Mike Doughty - The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
Mates of State - Starman (Bowie)
Belly - Are You Experienced? (Hendrix)
Spoon - Decora (Yo La Tengo)
Colin Meloy - Oh No (Lavender Diamond)

And finally, to add a little weirdness and menace:
Björk and PJ Harvey - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
posted by strangecargo at 4:47 PM on March 13, 2008

Offhand:

Jonathon Coulton's version of "Baby Got Back" and/or obadiah Parker's version of "Hey Ya".

Jennifer Warnes released an album called "Famous Blue Raincoat", a tribute to Leonard Cohen.

If you happen to be into some rock / metal, there's a torrent floating around called "Hard Rock Covers", which has some awesome songs on it (my personal favourites are the covers of "Sounds of Silence" and some of the Jesus Christ Superstar songs)

There's always the Across the Universe soundtrack, of course.
I'm sure I have more that I'll remember when I get home from work, will add to this later.
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:48 PM on March 13, 2008

Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide
Johnny Cash - One (u2)
Johnny Cash - Hurt (NIN)
Eagles - Ol '55
Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs
California Dreaming - The Beach Boys
Come on Eileen - Save Ferris
I Will Survive - Cake
Walk Away Renee - Four Tops
posted by mr. plow at 4:51 PM on March 13, 2008

What you need is the CD KCRW Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project. Here's the track listing:

1 Out on the Weekend- Girls in Hawaii (Neil Young cover)
2 I Go to Sleep -Sia (The Kinks/The Pretenders)
3 Crazy in Love-The Magic Numbers (Beyonce, of course)
4 Creep - Damien Rice (Radiohead)
5 I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl -Nikka Costa (Nina Simone)
6 Fire and Rain -Dido (James Taylor)
7 Wishing on a Star -Paul Weller (tons of soul singers)
8 Harvest -Rufus Wainwright with Chris Stills (Neil Young)
9 Gentle on My Mind -R.E.M. (John Hartford/Glen Campbell)
10 Mad World -Gary Jules and Mike Andrews (Tears for Fears)
11 Knives Out -The Flaming Lips (Radiohead)
12 Black Dog - Robert Plant (Led Zep)
13 Moses - Missy Higgins (Patty Griffin)
14 Let's Dance - M Ward (David Bowie)
15 Hallelujah -k.d. Lang (Leonard Cohen)

The whole CD is beautiful--great performances, with a nice mix of mellow and uptempo songs. A particular favorite is The Magic Numbers doing Crazy in Love, which made me realize what a good song it actually is!
posted by Bella Sebastian at 4:51 PM on March 13, 2008

Marianne Faithfull--Working Class Hero (John Lennon)
Gillian Welch--Black Star (Radiohead)
Johnny Cash--Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)
Galaxie 500--Ceremony (New Order)
Aretha Franklin--The Weight (The Band)
Candi Staton--Stand By Your Man (Tammy Wynette)
Ike and Tina--Come Together (Beatles)
Elliott Smith--Thirteen (Big Star)
Brad Mehldau--Bottle Up and Explode (Elliott Smith)
posted by thivaia at 4:55 PM on March 13, 2008

ok, on a 'satisfaction' roll here, how about The Residents cover of same?

you have to seek out The Raincoats and their version of 'Lola' on their first album, The Raincoats.

'Bettie Serveert plays Venus in Furs', a cover of the first Velvet Underground album

the Sex Pistols 'Roadrunner' maybe? Sid's 'My Way' for sure.

the Flaming Lips do a great cover of Suicide's 'Ice Drummer' on 'Providing needles for your balloons'
posted by KenManiac at 5:00 PM on March 13, 2008

Schneider TM covers "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" and it is absolutely devastating. Perfect dinner music? Helllzzz yeah.
posted by wemayfreeze at 5:06 PM on March 13, 2008

Brazil, by Cornelius, and Lovely Rita, by Michelle Shocked. (and seconding "There is a Light..." by Schneider TM)
posted by chr1sb0y at 5:10 PM on March 13, 2008

oh yeah - and Helpless by Nick Cave (Neil Young cover)...
posted by chr1sb0y at 5:11 PM on March 13, 2008

Anything off Tower of Song - covers of Leonard Cohen songs.
posted by watercarrier at 5:15 PM on March 13, 2008

Ooh Child - Beth Orton.
2 of Us - Aimee Mann
posted by watercarrier at 5:20 PM on March 13, 2008

bjork does You Only Live Twice
Enter Sandman by Pat Boone
Ben Kweller doing Ice Ice Baby
Cibo Mato doing About a Girl
Ben Harper plays Sexual Healing
posted by xz at 5:29 PM on March 13, 2008

