Best and Worst disco cover version

[discohunter]

One thing I've noticed, is that there are alot of original compositions, but also a lot of tracks that have been covered and made in a disco version.

What would you rate as the best and the worst?

Examples:

Linda Clifford - Bridge Over Troubled Water
P'zzazz - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Ritz - Locomotion
Boystown gang - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

the worst for me is:
Tuxedo Junction - Chattanooga Choo Choo (awful!)

discohunter

[DISCODISK]

DISCOHUNTER i dont want to talk about the bad ones as it can be too painful a subject, one you mentioned is already making me feel ill :lol: but two GOOD ones from the mid 70s
THE TEMPREES-AT LAST-we produce
RONNIE WALKER-MAGICS IN THE AIR-event (sweet sweet philly disco soul,check it in the 'philly ear candy' c.d :P

[Nano]

Then I'll put some of the worst IMHO:

-"School" (Supertramp) by THE RAES
-"Out of time" (Rolling Stones) by CHARISMA
-"Do it again" (Steely Dan) by CLAUDJA BARRY

:D

[sfbeary]

i think the worst disco crimes ever committed were almost always in the form of cover versions. these are among the worst of many:

Wonder Band - Whole Lotta Love (Led Zep)

Ringo Starr - Drowning In a Sea of Love (Joe Simon)


here are two Motown cover versions that work against all odds:

Buffalo Smoke - Stubborn Kind of Fella

Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

[nrgbeat]

One of the worst is "This Time Baby" by Pandella.

[Mario]

Hi Guys...I hope I don't offend someone out there by offering my two cents :-? I've always loved Carol Douglas, but I couldn't "stand" her cover versions of "Dancing Queen" and "Night Fever" :x Now her other work was great, so I'll forgive her... :lol: Take Care All Mario 8)

[markydefad]

Magda Layna's cover of "When Will I See You Again" (on Moby Dick Records from SF) is pretty dreadful. :evil:

She was a Troc regular from what I've read. I'm guessing she was their link to the Columbia drug cartel. Hence, her "recording" career. :lol: :lol: :lol:

While not the "worst"...Linda Clifford's cover of the Broadway show tune "If My Friends Could See Me Now" (from "Sweet Charity") always annoyed me. Too hyper, forced... cheesy...a Fan Queen (I Wanna Be a ShowGirl) delight, however. Everything she did after that was an improvement.

[sirius]

Dear Friends!
There is really an endless list of DiscoCoverVersions but
I like the most of them...here are some faves:
LINDA CLIFFORD"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
SYLVESTER"Fever"
EMILY WOODS"Venus"
CYNTHIA WOODARD"California Dreamin´"
AMII STEWART"Light My Fire"
and so many others...
The most terrible cover-version I have is "Hey Jude" by
SUZANNE DENY...
The interesting thing with this cover-versions is the some-
times real craze-instrumentation and certainly effects.
Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES...

[discosavvy]

Mark, you're right, the disco version of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is really too quick and sugary. It was frightening when I watched Pink Lady's rendition from early 1980 on their short-lived disco-oriented television variety show. The music sounded just as silly as Linda Clifford's version. I prefer sugary covers like "Up on the Roof" by Viola Wills and "Mahogany" by the Sylvers. Maybe it's the degree of sugar that matters.

I don't usually like disco versions of old songs, because so many of them were done for money rather than quality reasons, but here are some that I especially like:

1. Montana Orchestra - "Fly Me to the Moon" (1978)
2. Inner Life - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1981)
3. Donna Summer - "Could It Be Magic" (1976)
4. Melba Moore - "You Stepped Into My Life" (1978)
5. Gloria Gaynor - "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1974)

"Again" by the Night People (1980) is sometimes played on World Disco Radio Community (Radio WDRC), and it has its charm. That was originally a hit back in 1949. Disco Spectacular's version of "Good Morning Starshine", from the musical "Hair", is rather interesting too. Frankie Valli's disco version of "Our Day Will Come" from 1975 was pretty good and despite it being a top 20 hit it never gets included on any disco compilations! Salazar made some cool versions of old 1960s songs for First American Records in 1980-1982. Their versions of "Let's Hang On" and "Lightnin' Strikes" are worth a listen if you like those songs. I wonder what they did with "Hang On, Sloopy" in 1982?

Café Crème's "Unlimited Citations - The Beatles Disco Medley" is more listenable than Stars on 45's Beatles medley, IMHO, and certainly better than "Beatlemania" by D.B.M.

