WELCOME TO MY NEW SERIES
EUREKA!
I HAVE FOUND THE
COOLEST COVERS IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD!
Each volume of Eureka! brings you great original recordings
along with cover versions that are good, great or even better
than the originals. It's up to you to decide. I know what
you're thinking. You're thinking this series sounds
exactly like other series I have run over the years:
Battle of the Bands, Battle of the Banned,
Version Sacrifice, WWF Grudge Match
and Winning Hand. Well, you're wrong.
This isn't exactly the same. Those series
didn't include a picture of Peter Griffin!
you're thinking. You're thinking this series sounds
exactly like other series I have run over the years:
Battle of the Bands, Battle of the Banned,
Version Sacrifice, WWF Grudge Match
and Winning Hand. Well, you're wrong.
This isn't exactly the same. Those series
didn't include a picture of Peter Griffin!
Listen now to these confirmed classics and cool
covers and tell me which ones, if any, you prefer.
Remember, ladies and gentlemen...
This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.
I could listen to Johnny Rivers sing all day every day
and never get tired of his rich, soulful, Baton Rouge
influenced vocal style. In today's first edition of
Eureka!... Johnny performs three covers that
I believe are as good or better than the
originals. Listen and see if you agree.
THE BEACH BOYS
Penned by Brian Wilson with additional lyrics by Mike Love,
"Help Me, Rhonda" was first released with the spelling
"Help Me Ronda" on the 1965 Beach Boys album
The Beach Boys Today!
"Help Me, Ronda" - The Beach Boys
(from Mar. 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!)
The better known version is the #1 charting single with a different
arrangement released as "Help Me, Rhonda" and included on the
band's next album, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).
Check out this cool hybrid created by adding the
"wah-wah" vocals from an alternate mix.
"Help Me, Rhonda" (ultimate mix) - The Beach Boys
{May/June 1965, highest chart position
#1 Hot 100 & Cash Box, from July 1965
album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)}
JOHNNY RIVERS
In the summer of 1975, a cover of "Help Me Rhonda"
waxed by Johnny Rivers and featuring Beach Boy
Brian Wilson on backing vocals, reached the
top 30 on Cash Box and approached the
top 20 on Billboard's Hot 100)
"Help Me Rhonda" - Johnny Rivers
(Aug. 1975, highest chart pos.
#22 Hot 100/#30 Cash Box)
CHARLIE RICH
The song "Breakup" (aka "Break Up") was written and originally
recorded by country and rockabilly singer Charlie Rich and
released on his 1960 album Lonely Weekends.
"Breakup" - Charlie Rich (from 1960 album
Lonely Weekends With Charlie Rich)
JOHNNY RIVERS
On his 1965 live album Meanwhile Back at the Whisky à Go Go,
Johnny Rivers pleased the nightclub crowd by performing
this rockin' cover of "Break Up."
"Break Up" - Johnny Rivers
(from Aug. 1965 live album Meanwhile
Back at the Whisky à Go Go)
It took until 1998 for Johnny Rivers to release a
studio version of "Break Up" as one of the songs
on his album The Memphis Sun Recordings.
"Break Up" (studio ver.) - Johnny Rivers
(from Jan. 1998 album The Memphis Sun Recordings)
DORSEY BURNETTE
The Memphis-born Burnette brothers, Dorsey & Johnny, were successful
rockabilly singers, but their lives were both cut tragically short. Younger
brother Johnny drowned in a boating accident at age 30. Dorsey had a
heart attack and died at age 46. Let's turn back the clock to a happier
time in 1960 when Dorsey gained his biggest hit with a single that
reached the top 20 on the pop chart, a bible-themed song he
wrote entitled-- "(There Was A) Tall Oak Tree."
"(There Was A) Tall Oak Tree" - Dorsey Burnette
(Mar./Apr. 1960, highest chart pos.
#19 Cash Box/#23 Hot 100)
JOHNNY RIVERS
In September, 1965, one month after the release of Meanwhile Back
at the Whisky à Go Go, Johnny Rivers streeted the studio produced
folk rock album Johnny Rivers Rocks The Folk. One of the songs
on the LP is a fine cover of Dorsey Burnette's "Tall Oak Tree."
