HIDDEN GEMS: BLUES COVERS
Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, AB Skhy +
Art is to be imitated, never to be duplicated. However, for many forms of art, elements of the predecessor are taken to create a sound for the future; some more iconic than the sounds before it.
The sound of the Blues has inspired artists for generations. Stemming from black culture in the 19th century, the soulful sounds have fathered many hits.
From Black Betty to Hound Dog we’ve had a lot of covers make it big. However, we like to give nods to covers that hadn’t had the praise it should, or at the very least is an entry you’d be surprised to know was a cover.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night – Nirvana
We start with a song from one of the more iconic rock bands of our time, covering a classic by folks and blues legend, Leadbelly. Noted as the “King of the Twelve-String Guitar,” the blues star put his alias to task in this song, decades later. By the time the song had entered the hands of the 90s rock band, a more modernized guitar rift was heard strumming from the hands of Nirvana.
Love In Vain – The Rolling Stones
Originally made by Robert Johnson in 1937, the iconic Rolling Stones made a song that is known to modern-day fans as a peaceful recollection of love. This was juxtaposed to the traditionally, gloomy sounds of Johnson’s storytelling.
You Upset Me Baby – A.B. Skhy
We couldn’t do a list like this and not include B.B. King, could we? King’s rendition of You Upset Me Baby was Blues as we all know it. The band known as A.B. Skhy had covered the song with a more jazzy, electric feel.
In a nutshell, B.B King’s sound made you snap your fingers. A.B. Skhy made you dance to it.
School Days – AC/DC
By this entry, you can imagine how seamlessly blues and rock bond together, as the origins from both stem from black culture.
Don’t believe it? Just listen to AC/DC’s School Days, then turn the page back to Johnny B. Goode star, Chuck Berry. The bopping, the grooving, just a revised version of an already hit single.
That Same Thing – George Thoroughgood & The Destroyers
We cap off this list with a song that was patented by the great, Muddy Waters.
George Thoroughgood & The Destroyers added his trademark sound to Waters’ classic. A landmark song for each artist, let alone the song’s predecessor.
