Dylan, Prine, McCartney, Lennon, Cash, and a few named herein are too easy. All were or are prolific and insanely artistic geniuses.
Blues have always had an effect of a different kind on me and I admire those now well revered and respected pathfinders and brush cutters of the past.
I’ve never heard a better version of Dylan’s ‘Just like a woman” than the way Joe cocker renders it on his ?”a Little help from My Friends’ and or his Anthology collection which is identical. At Woodstock in 2009 joe was just a wee bit too uh, passionate and the lyrics suffer egregiously. Ritchie havens also puts this cut in a different light with his verdict on the 30th Anneversary live album for Bob Dylan.
Florence AL. native W.C. Handy often is credited with writing the first blues songs, Memphis Blues… later handy penned St. Louis Blues. Both have seen numerous artists cover each. Even Merle and Asleep at the Wheel cut it on a compilation album of various artists “Ride with Bob’ a tribute to Bob wills and His Texas Playboys. Handy gets the nod for being the original ‘blues man’ and his namesake is one of the more coveted annual Blues artists Award.
Written in 1947 by Aaron Walker a.k.a. T-Bone Walker “call it Stormy Monday” has been covered by too many too count. From Bobby Bland, Allman Brothers most notably, Eva Cassidy, BB King, etc. I love ‘em all.
I’d submit no one forget Ray Charles Robinson as a writer and musician and the contributions Ray left behind for us. Although not so much the author as the artist, Ray’s covers and arrangements of country, pop, soul and RB cuts changed the musical social and racial landscapes of this country dramatically of all the songs Ray rearranged, touched, or covered Mr. Robinson’s renditions of most covers remain my favorite versions .
Two Texans, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holley hit the scene in the ‘60s with new ideals and themes on pop music. Albeit one was all too short lived, holley’s songs thrive amongst popular and contry music artists. Orbison’s remarkable vocals and Holley’s timeless songs keep their music breathing and resonating with culture after culture, decade after decade, such was their influence.
Blue bayou Linda Ronstadt
Chris Issac wicked game + only the lonely
Oh, boy! Joe Ely, learning the Game, Waylon Jennings, true Love Ways, the mavericks, all amd more are on the tribute album to holley, “Rave on”.
Another Red Dirt alumni, Dan Penn came along in the ‘60s wrote several tunes from his Muscle Shoals and Memphis environs that came to prominence as Pop hits on the Billboard RB charts, Cry Like a Baby”, “I’m Your Puppet”, Dark end Of the Street’, ‘Do Right Woman, do right Man”, ‘who left the Water Running?” and my favorite, “zero Willpower’. All were scooped up by Motown and new arrangements made for The Box tops, Lavelle White, Aretha Franklin Percy Sledge, WC Clarke, Marcia Ball, etc. these tunes continue to present being covered by artists across musical genres.
My favs are those covered by the orig artist and Lavell White.
‘who left the water running’ in a duet with WC Clarke and Marcia Ball is stupendous.
Delbert McClinton - Old Weakness (Coming on Strong) has seen a few artists cover it. From Glenn Campbell’s ex, Tanya tucker, to Etta James.
Delbert gets the nod on this tune. Regardless, its on his ‘one of the Fortunate Few” album. It may be on a live disc too.
As prolific musicians, song writers, as were Bob Zimmerman, and John Cash, yet another likewise spirit came to be in the name of Stevland Hardaway Judkins albeit in a slightly different musical vein.
Aka Stevie Wonder has a lengthy list of serious hits that have been cross over hits, and even his covers of pop and RB tunes revitalized RB and Pop music classics. Wonder’s originality, innovative genius .and ground breaking string of hits hru the ‘70s set new records for Motown and Popular music. Regularly his songs have charted on RB, Pop, and Soul hit lists simultaneously. "My Cherie Amour," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Superstition," "Living in the City," "Boogie on Reggae Woman “That Girl" and "Part-Time Lover.", ""Higher Ground," "Sir Duke" (a Duke Ellington tribute)and "I Just Called to Say I Love You," "Ebony and Ivory"
Wonder covered Dylan and sent two of Bob’s songs to the top of the RB charts with Blowing in the wind and ‘I was made to love her’.
Wonder’s songs have illustrated underlined, or shaded the lives of those who lived the sixties and seventies. His continued works well into the ‘00s are sheer ‘profundity’ as David Crosby said.
The people that have covered Wonders cuts are on par with Dylan’s, and in a word, expansive.
Regardless, I still love the originals with so very few exceptions. Dolly’s Dylan cuts are very nice, and late coming alternate Doobie brothers Singer piano player Michael McDonald does more than fair justice to a few of Stevie’s tunes on his tribute to Motown album.
John Cash does not get the value he so decidedly deserves much of the time. Cash’s style and those who influenced his works lay deeply into the ravines rivers, highways, rural routes, and winding streams that criss cross our country, and the music we find in bluegrass, blues, folk, and Americana. Everyone from all walks of the music industry were affected to some extent by these roots performers rail riders, and they echoed the times of their lives in honest earnest and always unique soulful hard biting summaries of America’s life, strife, loves, and its simple beauties with refreshing . Openness and candor.
Cash like Dylan, used his platform to voice support for or against many unpopular social issues including racism and war.
John Cash could communicate with anyone in person or thru his works. His songs spoke to people, beyond their minds and into their hearts. That unmitigated spiritual connection is always the sign of greatness.
“Dressed In Black” and “Kindred Spirits”, are both Tribute albums to John Cash and his body of work compiled with various artists from several musical heritages.
the Cover of big River by Hank Jr. is outstanding.
Bruce springsteen covers John’s Give my Love to Rose as well and as big a tear jerker as any song I’ve ever heard.
Travis Tritt’s cover of I Walk the line is an absolute must cut to audition.
Flesh and Blood sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Emmy lou Harris, and Sheryl Crow is fantastic.
Little Richard gets it going with his version of Get Rhythm, very nice.
Jackson, although written by June carter has been covered a lot. On a Tribute album for june, ‘Anchored in Love’, Ronnie dunn and Collen Carter produce a striking duet. Hear this one it will be your fav version.
As for Bluegrass… I’ll say only…. Bill Monroe and the Carter Family. They were there when it all began. Or almost there. View the Netflix documentary ‘winding Streams’ to see more about the Carter Family and their contributions to the early days of American music.
If you have more than half a dozen Bluegrass albums in yoru collection, chances are you have a Bill Monroe tune already. If not, you have one or more directly influenced by Monroe.
