Sep 302008
This is in reference to Alexmagic’s comment in today’s All-Star Jam. YouTube’s limit on video length requires this to be a 2-parter.
Part 1
Part 2
While we’re on the subject, let’s see if anyone’s done a decent cover of this song:
The Carpenters
JaBo
I do like Fred Frith’s version
Do any of the above come close to Martha & the Vandellas?
You forgot one, Mr. Mod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Ts5K5O63A
Disregarded, Oats, not forgot:)
Let me get this straight: The Dead fart around on stage for *two and a half minutes* between songs, then drop this steaming pile of dook for the audience’s delectation — and they’re meant to be a great live band?!
I guess you *do* need to be high first. Sheezus!
HVB
The VH version of this song, is superior to EVERY version of this song. And that is why DLR is the real Rock Fonzie.
You forgot yet another one Mr. Mod:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHYpB_lsaTE
The dead’s version of this song has always been a needle lifter for me. or in this day and age, an instant skip/delete
also, for a truly psychedelic Dead experience, get both of those youtube links playing at once. I’m currnetly stuck in a k hole.
For a taste of the 60s Dead version of this song — closer to the original but more garagey — see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYd3hJD9IjI
It’s buried in the middle of a hilarious news feature on Hippies by Harry Reasoner.
It *still* sucks!
That ’60s version is much better, BigSteve. Deadheads worldwide thank you for your efforts at combatting my selection of the worst possible version on YouTube!
Diskojoe, I’ve gotta give it to The Mamas and the Papas. With Mama Cass’ strong voice, Michelle’s hot looks, Papa John’s killer hat, and the other guy’s Business Man on Acid Look, that may be the one strong, straight cover of that song we’ve identified.
The Who did a version that was kinda weak.
The Kinks cover was ok, Dave did kind of a nice guitar bit.
The Suburban Lawns, if they had covered it, would’ve done it proud.
I don’t have it at hand, but Dusty Springfield covered it, and she usually did a pretty good job with those early soul covers. I can check it out when I get home tonight. I couldn’t find a decent version on youtube.
Yes, Dusty’s version is good. I found a YouTube clip of her doing it, but it was buried in the middle of a bunch of other nonsense. That’s one good cover. The best of the rest is “ok,” by mockcarr’s estimation.
Thanks, Mr. Mod. I think that was the final song on Monterey Pop. As for Dusty’s version, I believe that was on a special edition of Ready Steady Go that featured her & a bunch of Motown artists that was briefly available on video back in the 80s.
Oh right, and the Mamas and Papas live version was good too.
Does this say anything about the difficulty in covering a simple Motown song?
hrrund: They hadn’t played that steaming pile in *years*!
I love Suburban Lawns!
Van Halen’s DITS is the only good one I’ve heard.
aw. Hatin’ on the Grateful Dead: so easy, so misguided. Look. Jerry felt like playing on that chord for a while, plus he couldn’t remember the words. It was about dancing, it was about improvisation…*shrug* if you don’t get it, you don’t, is all.
Welcome aboard, Sven! Come on, my friend, I’m not just hatin’ on the Grateful Dead, but the entire concept of a poorly played 15-minute version of “Dancing in the Streets” was not the wisest decision, don’t you think? At the Filmore, everything was cool, sure. But in the Halls of Rock, no rock decision goes unexamined. The critique I’ve posited not only of the Dead’s cover but just about all other covers of this song serves a purpose: to ensure that history does not repeat itself. It’s all in good fun. Some find it liberating to acknowledge that their heroes laid an egg now and then.