Just another false alarm...

I don't always enjoy the game in I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue where one song is sung to the tune of another, but one recently aired episode hit on a true classic: The Smiths' "Girlfriend In A Coma" done to the tune of "Tiptoe Through The Tulips". There's something about the true music hall fervour with which Tony Hawks sings 'Do yooooo... really think she'll pull through?' which is really magic. It left me picturing him wearing a top hat and holding a cane in both hands, while strolling across a stage and smiling evilly; an image both delightful and slightly terrifying. If anyone wants to hear a copy of this, drop me a note and I'll send it to you...

Not quite the same, but I've also always enjoyed songs covered in new genres, particularly country-style covers. One of my favourites in this category is The Gourds' cover of Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" - country music never previously sounded quite this low down and dirty - but thanks to Lorna, I've also just discovered Hayseed Dixie's fun bluegrass cover of Motorhead's "The Ace of Spades". Fiddles and banjos run wild... It looks like Hayseed Dixie devotes itself to this kind of thing in general, so the band may be one to watch out for for all those "rockgrass" fans out there (and I know you are many). Another, more alt.country, classic is M Ward's lounge piano/acoustic guitar version of Bowie's "Let's Dance". Truly beautiful.

I've written here before about how much I like Cat Power's folky, chorus-less cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", but for truly bizarre genre-crossing Stones covers no one can beat industrial band Laibach (whose catchphrase might as well be 'exploring the fascist undertones of pop music'), who did an entire album of covers of "Sympathy For The Devil", some of which sound truly diabolical. Nevertheless, given the right inspiration, making a very different song your own seems to be a pretty good bet if you must do cover songs...