20 – Cover Versions ● Covers by Artist DAVID BOWIE (UK) Singer/songwriter David Robert Jones was born in London in 1947. Although he started out in the '60s, it was as a '70s glam/glitter artist that he found fame. Hits like 'Space Oddity' (1969), 'Fame' (1975, co-written by John Lennon), 'Ashes To Ashes' (1980) and 'Let's Dance' (1983) established him as one of rock's greats. Almost Grown (2:16) 1971 3-CD: Bowie At The Beeb [BBC-EMI 528629-2] ● UK, 2000 3-CD: Bowie At The Beeb [EMI/Virgin 7243 5 28958 2 3] ● USA, 2000 Recorded live in concert on 3 June 1971 for John Peel's radio show. Broadcast 20 June 1971. This is actually a pretty goode version. Previously unissued. Around And Around [as 'Round And Round'] (2:40) 1973 45: RCA Victor 2352 ● UK, 1973 LP: Bowie Rare [RCA PL-45406] ● West Germany, 1982 6-LP: Sound + Vision [Rykodisc 0120] ● UK, 1989 6-LP: Sound + Vision [Rykodisc 0120] ● USA, 1989 Recorded during the Ziggy Stardust sessions by Bowie (vocals), Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Woody Woodmansey (drums), this cover was originally released in April 1973 as the 'B' side of 'Drive-In Saturday'. This type of music is not my thing, so I shall refrain from commenting. See also VOLUME 4 > Cover Hits > Berry Covers on Hit Albums GLENN BOWLES (USA) Oh dear! Another Elvis imitator. Promised Land ( : ) 1982 LP: Elvis Memories [Central 820107] ● USA, 1982 BOXCAR WILLIE with the SKELETONS (USA) Lecil Travis Martin aka 'Boxcar Willie' played old-style country music. An instant smash at the 1979 Wembley International Country Festival, he became popular in Europe before people had even heard of him back home. The album below was one of a kind: a little different from his usual style – which was pure country – this was rockabilly. The Skeletons were D. Clinton Thompson (guitar), Kelly Brown and Joe Terry (keyboards), Lou Whitney (bass) and Bobby Lloyd Hicks (drums). Martin died in 1999, aged 67. Maybellene (2:42) 1993 Memphis, Tennessee [as 'Memphis'] (2:50) 1993 CD: Rocky Box [Gem BW-18207] ● USA, 1993 'Maybellene' really rocks. The first guitar solo is very similar to the one Berry himself did on the Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll movie soundtrack. 'Memphis' uses the Rivers arrangement. Ol' Boxcar sings extremely well. See also SKELETONS PETE BOY (Finland) Country artist. Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 1993 (live) CD: Pete Boy's Party At Café 52 [Snowflake PBCD-3910] ● UK, 1993 BOYS (Austria) I remember reading somewhere that they were from Scotland. However, if that's so, the singer on this Berry number can't speak his own language! There was a UK group called the Boys who had a single out on Parlophone in 1963 and another on Pye in 1964, but it seems this particular outfit came from Austria. 1094 20 – Cover Versions ● Covers by Artist Rock And Roll Music (2:16) 1965 45: International N- 3038 ● West Germany, 1965 EP: The Boys [Belter 51.401] ● Spain, 1965 As far as I know this cover was only released in West Germany and Spain. BOYS (UK) See YOBS JOHN BRACK (Switzerland) Country singer. You Never Can Tell [as 'C'est la Vie'] (5:30) 1989 CD: Country Highlights [Ariola Express 295 730] ● Switzerland, 1989 Quite an ordinary version even though Brack gathered some very fine musicians for this project including Brent Rowan (guitar), Ron Oates (keyboards), Sonny Garrish (dobro and steel guitar), Bob Wray (bass) and Jerry Kroon (drums) and others. Recorded at Scruggs Sound Studio Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. PHIL BRADY & THE RANCHERS (UK) This country outfit recorded for various labels from the '60s onwards, including Decca, Polydor, Rex and Strike. Memphis, Tennessee [as 'Memphis'] (2:06) 1968 LP: Brady Country [Hallmark HM-585] ● UK, 1968 DARYL BRAITHWAITE (Australia) Ex-frontman for the group Sherbet, born in Melbourne in 1949. He remains one of Australia's most successful pop singers. Promised Land ( : ) 1988 45: CBS 653029-7 ● Australia, 1988 3-CD: The Great Daryl Braithwaite [Rajon Music CDR-0258] ● Australia, 2004 BONNIE BRAMLETT & THE MR. GROOVE BAND (USA) White R&B/soul/rock singer born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell in Alton, Illinois in 1944. She moved to Memphis in the early '60s, where she backed performers like Fontella Bass and Albert King and later became a member of the Ikettes. In 1967 she moved to Los Angeles and met Delaney Bramlett, whom she married. They had a string of hits together in the early '70s. She has also released several solo albums since 1973. No Particular Place To Go (3:22) 2006 CD: Roots, Blues & Jazz [Zoho Roots ZM-20060] ● USA, 2006 This is a very cool and unusual version, not the rock thing one might have expected. NERO BRANDENBURG (West Germany) Singer/actor born in Berlin in 1941. My Ding-A-Ling [as 'Dingeling'] (4:15) 1972 45: Bellaphon BL-11233 ● West Germany, 1972 (picture sleeve) Various Artists LP: 16 Faschingsklassiker [Bellaphon, unknown cat no] ● West Germany, 1972 Various Artists CD: 16 Faschingsklassiker [Warner Bros, unknown cat no] ● Germany, 2007 This is credited 'Trad./Bearb.: Christian Hellburg/Jo Plée' and is even more hopeless than Berry's own version! But is it a cover? The music is different from Berry's and the lyrics are in German. My Ding-A-Ling [as 'Dingeling '74'] ( : ) 1974 45: Hansa 13073 ● West Germany, 1974 (picture sleeve) 1095 20 – Cover Versions ● Covers by Artist PAUL BRANDT (Canada) Country singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Calgary, Alberta in 1972. He was signed by Reprise in 1996 and his first two singles entered the US Country Top Ten. His debut album, 'Calm Before The Storm', went gold. Run Rudolph Run (2:53) 1999 CD: A Paul Brandt Christmas – Shall I Play For You [Warner Bros. WB-47264] ● Canada, 1999 Actually a rather dull version, quite ordinary and without any sparkle.. BRANSON BROTHERS (USA) Contemporary country ensemble. Promised Land (2:24) 1992 CD: Heartmender [Warner Bros. 2-26979] ● USA, 1992 DICK BRAVE & THE BACKBEATS (Canada) Dick Brave (real name Richard Leoncoeur Jr) hails from Vancouver. He formed this rockabilly revival group during the '90s with Italian Canadian Adriano Batolba (guitar), Mike Scott (piano) and the Hanson brothers, Phillip X. (double bass) and Matthew L. (drums). After playing gigs in their homeland, they moved to Europe. In 2002, they recorded the album 'Dick This', which was released the following year. In 2004, they undertook a big tour of Germany. Come On (2:22) 2011 CD+DVD: Rock & Roll Therapy [RCA/Sony Music CD-95926 / CD+DVD-96123] ● UK, 2011 Solid and goode version. BREAD & BUTTER (West Germany) Too Much Monkey Business ( : ) 1980 LP: Authentic Rock'n'Roll [Tonstudio Bieber 501/80] ● West Germany, 1980 ASA BREBNER & FRIENDS (USA) Roots rockers from Boston, Massachusetts. Bye Bye Johnny (2:47) 2006 (live) CD: Abbey Lode [Hi-n-Dry, no cat no] ● USA, 2006 Rockin' version. JIM BREEDLOVE (USA) Black R&B singer and former member of R&B quintet the Cues, who recorded for Jubilee and Capitol in the mid-'50s. Rock And Roll Music (2:18) 1958 EP: Rock'n'Roll Music [RCA Camden CAE-447] ● USA, 1958 LP: Rock'n'Roll Hits [RCA Camden CAL-430] ● USA, 1958 An album of rock'n'roll standards with strange arrangements that lose some of the original feeling – but the vocals are goode. See also VOLUME 2 > Influence on Other Artists > Album titles based on Chuck Berry lyrics (page 733) JAKE BRENNAN & THE CONFIDENCE MEN (USA) Actor/singer/songwriter/guitarist from Boston. I Want To Be Your Driver (3:30) 2003 5-track CD single: Believe Me [Jack of Hearts JOH-CD-1001] ● USA, 2003 Brennan gives the song a nice, raw touch with a staccato rhythm pattern in the verses and effective guitar work. The CD also includes a video trailer for his forthcoming Singer – Songriot DVD. 1096 20 – Cover Versions ● Covers by Artist DAVID BREWER (USA) Blues singer/songwriter/guitarist from Seattle with Native American heritage who's been on the scene for almost 40 years. He has had songs covered by people like the late Carey Bell, Britain's Long John Baldry and Canada's Colin James. Nadine (5:14) 1990 (with the Intimidators) CD: Bad Habits [private pressing] ● USA, 1990 Included on his debut album, this is a very powerful interpretation of the Berry classic, with shouted vocals not unlike John Fogerty's, and screaming guitar. This version stands out being different from all others! I like it when they do that. However, it would never have been a hit done this way. You Never Can Tell (2:56) 2005 (with the Intimidators) CD: Absolutely [private pressing] ● USA, 2005 I am sure he'd been listening to Cajun music, as this has a very similar arrangement to songs by Jo-El Sonnier (who, by the way, also covered this Berry classic in 1998). You Can't Catch Me ( : ) 2008 CD: Ghost Dance [private pressing] ● USA, 2008 This sounds a little woolly and doesn't do the song justice. TERESA BREWER (USA) Singer born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio in 1931. She topped the pop charts in 1950 with 'Music! Music! Music!' and again in 1953 with 'Till I Waltz Again With You'. However, she was really a jazz singer and later recorded with Duke Ellington and other legends in the jazz field. She died in 2007, aged 76. School Day [as 'School Days'] (2:51) 1973 (disco version) 45: Amsterdam AM-85027 ● USA, 1973 LP: Music, Music, Music [Amsterdam AM-12013] ● USA, 1973 45: Signature WS4-04654 ● USA, 1984 LP: Teresa Brewer In London [Signature FW-39421] ● USA, 1984 This Berry cover recorded in London and produced by Bob Thiele has an unusual arrangement and sounds really different.