YouTube: Michael Jackson Covers

Michael Jackson was a sad, twisted, horrible person, but we can still enjoy other people singing his songs.

• Chris Cornell, "Billie Jean"
  
• The Philippine Madrigal Singers, "Man In The Mirror"
  
• Sanchez, "Ben"
  
• Ina-t, "Black Or White"
  
• Sharon Levy, "The Way You Make Me Feel"
  
• Jackson State marching band and cheerleaders, "P.Y.T."
  
• Emm Gryner, "Beat It"
  
• KT Tunstall, "I Want You Back"
  
• Ian Brown, "Thriller"
  
• Miles Davis, "Human Nature"
  

And here's a playlist of all the songs, for your convenience.

YouTube: Covers

Some covers off YouTube.

• Los Colorados (from the Ukraine) cover "Hot & Cold" by Katy Perry
  
• The Noisettes cover "When You Were Young" by The Killers
  
• The Saturdays cover "Beggin'" by Madcon
  
• Arcade Fire cover "Guns Of Brixton" by The Clash
  
• Masha Qrella covers "Don't Stop The Dance" by Bryan Ferry
  
• Lambchop cover "This Corrosion" by The Sisters Of Mercy
  

Music: First Aid Kit

Charming video of Swedish duo First Aid Kit covering "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes. (And it's a bit late, but they also do a great "Blue Christmas".

(There's also a Nova Scotian band called the First Aid Kit (who don't exactly stand out from the crowd), an extinct post-punk band called First Aid Kit from Connecticut, and a Spanish electronic-ish band called First Aid Kit, who are actually quite pleasant.)

YouTube: Hank and Townes

A piece in the Irish Times yesterday reminded me that Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt both died on January 1 (1953 and 1997 respectively). Here are some YouTube highlights.

• Hank doing "Cold Cold Heart" and "I Can't Help It", a duet with June Carter's sister
  
• "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", set to home movies
  
• "Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw" by Hank's alter ego, Luke The Drifter
  
• Terry Bradshaw (!) covers "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", and it's not bad
  
• Townes performing "the first song I ever wrote", "Waitin' Around To Die"
  
• "Pancho & Lefty" on TNN in 1993 (and Townes talks about the song)
  
• "Kathleen", set to some B&W movie
  
• Cowboy Junkies cover "To Live Is To Fly"
  
• Emmylou Harris covers "If I Needed You" with Chris Farley/Steve Earle, which cuts to Townes in 1975
  

Covers: "Jailbreak"

Norway's Susanna (of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra) has recorded a cover of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" on her new CD. Bonnie "Prince" Billy is on backing vocals.

The Cardigans covered "The Boys Are Back In Town", so we can infer that all female Scandinavian singers like Thin Lizzy.

YouTube: Neil Diamond Covers

Covers of Neil Diamond songs.

• "Cherry Cherry" by The Music Machine
  
• "Solitary Man" by Johnny Cash
  
• "Solitary Man" by Chris Isaak
  
• "Love On The Rocks" by Millie Jackson
  
• "I'm A Believer" by Tori Amos
  
• "Kentucky Woman" by Deep Purple
  
• "Song Sung Blue" by Altered Images
  
• "Holly Holy" by the Fabulous Flames
  
• "Hello Again" by podline6
  
• "America" by the Castillo Kids
  

YouTube: Recent Videos

• "Rich Girls" by The Virgins. Video Hottie alert!
  
• "Momma's Boy" by Chromeo. Good B&W animation, very retro song.
  
• "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes. So-so stop-motion animation by the singer's brother.
  
• "I Decided" by Solange (Beyonce's younger sister). Cartoonish trip through the last four decades.
  
• "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him. Gratuitous cartoon violence. We get it - you're a cute girl who wants to be taken seriously.
  
• "Wake Up Call" by "Heroes" cheerleader Hayden Panettiere. It's bad when people compare your song to Paris Hilton - and, actually, Paris's song was better.
  
• "Run Run" by Swedish girl group Those Dancing Days.
  
• Cover of Blondie's "Picture This" by Robert Forster and Lisa Miller on Australian TV.
  

YouTube: 80s Acts

I suddenly had a hankering to hear "Driving Away From Home" by It's Immaterial, and luckily YouTube was there to satisfy. ("Ed's Funky Diner" is also worth hearing.)

