Janda and Christian talk Classic Rock Cover Songs!

Summary

Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles
Episode: Janda and Christian Talk Classic Rock Cover Songs!
Release Date: June 11, 2025
Host/Authors: Janda Lane and Christian Lane
Podcast Network: Gamut Podcast Network

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of "Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles," hosts Janda and Christian Lane embark on a musical journey exploring some of the most iconic classic rock cover songs. They delve into how these reinterpretations have not only paid homage to the originals but also redefined them, sometimes even eclipsing the original versions in popularity and cultural impact.

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1. "Blinded by the Light" – Manfred Mann's Earth Band Covering Bruce Springsteen

Timestamp: 01:19 – 05:37

Janda kicks off the discussion with Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light." Initially, Springsteen's version from his album Greetings from Asbury Park didn’t make significant waves upon its release.

Janda:
"When Springsteen wrote it, he basically just sat down with a rhyming dictionary and just put together a bunch of words. ... it didn't really, you know, cause a ripple in the pond." (02:14)

Christian highlights how Manfred Mann's Earth Band transformed the song into a number one hit, noting it's the only Springsteen song to achieve that feat.

Christian:
"It's the only number one hit song that Bruce Springsteen has ever had in his entire career." (02:36)

Janda emphasizes the unpredictable nature of hit songs and how sometimes a fresh take by another artist can propel a song to greater heights.

Janda:
"Sometimes a hit song doesn't have to have your normal roll, run of the mill, verse, chorus, verse, chorus. It's a song about love or whatever." (03:38)

Christian praises the Earth Band's rendition for its captivating keyboard intro and energetic production, which gave listeners a new way to experience the lyrics.

Christian:
"It's just an excellent performance. ... production just kind of everything about it. It's a little bit of a perfect storm." (03:55)

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2. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" – Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover

Timestamp: 05:37 – 12:08

Christian introduces "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," exploring its various covers by artists like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, and Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR).

Christian:
"CCR is covering Marvin's version. ... it's CCR's version that is really, really strong." (06:46)

He discusses the challenges white bands face when covering soul music and commends CCR for their authentic and powerful interpretation.

Janda adds that CCR's version became a contender for the top spot, standing alongside Marvin's gold standard version.

Janda:
"That's a great one. ... CCR's version is so good." (09:16)

Christian also touches on other unique covers, including the British post-punk band The Slits and the fictional California Raisins, highlighting the song's versatility and broad appeal.

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3. "The Man Who Sold the World" – Nirvana's Cover

Timestamp: 12:08 – 19:27

Murdoch shifts the focus to Nirvana's poignant cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World," performed during their iconic MTV Unplugged session.

Murdoch:
"Kurt Cobain chose this song for Nirvana to cover... it completely opened up Bowie's music to all those Nirvana fans." (12:08)

Christian reflects on how the cover not only introduced Bowie to a younger audience but also showcased Kurt Cobain's refined musical taste.

Christian:
"It gave Kurt showed how cool he was. ... It really worked for Bowie, brought fans to him." (14:53)

They discuss the symbiotic relationship between Bowie and Nirvana, emphasizing how the cover bridged generational gaps in music appreciation.

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4. "Hurt" – Johnny Cash's Cover of Nine Inch Nails

Timestamp: 15:49 – 19:27

Christian moves on to Johnny Cash's haunting rendition of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," recorded towards the end of Cash's life under the production of Rick Rubin.

Christian:
"Johnny Cash's version will make you hurt because it's like he's reading his last will and testament." (16:01)

He contrasts the youthful angst of Trent Reznor's original with the raw, introspective depth Cash brings, transforming the song into a powerful reflection on life and legacy.

Murdoch:
"It changes the song... you don't get a much better reinterpretation of a song than that." (18:35)

Both hosts agree that Cash's performance adds profound emotional resonance, making it one of the most impactful covers in rock history.

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5. "Black Magic Woman" – Santana's Rendition of Fleetwood Mac

Timestamp: 19:27 – 23:06

Murdoch highlights Santana's electrifying cover of "Black Magic Woman," originally penned by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. He shares the touching backstory of how the royalties from Santana's version supported Green during his struggles.

