Beatles (avoiding BBC sessions etc.): Long Tall Sally, You Really Got a Hold on Me, Please Mr. Postman
Stones: Round and Round, She Said Yeah, It’s All Over Now
To point out the obvious, a lot more to choose from with the Stones, and I deliberately kept to their era as, primarily, a covers band and eschewed later covers that I really like, such as Shake Your Hips or Just My Imagination.
northvancoveman, I’ll bite my tongue on “Act Naturally,” that hole in the middle of Rubber Soul, but “I Wanna Be Your Man”? I don’t quite follow. Are you being puckish?
On the other hand, “Hitch Hike.” Hell yeah. Good call.
i don’t like any of their covers. i don’t like any “rock and roll” from before The Beatles and Stones. To me, they invented it all. if i’m gonna listen to ANY music from before 1965, it’s gonna be jazz.
I like Elvis, but as an icon. i don’t listen to that shit.
I dunno. For me to really like a cover, it has to bring something new and better than the original and I’m having a hard time thinking of any of their covers that are better than the originals. The Beatles’ version of Twist and Shout is better than the Isley Brothers, I suppose.
Shoot, Shawnkilroy, that’s broad-minded of you…Surely you don’t think that jazz started with, say, Miles and Coltrane, or Parker and Gillespie, or whatever? I understand preferences: and to some extent I am even sympathetic to the idea that the Beatles and the Stones “invented it all,” even though they damn well didn’t, and to think they did is to wallow in ignorance; which is one’s prerogative. But, in my opinion, unfortunate.
it’s funny you should ask.
While I have an appreciation for Fats Waller, Bix, and Louie Armstrong, I do listen to Miles, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, and Chet Baker WAY more. I know “invented it all” is a dumb generalization, and I have checked out the work of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis etc. I know it’s important, like Latin, but I’m not gonna sit around and listen to that shit in my house or my car. I speak English!
Bostonhistorian, for you to like a cover song, does it have to be better than the original? I like Devo’s cover of Satisfaction, but it’s not even in the same universe as the original version (in terms of pure awesomeness). Can’t you just like another version of a song, too?
For The Beatles:
Slow Down
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Please Mr. Postman
One thing this exercise has shown me is that I’m not too impressed with their cover songs, that’s for sure.
For The Stones:
Craw-Dad (it’s from a bootleg of the Paris Olympia 1965 show)
I Just Wanna Make Love to You
Down the Road Apiece
The Stones really covered a lot of songs I really like. I kind of wish that if they were going to do another album, that it would be all cover songs.
I really should have said “something new or better” not “something new and better”. Devo’s “Satisfaction” brings the new in a big way. The covers done by the early Beatles and Stones are far too literal and generally sound like filler from a stage set slapped onto a 45 or an album because they didn’t have anything original that was better. If I want to hear Larry Williams, I’ll listen to Larry Williams, not the Beatles, and the same goes for Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Slim Harpo, Marvin Gaye, and a host of others, including the original Broadway recording of “The Music Man”. The covers are listenable, to be sure, but to try to pick out favorites doesn’t do me much good. “Twist and Shout” really is Ur-Beatles, though, and worthy of notice.
Beatles (avoiding BBC sessions etc.): Long Tall Sally, You Really Got a Hold on Me, Please Mr. Postman
Stones: Round and Round, She Said Yeah, It’s All Over Now
To point out the obvious, a lot more to choose from with the Stones, and I deliberately kept to their era as, primarily, a covers band and eschewed later covers that I really like, such as Shake Your Hips or Just My Imagination.
Beatles:
Twist and Shout
Act Naturally
I Wanna be Your Man
Stones:
Hitch Hike
It’s All Over Now
Harlem Shuffle
BEATLES
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Slow Down
Roll Over Beethoven
STONES
It’s All Over Now
Around and Around
Time Is On My Side
northvancoveman, I’ll bite my tongue on “Act Naturally,” that hole in the middle of Rubber Soul, but “I Wanna Be Your Man”? I don’t quite follow. Are you being puckish?
On the other hand, “Hitch Hike.” Hell yeah. Good call.
D’oh. I meant in the middle of Help! It’s “What Goes On” that is the hole in the middle of Rubber Soul. Gosh, how could I ever have mixed them up?
BEATLES:
Bad Boy
Slow Down
Boys
STONES:
Carol
Route 66
Just My Imagination
I’m going with the Larry Williams hat trick for the Beatles:
Slow Down
Bad Boy
Dizzy Miss Lizzie
I prefer Mick Taylor era Stones:
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
Shake Your Hips
Stop Breaking Down
i don’t like any of their covers. i don’t like any “rock and roll” from before The Beatles and Stones. To me, they invented it all. if i’m gonna listen to ANY music from before 1965, it’s gonna be jazz.
I like Elvis, but as an icon. i don’t listen to that shit.
Beatles:Bad Boy, Words of Love, You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me
Stones: Around and Around, Not Fade Away, It’s All Over Now
I dunno. For me to really like a cover, it has to bring something new and better than the original and I’m having a hard time thinking of any of their covers that are better than the originals. The Beatles’ version of Twist and Shout is better than the Isley Brothers, I suppose.
Shoot, Shawnkilroy, that’s broad-minded of you…Surely you don’t think that jazz started with, say, Miles and Coltrane, or Parker and Gillespie, or whatever? I understand preferences: and to some extent I am even sympathetic to the idea that the Beatles and the Stones “invented it all,” even though they damn well didn’t, and to think they did is to wallow in ignorance; which is one’s prerogative. But, in my opinion, unfortunate.
it’s funny you should ask.
While I have an appreciation for Fats Waller, Bix, and Louie Armstrong, I do listen to Miles, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, and Chet Baker WAY more. I know “invented it all” is a dumb generalization, and I have checked out the work of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis etc. I know it’s important, like Latin, but I’m not gonna sit around and listen to that shit in my house or my car. I speak English!
Bostonhistorian, for you to like a cover song, does it have to be better than the original? I like Devo’s cover of Satisfaction, but it’s not even in the same universe as the original version (in terms of pure awesomeness). Can’t you just like another version of a song, too?
For The Beatles:
Slow Down
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Please Mr. Postman
One thing this exercise has shown me is that I’m not too impressed with their cover songs, that’s for sure.
For The Stones:
Craw-Dad (it’s from a bootleg of the Paris Olympia 1965 show)
I Just Wanna Make Love to You
Down the Road Apiece
The Stones really covered a lot of songs I really like. I kind of wish that if they were going to do another album, that it would be all cover songs.
I canna believe that no one listed “Anna” or “Baby, It’s You.” Those are two of my all-time Beatles trax period!
Beatles:
Baby It’s You
Please Mr Postman
You Really Got A Hold on Me
Stones:
Around & Around
It’s All Over Now
Time Is On My Side
2000Man:
I really should have said “something new or better” not “something new and better”. Devo’s “Satisfaction” brings the new in a big way. The covers done by the early Beatles and Stones are far too literal and generally sound like filler from a stage set slapped onto a 45 or an album because they didn’t have anything original that was better. If I want to hear Larry Williams, I’ll listen to Larry Williams, not the Beatles, and the same goes for Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Slim Harpo, Marvin Gaye, and a host of others, including the original Broadway recording of “The Music Man”. The covers are listenable, to be sure, but to try to pick out favorites doesn’t do me much good. “Twist and Shout” really is Ur-Beatles, though, and worthy of notice.
Beatles: Money, Slow Down, Roll Over Beethoven
Stones: Not Fade Away, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Around and Around