Got It Covered - The Top 40 Covers

For every great cover there's 20 awful ones. What exactly it is that makes a great cover is hard to say. If it improves or reinterprets the original it's a good start. The cover is often scoffed at but as I realised while assembling this list there are a lot of great covers out there. I originally wanted a list of 20, but I kept remembering more until reducing it to 40 was a real challenge. Putting the songs in order was difficult and in many cases it was close enough is good enough. The criteria was more about how the song worked as a cover, rather then the songs artistic merit.
All songs are available for direct download.

40. Nico - The End : Nico's take on the Doors epic.

39. Camper Van Beethoven - Pictures of Matchstick Men : Great version of Status Quo's first hit.

38. Oasis - Cum on Feel the Noize : The brothers Gallagher's fun take on Slade's mid 70s monster.

37. Soft Cell – Tainted Love : Originally recorded by Englishwomen Gloria Jones in '64. Its been many times including four times before Soft Cell (including the Blue Oyster Cult)

36. Camera Obscura - Super Trouper : A particularly melancholy reinterpretation of the ABBA hit. Tracyanne Campbell's vocals are as beautiful of any women in music today.

35. David Bowie - Sorrow : Originally recorded in 1962 by Indiana band the The McCoys. In '66 UK band The Merseybeat had an Englsih top 5 hit with it.

34. John Lennon - Stand By Me : Originally written by Jon King in 1961. He wrote it for the Drifters but when they passed on it he released it himself. Its been covered many times since (including Otis Redding, U2, Marvin Gaye, Green Day, Isley Brothers, Sam Cooke and the Fugees). Lennon's version was released on his covers album 'Rock'n'Roll'. If any readers are unaware of the dramas Lennon had with Phil Spector while recording this its worth the research!

33. Pixies - Winterlong : Neil Young's Winterlong from 1977s triple album Decade gets the Pixies treatment

32. Urge Overkill - Girl You'll be a Women Soon : Neil Diamond's 1967 hit. Recorded by Urge for the Pulp Fiction soundtrack

31. Lemonheads - Different Drum : Written by Mike Nesmith, it was first recorded in 1967 by the Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt on lead vocals.It was her first hit.

30. The Rolling Stones - Route 66 : Originally recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946. The Stones rework appeared on their debut record - The Rolling Stones.

29. White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself: Burt Bacharach classic, most famously recorded by Dusty Springfield.

28. Sonic Youth - Superstar : Oddly to some (myself included) the original version of this song was not the Carpenters, it was actually recorded a few times before that. The Sonic Youth take on it is in keeping with the Carpenters version. Thurston's vocal pushing the songs original theme, a tale of groupies.

27. Shonen Knife - Top of the World : Japan's wonderful all girl, power-pop trio redo The Carpenters.

26. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence : Siouxsie Sioux's dramatic goth pop take of John Lennon's classic.

25. Husker Du - Eight Miles High : The Huskers awesome punk rock rework of the Byrds classic.

24. Aztec Camera - Jump : Aztec Camera recorded their version of Van Hanlen's Jump in 1994. A radical reinterpretation, V.H's version makes you want to jump in air, Roddy Frame's jump off a cliff.

23. Futureheads - Hounds of Love : The futureheads amazing re working of Kate Bush.

22. Gary Jules - Mad World : Gary Jule's transformed Tear's for Fears early 80s new romantic hit into an emotive ballad. Recorded for the Donnie Darko soundtrack.

21. Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer - Redemption Song : a moving rework of Bob Marleys reggae classic. Interestingly both Joe and Mr. Cash had recorded versions of this individually before doing it together

20. Ryan Adams - Wonderwall : Ryan Adams introduces a level of emotion not evident in Oasis's original. Noel Gallagher a fan of Adam's version, has since performed the song live in keeping with Ryan Adam's cover.

19. Talking Heads - Take me to the River : Talking Heads rework the Al Green classic. It first appeared on More Songs About Buildings and Food, but it became a hit for the Talking Heads after appearing in 1983 concert film, Stop Making Sense.

18. The Specials - A Message to You Rudy : Originally by Jamaican Reggae/Ska pioneer Dandy Livingstone. On release by The Specials it became an instant ska classic.

17. Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane : Canada's Cowboy Junkies, redo the Velvets classic. A beautiful version

16. Patti Smith - Gloria : Patti Smith's cover of Van Morrison. A great version of an oft covered song.

15. Butthole Surfers - Hurdy Gurdy Man : San Antonio's bent rocker's reinvent the Donovan's hit. Awesome!

14. The Clash – Police And Thieves : The Clash's classic version appears on their eponymous debut. It was originally released by Jamaican reggae performer Junior Murvin who wrote it with legendary Jamaican producer Lee Scratch Perry.

13. The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck : I often forget just how much I love the Cramps. Here they take an obscure 60s garage song by Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads and for all intensive purposes make it there own.

12. DEVO - Satisfaction : A DEVOlved cover from Akrons finest spuds. A brilliantly bent version of the Stones' classic.

11. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - In the Ghetto : In the Ghetto was written by Mac Davis for Elvis in 1969. Nick Cave's version was recorded during the From here to Eternity sessions. Its a lot darker and more sinister version of what was a bleak song to start with.

10. The Fall - Victoria : Ah, Mark.E.Smith, the worlds most lovable miserable git. Here he gives The Kinks Victoria The Fall treatment with spectacular results. A superb version.

9. Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes : The song was written and originally recorded by Carl Perkins. It was the first thing Elvis recorded in 1965 after having his Sun contract bought out by RCA. Perkin's version was released only a short time before the Kings and was actually considerably more successful. As with most of Elvis' songs it oozes cool.

8. Dirty Old Town - The Pogues : This Pogues classic was original recorded by the Dubliners in the 1950s. Weirdly considering the two acts who had the most success with it was written by a Scotsmen, Ewan MacColl.

7. Nirvana - Man Who Sold the World : Bowies early classic gets the Kurt treatment. Nirvana recorded it for the MTV unplugged show. Its not dramatically different to the original showing that a dramatic reinterpretation isn't always necessary to create a great cover.

6. Aretha Franklin - Respect : Written and recorded by Otis Redding in 1965. He had moderate success with it. Aretha Franklin's huge voice made the track a world wide no.1 hit in 1967. Its now one of Aretha's signature tracks, R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

5. Johnny Cash - Hurt : Mr.Cash pulls out all the stops on this wonderful re work of the Nine Inch Nails song. Its said that when Trent Reznor first heard it he was in the studio and was so moved that he couldn't continue with the days session. Mark Romanak's video is perhaps the best ever made

4. John Cale - Hallelujah : People often talk of Jeff Buckley's version of the this Leonard Cohen classic. They obviously haven't heard John Cale's take on it. Its without doubt the definitive version.

3. This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren : An amazing take on Tim Buckley's song. Cocteau Twin's Elizabeth Fraser's vocals deliver an ethereal and haunting interpretation.

2. I Heard it Through the Grapevine was originally penned by Motown staff writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and was first recorded in 1967 by Gladys Knight and the pips. It's been covered dozens of times, three of which share the no.2 spot on my countdown. A great example of how individual acts can stamp their own style on a cover.
a) I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye : Recorded in 1967 Marvin Gaye's version was a number one hit. A beautiful smooth, soul take.
b) I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Creedance Clearwater Revival : Creedance's version is an 11 minute psychedelic rock epic. Vastly different from previous takes its a classic.
c) I Heard it Through the Grapevine - The Slits : The Slits were an all girl UK post punk band. Their version of Grapevine was dub heavy punk rock interpretation. Once again it was far removed from the previous recorded takes.

1. Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower : I've never been a great fan of Hendrix but to me this is the most startling cover of them all. It shows the cover can make a strong artistic claim. Bob Dylan originally recorded it on 1967s John Wesley Harding. Dylan's version is typical of the time with acoustic guitar and harmonica solos playing off a lyric full of biblical and apocalyptic references. Hendrix replaces the harmonica with intense guitar solos and even wah wah interludes. Its force brings more venom to the song and adds an almost demonic overture to Dylan's lyrics. Dylan said on hearing it that it was a far superior version to his own. Dylan's own live versions of the track are now a lot closer to Jimi's then his original version.

Came close but no cigar songs :

The Flying Burrito Bros - Wild Horses, Youssou N'Dour - Chimes Of Freedom, Dead Kennedy's - Viva Las Vegas, The Sports - All the Tired Horses, The Clash - I Fought the Law, The Stranglers - Walk on By, The Beat - The Tears of a Clown, Jim Reid - (I'm) Stradard. A lot of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tracks which I chose to ignore as picking one was to difficult

A few videos of some of the tracks...

Camera Obscura - Super Trouper. Live in Berlin



The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love



DEVO - Satisfaction - Live on Saturday Night Live, 1978.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review Section.....

Today we are going to start including a few movie reviews. Its not my intention to do a lot of movie reviews, only ones that are deemed relevant. Today its 'Joe Strummer : The Future Is Unwritten'.The link to the movie page is
here
Enjoy

New York I Love Ya But Your Freakin' Me Out...part 2.

Continues from Part 1 below.....



Disco was the punks arch nemesis, it was despised by the alternate crowd as much as it was loved by the club culture. Disco genesis was 60s soul and motown, the sound was urbanised and moved inside the New York and Philadelphia clubs. I don't pretend to me an expert on all things Disco but the little I know backs up NYC role in its development. Giorgio Moroder the influential Italian producer had been working an early form of disco in the early 70s creating a buzz in the European club scene. His development of the genre didn't reach full potential until he begun working with American acts, most notable NY native Donna Summer. From 1974 she had a run of Moroder produced hits : 'Love To Love You Baby', 'I Feel Love' and 'MacArthur Park' to name a few. Perhaps NYC's most overt influence was John Travolta's 'Saturday Night Fever', a film designed to showcase the disco culture. Set in New York and featuring music by the Bee Gee's 'Saturday Night Fever' solidified disco as a cultural phenomena. Though in its self a significant movement perhaps discos most important legacy is its roll in the rise of the 'D-J' and the club culture that mirrored the DJs rise. Suddenly the the DJ was no longer an anonymous face behind the console. The DJ now became a bonifide star, an attraction in his own right, drawing huge audiences to each 'performance' and demanding large salaries. Their rise also heralded the dawn of the super club, massive clubs with huge sound and light systems. Perhaps the most famous was Manhattan's 'Studio 54'. Made possible by disco's popularity Studio 54 had a capacity of 5000 people. It was one of forerunners in the super club phenomena that still dominates club culture today. Without disco one would doubt that the impetus would of existed for the explosion of house and techno in the 80s and 90s. Its influence of hiphop was significant also.

Hip Hop developed into music genre in New York in the mid to late 1970s. It began by taking the percussion beat out of disco tunes and mixing that sound with Jamaican rhythms. Finishing the sound is an MC who raps over the top. Lyrically it rarely strays from discussing the plight of African American issues and lifestyle. Gil Scott-Heron a New York based poet who started recording in 1971 is often credited as being one of the pioneers of hip hop. His jazz fuelled beats are the perfect foil for his politically charged spoken word. 'The Revolution will not be Televised' is perhaps his best known piece. Many say that fellow New Yorkers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were in fact the first true exponents of hip hop with their 1981 song 'The Message'. Hip Hop by its nature is fiercely urban, what better breeding ground could there be then the worlds leading metropolis. During the 80s hip hop developed and then flourished in NYC, a great many of the genres greatest names residing there. Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys were some of earlier players. All these acts were signed to Rick Rubin's incredibly influential Def Jam Records. Rubin was a significant player in getting the music heard. Eventually hip hop metamorphosed to the west coast leading to the infamous clashes between the rival coast.

Commercially the 1980s was a vacuous musical time, big production and even bigger hair dominated. As is often the case the alternate scene rallied against the mundane and in contrast to the mainstream was socially and artistically buoyant. Across the US scenes developed everywhere. Minor Threat and Bad Brains (Washington), The Replacements & Husker Du (Minneapolis), The Minutemen (San Pedro), Dead Kennedys (San Francisco), REM (Athens Georgia), Black Flag (LA) and the Pixies (Boston) were some active acts in the 1980s. In New York City Sonic Youth lead the charge. Formed in 1981 Sonic Youth were originally exponents of the no wave genre, drawing influence from a diverse collection of artist including, The Stooges, the Velvets and Patti Smith through to Krautrock and the more avante garde work of John Cale. Sonic Youth's staying power and influence has proved immense. Musically the influence of their guitar driven angsty rock is everywhere. Perhaps nowhere more prominently displayed them in the grunge movement of the early 1990s.


More then a musical influence Sonic Youth have developed an almost religious persona amongst the American alternate rock scene. As survivors and role models to the the new 'youth' coming through they have proved invaluable. Thurston Moore especially is renowned for his advice and generosity of time. This is beautifully highlighted in 'The Year that Punk Broke' a Moore created doco showing the Sonics on tour through Europe with Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, Babes in Toyland, Mudhoney and others. Through the film and beyond it its obvious the respect which the younger acts hold Thurston and his fellow sonics. Conversely a very real solicitude radiates from Moore, especially towards Kurt Cobain. Cobain spoke often about the influence Sonic Youth had on him both musically and personally. Sonic Youth are a great band, their records (Daydream Nation especially) are some of the best ever recorded but their influence is an equally significant part of their legacy.

The late 90s wasn't a great time for lovers of guitar music. Electronic music was the vogue. Big Beat, Drum and Bass, Trip Hop, Jungle and other variations were the popular sound of the day, with acts such as the Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim and The Crystal Method some of its most popular exponents. Further what seemed to pass for rock'n'roll during this time was the nauseating rap/metal sounds of Korn, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. Guitar music needed a scene to develop to re establish its position. It should be of little surprise that that movement developed in NYC. The Strokes released their debut album 'Is this It' in 2001, with a level of hype unseen for a significant time. I recall a line from the Melbourne Age review claiming that "the Strokes have been sent to save Rock'n'Roll". The Strokes write clever songs with a strong garage influence. Rock was interesting again. As is often the way a scene developed around them. The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, We Are Scientists and The Bravery are some of the prominent NYC indie rock acts playing today.

Dance music is not my strongest suite, much of it I find soulless and unsatisfying. There are exceptions a significant one is my final case study on New York. Electro Punk is the title given to the sound of LCD Soundsystem. 'LCD' is the vehicle employed by James Murphy. Murphy is a former drummer in New York guitar bands and a comedy writer who once turned down a job writing for Seinfeld as he didn't think it would be successful. Although vocally his 'borrowing' of the Mark.E.Smith delivery can become unnerving, LCD Soundsystem are one of the more interesting acts performing today. Vital records with interesting structure and intelligent, witty lyrics as well as being a dynamic live act. The title of these two articles "New York I Love Ya But Your Freakin' Me Out" is a line from the final song on LCD's 2nd album 'Sound of Silver'. Murphy is also one of the directors of DFA records a record company specialising in like minded acts. Probably the most significant of these (other then LCD) is fellow New Yorkers 'The Rapture' who along with LCD Soundsystem are the leading lights of the genre.

It may not be a complete theory but none the less I believe its a compelling arguement to justify New York's place at the head of the table in relation to musical influence over the last centuary. I started the article by saying its hard to imagine contemporary music without NYC, writing the two pieces has only enhanced the original synopsis, I hope you agree.

To downlaod : Sonic Youth's Goo, LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver and for direct download Gil Scott Heron's 7" masterpiece The Revolution will not be Televised. Also some videos of the acts discussed in this piece....enjoy!

Sonic Youth's Goo

LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver

Gil Scott Heron's The Revolution will not be Televised (4meg)


A Saturday Night Fever Medley



Sonic Youth's amazing video for Teenage Riot



The fantastic clip for Interpol's Evil



LCD Soundsystem live on Letterman - North American Scum

New Review

The Pixies frontman, Black Francis has released a new album. Check out what we think in the Record Review Section.