Murdoch:
"Royalties from Santana's version of 'Black Magic Woman' basically kept him off the street." (19:40)

Christian remarks on how naturally Santana's style complements the song, making their version indistinguishable from their own creations.

Christian:
"The Santana version fits them like such a glove... it just seems like it would have been something that Santana wrote." (22:43)

They both appreciate how Santana elevated the original, infusing it with their signature percussion and melodic flair.

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6. "All Along the Watchtower" – Jimi Hendrix Covering Bob Dylan

Timestamp: 23:06 – 27:13

Christian brings the discussion to one of the most celebrated covers in rock history: Jimi Hendrix's rendition of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."

Christian:
"The Platonic ideal of a cover. Taking the source material and blowing it up into Technicolor." (23:06)

He explains how Hendrix's version brought a new level of intensity and depth, aligning with the song's apocalyptic themes while showcasing his unparalleled guitar prowess.

Murdoch:
"If it's biblical, then Hendrix made it sound biblical." (14:27)

Christian also mentions how Bob Dylan himself embraced Hendrix's interpretation, even adopting it in his live performances.

Christian:
"You have to be able to impart something of yourself on that song in order for it to be felt by listeners." (19:19)

The hosts conclude that Hendrix's cover not only honored Dylan's songwriting but also elevated it to legendary status.

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Conclusion

Janda and Christian Lane deliver an insightful exploration of classic rock cover songs, demonstrating how these reinterpretations can redefine musical landscapes and impact both the original artists and the covering bands. Through their engaging dialogue and thoughtful analysis, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the art of covering songs and the enduring legacy of classic rock music.

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Notable Quotes

• Janda:
  "Sometimes a hit song doesn't have to have your normal roll, run of the mill... [03:38]"

• Christian:
  "It's just an excellent performance... it's a little bit of a perfect storm." [03:55]

• Murdoch:
  "It's like he's reading his last will and testament." [16:01]

• Christian:
  "No better compliment." [26:39]

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Looking Ahead

Encouraging listeners to return for more deep dives, Janda and Christian hint at future episodes exploring additional classic rock covers, promising more engaging discussions and musical revelations.

Christian:
"We'll cover more covers." (27:11)

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Join Janda and Christian in celebrating the timelessness of classic rock through the lens of its most memorable cover songs. Subscribe to "Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles" on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode!

Transcript

[Brian]

Hey, it's Brian. And hey, it is Murdoch. Welcome to the Rock and Roll Story Guys podcast. It's a show where two best friends sit around and talk about rock and roll. Rumor and innuendo. We used to work together. We booked concerts together. We've done very bad things together, seen things we shouldn't have seen. Wait, wait. We've seen the movie Very Bad Things Together. That's what he means, right? And you write the letters. You determine what we're gonna talk about on our podcast. It's a whole lot of fun. Download the thing now, wherever you like to find audio to put in your ear holes. It's Rock and Roll Story, guys. You want to hear the real story behind the rock artists, the albums and the songs that have become the soundtrack of your life. Straight from the legends who lived them. I'm Adam Reeder, the Professor of Rock, and on the professor of Rock podcast, we go deep, deep into the heart of the music that defines us and our greatest memories. Exclusive interviews, behind the scenes moments, and the untold truths of rock's greatest hits told by the artists themselves. Stories you won't find anywhere else. If music moves you, this is your backstage pass. Subscribe now to the professor of Rock podcast.

[Murdoch]

Welcome to the behind the Song podcast, taking you deeper into classic rock's most timeless tunes. Here's your host, Janda. I'm Janda, joined once again for this bonus episode of the behind the Song podcast by Christian Lane. Hi, Christian.

[Christian Lane]

Hello there.

[Murdoch]

We thought we'd take a crack at classic rock cover songs. I'm gonna dive right into this pool. And there are so many great classic rock cover songs that we could talk about, but I'm going to start with one of the most successful of all time, and that would be Blinded by the Light, as done by Manford Man's Earth Band covering Bruce Springsteen now. Wow.

[Christian Lane]

Excellent pick.

[Murdoch]

So many great things about this song. First of all, when Springsteen wrote it, he. He basically just sat down with a rhyming dictionary and just put together a bunch of words. Mad mens, drummers, Bummer. You know, he just sort of just threw everything at it to see what would happen. And then, of course, when it was released on Greetings from Asbury park, it didn't really, you know, cause a ripple in the pond.

