DAILY DIRT: We can thank Whitney for the best cover ever

November 1, 2024 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

Whitney Houston was stunning in "The Bodyguard".

Daily Dirt for Friday, Nov. 1, 2024

The real sleeper on this list that many might not think about is the Pearl Jam song … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,101 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The best cover songs can do more than just pay tribute to the original artist

A masterful cover can virtually reinvent an already classic song.

And that’s exactly what The Daily Dirt looked for in putting together a top-10 list of the best all-time covers. See if you agree:

1. “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston. Original artist: Dolly Parton.

“If Houston was singing it for the whole world, Parton seems to be singing it just for you, and yet both versions are equally perfect,” according to udiscovermusic.com.

2. “Twist and Shout,” by the Beatles. Original artists: The Isley Brothers.

To settle a longstanding argument, it was John — and not Paul– who provided the Neanderthal-like popular screams during this remake.

3. “La Bamba,” by Los Lobos. Original artist: Ritchie Valens.

Los Lobos simply added a little more overall life to what was already a great effort by Valens.

4. “Last Kiss,” by Pearl Jam. Original artist: J. Frank Wilson.

This became the biggest hit of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam’s career, and rightly so. What a masterpiece.

5. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It,” by Rod Stewart. Original artists: Crazy Horse.

This remake was one of the early 1970s songs that elevated Rod the Mod to superstardom.

6. I Love Rock and Roll,” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Original artists: The Arrows.

Our favorite girl in black, Joan Jett, found this minor hit and reworked it into her “lifelong manifesto,” according to one critic.

7. “Respect,” by Aretha Franklin. Original artists: Otis Redding, Rationals.

Personally, I never cared much or Redding’s rendition, but absolutely loved the Rationals’ take … but then along came Aretha. She simply blew the doors off this song, which to this day is my favorite from all the recordings the First Lady of Soul bestowed upon us.

8. “With a Little Help From My Friends,” by Joe Cocker. Original artists: The Beatles.

These two versions are as different as night day. Cocker took a much more earthy, raspy and soulful approach — as only he could — and it worked.

9. “Venus,” by Bananarama. Original artists: Shocking Blue.

The Shocking Blue’s 1969 effort was one of the first .45s I bought as a junior high student at Madison North in Mansfield, Ohio … but Bananarama’s slick dance-pop cover in 1986 was better. Much, much better.

10. “You’ve Got A Friend,” by James Taylor. Original artist: Carole King.

Two great artists, two great songs. I lean slightly to Taylor’s interpretation, which seemed more heartfelt.

2. Did you know (Part 172)

That Tom Hanks turned down leading roles in “Field Of Dreams,” “Gangs Of New York,” “Shawshank Redemption,” “Speed” and “When Harry Met Sally”. He definitely should have taken that role in “When Harry Met Sally”.
That Jake Gyllenhaal was the backup choice to Christian Bale portray Batman in “Batman Begins”.
That Melanie Griffith turned down starring roles in “Thelma and Louise,” “The Terminator,” “Taxi Driver” and “L.A. Confidential”.
That Mel Gibson declined lead roles in “JFK” and “Misery” that went to Kevin Costner and James Caan.
That Gene Hackman turned down a leading role in “The Fugitive” that ultimately went to Tommy Lee Jones.

3. Maybe you never thought much about it, but we have the 1990s to thank for the following: