Borrowed a friend’s car last week and the Sirius radio channel was on a classic rock station. I liked classic rock plenty back when it wasn’t classic yet, and can still feel that warm pulsing of nostalgia when a Millennial or Gen X wedding DJ finally sees fit to placate the Grayhairs in attendance by playing something dance-able from that era. (I make a habit of imploring them to play Motown; they always nod agreeably but then don’t…)
So I listened along a while as the heavily algorithmed playlist churned out standard ’60s-’70s fare from the likes of the Bee Gees, Buffalo Springfield, Simon & Garfunkel, et al.
And after a few more, I came to a sudden, definitive realization that shocked me at the time, but which I could then and there boil down to one dismaying word: Boring.
Not all of it, by any means, and not because it was bad music. (Well, some of it was, and I am lookin’, for but one example, at you, The Monkees…)
But the problem was I had heard most of the songs way, wayyy too much over far too many years, and there was just nothing left in them for me. Played unto death.
And then on came Linda Ronstadt, covering Little Anthony & the Imperials’ 1964 Top 10 hit, “Hurt So Bad,” which she later charted at #8 from her 1980 album, “Mad Love.” I’d never heard it before and immediately felt drawn to crank up the volume to fully experience her burning the house down in that smoldering, heart-wrung Linda Ronstadt way.
Which got me thinking: “Ahhhhhh, covers!”
Maybe, come to think of it, there’d be every good reason to hear “For What It’s Worth” for the two-millionth time if it could be made fresh, filtered through the sieve of a different sensibility that could cast new, heretofore unexplored light on the original.
Matter of fact, maybe the world could use a radio station, a “Bridge II,” devoted only to covers of all the classic rock I never listen to anymore. Or music from any other bygone era, actually—long as it was a worthy song to begin with, made even more interesting later on by the efforts of a creative interpreter.
And since I have no idea how to start a radio station but do know a bit about blog posts, I have a proposal: Why don’t we try this for a while as a complement to the “Brilliant Songs” series started here six years and 47 songs ago?
(Yes, recommendations for particularly scintillating covers of songs are warmly accepted in the Comments section below or at andrew@andrewhidas.com. If they wind up going digital here, you will be duly acknowledged, and I will happily “cover” a refreshment of your choice next time you’re in Durham.)
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Riding in the car with my friends Jeanette and Mary the other day discussing this idea led to my annual “Songs of Summer” series, which I let die last year after a 10-year run. Mostly, I felt like I’d used up most of the great songs and was left only with remainders that lacked enough interest to rise above the dreaded label, “boring.” (See above.)
In any case, Jeanette casually mentioned that her own favorite summer song is “Under the Boardwalk,” by the constantly rotating cast of R&B singers known as The Drifters. The song debuted in 1965 and was written by Kenny Young and Artie Resnick.
After searching the primary database of my own memory for a moment or two, I could not remember ever hearing a cover of the song. Whether this was because of my own bad luck or artists just steering clear of this impeccably rendered summertime gem, I did not know.
Turns out it was the former, because once I started scrolling You Tube it revealed a bumper crop of versions made anew by artists famous, almost famous, and still-to-become-somewhat famous.
Among the latter were these North Carolina lads below, with their completely unassuming yet authoritative honoring of the song by incorporating a coastal setting, a surprise mandolin, and the kind of fresh-faced innocence that could see them pull off a song, sans blanche or smirk, about a passionate, semi-public dalliance under the footsteps of beachgoers, even if the singers themselves seem barely beyond puberty.
It’s quite a feat, and the good news is that Josh Turner and Carson McKee are a good 11 years older today (having registered 1 million+ listens to their “Boardwalk”), and still active as can be in the music world. As of four days ago, McKee conducted a livestream “Fund an LP” session that has drawn 4,400 views, and Turner posted a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” a mere two days ago that has so far totaled 90,000 views.
Little wonder, given the accomplished treatment they offered as homage to this megahit from their parents’ generation.