Will Oldham recently came out with an album of covers called Ask Forgiveness:

I Came Here to Hear the Music (Mickey Newbury)
I've Seen It All (Björk, originally performed with Thom Yorke)
Am I Demon (Danzig (band))
My Life (Phil Ochs)
I'm Loving the Street (Will Oldham)
The Way I Am (Mekons/Merle Haggard/Sonny Throckmorton)
Cycles (Frank Sinatra, written by Gayle Caldwell)
The World's Greatest (R. Kelly)

The R. Kelly is not to be missed
posted by gracecat at 5:37 PM on March 13, 2008

OK maybe this dinner will be requiring some tissues for wiping the tears and blowing noses but - Little Girl Blue - Janis Joplin.
posted by watercarrier at 5:46 PM on March 13, 2008

Seconding Tori Amos' brilliant covers -- she had a rather obscure (I think) album called Under the Covers, and a handful of other cover tunes that are on her live albums and floating around the interwebs. Some of the notables:

I Ran (Flock of Seagulls)
Like a Prayer (Madonna)
Lovesong (The Cure)
A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Other random ones:

Jamie Cullum's Frontin' (Pharrell)
Chapin Sister's Toxic (Britney Spears)
Dolly Parton's Stairway to Heaven (Zeppelin)
The Magic Numbers' There is a Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)
The Magic Numbers' Crazy in Love (Beyonce)
posted by pised at 6:01 PM on March 13, 2008

I assume that single laugh, merely-ironic/novelty versions are out, as are covers that are actually the best known version (Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower, Buckley's Hallelujah, Aretha's Respect, Patti Smith's Gloria...)

With those rules applied, most of my ideas are posted here already; damn you all for being so clever and tasteful. But here's a few more that I like on merit.

The Be Good Tanyas - When Doves Cry
R.E.M. - First We Take Manhattan
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence
Los Lobos - Hotel California (shout out to Lebowskifest)
Dead Kennedys - I Fought the Law
Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (truly twisted, not a gimmick song)
Flying Burrito Bros - Do Right Woman
Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus (less overplayed than 'Hurt')
Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance?

Also, Seu Jorge's Stuff from A Life Aquatic is pretty amazing.
posted by rokusan at 6:08 PM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

OK, someone has to bring these up:

- Rock Swings - Paul Anka - covers of "Black Hole Sun" (Soundgarden), Jump (Van Halen), and yes, Smells Like Teen Spirit. This is a hysterical album, much better than the campier...

- In a Metal Mood - No More Mr. Nice Guy - Pat Boone. The versions of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Smoke on the Water" are just too funny.
posted by dbiedny at 6:24 PM on March 13, 2008

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Greg Laswell is actually a wonderful song - definitely something I thought couldn't be done.

I like Nouvelle Vague's Guns of Brixton, especially.

Oh, and Crazy Love done by Jason Manns.
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:49 PM on March 13, 2008

Richard Thompson's cover of "Oops! I Did it Again!" His album "1000 Years of Popular Music" is just that.

Neko Case's cover of Buckets of Rain.
posted by rtha at 6:53 PM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Cardigans' cover of Black Sabbath's Ironman is incredible.
posted by number9dream at 6:56 PM on March 13, 2008

Th'Faithealers--S.O.S (Abba)
Delgados--California Uber Alles (Dead Kennedys)
Gang of Four--Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground
The Slits--Heard It Through The Grapvine (Marvin Gaye)
Elvis Costello--Leave My Kitten Alone (Little Willie John)
Big Black--Heartbeat (Wire)
Mountain Goats--Pet Politics (Silver Jews)
Stephen Malkum & Justine Frischman (Elastica)--The Unheard Music (X)
Bill Withers--Let It Be (One of the best versions ever, imo)
Uncle Tupelo--Color Me Impressed/ I Wanna Be Sedated (Replacements/Ramones)
Caetano Veloso--For No One (Beatles)
Nina Simone--Rich Girl (Hall & Oates)
Patti Smith--My Generation (The Who)
Ben Folds Five--Twin Falls (Built To Spill)
Sonic Youth--Into The Groove (Madonna)
Hole--Credit In The Straight World (Young Marble Giants)
M. Ward--Let My Love Open The Door (Pete Townshend)
Crooked Fingers--Under Pressure (Bowie/Queen)
The Jam--David Watts (The Kinks)
posted by thivaia at 6:59 PM on March 13, 2008

