Has anyone covered *your* songs? Have you covered acts that aren't famous?

SMASH · #1 12-27-2008, 05:33 PM

A lot of us play in cover bands performing famous songs, but have any of you had your songs covered?

Or have you covered local or very obscure acts because they're so good they deserve it, or their tune can get people dancing, even if no one has really heard of the band?

If so, let's hear about it.

I've been covered a few times, sort-of, via a few different bands I've been in.

One of my gigs is with a pop singer who is on the radio now, & a few kids have put home-made videos for her tunes online, and vids of acoustic covers of her single. Pretty neat. I didn't co-write it though.

One time a rock band I was in got some regular radio play in different cities, and I'd hear from bands that were doing covers in their sets, and even saw a TAB request for a tune of ours online. The "single" was a tune I had written the music for.

The coolest was getting a letter years ago from some kids saying they were sorry for shoplifting an ep I'd done (written and performed), and that it was a big hit at their parties so would I mind if they covered some a couple of tunes at gigs? I told them to rock-on and have fun with it, of course.

On the flipside my wife and I like to perform covers of our fave local bands. Another time I put together & released a CD of local acts doing covers of this one local multi-instrumentalist who'd be putting out great solo albums on the down-low for years just giving them to friends. Some of the covers people contributed were wonderfully radical versions, which showed people really cared and put some thought and time into it. He was very touched by it, which was cool since he's given so much to the scene and has played in so many cool bands.

You?

baalroo · #2 12-27-2008, 06:41 PM

Cool story, what "pop artist" and what "single?"

My band might be involved in a new project that's being tossed around of local DIY artists recording covers of each other's tunes for a compilation album. Pretty fun idea I think. The DIY scene here is pretty diverse but "close knit" so it'll make for some strange cover tunes.

KsToaDangr · #3 12-27-2008, 07:37 PM

a hardcore punk band i was in about 7 or 8 years ago recorded a 3 song 7 inch, and all three songs have been covered by the band that used to open for us. A few weeks ago, they asked me up on stage at one of their shows to play 2 of them. The lead singer told me later "we would have gotten you up there for all three, but I didn't know you were here when we played the first one"

RockNRollAl · #4 12-28-2008, 03:01 AM

The rest of my band has covered my songs.

Any "original" band is really a cover band - unless ALL of the members write the songs together. Using "original" is just hype...

mike_v_s · #5 12-28-2008, 08:52 PM

No band I have been in has ever had a huge following. Nonetheless, one of the bands I was in used to enjoy playing other local acts songs if they were in the crowd. I can admit this story was dumb.

Mike

**peabody** · #6 12-29-2008, 09:10 AM

One of the bands we cover is a country rock band from the '70's/'80's called Heartsfield. Similar to a Pure Prairie League or Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Heartsfield hailed from the Chicago area and had a couple of FM hits in the 70's and 80's. They were an unbelievable band...great vocals, fantastic musicians and terrific songwriters (and they have since re-formed with some new members). Our lead guitar player has always been a huge fan and he has even played a couple times with them now that they've reformed. We still do 5 or 6 songs of theirs a night.

Their "hits" included, Music Eyes, The Only Time I'm Sober, Shine On, Let The Music Play, I'm Coming Home, Just That Wind, House of Living, etc. Here's their website http://www.heartsfield.com

Of course, my greatest memory is seeing Heartsfield for the very first time. I was 14 (I'm 49 now) and attending my very first concert (they were backing up Three Dog Night). That was probably the first night I ever smelled marijuana, so that may explain many things.....

BahamaBass · #7 12-29-2008, 10:23 AM

nysbob · #8 12-29-2008, 10:42 AM

My band Psychodots actually had a number of local bands and solo artists do our music one night (we had released several CDs worth of our own tunes) - it was like one of those "tribute" shows.

It was truly a flattering and humbling experience. I'll never forget it.

Hoover · #9 12-29-2008, 11:08 AM

I've heard two or three artists cover my tunes, but since these artists were all personal friends (and definitely *not* big stars) it didn't seem like such a big deal. An honor, yes, but not a big deal.

One of the rock bands I play in now covers several tunes by a local act called East River Pipe. I'm not sure who's more obscure, us or them! (Actually it's not "them", East River Pipe is one guy.)

23035002509452 · #10 12-29-2008, 08:44 PM

I have played songs from a previous band i was in with my current band, does that count?

dave64o · #11 12-30-2008, 11:31 AM

Never heard anyone cover any originals I wrote or co-wrote.

When I was in college in the early- and mid-80's the band I was in covered several songs from a local band that was just hitting it biog nationally and is still pretty big internationally, especially in Europe and Japan (The Hooters). Back then they had played a lot of shows on our campus in the previous several years and had just put out their first nationally released album so we always got a great reaction playing their songs.

We were also working on a few songs by another local act that was up and coming and eventually did get national exposure in the late 80's - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. When I was a senior he was headlining a show we played in and while we were on we saw him sit down off to the side of the stage and watch. After we were done and tearing down he was joking around with us and asked why we played Hooters songs but none of his. We told him we were working on some of his but decided to not play them since we hadn't gotten confident playing them yet - and with him watching we were REALLY glad we made that decision.