Here are some that should have never been made:
"All or Nothing at All (Disco Version)" by Frank Sinatra (1995)
"Here Comes the Night" by the Beach Boys (1979)
"There's No Business Like Show Business" by Ethel Merman (1979)
"Love Me Tonight" and "Walk Away Renee" by Pink Lady (1979)
"Otis Redding Medley" by Syl Johnson (1979)
"MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer (1978)
"1-2-3" by Wayne Newton (1977)
"This Empty Place" by Stephanie Mills (1975)

COOLEST ODDITIES:

Boots Clements - "Yippy-i-aye Yippy-i-yo (Ghostriders in the Sky)" (1981) - southwestern country classic

Goombay Dance Band - "Aloha-Oe, Until We Meet Again" (1980) - Hawaiian traditional tune

Cab Calloway - "Minnie the Moocher (Disco Version)" (1977) - the fun '30s jazz tune

Adriano Celentano - "People" (1979) - disco version of the 1964 Barbra Streisand song that goes "people who need people are the luckiest people in the world"

I like the above 4 songs because each is unlike any other disco song you've heard!

[Nano]

Now I'll choose some cover versions I like:

-"Venus" by THE SHOCKING BLUE
-"Mac Arthur Park" by DONNA SUMMER
-"Because the night" (Patti Smith-Bruce Springsteen) by MIGHTY POPE
-"Knock on wood" (Hayes-Porter) by AMII STEWART
-"Band a gong" (Marc Bolan) by WITCH QUEEN
-"96 tears" by THELMA HOUSTON (12")

[markydefad]

OK, some covers I think are good.

La Vie En Rose - Grace Jones (originally a hit for Edith Piaf)
Groove Me - Fern Kinney (King Floyd)
Sing, Sing, Sing - Charlie Callello Orchestra (Benny Goodman)
Walking On Sunshine - Rocker's Revenge (Eddy Grant)
Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes)
La Bamba - Antonia Rodriguez (Ritchie Valens)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda (The Animals)
Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer (The Elgins)
Can't Turn You Loose/Block Party - Anthony White (Otis Redding)
Touch Me In The Morning - Marlena Shaw (Diana Ross)
Forever Came Today - Jackson Five (Diana Ross & The Supremes)
Begin The Beguine - Johnny Mathis (Cole Porter standard)
This Time Baby - Jackie Moore (The O'Jays)
Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart - The Trammps (Judy Garland)
What a Diff 'rence A Day Makes - Esther Phillips (Dinah Washington)
Hi-Jack - Herbie Mann (Barrabas)
Could It Be Magic - Donna Summer (Barry Manilow/Chopin)
This Is the House Where Love Died - Pattie Brooks (First Choice)
Girl Don't Make Me Wait - Pattie Brooks (Bunny Sigler)

THE WORST:

Baby Face - Wing & A Prayer....
Singing In The Rain - Sheila & B. Devotion

& some more of those old Big Band/Broadway/Hollywood standards that were disoc-tized in the rush to get on the "Disco Bandwagon" in the heady days of 1975-1976.

You know their names.

[BobbyNunn]

"don't stop til you get enough" by king of house :D :D :D :D i'm jokin' don't be afraid lol lol hahahaah

[SandraDee]

I love almost any discotized versions of crappy old songs (including Sheila's Singin In The Rain & Linda's If My Friends...sorry guyz!); they're always an improvement; I personally think every song ever written should've been covered in a disco style preferably with sindrums, strings, analogue sequecers & girly vocals (& I'm not being ironic...sorry! :-? ) My world can never get enough disco!! :P

[markydefad]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I love almost any discotized versions of crappy old songs (including Sheila's Singin In The Rain & Linda's If My Friends...sorry guyz!); they're always an improvement; I personally think every song ever written should've been covered in a disco style preferably with sindrums, strings, analogue sequecers & girly vocals (& I'm not being ironic...sorry! :-? ) My world can never get enough disco!! :P

Ah Sandy Dee....so you're a secret FAN (I Wanna Be A Showgirl) QUEEN, eh???? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now why am I NOT surprised???? :P

Do you have a feathered headdress like Lola?...she was a Showgirl, too. And a boyfriend named Tony?

p.s. Watch out for Rico--he wears a diamond. He's trouble, FYI. :P

[SandraDee]

All the things you say are true Blanchy but what I don't get is that there was blood & a single gun shot but just who shot who ? :-? My feathered head dress hasn't had an airing since I appeared in the promo video for Pet Shop Boys' 'What Have I Done To Deserve This'; I just don't get the demand for it any more. :cry: