[Leadbelly]

I nearly bought a Levellers album once, but I didn't end up crossing that final rubicon. 

The fateful decision was made in Our Price in Belfast in the mid-90s. It was a toss up between the new Charlatans album (can't remember the name) or Zeitgeist (I think I liked the song Hope St off it, but listening back now I must have been temporarily insane). I ummmed and ahhhhed and finally plumped for the Charlies, but on reflection buying neither might have been the best option.

Somebody else I don't have any albums of is Schooner Fare, but I wish I did - doing a live version of Twa Recruiting Sergeants here.

[Echoes]

For the pleasure of the ears ... and of the eyes. 

[Leadbelly]

Dunno why, but not that many female vocalists do it for me (or maybe there just aren't as many %-wise about in the stuff I listen to).

Emmylou has it though. Linda is okay, but overdoes it a bit for me here and there in this Hank song.

[Leadbelly]

Mike Nesmith tune.

[Leadbelly]

Tiny Tim covers Biff Rose.



The Lennon Sisters cover The Toys.

[Leadbelly]

Just a tad different from the John Simon original.

[just some guy]

[Leadbelly]

Doesn't get much better than this.

[blutto]

Cheers

[blutto]

Cheers

[blutto]

Cheers

[pastronef]

Alison Krauss and co. The Boxer

[blutto]

Cheers

[Echoes]

A nice cover of Honolulu Baby (starts at 0.50)





Reminder: Ollie's version 





Stan ! Ollie ! Wherever you are, I love you. 

[Drummer Boy]

One of my favorite and most captivating performers of all time.

[Drummer Boy]

I simply can't get enough of these two...

[Leadbelly]

If we're talking ukuleles, and we're talking covers, then we must have this video.

[blutto]

Cheers

[blutto]

Cheers

[Leadbelly]

Roger Tillison covers The Band.



Yo La Tengo covers John Cale.

[blutto]

Cheers

[Echoes]

I like listening to classic pop-rock songs performed in different languages.

So for examples, some Creedence Clearwater Revival classics (one of my fave rock & roll bands):


  Fils de Personne -  Johnny Hallyday (Fortunate Son):



Lodi - Stormy Six



  Brasil decime que se siente - some Argentinian football fans, I don't know who wrote the words (Bad Moon Rising)



  Mary af Svendborg - Rock Nalle (Proud Mary)

[Leadbelly]

More Schooner fare. This time covering Ewan MacColl.

[Leadbelly]

Sneaky Pete covers The Band.

[Echoes]

Best rockabilly cover band in Belgium : Smooth & the Bully Boys! I went to see them last Monday in Namur. I've been following them since 2007 




The medley ELO/Buddy Holly/Surfaris! They always do it and I've always thought it was their best success. The moment he's mounting the double bass (6.30) [which he always does too] is awesome!! 

What I find amazing is that many young people go to see them.

[Leadbelly]

Not a fan of rockabilly really I have to say, so how about some Dutch bluegrass instead. 



Okay it's a musical cover not a full cover. Pretty sure the lyrics are very different - something about having showers while camping, and herrings seem to get mentioned.

[Leadbelly]

Poor ol' John.

[Echoes]

I'm not necessarily a rockabilly fan either, Mr Ledbetter.  But the band that I mentioned above makes concerts for free, so I'd be wrong not to go & see them. Actually, I think rockabilly is made for the scene. For audio listening, there's nothing great to it.

However each time I go and see them, I remember these lines by Bob Seger: "call me a relic, call me what you will, say I'm old-fashioned say I'm over the heels, today's music ain't got the same soul, I like that old time rock & roll." 

That's why I share the French adaptation of his Segerness by Johnny Hallyday! 





But in order to come back to some folk/blues songs but still French adaptation, I'd like to come back to Hugues Aufray: Corrina, Corrina.

http://www.wat.tv/audio/corrina-corrina-hugues-aufray-2x82z_2ju1b_.html

Corrina, Corrina is a traditional blues song, first recorded by Bo Carter is the thirties and probably already performed long before him. Bob Dylan performed it as well.

Aufray is known as the singer who made Dylan known in France, though he also is a songwriter in his own right. 

Here he explained how he covered "Like A Rolling Stone" (Comme ces pierres qui roulent):



So he says that Pierre Seghers ( a famous French poet) translated Dylan's songs literally but it's impossible to sing those texts because the number of feet did not match.

And the line "How does it feel" was a problem for him because in French it translates as "qu'est-ce que t'éprouves" and the sound "ou" in French is horrible for him after having heard the sound "ee" for years. It does not have the sort of "despair cry" that a homeless feels and which the sound "ee" in "feel" conveys very well. So for a few years, he let that song aside. Much later, he saw some dozens of unemployed lining up/queuing in the French national employment agency.

That's how he came up with the line "où vont ces files?" (where do these lines go?). So his version is freely adapted but the same message is conveyed and he's got the sound "ee", too. 

Où vont ces files
De sans-domiciles/of homeless people
Cette foule sans nom/This crowd without a name
Inconnu sans horizon/Unknown without horizons
Ces exclus que l'on refoule/These turned back outcasts
Comme ces pierres qui roulent/Like rolling stones

Then he met Dylan and showed him his song and Dylan approved. Dylan spoke a little bit of French but Aufray asked him: but do you know what I've said there? Dylan said: "But that is the translation." 


 

[search]

[Leadbelly]

Fotheringay with their version of the traditional number Gypsy Davy.
Post Merge: December 10, 2014, 20:22

Sneaky Pete (again) covers Santo and Johnny.
Post Merge: December 10, 2014, 20:21

Lonnie Donegan covers the Ragin' Cajun.