WEIRD COVERS

There are covers .....and then there are COVERS. In this day and age we forget that not every artist writes their own material. MOST do....but then again...a lot DO NOT.

So.....it is left to the artist to put their unique spin on songs composed by others. Frank Sinatra made a whole career out of his unique interpretation of classic standards......and then there are THESE people:



Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. Such a classic comedy team. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Odd Couple when it was re-run in syndication growing up in the late 70's / early 80's. And I love it today. I could watch it forever and never be bored. But THIS ???

Sometime in the early 70's....to cash in on their new found fame....some record company decided it was a good idea to have these release an album. It didn't matter that Klugman couldn't carry a tune in a garbage can. And their version of Carly Simon's "YOU'RE SO VAIN" is so excruciatingly awful that it always makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. "Who are those girls?" Felix asks.

"Who are your agents ?" is more like it.....



Speaking of excruciating, dig THIS cover of the Nancy Sinatra classic "THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING" by the ever so bizzare Crispin Glover. In 1989 Enigma records (Now no longer a record lable....hmmm...imagin that)strangely gave a recording contract to this whack-a-doo. He filled this album with bad poetry, a rap about masterbation, a song about a clown (The Barnes & Barnes assisted "Clowny Clown Clown") ,a Charles Manson cover!!....and THIS. I love how the song starts bad and as it goes on he gets more manic and starts crying the lyrics.....Nancy Sinatra must be rolling over in her grave......oh wait......she's not dead......perhaps she's just never heard this yet.


Now HERE's a band that has been around for over 20 years now putting their unique spin on A-capella. Everything they do uses only their voices, maybe a drum machine occasionally, and their great taste in the poppier side of UK hits. In the 80's they actually had a hit with a pretty cool version of Yazoo's "Only You". That was actually GOOD........but as the years rolled on and the joke wore thin they recorded THIS. Prince's "WHEN DOVES CRY" is a classic mid-80's wonder of production over substance....strip all that away and what you get is this laugh inducing track. My favourite part is the beginning...TOO funny. And if you want more Picketts, listen to their version of Nirvana's "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT"......and then take a sharp stick to your eardrums.......