"Tall Oak Tree" - Johnny Rivers
(from Sept. 1965 album Johnny Rivers
Rocks The Folk)
I hope your memories are flowing like rivers...
...thanks to featured artist Johnny Rivers
along with The Beach Boys, Charlie Rich, Dorsey Burnette
and Argentine rock & roll/rockabilly cover artist Wow Rock.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE
TUNEFUL TAKEDOWNS,
MELODIOUS MAT MATCHES
AND BOFFO BEAT BOUTS
COMING UP IN THE
NEXT VOLUME OF
EUREKA!
Have a Shady day!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou not only shared original songs that I did not know but some exceptional covers. I actually prefer Johnny Rivers renditions on both songs in your line up. And, WOW Rock wowed me! Excellent cover songs edition with Peter Griffin!! Have a great weekend, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming over and taking the Early Bird spot this week, dear friend!
Yessum, Johnny Rivers has been a favorite of mine ever since my cousin Bill in York turned me on to Rivers' live albums recorded at the Whisky. Digging the sound, I collected most of Johnny's 60s recordings. His cover of the religious song "Tall Oak Tree" was new to my ears when I first heard it a few months ago. I love Johnny's faithful interpretation and the inspiring video put together by that YouTuber. I'm delighted that you like Johnny Rivers, too.
Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Cathy, and have a tunetastic weekend!
Cathy, I need to make a correction. The site of Argentinian Wow Rock provides very little info. I mistakenly thought he recorded his own cover of "Break Up," but I have since determined that the video I originally posted was actually the 1998 studio version of the song recorded by Johnny Rivers himself. Therefore, you will see the corrected copy and video in the post. Sorry for the confusion. At least we get to hear a 4th great cover performance by featured artist Johnny Rivers. :)
DeleteTom,
DeleteThanks for letting me know. I really like Johnny River's cover of "Break Up". I was going to check out more by Wow Rock on YouTube but when I put Argentinian group in the search bar I don't get any hits. Maybe, I need to check with DuckGo.
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteI can't determine if WowRock's channel includes some actual homemade covers, or if it is all material by the original artists. When there is so little info to go on, mistakes can be made. I will say that the channel has some excellent early rockabilly and rock & roll recordings on it.
I'm glad you like the Johnny Rivers cover of "Break Up." I can't make up my mind which version I like better, Johnny's live at the Whisky performance or his studio recording.
Thanks again for stopping in, dear friend Cathy. Have a wonderful week!
Peter Griffin is always a fun one to join in with "who does it better". He might be thinking about Jayne Mansfield or Mamie Van Doren but that's for another blog post. I actually prefer The Beach Boys over Johnny but, for the other 2 ditties, I prefer Johnny who does his own unique twist to the songs. I never heard of the last 2 but I liked listening to them. A lot of fun! Have a beautiful day and stay cool!
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI am always happy to see an old friend from out of my distant past! :) Thanks for coming over and pulling a "triple play" - three comments for the price of one. :)
As I explained to Cathy (above), I needed to make a correction to my original post. The site of Argentinian Wow Rock provides very little info. I mistakenly thought he recorded his own cover of "Break Up," but I have since determined that the video I originally posted was actually the 1998 studio version of the song recorded by Johnny Rivers himself. Therefore, you will see the corrected copy and video in the post. Sorry for the confusion. At least we get to hear a 4th great cover performance by featured artist Johnny Rivers. :)
I'm glad you got a kick out of Peter Griffin and enjoyed his lineup of EUREKA originals and covers. I agree with you that the Johnny Rivers versions of "Break Up" and "Tall Oak Tree" equal or surpass the recordings of the original artists.
Thanks again for remembering your faithful friend in Florida, dear friend BB. Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend!
It's amazing how many songs are covered multiple times. You can do this segment for years!
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteYou take home the bronze this week, good buddy. Thanks for swinging by!
