Please enjoy these two beautiful tracks… Each of which are females covering classics tunes that were originally done by male vocalists:

Sound of Silence – Emiliana Torrini

Emiliana Torrini

With Icelandic vocals we remember from the haunting Gollum’s Song from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Emiliana Torrini takes us through the classic Simon & Garfunkel track made popular via the film The Graduate. Recorded in 1996 for an Icelandic compilation of covers in which she also contributed her renditions of The Rolling Stones’ Ruby Tuesday, and Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. The crystal clear female vocals, with the adorable Icelandic accent combine to give this old tune new life. Still beautiful and powerful, just as the original, but with fuller instrumentation, including a distant, almost G’n'R electric guitar accompaniment.

Space Oddity – Emilie Simon

Recorded for the 2007 tribute to David Bowie, Bowiemania, Emilie Simon’s cover of Space Oddity is so hauntingly beautiful, that it has the power to pull my attention from whereever it may be to the sad tale of the lost astronaught Major Tom. The story is the same as when the Thin White Duke told it, Major Tom loses communication with Earth, and is left to float through space for the rest of his days. Emilie’s soft and pure vocals give this already powerful tune, more emotion and sad beauty.

In this very emotional edition of Cover-licious, I pay tribute to those salty droplets of water that only love could have summoned. The tears of love, the only ones that really matter.

Crying – Roy Orbison

I had to include Roy Orbison’s beautiful original of this song. His powerful voice is so full of emotion in this song that you believe that he was feeling that pain each time he sang this song. There is no other like Roy Orbison, nor will there ever be. This version of this classic tune comes from Roy Orbison’s live DVD, A Black and White Night, that included a whack of big names playing back up for the much loved and respected man, including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt. I highly recommend this DVD, both the audio and the video are well worth the time.

Llorando – Rebekah Del Rio

Featured both on Rebekah Del Rio’s second release, All My Life, as well as on the Mulholland Drive Soundtrack, this stunningly beautiful Spanish rendition of Orbison’s classic will grab your heart, and make you feel a little like crying yourself. Rebekah Del Rio’s powerful vocals stand alone, in large concert hall sound, requiring no accompaniment. Check out Rebekah Del Rio story beind the song Llorando (Crying) on her website.

Cry (Extended Remix) – Godley & Creme

This 1985 Top 40 hit was the only hit in America for the duo Kevin Godley and Lol Creme who started making records after their pop band 10cc disbanded. This remixwas included on the single. While the track definitely has that 80s feel that is so loved these days, it maintains staying power through the emotion and soul that come through both the lyrics and music.

Cry – The Philosopher Kings

The Canadian band, The Philosopher Kings, covered Godely & Creme’s track for their 1997 album, Famous, Rich and Beautiful. Their updated version carries the powerful emotions of the original, but adds a little more with Jamaican born Jarvis Church (Gerald Eaton)’s soulful voice. While I like the original, I prefer this version.

Float On – Ben Lee

John Tucker Must Die Soundtrack (2006)

Originally released by Modest Mouse in February 2004 on their forth album Good News for People Who Love Bad News, this ditty is about floating through life, even when we hit bumps in the road:

Bad news comes don’t you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans

Such a nice sentiment; an outlook on life I hope to keep.

This melodic version of the now classic track was done by Ben Lee for the Soundtrack for John Tucker Must Die in 2006. Ben Lee has had an accomplished career thus far in his native land, Australia, and is now gaining popularity in North America since his newest albium Ripe was released a year ago. It just so happens to be Lee’s birthday… Happy Birthday Ben Lee! Welcome to your 30′s!

Some Candy Talking – Chris Whitley

(1984)

Chris Whitley’s version of this song, originally by The Jesus and Mary Chain, is a radical departure. Where the original is light and airy, Whitley’s version dark and visceral. The raw power of lust is unmistakable in Whitley’s voice, despite the heavy use of euphemisms in the lyrics.

I had the pleasure of both meeting Chris Whitley, and seeing him perform live before he left us in 2005. He showed my friend a few tricks on the slide guitar in the Victoria hot spot of the time, Legends, where he played later that night. A very skillful guitar player, and thoughtful song writer. Rest in peace Chris Whitley, you will not be forgotten!

Disarm – Amie Miriello

(1984)

I recently found this version of Disarm by Amie Miriello that she, according to her myspace blog has made for a Smashing Pumpkins tribute album. The powerful bells and bass drum of the original have been replaced with the acoustic guitar and Miriello’s beautiful voice. This version is well worth a listen, perhaps it will lead you to explore her album I Came Around which was released just last week.

If you are hungry for some more Smashing Pumpkins, run out and get Guitar Hero® World Tour when it’s released in late October. They have contributed songs to newest incarnation of the popular game, including a brand new single, G.L.O.W., as an exclusive download.

This post is the first in a multi-part tribute to great cover versions from any time and any place. I love when an artist takes a song made popular by another and redoes it, not in the same old way as the original version, but in a fresh, and new way; completely making it their own. I dedicate this series to those who are brave to take a great song of another, and put out their own unique version of it for all to hear, and judge against the original. On with the covers!

You Really Got a Hold On Me – She & Him

Volume One (2008)

This is the best version of this song I have heard since the big and beautiful blond, Bonnie Bramlett, belted out the classic on the picnic table in the Conner back yard during an early episode of Rosanne. Originally written by Smokey Robinson in 1962, the song embodies the pleasureful pain that comes from loving someone so much it hurts. The collaboration by actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, She & Him, brought us the album Volume One in March 2008. This track is my favorite from the album. It showcases the beautiful vocals of Deschanel in a stunning duet with Ward, with the unobtrusive yet divine acoustic guitar accompaniment that takes the listener to the place where Robinson must have been when he penned this classic.

Don’t Come Around Here No More – Vampire Weekend

The young up and comers Vampire Weekend with Andrew W.K. gave props to the legend Tom Petty a week or so ago in Central Park, NYC, by doing their version of “Don’t Come Around Here No More”. I have much loved the musical offerings from Tom Petty for many years, since my sister gave me a copy of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits for Christmas in ’93. I fully share Vampire Weekend’s sentiment when they proclaim Tom Petty as a “true fucking poet”! Rock on!

I was originally planning on including the very easy to get track Scarlett Johansson’s versions “Falling Down” by Tom Waits, because I, an avid Waits fan, enjoy her refreshing feminine renditions of Waits’ crookedly strange lyrics… but, I recently discovered AM/PM/FM seem to have received a cease and desist order for posting about her album, so I won’t do that! To think I was going to add her as a friend on myspace! Gosh!

Watch for more editions of Cover-liscious on Road 2 Nowhere in the future!