New York I Love Ya But Your Freakin' Me Out...part 1

Its hard to imagine contemporary music without New York City. Its seems that the big apple has trail blazed just about every musical innovation in modern music. A strong argument can be made that a healthy New York scene is imperative for contemporary music to flourish. From the early days of Jazz, through to the Greenwich Village Folk clubs, the CBGBs punk rock scene, disco, rap and hip hop to later day Indie rock have all found, if not their origins, then their leading lights in NYC. The image of New York City as the most vibrant city in the world has proved irresistible to the culturally aware and curious.

The origins of Jazz can be traced to the late 1800s in America's south, particularly New Orleans and Louisiana. In its purest form it combines traditional African and European sounds. During the first 1/4 of the 20th century it grew into a legitimate and influential movement. It was not until the 1930s that it started to fracture into its various sub genres. The Big Band sound, BeBop and Swing are a few exaplmes. Jazz had reached New York and through a combination of New York natives and migrants it flourished.The swing sound was the first to prosper. Swing is generally characterised by a strong rhythm section, usually double bass and it has a distinctive more upbeat style then traditional jazz. Almost all of the major exponents of swing lived in NYC. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Chick Webb (to name a few) all spent the vast majority of their working lives in New York.

The frenetic improv that is BeBop also can trace its roots to New York. All the major players, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Bud Powell all worked out of New York. Miles Davis and John Coltrane the genre busting exponents of modal jazz also spent most of the careers in New York. The hauntingly beautiful Jazz vocals of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald spent their careers as New Yorkers.
The genesis of Jazz may belong to the south but it took NYC for it to explore its diversity and reach its potential

The concept of New York being the precursor to all things music is not a complete theory and a resounding exception to the rule is the birth of Rhythm and Blues and ultimately Rock'n'Roll. The Blues was almost exclusively a creation of the black underclass of the south. Early bluesman like Robert Johnson (Mississippi), Blind Blake (Florida) and Blind Willie Johnson (Texas) never ventured far from their birth place. When the white folk got involved in the mid '50s they to were predominately from the Southern States. Elvis (Tennessee) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Louisiana) are but two examples. However it shouldn't be forgotten that Jazz (especially BeBop) played a significant role in the formation of the Rhythm and Blues sound. Further there is a theory that rock'n'roll lineage can in fact be traced back to 1850s at the notorious 5 point slum district in Manhattan. It's said that it was the first time that African rhythms were fused with European melodies, specifically those associated with the Irish Jig.

The 1950s were dominated by the explosion of Rock'n'Roll. Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Bill Haley to name a few erupted into the worlds consciousness. NYC was a bit player in the paroxysm, its under belly was moving in a very different direction.
Greenwich Village had for some time been known as the avant-garde capital of the US but it was the emergence of the 'beat' scene in the 50s that solidified its reputation. 'Bohemians' from America wide converged on the Village. Some of the most important contemporary writers in America traded their wares in the village. Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Alan Ginsberg, William Burroughs, E. E. Cummings, Neal Cassady, Diane di Prima amongst others became known as the 'beat poets'. Coffee houses became performance spaces and the bars became the nightly venue for debate and parley. The Village scene was not limited to poets it was also the centre of the bourgeoning folk scene attracting many of the genres most important protagonist. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Tim Hardin and Dave Van Ronk were a few of the growing scene. As in the tradition of American folk they spoke of the times, highlighting the issues pertinent to their environments. As a culture movement the Village Beats of the 50s was truly significant, their cultural legacy is still strong today but for many their most lasting legacy was the magnetism that drew the 1960s generation to the Village.
Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan were amongst the early 60s wave. Of these Dylan was the most significant. I've written more on Bob Dylan then anyone would care to read over the course of this blog but the Greenwich Village scene was a vital piece of what followed in the 60s and Bob was its leading light. Its almost impossible to truly qualify his musical, social and political relevance. Without Dylan's early landmark songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), "Masters of War" (1963), "Talking World War III Blues" (1963), "Only a Pawn in Their Game" (1963), "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964) would the 60s still have galvanised as they did. They were anthemic speaking of the times. Were they prophetic rallying cries motivating people to the cause or were they simply a portrait of the world that already existed. Certainly the themes of which he spoke were not at the mass protest point at the time of recording them. That this question can even be posed is testament to his lyrical power. Musically his influence is equally contentious. Would the Beatles have progressed from "I want to hold your hand" or would the Beach Boys have remained at "Surfin' USA". As I said its impossible to properly qualify this, its undeniable the influence was immense and that 60s would of been at least somewhat different without his recorded output.
In fact the entire Village scene was vital in creating the 60s, Dylan migrated there to meet his idols and once there adopted their philosophy for mass consumption.
Later 60s New York certainly benefited, Leonard Cohen, Tim Buckley, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel were just some of the acts.

