Ongoing cover-a-bad-song challenge

LSK · Post by **LSK** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:59 am

You know those songs that are bad not because they're overplayed, but because they're poor from a compositional standpoint? Cover one of those. And make it better, better, better, better, better, better, ah.

Nigel (spOOn) Clements · Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:37 am

I know it's not the same thing, but you may be interested in these links to previous topics. Not so much as 'cover a bad song' as cover a song that for some reason polled no votes! I always thought this was a good idea...

Dux
Dux Revisited!

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:50 pm

Can we claim some sort of tax write-off for the time spent covering a song that sucks? Or does it just come under charity work? Will Obama be interested in some faith-based effort?

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:12 pm

Looking for a bad song to cover? I love it when ppl cover my shiznit. So go for it.

The Weakest Suit · Post by **The Weakest Suit** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:33 am

me too. i've written a lot of songs that sound bad due to my performance. if anyone is interesting in covering one of my songs, i have lyric and chord sheets for all 50 of my songfight entries. i absolutely love the idiot kings cover of my first songfight song. don't everyone pm me at once, ok?

EmbersOfAutumn · Post by **EmbersOfAutumn** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:36 am

I'm up for that, too... anyone who wants any of mine--but then again, they're mostly crap anyhow.

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:16 pm

Covering a "bad" song can be one way of showing the original artist "here's what you could have done differently / better with this." When I'm covering a songfight song, I generally take a lot of liberties with the lyrics, style, arrangement, etc. I could write a review saying how I think the song could be better by starting with the chorus, swapping verses two and three and shortening the verses altogether, adding a bridge, whatever... sometimes just recording my own version of the song is a way of saying, "here, see how this works better?" When I decide to do a hxaro cover, I usually stick to artists who I know are still actively participating (on the boards, if not submitting songs).

Plus, then, I have one more song that I've recorded for my archives, even if it's not one I wrote myself. And it's good practice for me, taking a song that just didn't work at all, finding what I think is good in the song and figuring out how to, umm, polish it up.

I've also heard some interesting results when some of our less polished artists cover a really good song by somebody else. Rone covering a "good" Melvin song might not result in as good a performance as the Melvin original, but it might well result in something more listenable than a typical Rone song (not meaning to pick on Rone here). And Rone might learn some things about songwriting and performing by deconstructing and reconstructing a Melvin song.

Niveous tried his "Love Lounge" thing, and I think the reason it went nowhere is that the songs that were chosen for people to cover were all pretty tough to figure out and perform. Maybe it wouldn't be the "Love Lounge," but I'd be interested to see something where some fairly simple (but well written) songs were offered up and some of our less experienced artists took a shot at seeing what they could do with the song... that's kinda the opposite of "cover a bad song," but in terms of SF being an educational experience, it's related.

Just rambling...

Charles (KA)

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:57 pm

king_arthur wrote:blah blah blah...yadda yadda...some gay intellectual crap....blah blah blah

Or you may just have fun putting a sledgehammer, blowtorch, and coat of new paint on something!

Lord knows when I covered the King of Art here I didn't learn anything, I didn't show him anything, and I (arguably) didn't make his song any better. I just had fun!

Not to really deter from anything KA said but I just wanted to point out that some of the fun of building things is to smash the Legos down and build something else out of the same pieces.

RAWK!

Reist · Post by **Reist** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:34 pm

I find that the act of covering a song is enough for me to learn something new. Covering 15-16 puzzle's Funny Enough For You was a HUGE learning experience for me, and definitely a big part of why I play and write the way I do today. However, through the whole experience, I wasn't trying to learn anything new ... just the fact that I was analyzing someone else's work and figuring out how they do things was enough to spark new ideas in my mind.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:26 am

king_arthur wrote: Niveous tried his "Love Lounge" thing, and I think the reason it went nowhere is that the songs that were chosen for people to cover were all pretty tough to figure out and perform.

Did it fail? I just thought it was eclipsed by the almighty Nur Ein.

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:40 am

Well, the only song that ever got done was the one JBB cover I did, so it seemed to me like it failed... I did that song on 3/31, and when did Nur Ein start?

Anyway, I see you've bumped the thread, I guess I'd still like to see you try some easier-to-play songs (and HM's "One Less" that I suggested is kinda tricky as well, so feel free to reselect). I recall listening to all four of the original songs and they all had some weird chords and/or rhythms that seemed kinda daunting to me...

Charles (KA)

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:14 am

king_arthur wrote:Well, the only song that ever got done was the one JBB cover I did, so it seemed to me like it failed... I did that song on 3/31, and when did Nur Ein start?

The first Nur Ein III post was in April. The game started at the beginning of May. I definitely feel that the Nur Ein eclipsed it.

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:14 pm

I've also heard some interesting results when some of our less polished artists cover a really good song by somebody else. Rone covering a "good" Melvin song might not result in as good a performance as the Melvin original, but it might well result in something more listenable than a typical Rone song (not meaning to pick on Rone here). And Rone might learn some things about songwriting and performing by deconstructing and reconstructing a Melvin song.

I was supposed to have covered Melvin's Brimming With Tears song like a couple of months ago.. or maybe longer heh. I never got around to starting on that. But I really should. The biggest obsticle though is the fact that I'm still a total newb on the guitar. If I use a typical Rone FL beat it won't sound anything like the original.

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:34 pm

Doesn't have to. I refer you to the hxaro archive and my cover of Abominominous' "Dinga Da Donga," which didn't sound anything like the original.

Do it!

Charles (KA)

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:52 pm

king_arthur wrote:Doesn't have to. I refer you to the hxaro archive and my cover of Abominominous' "Dinga Da Donga," which didn't sound anything like the original.

...or Caravan Ray & The Jolly Croutons cover of Rone Rivendales "Don't You"

BTW: I just noticed the acrhive lists that as Caravan Ray & The Dirty Croutons. I was of course myself, the Artist Formerly Known As Jolly Roger and the Big Crouton. Maybe I was getting confused with the Dirty Hearts or the Dirty Allisons (a band name just isn't a band name unless it has 'dirty' in it). Anyway - just fot the record and for the benefit of future generations, I think it should be 'Jolly Croutons'. ....or was that 'Big Jolly Croutons'?

Ongoing cover-a-bad-song challenge

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