Interesting musical comparison...

Rami

Rami

Administrator
Staff member
Hey guys,

I'm preparing lessons for this coming year's class, and I always do one on 1950s and 60s music, especially with regard to the tendency (though not always with intent, certainly with many British bands such as The Beatles who covered these songs as a tribute) to put a white face on African-American music, until the explosion of Motown.

Elvis Presley was certainly an example of this, but some songs that I wasn't even aware of had this happen. As an example...

Most people know Herman's Hermits' cover of "I'm into something good" (This song always brings a smile to my face no matter what kind of mood that I'm in)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxDh2sYQRpo&feature=related

I had forgotten that this was actually a cover of Earl-Jean's version, formerly of the Cookies, originally written in lyrics addressed to a boy, not the other way around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxr1sXgsp1w

Mose Allison will certainly be part of my lesson, but can those who are more familiar with this topic than I provide me with some guidance here? I am only 32 after all...
 
about 40% of led zep's entire catalog is blues taken from old blues men. others who did this (to varying degrees) include eric clapton/cream, the allman bros, the animals, the stones, the guess who, the doors, and about a jillion others.

even more recently guys like monster magnet re-doing howlin wolf's "evil goin on" and you wouldn't even recognize it if you didnt know the lyrics. someone else re-did it for a tv show or something and they destroyed it. i won't even get into the hack artistry of george thorougood, who wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for guys like john lee hooker, bo didley and others.
 
Reply...

Reply,

That's one of the reason's I've never been a big Thorougood fan. I am a Zeppelin fan, and I know that Traveling Riverside Blues is a rip from the classics, but I'm not sure about other songs.
 
a big part of the most prominent rock hits come right from the willie dixon chess box collection cd.

back door man - the doors
spoonful - cream
you shook me led - zep
bring it on home - zep
evil - monster magnet, others
i can't quit you baby - zep
i just wanna make love to you - foghat

some other songs covered by zep (just off the top of my head)
when the levee breaks, babe i'm gonna leave you, whole lotta love, traveling riverside blues, and dazed and confused. (page is being sued over that one right now)
 
cheezyflier said:
about 40% of led zep's entire catalog is blues taken from old blues men. others who did this (to varying degrees) include eric clapton/cream, the allman bros, the animals, the stones, the guess who, the doors, and about a jillion others.

even more recently guys like monster magnet re-doing howlin wolf's "evil goin on" and you wouldn't even recognize it if you didnt know the lyrics. someone else re-did it for a tv show or something and they destroyed it. i won't even get into the hack artistry of george thorougood, who wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for guys like john lee hooker, bo didley and others.
Click to expand...

Yes, but even for the old bluesers it was common practice to cover about two-third of the entire material of a show.
I would call that interpretion, not hacking. There are only 12 tones to boot from, in the case of the Blues it's 5 & blue notes.:d
 
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