With everybody and his brother uploading covers to YouTube in recent years, there will always be plenty of material for a music blogger to use. That's why I have multiple series of this type running at the same time. The challenge is sifting through all the available versions to find the really great ones worthy of posting.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, good buddy Alex!
I've always enjoyed hearing Johnny Rivers sing. He can make anything sound good!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteThanks for coming by, dear friend! I'm happy to have you here for the platter party thrown by Peter Griffin of Family Guy - a new series that compares covers and originals.
Johnny Rivers is one of my favorite recording artists, terrific as well as prolific. He can take just about any kind of song and make it his own. I'm happy to know you appreciate him as well.
Please give my buddy Pat a hug and a Jerky-Treat and have a wonderful weekend, dear friend Kelly!
The beach Boys song is the only one that I've heard. But I'd never heard the Johnny Rivers version of it.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for coming to Peter's platter party!
Young as you are, it doesn't surprise me that you don't remember the two original recordings from 1960 or even their covers from 1965. The Johnny Rivers cover of "Help me Rhonda" wasn't very big in my neck of the woods, as I recall, but it was nice to hear it again given that Brian Wilson sang background on it.
Thanks again for swinging by, dear friend Mary. Say hello to my buddy Falcor for me and have a safe and happy weekend!
Eureka! What a cool new series Peter! Most of the cover songs are great, especially Johnny Rivers. I like almost anything he does. I think his best cover today is "Help Me Rhonda". I love the way it seems to be more personal. The instrumentals and background vocals are just tops! I, of course love the Beach Boys, but, don't know if I like the original or updated version better.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Rich sounds just like Elvis in "Breakup". I wasn't a true follower, but I didn't realize his voice was so similar. I like the song and enjoyed Charlie Rich's version more than Johnny Rivers. BUT! Wow Rock did a fantastic cover of this song with a great piano solo.
Dorsey Burnette had a very unique voice, and it is a tragedy we lost he and his brother so soon. "I don't know "Tall Oak Tree", but enjoyed hearing it, and I really like Johnny Rivers' cover and the video. Very Good!
This is a great post Peter, and Shady. If you find typos here, it's hard to type on a smaller device, although I am fortunate to have it. I hope all is well in your area, Shady. Seems as though you had some rough weather a few days ago, also. Take care dear friend. Love this post!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteWelcome back, dear friend! I've missed you and hope all is AOK with you and Scootie. I'm happy to have you on hand for the launch of Peter Griffin's new series - Eureka!
I'm glad you singled out the Johnny Rivers cover of "Help Me Rhonda" featuring backing vocals by Brian Wilson. When Wilson and other members of The Beach Boys lent their vocals to recordings made by other artists, the Beach Boy "sweetening" invariably made them better.
Isn't that a great rock & roll/rockabilly record ny Charlie Rich? It surprised me and it's hard to beat. "Breakup" aka "Break Up" is a terrific song to begin with, so it didn't surprise me that Johnny Rivers turned in two fine cover performances, one live in 1965 and the other, waxed in the studio, released in 1998. (I dropped that Wow Rock video from the post because I later determined that it was actually Johnny Rivers singing the song - the studio version I mentioned, the one released on his Memphis Sun Recordings album.
I'm glad you appreciated both the original and the cover of the bible-themed "Tall Oak Tree." Johnny Rivers had a knack of making his covers seem like originals.
I'm sorry you are still struggling to get comments typed and submitted, and I thank you all the more for the effort you put forth. Yessum, we had a good bit of rain in the last couple of weeks and the lawns have responded nicely. We are still waiting for the puddles to dry up, but this beats the drought we had been experiencing for months.
Thank you again for reporting in. Please take good care of yourself and Scootie and join me next week if you can for my 13th blogiversary celebration. Until then take care and have a delightful weekend, dear friend Suzanne!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Johnny Rivers and I've never heard his covers either, but I prefer them to original as well! He did an amazing job! This might be another artist to add to my list of things to check out on YouTube.
I can't wait for you to go in depth with this new series. It'll be fun! Thanks for providing the great music and laughs.
