Lately when I’ve been working, instead of listening to music in iTunes, I’ve been surfing youtube for music. I often just play one song on repeat, or I’ll look up a band and listen to all the related videos.
This morning I went to look up Ray Lamontagne and found this cover he did of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”
I love Ray. Love love love.
Then I started looking up other covers of the same song. It’s crazy how many people have covered Gnarls Barkley.
Here’s the Violent Femmes:
That cracks me up, because you know Gnarls Barkley covered the Femmes, right?
Here’s the Raconteurs (which features Jack White of the White Stripes on vocals):
One Republic (live):
Pink (live):
Maroon Five (live):
Beyonce (live):
Jason Castro:
He’s the guy from last year’s American Idol, I think he used a Gnarls Barkley song when he auditioned, but it wasn’t shown because the band didn’t give permission for it to be used on TV.
This is an interesting version, someone called the Spin Cycle:
And if you’ve ever wondered what the song would be like when drag queens performed it, wonder no more.
December 19th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
So interesting. Highlights how much I love that song and how much I dislike Beyonce!
December 19th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
There’s probably just as many covers of their other songs, too. You know it’s a fantastic song when so many different artists can cover it in so many different ways and it holds up every time.
December 19th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I agree. I particularly liked the Jack White version and the One Republic version. Funny. I have the Ray version on my iPod and listen to it all the time.
December 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I love this song. It came on the radio yesterday and I totally thought, “huh, nope, not sick of it yet!”
Ray Lamontagne–don’t know who he is, but I liked that. I may have to explore.
Violent Femmes–Very nice. Just love the Gnarls Gone Daddy Gone, though.
LOVED the Raconteurs version. I think I’ll have to see if that is available somewhere. Of course, Jack is on my “would listen to him singing my electric bill” list.
I hate One Republic.
Pink-very respectable.
Maroon 5-Ugh, that was too self indulgent.
Beyonce-Wow, she really thinks she’s the queen of the world, doesn’t she?
Jason Castro- that was really nice; too bad he never got to do it on the show.
December 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Shaz you should definitely check out Ray LaMontagne. Just do a youtube search and listen to anything you find.
I think Beyonce’s is either lip synced or overdubbed. Unless it’s just the audio for the video is out of sync.
December 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Wow. That’s really fascinating how each artist adapts it to their own style.
I feel so out-of-touch that I didn’t know this song. Strangely, I did know the Gnarls Barkley cover of “Gone Daddy Gone,” but not this one (which is, what? Gnarls’ biggest hit?)
December 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
It was their first hit, don’t know about biggest. Probably though.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I didn’t even like this song the very first time I heard it. And then the second time I thought, “How could I have thought I did not like this song?” Their cover of “Gone Daddy Gone” is fun, but the video frightens me.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Reminds me of when everyone was covering Rihanna’s “umbrella”. Fun to hear the same song in so many incarnations. Except Beyonce’s. I really liked the Ray Lamontagne one.
shazbraz, I feel that way about Maroon 5 as a whole. Blasphemy in many circles, I know…
December 21st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
ignorance is not bliss Sadly to say. I thought my musical knowledge was oh so keen!! Much like when I found out “Hey little thing let me light your candle cause mamma Im show hard to handle now” is Otis Redding.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:15 am
Steve, do I know you?
March 19th, 2009 at 7:24 am
GO RIHANNA!!