[Christian Lane]

No. Sort of a middling reception, I guess.

[Murdoch]

So then Manfred Mann got ahold of it, and when he did it, it became a number one hit. In fact, it's the only number one hit song that Bruce Springsteen has ever had in his entire career.

[Christian Lane]

Is that right?

[Murdoch]

It is correct. And his version isn't even the one that went to number one. The next highest for Springsteen is Dancing in the Dark, which went to number two.

[Christian Lane]

I mean, I would have thought that was a number one hit. Born in the U.S.A. i mean, I'm shocked.

[Murdoch]

Well, you got to think, you know, when Born in the USA was released, even though it was just a huge, huge smash, really, it was at that time when it was like Madonna was at the top of the 200 chart. And that kind of stuff, Michael Jackson.

[Christian Lane]

Madonna, that stuff was kind of ruling the chart.

[Murdoch]

Yeah, Prince, I mean, it was. It was tough competition. So, yeah, that's the next highest charting for Springsteen. But. But this song is so incredible because Springsteen, when he wrote the lyrics, he was basically told by Clive Davis to go write a hit. You know, he'd been tearing it up in the clubs, you know, in the Jersey Shore and the Eastern seaboard there. And he had this record deal and they said, go write a hit. And this is what he came up with, a song of nonsense.

[Christian Lane]

I get it, Clive. Okay.

[Murdoch]

But it just goes to show you that sometimes a hit song doesn't have to have your normal roll, run of the mill, verse, chorus, verse, chorus. It's a song about love or whatever. Sometimes it takes somebody else doing it for it to get to the top of the chart.

[Christian Lane]

It's a really great cover, though. It's got that awesome keyboard intro that hooks you right in. And I think it's one of his better vocal deliveries. It's just an excellent performance. It's weird to say, like, oh, yeah, the COVID surpassed the original, and it's Bruce Springsteen, but it kind of did. I mean, the energy is there, production just kind of everything about it. It's a little bit of a perfect storm. And he somehow made all those lyrics not matter, gave it space somewhat, and allowed you to kind of make your own story up. And that's a really powerful thing, too.

[Murdoch]

And I think there's something to be said for. You know, this was first out of the gate for a studio release for Springsteen with greetings from Asbury Park. So he probably, while he was very confident on stage, he probably wasn't all the way there yet in terms of, you know, creating record material which is, as, you know, a completely different beast altogether. Live to being a studio animal.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, he might not have had the budget to do what he wanted to do on that first recording because a lot of times it's just like, go in and record your live set. We're giving You a very little amount of money to do that. And it works. We'll give you more.

[Murdoch]

Right. And it's interesting too, one last thing about this particular cover. Man for man covered two more Bruce Springsteen songs. That was how he kind of made his bones really, you know, here in the States covering other people's work. But this one absolutely knocked it out of the park.

[Christian Lane]

It's probably playing somewhere at this moment.

[Murdoch]

I think so. All right, so what do you have up first on your list?

[Christian Lane]

First up for me, I'm going to do Herd it Through the Grapevine. I'm choosing the CCR cover.

[Murdoch]

Okay.

[Christian Lane]

Of the Marvin Gaye cover of take your pick, Smoking the Miracles or Gladys Knight and the Pip. So Gladys Knight recorded the first version for Motown, then Smokey did one. Marvin's version was in the can. Barry Gordy just didn't hear it as a single. So, you know, we got Gladys Knight's version, Smokey Robinson's. Gladys Knight's version is very upbeat. It's not what you would think of as that song. Smokies is still upbeat, but it's got the cool organ intro now, right. Marvin slows it down. I'm chosen to make me blue with some of the guys and makes it a smokier affair. Kind of what we're used to hearing from ccr. So CCR is, in my estimation is covering Marvin's version.

[Murdoch]

Okay.