Jimi Hendrix was another immensely influential musician who lived his creative life in NYC. Without Hendrix would we of got Sabbath and Led Zeppelin? Without those two acts would we have heavy metal today?

Of course New York also produced Andy Warhol's factory scene. The Velvet Underground were its musical stars. They are probably the most oft acknowledge band in the world. Never has a band been so influential and sold so few albums. In a time of LSD and flower power they wore leather and wrote songs of heroin, bondage and despair. A direct link between the Velvets and the mid 70s CBGBs scene is easily exposed (all be it via the Stooges in a few cases). Their overall influence is almost impossible to gauge - garage, punk, indie rock and pop would of been very different if not for the Velvet Underground.

With a few notable exceptions the first half of the 70s was dominated by acts who had created profile in the 60s, English Glam Rock and awful prog/art rock bands. Through the early 70s NYC was relatively quiet musically. This was to change by the mid 70s, a change that would alter popular music forever. The Country, Blue Grass, and Blues club (CBGBs) was opened in the Bowery district of Manhattan by Hilly Kristal in 1973. As its name implied, Kristal intended the bar to feature Country, Bluegrass and Blues music, in actuality the bar played host to a very different musical genre. It became famous as the birthplace of the punk movement. Ramones, Television, Mink Deville, Suicide, Patti Smith, The Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, The Dictators, The Fleshtones, Blondie, and Talking Heads were all major players in the CBGBs scene. For a club that can lay a very serious claim to being the most important live music club ever, the reality was it was dump. It was tiny (in its original incarnation only holding 250 people), graffitied and crumbling. That aside from 1974 until '77 it played host to a remarkable scene. The first 'alternative' gig there was a one off by Suicide in late '73. It didn't really solidify into an alternative venue until March '74 when Television were given a weekly Sunday night residency. The NYC punk scene spread to England primarily via the efforts of Malcolm McLaren. In '74 he spent time in New York, during which time he managed the New York Dolls and made an ill fated attempt to manage an early incarnation of Television. On his return to the UK he recruited the sex Pistols and the rest is history.
It was reported that Hilly Kristal actually died last week at age 75. New York Times tribute can be read here. Rolling Stone's tribute is here . It includes this great Patti Smith quote : “Hilly dying made a flood of things come back to me. On that last night [at the club], he knew that we loved him. He stood up and we saluted him. I’m not trying to romanticize anything because in some ways it was a shithole. The sound was crappy, there was always things breaking down and glasses breaking and people vomiting and the rats scurrying around in the back, but it was our shithole and that was the greatest thing."

Tomorrow : Part 2 - NYC gives us Disco, rap and hip-hop, Sonic Youth and relaunches the Indie rock guitar music with The Strokes, Yeah Yeah, Yeahs, Interpol etc. Also electro can be cool - LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture.

To Download : The wonderful Ella Fitzerald's two disc set 'Recordings from 1936-37' and Television's seminal 1997 album 'Marquee Moon'

Ella Fitzgerald (Disc 1 of 2), Recordings from 1936-1937

Ella Fitzgerald (Disc 2 of 2), Recordings from 1936-1937

Television - 'Marquee Moon'

Some Videos :

Miles Davis & John Coltrane - 'So What'



Woody Guthrie from 1946



The Velvet Underground - 'Sunday Morning'



And 'Venus in Furs'



Patti Smith performs 'Elegie' at the final night of CBGBs, October 15, 2006