Self-Referential Name Check Mixtape
April 19, 2011 7:19 PM Subscribe
Dear MeFi, please help me in making the most awesome self-referential name check mixtape ever.
I'm trying to brainstorm songs where an artist covers a song that they themselves are name checked in. So far I only have Peter Gabriel covering ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’. It'd be great if John Darnielle had covered 'Girls Like Status', but I can't verify that he has. Can the great hive mind help me fill out the rest of this playlist?
I'm trying to brainstorm songs where an artist covers a song that they themselves are name checked in. So far I only have Peter Gabriel covering ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’. It'd be great if John Darnielle had covered 'Girls Like Status', but I can't verify that he has. Can the great hive mind help me fill out the rest of this playlist?
Best answer: Ramones covering Motorhead's RAMONES
posted by look busy at 7:38 PM on April 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by look busy at 7:38 PM on April 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
The band Eat at Joe's covered Wesley Willis's "Eat at Joe's" for the "Loved Like A Milkshake" tribute album.
posted by jozxyqk at 7:44 PM on April 19, 2011
posted by jozxyqk at 7:44 PM on April 19, 2011
Best answer: Anthrax covered Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise" which name checks them.
posted by cazoo at 7:48 PM on April 19, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by cazoo at 7:48 PM on April 19, 2011 [4 favorites]
Steely Dan name checks themselves in Showbiz Kids. But it's their own song originally. In case that counts.
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:50 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:50 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: As a kid, Ben Lee wrote a song about Evan Dando (from the Lemonheads) called "I wish I was him", and Evan Dando has covered it, which was pretty cool.
posted by surenoproblem at 8:14 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by surenoproblem at 8:14 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Ben Lee also covered the song Ben Lee, originally by The Ataris, on the bonus CD that came with his album The Rebirth of Venus.
I thought it might've been some kind of joke between them, because the lyrics are pretty nasty, but according to this interview Ben barely knew who they were when the song first came out.
posted by Georgina at 8:24 PM on April 19, 2011
I thought it might've been some kind of joke between them, because the lyrics are pretty nasty, but according to this interview Ben barely knew who they were when the song first came out.
posted by Georgina at 8:24 PM on April 19, 2011
Cowboy Junkies do "Cowboy Junkies Lament" by Townes Van Zandt. Can't find a video.
posted by cali59 at 8:33 PM on April 19, 2011
posted by cali59 at 8:33 PM on April 19, 2011
Best answer: The Mr. T Experience song That Prozac Moment, sung by Dr. Frank, has one of my favourite lines; "We all know I need a Dr. Frank-ectomy though and hope it never grows back, please pass the Prozac."
posted by kendrak at 9:08 PM on April 19, 2011
posted by kendrak at 9:08 PM on April 19, 2011
I swear to god I once heard a live cover by Alex Chilton of the Replacements' "Alex Chilton," but I'll be damned if I can find it now... can someone confirm? I'm starting to think maybe I dreamed it...
posted by scody at 9:48 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 9:48 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Okay, this might not have the distance you're looking for.
When Mike Watt was in the Minutemen he wrote the song "One Reporter's Opinion," which was sung by his bandmate D. Boon. Years later on his first solo album he redid it, sharing vocals with Pat Smear. I'm not sure who gets most of the vocal credit. He's currently touring with a new band as Mike Watt and the Missingmen. They've done the song, and it's clearly Mike singing it.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:55 PM on April 19, 2011
When Mike Watt was in the Minutemen he wrote the song "One Reporter's Opinion," which was sung by his bandmate D. Boon. Years later on his first solo album he redid it, sharing vocals with Pat Smear. I'm not sure who gets most of the vocal credit. He's currently touring with a new band as Mike Watt and the Missingmen. They've done the song, and it's clearly Mike singing it.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:55 PM on April 19, 2011
Depends how esoteric you want to go, but Optimus Rhyme's "My Piroshky" name-checks local venue the Chop Suey. For the remix album He Dies in Rocket School, Colin Johnson of Mercir provided a remix of that track - at the time he was the booking agent for the club. It's possible I was the only person who knew that little bit of useless trivia, but here I share it with you, internet.
posted by lantius at 11:55 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by lantius at 11:55 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Doesn't quite fit, but you could use this if you're desperate: the Rolling Stones have covered Like a Rolling Stone.
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:34 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:34 AM on April 20, 2011
Best answer: Prince has covered Salt N' Pepa's "Shoop" live.
posted by anildash at 1:30 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by anildash at 1:30 AM on April 20, 2011
Would this count?
David Bowie in concert performing Arnold Corns' song Moonage Daydream, a song about Ziggy Stardust, with Bowie introducing it as a song by Ziggy (Ziggy Stardust being an alter ego of David Bowie, and Arnold Corns being his proto-Ziggy band)
posted by zippy at 1:45 AM on April 20, 2011
David Bowie in concert performing Arnold Corns' song Moonage Daydream, a song about Ziggy Stardust, with Bowie introducing it as a song by Ziggy (Ziggy Stardust being an alter ego of David Bowie, and Arnold Corns being his proto-Ziggy band)
posted by zippy at 1:45 AM on April 20, 2011
Best answer: Mojo Nixon wrote the song "Don Henley Must Die." Several years after its release, Henley jumped onstage with Nixon at The Hole in the Wall in Austin, Texas, to perform the song. When Henley jumped out of the crowd, the dumbfounded Nixon immediately asked, "Is Debbie Gibson here too?" Nixon later praised Henley in this way: "He has balls the size of church bells!"
posted by iviken at 2:42 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by iviken at 2:42 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm cheating a bit here, but the band Love Like Blood took their name from the Killing Joke track, which they did eventually cover.
posted by Su at 4:18 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by Su at 4:18 AM on April 20, 2011
I feel like there's got to be some way to work the Destroyer/The New Pornographers connection in there.
posted by valrus at 9:05 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by valrus at 9:05 AM on April 20, 2011
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posted by inturnaround at 7:24 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]