[Christian Lane]

That slow, sultry, smoky version. The thing about it is, you know, white boys covering soul music like that, unless you're Joe Cocker, it's really, I don't know, it's hard. It's really hard. But, you know, one of the exceptions is John Fogarty. I think his songwriting is fantastic and I love his guitar playing. But his voice, that might be his most powerful tool. You know, I think his brother mentioned at one point that his brother had, in his estimation, one of the all time voices for rock and roll. Every bit as unique as, like Ray Charles, who John Fogarty loved. So he's kind of the perfect vehicle to do this song. Credence used to do it in sort of a live set. They recorded an 11 minute version for Cosmos Factory. They did not see it as a single. The label cut it down and put it out as a single against their wishes. Probably not the worst thing that ever happened to CCR, to be fair. My guess is it's 50, 50 about, you know, whose version is more popular at this point or more well known. I think Marvin's is still one of the gold standards of soul tunes. But CCR It's a contender for top spot for that song. It's really, really strong cover. I'd like to just men two more covers of that song.

[Murdoch]

Okay.

[Christian Lane]

Since it seems to be just a very coverable song. The British post punk band the Slits did a bonkers version of it. It sort of deconstructed, but the vibe, it's just so good. Let's just hear a little bit of that. So, yeah, I mean, there's that take as well. And then I'd just like to mention also that the completely fictional band the California Raisins, that were just a marketing idea.

[Murdoch]

Yes, I recall they covered it, but.

[Christian Lane]

It became so popular that they released it as a single and it hit number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. So. Yeah. And ultimately that song is just very coverable, even by cartoon raisins, so. So that's my first pick for rock and roll covers.

[Murdoch]

That's a great one. And yeah, I mean, if. If a fictional cartoon band made up for commercial purposes can cover your song and get it on the charts, then, you know you've got a winner, I guess.

[Christian Lane]

You know, apparently I just found it funny. The ad executive was in a meeting and he was like, look, the only thing we haven't done is cartoon raisin singing. I heard it through the grapevine.

[Murdoch]

So.

[Christian Lane]

So, so they did it and it was a massive success.

[Murdoch]

That's incredible. And something that I'm sure nobody who ever. No real band or artist who ever covered that song would have thought possible. But Yeah, I agree. CCR's version is so good. And Fogarty, one of the reasons I think that's so successful, even though he's known as a rock guy, is that he had that ability to completely inhabit whatever song he was singing and deliver it to the nth degree and sell it to you.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, you know, you're so right. I mean, he sold I put a spell on you by screaming Jay Hawkins.

[Murdoch]

There you go.

[Christian Lane]

That's. Yeah. So.

[Murdoch]

Sold the hell out of it too.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, I mean, I mean, give him a phone book and let him sing it. I don't know. Probably.

[Murdoch]

There you go. Well, what a great one. I love that one.

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[Murdoch]

Okay, my turn. I am going to go next with. I know you're going to be shocked. I'm going with Nirvana's cover of Bowie's the Man who Sold the World. I like now. This for me is such an important cover song because Kurt Cobain chose this song for Nirvana to cover at their MTV Unplugged sessions, which by and large was one of the very best ever done in that series. Just an absolute new take on the band. Nirvana stripped down Unplugged acoustic for the most part. It gave Nirvana fans a new way to look at the songs that Kurt had written. So when he chose to do this Bowie song, it was at a lull in Bowie's career. You know, early 90s, he was still out there doing. But it wasn't like Modern Love, let's Dance era anymore. This was now the 90s. And by Kurt choosing an obscure at the time, Bowie's Song, it completely opened up Bowie's music to all those Nirvana fans who then went out and checked out, you know, Bowie's earlier work. At the time, Nirvana fans probably knew Bowie from the big comeback in 83 let's dance, but they had no idea, more than likely, about the album, the man who Sold the World or Hunky Dory. They might have known Ziggy Stardust, but they may not have known Diamond Dogs. And that opened up a whole new appreciation for David Bowie's music for kids who didn't have access to it before. And I just think that that's so wonderful And I loved the take on the song itself. It was very true, you know, to. To how Bowie presented it. I know.

[Christian Lane]

Not me. I never.

[Murdoch]

Title track to the man who Sold the World album, his third. But it. It had a Nirvana spin on it, of course. And it was cool to hear Kurt's singing those lyrics. He has blown up the world with his band and the lyrics are singing about, you know, the man who sold the world. It all just made sense. It was all perfect.

