We saw Afghan Whigs at last years Oyafestival and of the 80 concerts I saw in 2012 I rated them on third place. What struck me was not only the great live versions of their own songs, but their very clever choices of cover songs.
And it was funky as hell!
I started to dig around the interweb and found a lot of very good cover versions done by Afghan Whigs, these are my ten favourites:
1. See and don’t see – Afghan Whigs:
“Man, these words are kind of desperate and lonely, and they’re surrounded by this funky song. I might have to strip this one down someday.” – Greg Dulli
Originally by Marie Queenie Lyons:
2. Lovecrimes – Afghan Whigs (Frank Ocean cover):
“LoveCrimes came to me immediately. I had played around with that one maybe a week after I heard it. When I was looking to have something to play with the guys—we jam covers all the time…we had it down in half an hour. So that one was very, very natural.” – Greg Dulli (to AV Club)
3. True love travels on a gravel road (audio only) – Afghan Whigs (Nick Lowe):
4. Superstition (and Going to Town) – Afghan Whigs (Stevie Wonder):
5. Beast of Burden – Afghan Whigs (Rolling Stones):
6. Lost in the Supermarked – Afghan Whigs (The Clash)with a clever use of the Train in Vain drum intro:
7. If I only had a heart – Afghan Whigs (from The Wizard of Oz):
8. Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Afghan Whigs (Barry White):
9. Everything Flows (audio only) – Afghan Whigs (Teenage Fanclub):
10. Creep (audio only) – Afghan Whigs (TLC):
Greg Dulli also did some great cover versions with The Twilight Singers but that’s another post…
– Hallgeir (the photos are from Oyafestival 2012 and taken by me)
Right now my top 3 is:
Come See About Me
Beware
My World is Empty Without You
They have so many! I knew they did many cover songs, but, my God, I did not know how many they have done!
Thanks for the comments.
🙂
– Hallgeir
i saw them do “i could never take the place of your man” by prince on the 1969
I wish I could have seen that!
Thanks for the comment 🙂
– Hallgeir
wanted to offer up “Lost In The Supermarket”, a Clash cover on the Clash tribute album Burning London. great version.
That’s at number 6 😉
doh! so it is.
The temple is from Jesus Christ superstar. I think it was on up in it
thanks 🙂
it was on Congregation
The Temple is missing too!!!!!!
Sorry for having so little knowledge, but what is The Temple?
– Hallgeir
it’s from Jesus Christ Superstar
Thankyou! 🙂
They went through a phase of playing [my favourite Whigs song ever] “When We Two Parted” and segueing into a cover of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor”. If you haven’t heard bootlegs with it on, you really should. That should be at #1 in this list 🙂
Still, whatever the Whigs cover, they can make uniquely their own…
I guess I have to start hunting for that one:)
Thanks for the tip
– Hallgeir
Come see about me and dark end of the street should be on that list!
I haven’t heard Dark end of the street performed by Afghan Whigs, I need to find that one
…and I didn’t know that Come see about me was a cover song, who has the original?
Thanks for the comment!
– Hallgeir
Found it!
Holland /Dozier/Holland composition
…and I agree it should have been on the list 🙂
– Hallgeir
Dark end of the street is great!
I think I need to expand the list to 20 songs…
Their best cover was Mr. Superlove, an Ass Ponys song.
That’s a great one and I was considering it.
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
– Hallgeir
you missed cloudbusting by kate bush – brilliance.
Oh, I have not heard that.
Have to seek it out, thanks for the tip!
– Hallgeir
I can only find it by The Twilight Singers (with Greg on vocals of course), are you sure that The Afghan Whigs covered it?
Please send me a link if you find it.
– Hallgeir