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Saturday 25 October 2014

The S4L Top 50 Cover Versions Part Four 20-11



This first appeared in 1988 on the #1 debut Solo album 'Vive Hate' by Morrissey. It was also the second single from the former frontman of The Smiths. It peaked at #9 in the UK Singles Chart. The 10,000 Maniacs version was released as a B-Side to their 1992 single 'Candy Everybody Wants'.

The B-Side of 'Deep and Wide and Tall', released in 1987 and the first single from one of their most successful albums 'Love'
The original by Manchester band The Blue Orchids appeared on the album 'The Greatest Hit' in 1981. The band were formed by Martin Bramah and Una Baines (both founding members of The Fall).

This one has been covered a few times by the likes of Pearl Jam, Fountains of Wayne and Frank Black (to name a but a few) but Bouncing Souls version (to my mind) is the absolute standout. Released on their Seventh Studio album 'The Gold Record' (2006).
The Kinks released 'Better Things' as the lead single for their 1981 album 'Give The People What They Want' and lyrically I think it is one of the finest songs crafted by Ray Davies. In 2010 Davies released an album entitled 'See My Friends' on which he was joined on this song by Bruce Springsteen.

In essence Naz Nomad and the Nightmares were The Damned and they released one album ('Give Daddy The Knife Cindy' - it was an album of covers and contained two original songs as well) and a single (this particular song).
The original released in 1966 by American Psychedelic Band The Electric Prunes and it was a hit in the USA (#11 Billboard Hot 100) and the UK it crept into the Top 50 (#49).

Released in 1978, 'Eve of Destruction' was the second single by The Dickies.
The song of course traces right back to the 1960's and that whole era of the Protest Song. P.F. Sloan wrote it in 1965 and the most popular version of it was by Barry McGuire who reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 in the UK Singles Chart (despite being placed on the "restricted list" by the BBC!).

Very different from the 1968 original by Marvin Gaye released on Motown, The Slits version appeared on the B-Side to 'Typical Girls' released in 1979 on Island Records.

Recorded for the 'We're A Happy Family - Tribute to The Ramones' album (2003), 'I Believe In Miracles' is also performed live by Vedder's band Pearl Jam.
The song originally appeared on 'Brain Drain' in 1989 by The Ramones. In the library of songs penned by Dee Dee this one song is clearly one of his finest.

13. Ghost of Tom Joad - Rage Against the Machine.
1998 single by Rage Against the Machine. Tom Morello and Bruce Springsteen will be forever linked with this 1995 title track from the album of the same name. Morello even gets to sing on it for the 2014 release 'High Hopes' and of course did such a great job subbing for Little Steven on the High Hopes Tour earlier this year.

12. 1969 - Joey Ramone.
Released on the 2002 album 'Don't Worry About Me'. A total gem of a cover.
The original by The Stooges was the opening track of their debut album 'The Stooges' released in, yep, you guessed it, 1969!

11. Redemption Song - Johnny Cash (featuring Joe Strummer).
Released on 'American Recordings Unearthed Boxset' (2003).
Bob Marley's Original came out in October 1980 as a single and is the final track on Marley's 'Uprising' album.

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