The CoverUp

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166 - If You Could Read My Mind - The CoverUp Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Quick, which version of the song is thoughtfully arranged with respect to its roots and current musical context: folk or disco version? Did you say both? If You Could Read My Mind, originally by Gordon Lightfoot, covered by Viola Wills.

Outro music is Save A Prayer by Duran Duran.

165 - Time After Time - The CoverUp Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

One of the greatest pop songs of the 80s, and a musician who was out to redefine modern music. These are probably the two smartest songs we've had in the same episode. Time After Time, originally by Cyndi Lauper, covered by Miles Davis.

Outro music is Human Nature by Michael Jackson.

164 - You Are So Beautiful - The CoverUP Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

The idea that the original song wasn't released as a single is a crime. It's brilliant work by an impossibly talented musician, overtaken by a singer who exists to overtake brilliant songs. You Are So Beautiful, originally by Billy Preston, covered by Joe Cocker.

Outro music is In Your Eyes, by Peter Gabriel.

163 - Sharp Dressed Man - The CoverUp Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

One of the biggest songs by the longest running bands ever. It was a moment of transformation in a band that worked harder at keeping their music fresh than anyone gives them credit for. And a cover version by a band that has always known exactly what they were about. Sharp Dressed Man, originally by ZZ Top, covered by Ministry.

Outro music is I Love L.A., by Randy Newman.

162 - While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The CoverUp Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

A rare - or maybe not so rare -- self-diss-track rich in text and subtext, covered brilliantly on instruments that shouldn't be covering it. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, originally by The Beatles, covered by Jake Shimabukuro, and by Regina Spektor.

Outro music is Bohemian Rhapsody, also by Jake Shimabukuro.

161 - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - The CoverUp Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

A full set of listener requests leads us to a musical titan at his best, and two covers that run as fast as possible in opposite directions. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, originally by Elton John, covered by Sara Bareilles, and by Queens of the Stone Age.

Outro music is Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato.

160 - The Whole of the Moon Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

An 80s triumph of power pop folk rock has vastly more coherence than the genre implies. It gets a genuine folk rock cover as well as an aggressive new wave treatment. The Whole of the Moon, originally by The Waterboys, covered by Peter Mulvey and by Fiona Apple.

Outro music is Wild World by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

159 - Sloop John B - The CoverUp Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

The evolution of a folk song, from its rootsiest roots to a marvel of orchestration and production. Sloop John B, originally recorded by The Cleveland Simmons Group, covered by The Kingston Trio, and by The Beach Boys.

Outro music is Sixteen Tons by The Weavers.

158 - Heart and Soul - The CoverUp Jan 04, 2021

Show notes

A great song by the wrong band, and saved by the right band -- who nobody expects should ever be the right band, but they always are. Heart and Soul, originally by Exile, covered by Huey Lewis and the News.

Outro music is Somebody to Love, by Queen.

157 - Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' - The CoverUp Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

We close out our third year of the podcast with a look at another beloved artist lost to the mess of 2020. Kiss an Angel Good Mornin', originally by Charley Pride, covered by Roy Clark, and by Tom Jones.

Outro music is You Never Even Called Me By My Name, by David Allan Coe.

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