Cover Me is now on Patreon! If you love cover songs, we hope you will consider supporting us there with a small monthly subscription. It’s a strong version that retains the spirit of the original while sounding musically different. Vocalist Phil Leblanc makes one lyrical substitution in the final verse, swapping out “some old bed I’ll soon be sharing” with “some old bed I won’t be sharing,” underscoring the theme loneliness. The slightly slower tempo and cranked-up intensity make the desperation and plaintive nature of the lyrics even clearer. When the rest of the band joins in, the song goes in a hard rock, almost metal, direction. With an abbreviated opening featuring lots of echo on both acoustic guitar and vocals, the intro is reminiscent of “Wanted: Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. “Midnight Rider” gets strikingly different treatment from Littleton, Colorado’s A Memory Down. A Memory Down – Midnight Rider (Allman Brothers Band cover) It’s a shame she’s no longer here to garner the appreciation she deserves. Her vocals really take off during the third chorus. While this version of “Midnight Rider,” like UB40’s, is horns-forward, Jones’ earthy, soulful vocals give it a different vibe, more defiant than world-weary. She was a tough customer, too it took two bouts of cancer and a stroke to end her life. Although she didn’t release her first record until age 40, she made the most of her time in the industry, having a positive influence on soul and funk music for the twenty years that followed. Sharon Jones was an amazingly talented artist who was taken from us way too soon. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – Midnight Rider (Allman Brothers Band cover) You can almost visualize him just hanging out on his front porch, unconcernedly singing “ain’t gonna let ‘em catch me, no” as if he’s confident that that’s the case. With an emphasis on horn and keyboards, the music paints a picture of a less desperate protagonist. UB40 – Midnight Rider (Allman Brothers Band cover)īritish reggae popsters UB40 deliver a version of “Midnight Rider” that’s much lighter in tone and feel than the original. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings did it better.Ī Memory Down did it best. Three distinct versions, each one adding its own little bit to the legacy of the Allman Brothers Band.
We’ve selected three of those departures here. Dozens of solo acoustic covers and numerous country versions exist far fewer take the song in a different direction. While many great versions of “Midnight Rider” are out there, many of them sound overly similar to each other. It was a concert mainstay since it was first recorded in 1970 and, according to Secondhand Songs, has been covered nearly twice as many times as “Whipping Post,” and over three times more often than “Ramblin’ Man.” If you’re looking for a signature song that represents the legacy of these elder statesmen of Southern Rock, “Midnight Rider” is, arguably, the best choice. They were awarded multiple gold and platinum albums, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and ranked #52 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The band’s hardships drove them closer together, cementing their commitments to each other and to success. For some artists, adversity is destructive for Macon, Georgia’s Allman Brothers Band, it was formative. It’s almost a cliché to think about rock and rollers struggling through the most challenging and meager of circumstances, waiting for that elusive big break. In today’s musical environment, which more often than not comprises manufactured stars singing over-produced, Autotuned, formulaic pop tunes, it’s easy to forget that for many classic artists, fame came neither quickly nor easily.
0 kommentar(er)
