instrumental covers on youtube that add something to the original

September 8, 2010 7:41 PM

Suggest some technically competent YouTube artists who cover well-known songs on different instruments or re-arranged for a different genre. I love when someone takes a song I thought I knew, and shows me a whole different way to perform it. Vocals are okay as long as they're not shrill or cookie-monster growls, but instrumental is preferred, especially if it involves strings and/or double pedal bass.

YouTube not strictly required as long as the song is freely accessible---e.g., no paywall or vinyl-only stuff please. Apocalyptica and Vitamin String Quartet alone would keep me busy for a long time if we expanded the question to commercial releases.

Please don't feel obligated to listen through all the links. I just pulled a few examples out of my history to give an idea what I meant.

posted by d. z. wang to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

Le Pamplemousse

Youtube - sorry linkfu sucks
posted by leafwoman at 8:44 PM on September 8, 2010

Best answer: Aaron Copland's Hoedown - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Nutcracker - flute + cello + bass

Nutcracker, Overture - LAGQ

Pachelbel's "Loose" Cannon - LAGQ

Pachelbel's Canon - guitar (77 million views) (MeFi FPP)

Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 1st movement - electric guitar

Bach's "Air on the G string" - electric guitar

Bach's Air - Bobby McFerrin + orchestra

Super Mario Bros. - orchestra

Super Mario Bros. - flute + beatbox

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" - flute + beatbox

Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" - kalimba

"Over the Rainbow" - kalimba

Radiohead - "Exit Music (for a Film)" - Brad Mehldau Trio

Rihanna - "Umbrella" - bamboo

Imogen Heap - "Hide & Seek" - acoustic guitar

Guns 'n' Roses - "Sweet Child of Mine" - acoustic guitar

Michael Jackson - "Beat It" (This guy's good - does lots of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, etc.)

Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" - carillon
posted by John Cohen at 9:00 PM on September 8, 2010

Here's a great one previously in the blue: Plastica. There are probably some others like it in that post's comments as well.
posted by General Zubon at 9:00 PM on September 8, 2010

The Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 seems to be a popular one to be played on different instruments; with a bit of YouTube searching you can find at least a dozen. I won't link them all here, but I will note that I'm absolutely in love with this version on the guitar.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:08 PM on September 8, 2010

I've always been partial to the string quartet version of Coldplay's "Fix You". Terrible lyrics mar the original.
posted by sockpup at 9:53 PM on September 8, 2010

I love this steel drum band cover of Aphex Twin's Alberto Balsalm. Pretty sure I ran across that on the blue. There are a few videos of that same band doing other covers.
posted by zen_spider at 11:06 PM on September 8, 2010

Previously: Acoustic covers of techno songs
posted by MuffinMan at 4:07 AM on September 9, 2010

Cat Powers' cover of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction is virtually unrecognizable for such a universally known song.
posted by widdershins at 6:06 AM on September 9, 2010

Several instrumental hip hop passages:

Hip Hop Violin - Paul Dateh and inka one

Not instrumental but a good banjo orchestra reinterpretation:

Ooks of hazard - Kids (MGMT)
posted by moteldemoka at 10:51 AM on September 9, 2010

Kronos Quartet doing Jimi Hendrix.

Also, the Bad Plus doing Aphex Twin.
posted by umbú at 11:35 AM on September 9, 2010

To highlight one spectacular link from MuffinMan's "previously": Alarm Will Sound covers the Aphex Twin track "4". A-freaking-mazing.
posted by en forme de poire at 2:34 PM on September 9, 2010

Ah! The perfect opportunity to introduce you to Pomplamoose. The link is to their cover of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies', but they do lots of covers (on a combination of instruments, including piano, tiny toy piano, glock and some nice multi-layered vocal arrangments), which are all available for free download! The videos are pretty fun too.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:33 PM on September 9, 2010

Response by poster: Pomplamoose is indeed awesome, thank you!

Also, not entirely on topic, but one of the "related videos" to Paul Dateh was by Nuttin' But Strings, and they're just great!
posted by d. z. wang at 11:19 PM on September 11, 2010