Original vs. Cover: In Every Dream Home A Heartache - Roxy Music vs. Rozz Williams & Gitane DeMone

We're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next week - The Original vs. The Cover. I'll be featuring songs that aren't as obvious as say... William Hung's version of I Believe I Can Fly. :) It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

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The Original

Roxy Music - In Every Dream Home A Heartache (1973)

For me, those first two Roxy Music records are their best. I love the rawness, the energy and all of the weird sounds and chaos. 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' appeared on Roxy's second LP, 1973's For Your Pleasure. The song builds and builds, until singer Bryan Ferry utters that line 'I blew up your body... but you blew my mind' - then bam, all hell breaks loose. Perfection.

The Cover

Rozz Williams & Gitane DeMone - In Every Dream Home A Heartache (1995)

My brother and I were supposed to see Rozz and Gitane perform this album, circa 1995 at The Nile in Mesa, but when we got to the door... it was cancelled. Since then, I've become friends with Gitane, and her/and Rozz's music means even more to me. Rozz and Gitane were bandmates in Christian Death for two wonderful albums: Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes. The two reunited in the mid-90s and recorded the beautiful Dream Home Heartache album. Take a listen to their version of the Roxy classic below. Spectacular.

Original vs. Cover: Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd vs. Sparklehorse (with Thom Yorke of Radiohead)

Every once in a while, I come across a song that is just brilliant, and then later realize that it's in fact a cover version. Well, we're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next week - The Original vs. The Cover. I'll be featuring songs that aren't as obvious as say... William Hung's version of I Believe I Can Fly. :) It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

Keep up on my daily postings by clicking LIKE over at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Here we go...

The Original

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

This song doesn't need any introduction. It's one of the greatest, and has been covered by the multitudes. This year, the entire Pink Floyd catalog was remastered and reissued - scroll down to the bottom of this post for a link to the new Experience Edition of the Wish You Were Here album (lots of bonus content).

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The Cover

Sparklehorse - Wish You Were Here (1998)

Released as a b-side to 1998's split single, Painbird / Maria's Little Elbows, Sparklehorse's fantastic cover of the Pink Floyd classic features Radiohead's Thom Yorke on some distant backing vocals - allegedly sung and recorded over a hotel phone. If you saw the film Lords Of Dogtown, you may recall hearing this cover on the soundtrack as well. Sadly, the man behind Sparklehorse - Mark Linkous - took his own life in March of 2010.

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Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here - 2011 Experience Edition

Original vs. Cover: Straight To Hell - The Clash vs. Lily Allen

Every once in a while, I come across a song that is just brilliant, and then later realize that it's in fact a cover version. Well, we're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next week - The Original vs. The Cover. I'll be featuring songs that aren't as obvious as say... William Hung's version of I Believe I Can Fly. :) It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

Keep up on my daily postings by clicking LIKE over at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Here we go...

The Original
The Clash - Straight To Hell (1982)


From The Clash's fifth album, 1982's Combat Rock, is the single 'Straight To Hell.' If you've never heard this track, you may recognize that it was sampled in M.I.A.'s 2007 single,  'Paper Planes.' Combat Rock was the last Clash album to feature Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon.


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The Cover
Lily Allen - Straight To Hell (2009)


One of my favorite artists to emerge over the last decade, is Lily Allen - her second album - It's Not Me, It's You - was one of the best albums of 2009. In this cover of 'Straight To Hell,' Allen and The Clash's Mick Jones make a wonderful collaboration. The track appears on the War Child: Heroes charity album, which benefits children affected by war around the planet. Check out the rest of the album - which features 16 tracks of bands covering other bands - linked at the bottom.


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Original vs. Cover: These Arms Of Mine - Otis Redding vs. The Big Pink

Every once in a while, I come across a song that is just brilliant, and then later realize that it's in fact a cover version. Well, we're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next week - The Original vs. The Cover. I'll be featuring songs that aren't as obvious as say... William Hung's version of I Believe I Can Fly. :) It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

Keep up on my daily postings by clicking LIKE over at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Here we go...

The Original

Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine (1964)

In 1964, Otis Redding released his debut album - Pain In My Heart. That record yielded four, big singles - including my favorite: These Arms Of Mine. Redding was an amazingly, talented songwriter, and just three years later he died in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin - only 26 years old. 'These Arms Of Mine' is a brilliant track, just perfect.

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The Cover

The Big Pink - These Arms Of Mine (2009)

One of the best bands to emerge from 2009, with the release of their debut LP - A Brief History Of Love - is The Big Pink. Hiding out on the b-side to their second single, Velvet, is a wonderful cover of 'These Arms Of Mine.' I saw them perform at a small club in Phoenix, and the performance of this song was one of the show's highlights. Give it a listen below.

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Original vs. Cover: Landslide - Fleetwood Mac vs. Smashing Pumpkins

Just in case you didn't know - a cover song is a remake. Every once in a while, I come across a song that is just brilliant, and then later realize that it's in fact a cover. Well, we're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next couple of weeks - The Original vs. The Cover. It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

Keep up on our daily postings by clicking LIKE over at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Here we go...

The Original

Fleetwood Mac - Landslide (1975)

It's strange to think that Fleetwood Mac's self-titled, 1975 album was the band's eleventh record. However, this is the very first one to feature Stevie Nicks as a member of the band. I'm guessing you are already familiar with today's featured song, Landslide. Written by Nicks, it became a huge hit in the late 90s when a live version was released from the band's reunion tour.

The Cover

Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide (1994)

Everyone from Gavin Rossdale to Miley Cyrus to the Dixie Chicks have covered this song. The definitive cover version is by the Smashing Pumpkins. Released as a Siamese Dream era b-side on the Disarm single, it took on a life of its own and blew up on the Modern Rock Charts, making its way to #3. Billy Corgan sings it with such intense emotion, which brings out a different side to the song. Very cool.

Original vs. Cover: Femme Fatale - The Velvet Underground vs. Big Star

Just in case you didn't know - a cover song is a remake. Every once in a while, I come across a song that is just brilliant, and then later realize that it's in fact a cover. Well, we're going to be having a face off here everyday for the next couple of weeks - The Original vs. The Cover. I'll be featuring songs that aren't as obvious as say... William Hung's version of I Believe I Can Fly. :) It's my hope that you'll discover some really cool, new songs - and maybe some that you never even knew were covers.

Keep up on our daily postings by clicking LIKE over at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Here we go...

The Original

The Velvet Underground - Femme Fatale (1967)

From one of the greatest albums of all time, Femme Fatale is one of the three songs that featured Nico on lead vocals. Written about Edie Sedgwick, Femme Fatale was released at the tail end of 1966, as a b-side to the Sunday Morning single. This song is amazing.

The Cover

Big Star - Femme Fatale (1978)

Although Big Star's third album was recorded in 1974, shortly after the release of Radio City, it wasn't actually released until 1978. Third - also called Sister/Lovers - contains a beautiful cover of Femme Fatale. If you'd like to check out the demo version that Alex Chilton recorded, click here - it's just vocals and 12-string guitar. Both versions are more than worthy of your attention. :)

Big Star Box Set

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