Have a wonderful Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteHow's it going, dear friend? Thanks for joining the fun as Peter Griffin shouts "Eureka!" and presents original recordings and capable covers.
Johnny Rivers is one of the biggest artists of the 20th century. His catalog is worth delving into. History-of-rock.com sez: << Johnny Rivers managed to put seventeen songs in the top forty from 1964 to 1977. He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time rock-and-roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. He was also an adept songwriter, guitarist, and producer. >> Yessum, Johnny recorded an amazing number of covers and they are all cool as can be. Great covers aside, Johnny scored his biggest hit with a song he wrote - "Poor Side Of Town" - a #1 charting smash in late 1966.
Stay tuned for the return of Peter Griffin in vol. 2 of Eureka! coming soon. Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend JM, and happy TT to you as well!
Hi Shady!
DeleteI had an interview today and I think it went well. Fingers and toes crossed. :)
I will definitely have to check out Johnny Rivers. I took a self-care weekend and listened to all the pop infused playlists that Amazon had to offer. Between that and swimming, I'm feeling better. Who would have thought that pop would have cheered me up? Ha! Tomorrow while I'm working, I'll give Johnny Rivers a listen.
I can't wait! I'm staying tuned! Happy Monday! Have a great evening, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteYessum, fingers, toes and eyes crossed. :)
Johnny Rivers is one of the few artists that I could listen to non-stop for hours and never get tired or bored. He sings with feeling and sincerity. It comes from the soul. I have a 3-CD set of Johnny's hits and every one of the songs is a gem.
Have a wonderful week ahead, dear friend JM!
Good Thursday evening! I didn't know all the songs tonight but I enjoyed the Johnny Rivers versions on all except the Beach Boys. I think Johnny did a good job I'm just partial to the Beach Boys who made me yearn to be a California girl! (I also wanted to be blond and blue eyed but that never happened either! Ha!) Some of Johnny's tunes were just a tad before I started getting into music and listening to my beloved transistor radio! I hope all is well with you and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be blogging soon. I just realized I haven't posted since the beginning of this month and this month is half over! Yikes! Take care Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks for popping in for some music, memories and fun, dear friend!
I can't imagine you as a blue-eyed blonde California girl. I think you're a mighty good looking brunette. As I recall, Beach Boys records had millions of young people across the country wishing they could trade places with them and live the good life out there in the warm California sun, riding waves, racing hot rods or cruisin' the strip in a vintage woodie.
I'm happy that you enjoyed the original Beach Boys version of "Help Me Rhonda" along with the Johnny Rivers covers of "Break Up" and "Oak Tree."
Yessum, I realize it's been a while since you posted. That always worries me a bit considering how things have been going for you lately. I'm very happy to see you this evening and hope life at The Pines continues on the upswing.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend YaYa, and have a safe and happy weekend!
I'll give you two out of three. I prefer the Beach Boys original (at least the original where Rhonda is spelled with an 'h'), but favor Johnny Rivers' covers of the other two.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading an interview with Sam Phillips sometimes in the 1980s where he talks about Charlie Rich's early rockabilly career, but this is the first time I've heard a recording from that era. Rich sounds like he's trying, much too hard for my taste, to out-Elvis Elvis. There may be a reason for that. According to that interview, Rich's first love was jazz, hadn't listened to Southern music all that much despite growing up in the South, recorded songs in the Sun style out of duress, and the result, at least for this particular song, is an unintentional parody of the Sun style. Yet he also wrote the song, and it took Rivers to do it justice!
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for staying up late or getting up very early to visit Shady's Place and comment on Peter Griffin's new series. I'm happy that you played Peter's piper platters, were picky about your pickled peppers, and pecked the keyboard to explain your likes and dislikes, as did other readers.
At the outset I need to caution you, good buddy:
Please... no wagering.
To me, the first BB version of "Help Me Ronda" (w/o the "H") lacks the pizzazz of their second, the 45 rpm radio edit. I'm glad you agree, and I also agree, that Johnny Rivers' 70s version isn't quite as good, even with the benefit of Brian Wilson's backing vocals on it. I do like the "wah Wah" vocals mixed into the second BB version to create a new hybrid.