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That find served as my gateway to sidle right up cooing to a number of other covers of “Boardwalk,” whiling away a long summer afternoon with the joys of discovery and appreciation for what varied artists can do to make any given piece of music their own. So consider the following to be bonus tracks, viewable at your leisure or not at all, in whatever musical cocoon might beckon you. We still have 64 days of summer remaining to us, ya know…
So: I find the slapdash camera work and playful meanderings of the group members here to be irresistible, befitting the streetside stage they have commandeered for an afternoon’s goofy fun. Their story: https://coverstorydoowop.com/full-band
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For pure vocal talent and somehow managing to outdo the song’s inherent breezy, relaxed vibe, hard to beat this…
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And finally, one could make the case for this being the most original and inventive cover of “Under the Boardwalk,” but then that is the same as saying, “And here’s the Rickie Lee Jones version…” Enjoy!
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Comments? Questions? Suggestions, Objections, Attaboys? Just scroll on down to the Comments section below. No minimum or maximum word counts!
Check out this blog’s public page on Facebook for 1-minute snippets of wisdom and other musings from the world’s great thinkers and artists, accompanied by lovely photography. https://www.facebook.com/andrew.hidas/
Deep appreciation to the photographers! Unless otherwise stated, some rights reserved under Creative Commons licensing.
Elizabeth Haslam, whose photos (except for the books) grace the rotating banner at top of page.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizhaslam/
Library books photo by Larry Rose, all rights reserved, contact: larry@rosefoto.com
Man and woman figurines by Rachel, Illinois https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelpasch/
Boardwalk by Theen Moy, Adelaide, Australia https://www.flickr.com/photos/theenmoy/
This.Is.Briiliant.
Thank you!!! What a joyful reprieve from all the other stuff we are carrying around this summer! Brilliant idea, indeed.
A comment or two on the songs of our early teens. There are those songs which bring back a specific memory of some special event or person. Whenever I hear Andy Williams’ recording of “Moon River”, I see my mom sitting on our living room sofa watching his variety show. Whenever I hear any cuts from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, I’m lying (likely burning) on the sand of Santa Monica Beach with John, Paul, George and Ringo drowning out the surf’s sound. 59-years ago come October, my transistor radio was stuck on KFI as the great Vin Scully called another Dodger 7th game World Series’ win (Sandy Koufax struck out Bob Allison to end the game). I then flipped to KFWB where some DJ was playing the Turtles “It Ain’t Me Babe”. Carol King’s “Tapestry” will always time machine back to a bar not far from the UCLA campus where some of us gathered to jump start the weekend. Then, there were the names of some of those Rock or R&B groups which to this very day bring on a smile to my face. My favorite was Cannibal and the Headhunters. Need I say more!
Wonderful! I just came down with covid and listening to all this is helping me feel much better! I have all 4 playing at once, pure joy.
Thank you so much!
Mary: Thanks! Hoping to ride this “covers” horse for some fun and aesthetic pleasure and see how far it takes us down the road!
Angela: And on the VERY day…the Biden announcement, setting the world on fire after what I had hoped would be a respite but turned out to last only a precious few hours. Brings to mind Bertold Brecht: “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” We’ve had that play out for us in spades these past weeks.
Robert: Ahh, yes: the soundtracks of our lives. A testament to the power of music to shape consciousness and memory. Nice little playlist you’ve got going there!
Mary Graves: Sorry for your covid, please let me know if that novel healing modality of playing four versions of a great song at the same time winds up speeding your recovery! :-)
Andrew, this is brilliant! Covers–what a great concept. I shall enthusiastically begin research of some favorites from back in the day, inspired by exposure to these phenomenal choices that you have introduced. I’m at my usual spot at a local public library in Colorado Springs (on a Monday afternoon) and was unable to suppress foot tapping and head bobbing with Under The Boardwalk covers ( why even try to overrule a natural reaction to this great tune, reimagined and presented by this eclectic group of artists that you have, thankfully, discovered and shared with us. I listened to them in order of blog appearance and feel compelled to share a few impressions: Josh Turner and Carson McKee blew me away on several counts. My formative years were in Los Angeles and Under The Boardwalk, to me, conjured images of the Santa Monica pier. Seeing Turner and McKee, both so young, on a North Carolina beach provided a striking juxtaposition for my long-held images associated with this song (in addition to them being two young white guys performing in place of the Drifters!). I was struck by their talent and harmony in ways that reminded me of young versions of Lennon and McCartney. Their rendition really touched me on several levels. The NY street corner ensemble immediately had me imagining a close knit group of high school pals (you among them) who still communicate and get together 50 + years later working through our own version of this when we next gather. We certainly don’t have the musical chops to pull this off (well, maybe the one of us who was in a garage band all those years ago), but the image and pretend-it’s-possible moment provided me great joy (we could get hats and everything!). The California Honeydrops resonated strongly with my California roots and appreciaton for California hip and mellow. I’ll be searching for them on spotify at the conclusion of this writing. Thanks for the introduction. I really dislike artists who provide a version of the national anthem that strays afar from its original score. My fear was that Rikki Lee was going to take Under The Boardwalk too far out there for me. But, she did not. Oh, she got there all right, but managed to hold the core amidst her creative twists and turns. Again, thank you. Onward with more Covers!