Should be Stephen Malkmus
posted by thivaia at 7:00 PM on March 13, 2008

definitely the shins' postal service cover ("we will become silhouettes"), as well as the postal service's peter gabriel cover ("against all odds").

i also recommend calexico's cover of love's "alone again or" and gatsby's american dream's cover of the cure's "just like heaven."

if you're feeling ambitious: kind of like spitting's cover of billy bragg's "st. swithin's day" or, for an entirely different reason, ben folds' cover of dr. dre's "bitches ain't shit."

good luck.
posted by ncc1701d at 7:41 PM on March 13, 2008

More than 500 covers listed here. This is everything in my iTunes library that currently has the word "cover" in the Comments field. There are a few podcasts (yay Coverville) but the rest are covers. You might enjoy just browsing through it for ideas.
posted by litlnemo at 8:17 PM on March 13, 2008

I do see a song or two that appear to not be covers in there now that I look at it. But not too many.
posted by litlnemo at 8:21 PM on March 13, 2008

Ah.... Phishs' take on Gin & Juice... so so so great!
posted by CreativeJuices at 8:24 PM on March 13, 2008

O! Manchester Orchestras' take on Brother (Annuals)
posted by CreativeJuices at 8:25 PM on March 13, 2008

No specific song suggestions, but you should really browse around in Coverville.
posted by madmethods at 10:18 PM on March 13, 2008

You can find the Mat Weddle/Obadiah Parker version of Hey Ya on iTunes here. If you like that song, you might also like these two covers of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy.
posted by null terminated at 12:07 AM on March 14, 2008

Not as comprehensive of a resource as Coverville, but I've always had a soft spot for "Copy, Right?" Since it's an MP3 blog, you can only see her last few posts, and it's something of a mixed bag, but I've found lots of gems.

Personal favorite covers:
-Ted Leo's "Since U Been Gone"
-Anything by The Puppini Sisters, who are a singing trio entirely devoted to covers of 1940s pop songs and contemporary selections in the style of 1940s pop songs--think The Andrews Sisters. Here they are on YouTube performing Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights."
-The Futureheads have a cover of "Hounds of Love," also on the Kate Bush tip, that never fails to please crowds.
-You might mix things up with something from "String Quartet Tribute," a group of studio musicians with a plethora of covers of things that are unlikely to be performed by traditional string quartets--Guns N Roses, Bjork, et al. Also, "Rockabye Baby" does this with lullabies.
-I don't know if cover medleys are what you are looking for, but "Rodeohead" by Hard N Phirm is a eyebrow-raising medley of Radiohead covers in a bluegrass style.
-Brad Walsh has a choice cover of "100% Pure Love," of all things.
-Devin & The Straights, a gay C/W outfit, do an amusing cover of "My All."

Also, iTunes has playlists that are all covers (though I've found them to be hit or miss,) The NY Post provides us with a solid top 100 list here as well as a pretty solid list from the Telegraph here.
posted by zeusianfog at 12:17 AM on March 14, 2008

A lot of stuff here; I don't know how one could possibly sift through it all. Here are two wonderful gems that I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Whole Lotta Love -- The Dynamics
Seven Nation Army -- Nostalgia 77
posted by Ljubljana at 1:47 AM on March 14, 2008

You should take a look at this FPP.
posted by shothotbot at 4:51 AM on March 14, 2008

I've always wanted to do this (or match up originals with covers). Maybe you can post your playlist when it's complete?
Going a little outside that genres you mentioned--
Aretha Franklin does a few great ones (like The Weight, mentioned above!):
Spanish Harlem (orig. Drifters)
The Long and Winding Road
Let It Be
Eleanor Rigby (also try Ray Charles's version, that's probably even better)
Stevie Wonder's version of We Can Work It Out is one of my favorite Beatles covers, ever.
Ray Charles's cover of Living for the City (orig. Stevie Wonder)
posted by CiaoMela at 7:26 AM on March 14, 2008

A3's cover of John Prine's Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.

PS The rest of the album rocks too.
posted by subajestad at 9:11 AM on March 14, 2008

California Dreaming - The Beach Boys

This one will ruin your dinner. You've been warned.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:18 AM on March 14, 2008

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (the couple from the movie "Once") doing Van Morrison's Into the Mystic. It's magical.
posted by jildelicious at 1:30 PM on March 14, 2008

A very young Björk's first album contains a few covers, notably Stevie Wonder's "Your Kiss Is Sweet," The Beatles' "The Fool On The Hill," and Melanie's "Christopher Robin (Is Saying His Prayers)," all sung in Icelandic.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:03 PM on March 14, 2008