Unexpected Covers - Wrecking Ball

Here is the Dixie Chicks' cover of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball". This is really a great song. I  posted The Gregory Brothers version of it last year. That cover was a bit more unexpected than this one, but I can't pass up the Dixie Chicks.



Here is a clothed version of Cyrus performing the song.

Mansion Over The Hilltop

Dailey and Vincent perform "Mansion Over The Hilltop".

Unexpected Covers - Hurt

The Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" has been covered by Johnny Cash in one of the all time greatest music video that I previously posted. Here is an instrumental take on the song by 2CELLOS.



Here is the Nine Inch Nails version.

Unexpected Covers - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

A lot of singers cover Hank Williams, but here is one of the least expected. Bernadette Peters performing "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". This clip starts with an interview, the song starts at about 2 1/2 minutes in.



Here is Hank performing his song sometime around 1950.

Unexpected Covers - When The Roses Bloom Again

"When The Roses Bloom Again" is a song about the civil war, but it was not written until sometime in the 20th century. I am not sure who originally recorded it, but here Barry Gibb—from the Bee Gee's—covers it with Ricky Skaggs. Actually this is a pretty traditional arrangement, but who would expect to see Gibb on the Grand Ole Opry.



Here is Mac Wiseman's version of the song which is my favorite. This song is also included in my YouTube playlist of songs about the Civil War,

Unexpected Covers - Where Did Our Love Go

Earlier today I posted The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" to mark Diana Ross 70th birthday. For today unexpected cover here is Soft Cell performing "Tainted Love" which famously incorporates "Where Did Our Love Go". This is one of the most successful examples of an old song that was transformed into the new music of the day.

Diana Ross Turns 70

Today is Diana Ross' 70th birthday. Here is "Where Did Our Love Go" from many years ago when she was still with The Supremes.

Unexpected Covers - Working in a Coalmine

Here is Devo's cover of "Working in a Coalmine".



The song was written by Allen Toussaint and originally recorded by Lee Dorsey. Here is a  performance of the song by Toussaint from a couple years ago.

Unexpected Covers - Slippery People

This week I am going to post some unexpected covers, where one artist covers something that I would never expect them to do.

Here is the Staple Singers' cover of "Slippery People" and the Talking Head's original version. Despite the differences in these two groups, the arrangements are surprisingly similar.

There's A Higher Power

The Kathy Kallick Band performing "There's A Higher Power".

Little Georgia Rose

Travis Tritt and Ricky Skaggs perform Bill Monroe's song "Little Georgia Rose".

I'll Be Here In The Morning

"I'll Be Here In the Morning" a Townes Van Zandt song that Don William's performs on his new album, Reflections.

She Used To Love Me A Lot

The official video for Johnny Cash's "She Used To Love Me A Lot" from the studio album Out Among The Stars. This is a long lost unreleased album, which will be released next week.

Song for Ireland

I posted this four years ago on St. Patrick's Day, but this is one of my all time favorite recordings, so I am reposting Mary Black performing "Song For Ireland".

Amazing Grace

Brandi Carlile and the Secret Sisters harmonize on "Amazing Grace".

Brother Bands

From roughly the same time as yesterday's girl groups, here are some brother bands.

Carter and Ralph—The Stanley Brothers performing "How Mountain Gals Can Love"



Charlie and Ira—The Louvin Brothers performing "Hoping That You're Hoping".



Jim and Jesse McReynolds perform John Prine's "Paradise".

Girl Groups

Harmony from some of the girl groups.

The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow". I think this was one of the first hits that Carole King wrote.



The Ronettes - "Be My Baby"



The Dixie Cups - "The Chapel of Love"

Loretta

Some more good harmony. Norah Jones, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings perform the Townes Van Zandt song "Loretta".



Here is a second version of the same song that does not really have much harmony, but it does have some great singers—John Prine, Lyle Lovett, Ray LaMontagne and Elvis Costello.

The Sound of Silence

Paul Simon wrote "The Sound of Silence" 50 years ago in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination.

Dedicated to the One I Love

Since I started this week with Linda Ronstadt singing harmony, I am going to continue with harmony. Here is Lake Street Dive performing the Mamaa & the Papas song "Dedicated to the One I Love". 

Linda Ronstadt & Friends

I posted a couple Linda Ronstadt videos on Saturday.  She has performed with a lot other great singers, so I thought I would post some of those performances today.

"I Never Will Marry" with Johnny Cash



"I Don't Know Much" with Aaron Neville



I have already post my favorite video of the Trio, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. That is Neil Young's "After the Goldrush" posted HERE. This is a different trio with Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs performing my favorite Carter Family song, "Gold Watch and Chain"

Christian Davis

This is Christian Davis performing "Long Black Train" with Dailey and Vincent. I don't know if it is humanly possible to sing any lower than this.

Linda Ronstadt

This is my 750th post on my music blog, but this is one of my sadder posts. Linda Ronstadt announced last year that she is no longer able to sing because of Parkinson's Disease. This is the loss of a great voice. Here are three videos probably from the 70's or 80's.

The Karla Bonoff song "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me", This has a beautiful piano intro.



"You're No Good"



"It's So Easy"

Duncan and Brady

I haven't included any murder ballads this week, so here is a good one. "Duncan and Brady" performed by the Johnson Mountain Boys".

Down From Dover

This is one a Dolly Parton's sadder ballads. It was a little too dicey to get any radio play when it was originally released in 1969.

"Down From Dover"

The Wreck of the Old 97

"The Wreck of the Old 97", one of the first country ballads to be recorded, performed here by the Osborne Brothers.

Jim Croce Ballads

Jim Croce wrote some of the most successful ballads in American popular music. Here are three of them.

"Rapid Roy"



"Roller Derby Queen"



"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"

Arthur McBride

I am going to post ballads this week.  First, here is Paul Brady performing "Arthur McBride" over 35 years ago.