[Christian Lane]

First of all, I think it really spoke to how cool Kurt Cobain really was. I think it gave especially music journalists an insight to his tastes. It really worked for Bowie, brought fans to him. But it also gave Kurt showed how cool he was. Other choices of covers throughout their career kind of showed how cool he was or, you know, where his head was at or his taste.

[Murdoch]

I think it's all about the taste. When you choose David Bowie as a cover song for your big MTV show, you are making a choice. And that choice when you choose Bowie is, I'm a little bit more elevated than what you might think, because that's what David Bowie does. He elevates everything, at least for me.

[Christian Lane]

I think also, you know, Bowie tended by and large, in the early days especially to attract a lot of disaffected kids, you know, kids who felt different and dressed different and wanted to be different. And so did Kurt. And I think there was a definite kinship there. And it was sort of like Kurt opening up his umbrella saying, I am this as well. You know, I am here for you self proclaimed weirdos, you know, same way Bowie was. I think that's really cool.

[Murdoch]

That's awesome. Yeah, it's a great way to put it. All right, so what is up next on your list?

[Christian Lane]

Next up for me is Johnny Cash's brutal cover of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt, I will make you.

[Murdoch]

Oh, wow.

[Christian Lane]

I say brutal because of the time in his life when he recorded it. I think everybody knows it was towards the end of Johnny Cash's life. And Rick Rubin was doing a really great job of documenting some of Johnny Cash's favorite songs. They became a lot of the American recordings. They're just wonderful. They just capture his voice so well and it's so crisp and right in your ear and so raw, and you hear all the cracks in this old man's voice. What I think is brilliant about it and why it works so well for me is I look at it like the Nine Inch Nails song version is the young man, okay? And it's the young man saying, you know, you did this to me. And so I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to make you hurt because I'm so hurting. And the music reflects that. And it's sort of like a young man, when he's in his feels, you know, and he's.

[Murdoch]

Yeah, I get. Yeah.

[Christian Lane]

Take down the world with me.

[Murdoch]

Right.

[Christian Lane]

I'm wounded, so I must make everyone hurt. You know, Johnny Cash's version will make you hurt because it's like he's reading his last will and testament.

[Murdoch]

Wow. Yeah.

[Christian Lane]

And you can have it all My empire of dirt I will let you down I will make you hurt. He's looking back at a life, at the mistakes he's made, at the people he's hurt. You know, the. The emotional wreckage left in his wake, often either by self obsession or drug addiction. He's looking at the people that he let down and the things that he wish he could have a do over, knowing that he can't do it over. And it just brings such a emotional resonance to it, Such a wallop, if you ask me. And it really kind of changes the song. I mean, obviously, that's what, you know, a lot of covers try to do. It's knowing how life will play out. Often it's being able to look back at a life and say, no, life will hurt you, and then I will hurt you because I'll be gone. And so it's pretty heavy. But if you ask me, I mean, you don't get a much better reinterpretation of a song than that.

[Murdoch]

Yeah. Wow. Well said. And if you look at it like Trent Reznor is the young man's version, and, you know, an older Johnny Cash is the wizened older version of that song. Yeah, it does put that in perfect perspective. And it's one of the reasons that doing that song was a great choice for Johnny Cash. He knew he could deliver those lyrics. Yeah, that's the job. At the end of the day, when you choose a cover song, you have to be able to give that song something that that song is not yours. You have to be able to impart something of yourself on that song in order for it to be felt by listeners, you know, Otherwise, you're just doing karaoke. Exactly. That's.

[Christian Lane]

That's. That's it right there.

[Murdoch]

Right.

[Christian Lane]

Well, let's move on from that heaviness and go back to you, Jean.

[Murdoch]

Well, okay, I got one here then. My final song today is the COVID of Black Magic Woman, Santana's cover, originally, of course, by Fleetwood Mac.

[Christian Lane]

I thought you might.

[Murdoch]

Santana's version is the one that most people know. It is the one that I grew up listening to from Abraxas. I frankly didn't know that it was a cover song for most of my life. And then at some point I found out that Fleetwood Mac had originally released this song. The year before Abraxas came out, Fleetwood Mac's version came out on an album entitled and I love this so much, the Pious Bird of Good Omen.