I share the enthusiasm expressed here for the idea of favorite covers! Boardwalk was superb (especially the two “kids”, Turner and McKee) – very sweet. I would jump in here, like many of your friends/readers being a life-long music junkie, with covers of John Prine songs. He is one of our generation’s most remarkable singer/songwriters who wowed us with his wit, social commentary, and clever insights into our shared human experiences. For openers I would recommend Angel from Montgomery – tons of great versions here beginning w/Bonnie Raitt, but I am going to suggest one I bumped into from a group I’d never heard of, “Foxes and Fossils” (love the name) – check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkjFgO-v1O0 – lead singer, Sammie, really puts her heart and soul into it! Thanks again my friend for the brilliant idea!!
Hey Kevin, many thanks for Foxes and Fossils. they are terrific and I’ve now subscribed to get their work. So much great music out there and I am so thankful that people like you and Andrew are taking me places I wouldn’t otherwise have known to go.
I just got turned on to that amazing album from one of our first GOAT pop stars. Pat Boone’s, In a Metal Mood. His rendition of Jimmy Hendrix “The Wind Cries Mary, and Stairway to Heaven? You can’t beat these. I also fell in love with his rendition of “Smoke on the Water”. I do remember that when I was in 1st grade in Falls Church VA, my sister and I went around and did a house to house survey. The question was “Who is better, Pat Boone or Elvis Presley” Pat Boone won. That was in 1955/56. He is still alive I think. But I think he had been squeezed out from the best cover song album by Captain Kirk, William Shatner’s “Transformed Man”
Thanks, Jay—I find the comparison of Turner & McKee to Lennon & McCartney quite apt, and I’m sure they’d be pleased to hear it. Glad you enjoyed the others, too, cuz I couldn’t resist adding them!
Kevin, LOVE that Foxes & Fossils version of “Angel” and looking forward to whiling away even more time pursuing more of their work, which seems just stellar, both in vocals and their guitar work.
Kirk, ohhh, that Pat Boone! When I was a kid, my older sister was over the moon with him so I wound up being exposed to his work on a regular basis. Wasn’t quite sure what to make of him at the time, and that is even less so today after that long-ago turn to leather costumes and metal musical covers—wowser! Always felt like a half-kidding piece of camp, but wrapped within that truly impressive voice that would have done just fine in the Frank Sinatra-Dean Martin-Bobby Darin mold. The overall effect is kind of jarring when he’s doing “Smoke on the Water” all decked out in white, but I will take a serious look at his rocky-metal covers phase and let you know how it goes. Meanwhile, yes, he’s still alive at age 90, and as rock-ribbed of a conservative Christian as ever, preaching about the evils of homosexuality and other causes he considers to be blights on the human condition.
It was fun to be part of the genesis of this new series, Andrew! And fun also to see you transform our fun car ride chat into an interesting new thread of discovery. I do love the Turner & McKee cover of my old favorite, “Under the Boardwalk.” But witnessing your creative process was the most fun of all. p.s. Shawn Colvin does an awesome cover of Bob Dylan’s “You’re gonna make me lonesome when you go.” Covering takes courage and creativity – and enough faith in your own musicality to risk botching a classic. Fun!
Hey Jeanette, glad you raised the point of covers requiring a certain amount of bravery/faith on the part of the singer. On the one hand, you’re working with great material (wouldn’t be doing it unless you thought so), but on the other hand, you’re fighting listeners’ natural bias & tendency to prefer the first version of any song they love, and it’s a tall task to shake them off that preference. At best, you might get a “Pretty good, but can’t compare with…” and at worst, “Oh God, he really mangled that song!” But the best covers, as you suggest, incorporate the cover singer’s own creativity in making the original song their own, and it’s a pleasure for all parties when that happens. And thanks for the Shawn Colvin tip; none too familiar with her.