Tuesday 29 March 2011

Ten cover versions quiz... a few clues

A while ago I posted a quiz about songs that are most often identified with cover artists, rather than the original artists, which I asked you to identify. The response was a little underwhelming. So I have decided to run the quiz again with a few clues.

1. 'Stop Your Sobbing'

The Pretenders released their version of this as their first single in 1979. The original version was recorded in 1964 by a British band that included two brothers who were likely to fall-out with each other all day and all of the night.

2. 'The Tide is High'

Blondie topped the singles charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States with their cover version in 1980 and 1981 respectively. The original version dates from 1967. It was recorded in Jamaica by a peerless example of a rocksteady group.

3. 'I Fought the Law'

This tune has been covered by a variety of artists, but is probably most identified with The Clash. It was first recorded in 1959 by a band that had only recently lost their front man in tragic circumstances on the day the music died.

4. 'Rivers of Babylon'

In 1978, the German disco troupe Boney M. had a worldwide smash with their version of this song based on Psalm 137. The song first appeared in 1970 as a reggae hit that featured in the movie The Harder They Come.

5. 'Respect'

Aretha Franklin made this song her own in 1967 taking it to number one in the Billboard Hot 100. That same year the original artist and writer died in a aeroplane crash and had the first posthumous number one in US chart history.

6. 'Without You'

Another cover version that made it to the top of the charts was Harry Nilsson's 1972 recording of 'Without You', which was also a hit for Mariah Carey twelve years later. The original version dates from 1970, when it was recorded by a Welsh rock act who may have suffered with their digits.

7. 'Tainted Love'
In 1981 the electro-pop outfit Soft Cell had their breakthrough hit with this northern soul classic originally recorded in 1965 by a woman who would later date Marc Bolan of T-Rex until his untimely death.

8. 'I Will Always Love You'
Whitney Houston took this song to number one around the world in 1992/3 when it featured in her movie The Bodyguard, but it started life in 1974 when it was written and recorded by a voluptuous country and western singer.

9. 'I Love Rock'n'Roll'

After unsuccessfully covering it in 1979, former Runaways member Joan Jett finally had a hit with this song in 1981 backed by her band, The Blackhearts. The original version dates from 1975, when it was recorded by a London-based glam rock act, but it failed to hit the target, unlike the cover version which flew up the charts. (This is a difficult one, I know.)

10. 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'
Another cover version that provided a breakthrough hit. This time for Cyndi Lauper in 1983. Oddly enough for a song seen as a feminist anthem, the original version was written and recorded by a man in 1979, whose name suggests the dangers of a woman having a short haircut made famous in the 1960s. (Very cryptic)

Good luck everyone.

7 comments:

pictsy said...

From the clues I am gonna guess that #1 is The Kinks, #4 is Jimmy Cliff and #8 is Dolly Parton. #10 is such a cryptic clue I may have to look it up on wikipedia to get the reference you are making.

Borkiman said...

Pictsy: You are right about #1 and #8, but not #4. Jimmy Cliff did star in the film, which also featured his songs, but that was not one of them.

Help yourself to a couple of points.

pictsy said...

Yay! Points! I did look up #10 and that one is really obscure.

Borkiman said...

P: You can see why I had to offer a cryptic clue. Feel free to share the answer. I am not denying points to people who use wikipedia or any other source.

Dave Lucas said...

Regarding #7 - she actually literally drove Marc Bolan to his death!

Anonymous said...

Oh, and it was the Bobby Fuller Four who originally recorded "I fought the law" - I think... am I right?

Borkiman said...

Dave: True enough about Bolan. She was at the wheel when their mini hit that tree in Barnes.

The Bobby Fuller Four recorded a hit version of the song, but theirs was not the original.

Feel free to guess again.