And while we're in Liverpool in the '80s, "Hollow Horse" by the Icicle Works.

I could only find this version of "Soul Train" by Swansway - interesting, but not as good as the single version. Two of them later formed Scarlet Fantastic and had a hit with "No Memory".

Another great '80s single: "Heart And Soul" by T'Pau. (Didn't know that was a Star Trek reference.)

Roddy Frame covers "Jump".

This doesn't have a proper video, but it's such a great song: "Return To Yesterday" by the Lilac Time.

YouTube: Korean Toddler

Korean toddler singing "Hey Jude" enthusiastically.

His name is Hero, and there is a short piece from Korean TV about him. (No English translation, but there is a bio in the "About this video" section which states, "I was born in Seoul, Korea on Sept.2003. I am not only extreme mania of The Beatles who is the greatest musician, immortal idol of the mankind but also well-informed on autocars beyond just mania." And it shows.

(Via Copy, Right?)

Music: "Teenage Kicks"

How many versions of "Teenage Kicks" do you want?

• The Undertones - the original and best.
  
• The Undertones in the studio - but some of the commenters cry "Fraud!"
  
• Snow Patrol (acoustic, for Sessions@AOL).
  
• Ash (with an Undertone on guitar).
  
• KT Tunstall (with audience singalong - not bad).
  
• Supergrass and Carl Barat (The Libertines) busking (a shambles, baby).
  
• Nouvelle Vague (bossa nova version, with visuals from a NZ TV show with lesbian..um..undertones.
  
• The Raconteurs (sadly, the one who isn't Jack White handles lead vocals).
  
• The Ukelele Orchestra Of Great Britain (I like when they all sing the chorus).
  
• Really bad American High School band ("We don't do drugs give us a break. If you want anything explained we didn't have enough practices before that night. OKAY!").
  
• Quite good English schoolboys.
  
• Green Day (abbreviated).
  
• Seabear (Icelandic band, slow it down and add violin - it works!)
  
• Prison Love (Irish bluegrass band - they won a radio contest for best "Teeange Kicks" cover. Also, check out their "Sussudio".)
  
• The Undertones, 2006 (with replacement vocalist - slightly sad).
  

Music: Shivaree

Chromewaves brings news of a covers album from Shivaree. Shivaree's lead vocalist has the greatest name in music history: Ambrosia Parsley. The album, "Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs", features songs by Phil Spector (on trial for murder), R. Kelly (indicted for producing child pornography), Gary Glitter (convicted peedophile), Ike Turner (admitted spouse-abuser) and Spade Cooley (convicted murderer), among others.

Music: Covers On YouTube

• "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Greg Laswell (and visuals from "The OC").
  
• "Wish You Were Here" by Rodgrigo y Gabriela (and audience singalong). (There are a lot of "Wish You Were Here" covers out there.)
  
• "Sin City" by the Decemberists with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (live in Nashville).
  
• "Ruby" by a 7-year-old Ricky Skaggs with Flatt and Scruggs (I was actually looking for his bluegrass cover of "Superfreak").
  
• "Make It With You" by My Morning Jacket (with a rambling prologue about bread).
  
• "Modern Love" by The Last Town Chorus.
  
• "Let's Dance" by M. Ward (cheekily set to the original video, slowed down).
  
• "Positively 4th Street" by Bryan Ferry (let's ignore the overblown Nazi controversy).
  
• "All Along The Watchtower" by XTC.
  
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Scala and Kolacny Brothers (piano and Belgian girls' choir).
  

And if you have the time, there's a Go-Betweens tribute concert/documentary (in 6 parts) with Australian artists covering the late lamented band.

Music: Covers With Original Artist

What cover versions have the original artist doing backing vocals/playing an instrument?

• All of The Smiths appear on Sandie Shaw's version of "Hand In Glove".
  
• Tom Petty sings backup on Johnny Cash's cover of "I Won't Back Down"
  
• Jane Birkin covered Roxy Music's "In Every Dreamhome A Heartache" as a duet with Bryan Ferry.
  
• When Whitney Houston covered Annie Lennox's 'Step by Step', Annie provided the backing vocals.