Good story about Charlie Rich, and thanks for doing the research! In the music biz as elsewhere, if a particular trend or genre catches on, everybody and his brother tries to cash in. Kiss and artists from other genres turned to disco style recordings in the middle of that craze. Elvis turned to gospel to keep his career as a recording artist float. Pat Boone released "In a Metal Mood," an album of heavy metal covers. Quite a few big name music acts denounce recordings they made during their careers, including major hits that fans love, because they feel ashamed at having been part of that scene. Marvin Gaye outgrew Motown love songs and was unhappy about having to sing and record them.
I'm glad you give thumbs up to Johnny Rivers' covers of Rich's "Break Up" and Dorsey's "Tall Oak Tree."
Thanks again for being here, good buddy Kirk, and have a fine weekend!
These were really good covers! I especially liked the guitar riff added in Rivers' version of Help Me Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteThis is kinda off-topic but in a related way... Are you familiar with PostModern Jukebox? They take modern songs (think 80s on) and put retro spins on them. I absolutely LOVE them and think you would too!
I hope you're having a wonderful summer, friend!
Hi, Ashton!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming by as I launch a new series hosted by Family Guy's Peter Griffin. You have been following me longer than any other blogger, and I always appreciate your support!
The Shady's Place readers and listeners seem fairly equally divided over Johnny Rivers' cover of "Rhonda." Thanks for weighing in on it. I'm glad you like it.
Yessum, I am familiar with PostModern Jukebox. Their videos occasionally turn up on blogs that I follow. I like how the band brings in various guest vocalists. Recently I posted a song by Nashville-based singer and musician Allison Young, and discovered that she also fronted PostModern Jukebox on a performance of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTbNCezCJNM
Thanks again for joining the fun here at Shady's, dear friend Ashton. I hope you and your little girl Alexis are doing well and enjoying life in Bama. I think about you often. Please come back and see me again soon!
Good afternoon friend Shady! I agree with you about Johnny Rivers, although I was not familiar with these songs (except the Beach Boys one). Johnny Rivers was actually the first show I went to as a teen. We were with our parents on a vacation in Las Vegas and my younger sister and I saw him and Blood Sweat and Tears at one of the casinos while my parents gambled. I felt like such a grown up! Have a wonderful weekend buddy. Wish we had some of that rain. We are headed for drought and fire warnings again here.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for walking my buddy Benny all the way across the country to visit Shady's Place, dear friend!
I'm excited to learn that you saw Johnny Rivers in a live show, and that it was the first such show you attended as a teenager, the start of an impressive string of live concerts you have attended in the decades that followed. What a thrill to see Johnny Rivers along with Blood, Sweat & Tears at a Vegas casino, just you and your sister having a girls' night out without mom and dad acting as chaperones. In 1984, I met and had drinks with BS&T lead singer David Clayton-Thomas following his solo show at a nightclub in Largo. We had a nice talk and I told him I am a huge fan. Can you believe that David will be 80 years old less than two months from now?
Yessum, I am growing worried about the situation out West. I'd hate for you to be under threat of wildfires again and have your walks with Benny ruined by poor air quality resulting from smoke hanging in the air. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Janet. Please be good to yourself and Benny and have a wonderful weekend!
Some covers are pretty cool, but in the case of Help Me Rhonda I'm gonna stick with the Beach Boys. I'm not too familiar with these others, so I don't think it's fair for me to comment. That, and I have to pee badly as I've had waaaaay too much coffee already. I'll be back for more...
ReplyDeleteHey, b.a.f.!
DeleteI just found your comment, good buddy. Thanks for reporting in. There are actually three different versions of "Rhonda" ("Ronda") to choose from in this first edition of Eureka. Like you, most people like the Beach Boys' 45 rpm radio edit best of all. I would have to agree.
I hope you were able to empty your bladder without incident. :) Thanks again for joining the fun and have a great weekend!