Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Baby Please Don't Go-Tuesday's Bluesdays


I love covers.  Good covers, like Discovery's version of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," take a classic and re-imagine it in a completely different, yet recognizable way. Bad covers (<---NO Miley! Bad Miley!) stink like hot garbage juice, yet have the staying power of a jackknifed tractor trailer on the highway. Entertaining  or cringeworthy as either may be, covers are a mainstay of any band's live performance repertoire and will be around as long as revamps, reboots, and remakes in the film industry.

One of the most covered songs in history, with evidence on both sides of the good vs. bad spectrum, is the classic Rock/Blues ballad, "Baby Please Don't Go." Originally performed by Big Joe Williams in 1935, this tune has become a mainstay in the guitar weilding community for decades.  Notable versions have been recorded by the likes of the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, Van Morrison, The Doors, Muddy Waters, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and scores of others.  Linked are two of my favorite versions. Check out Lightning Hopkins slow this beast down acoustic style and then switch over to the ever-boisterous AC/DC for a walk on the wild side.

Bonus: Follow the link for the rest of the Rolling Stones worst covers article. Phew! I can smell them from here.


1 comment:

  1. how do you leave out aerosmith? their version is out of this world!

    ReplyDelete