[Christian Lane]

Did you point out this is Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac?

[Murdoch]

Not I Must, I Must not the.

[Christian Lane]

Lindsey Stevie vehicle that we know so well.

[Murdoch]

Correct. Yeah. This is the early days Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac. Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac, who had only three albums with Fleetwood Mac before he left the band, wanted to give all his money away. You know, he battled with schizophrenia, he battled with, you know, drug abuse. But what a talented songwriter and what an enigmatic figure, a character in rock and roll. Literally. We would not have the band. Fleetwood Mac and Stevie and Lindsay came along in 75 and everything changed. But Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac was a blues based rock prototype. In fact, Peter Green was such a great guitarist that when Clapton left John Mayle and the Blues breakers, it was Peter Green who stepped in for Clapton. He was a ferociously great guitar player and wrote such wonderful songs. So it's Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and he wrote the song Black Magic Woman. Now, when Santana got a hold of it, he did some cool stuff. He added all the percussion. Greg Rowley of Santana Later Journey, you know, ended up singing the lead vocal beautifully, I thought. And then there is a little medley of Gabor Szabo's Gypsy Queen in the Santana version as well. So he kind of covers two songs there with his version and it did really, really well for Santana. And in fact, in later years after Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac and was just about homeless, it was the royalties from Santana's version of Black Magic Woman that basically kept him off the street because he could count on that mailbox money from Santana's big hit with his song. I think the whole story of that song is so amazing. And Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac so good. Those first three albums, completely unlike, you know, the later stuff, highly recommend checking them out, particularly the Pious Bird of Good Omen, which is an album title. I just wanted to say once more because it's so good.

[Christian Lane]

Kind of reminded me, you know, with that one. I just have to mention that the Santana version fits them like such a glove that forgive people for not knowing that There was an original version of it. It just seems like it would have been something that Santana wrote. With that said, that's how I feel about my final pick for the day. All along the Watchtower Dylan song as covered by Jimi Hendrix.

[Murdoch]

Oh, yeah.

[Christian Lane]

Potentially. You know, the Platonic ideal of a cover. Taking the source material and blowing it up into Technicolor. The song was off a record called John Wesley Harding came out in 68, which, so did Hendrix version. And how that happened is because they would send around Bob songs, the publisher would send around advanced copies of the album to artists to potentially cover. You know, Hendrix was a huge Dylan fan, so he was very excited to get these tapes. And he just cottoned onto it right away, got right inside that song. It's a pretty simple song. Dylan's version is three chords. It's A minor, G and F. But it's a very sort of dark ish tale. A lot of people see the influences of the Book of Isaiah, the book of Revelation. Princes kept the view. The song is essentially a conversation between a joker and a thief as they ride along the watchtower. But, you know, the version itself doesn't sound like the End of Times. It's. It's very simple. It's very folky. You know, Dylan was coming off of the crazy Technicolor 60s, had his motorcycle accident, which gave him a big break from the road and allowed him to be a family man up in Woodstock, New York. So the material he wrote was very simple. He recorded it very simple. A lot of that was going on in the music business at the time. The band, the Dead, everybody's kind of going back to. Back to the woods, if you will. Kind of a dusty, homegrown sound. Well, Hendrix made that song. He fulfilled the prophecy, if you will. If it's biblical, then Hendrix made it sound biblical. If it's the story of the robber barons taking from the artists, it sounds like that, too. If it sounds like an apocalypse, yes, it is. Dylan said that Hendrix had the talent to find things inside songs and bring them out. And he reckoned that some of the space that Hendrix gave the song allowed it to have a deeper story than it really had. The trick in the Watchtower song itself is, you know, the first two verses set it up to be this grand epic. And it has a little instrumental, and then it kind of ends. Hendrix makes it epic, makes it end on an epic, makes the wind howl, everything. Quick note. Brian Jones did play the Vibra slap at the beginning, I thought.

[Murdoch]

The Vibra slap, you said.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, that fun little percussion instrument. Also want to mention the band, another post punk band, xtc, did a completely unhinged version of it. You should seek that out because it's really fun. Yeah, I mean, you know, Dylan also said he ended up playing Hendrik's version. You know, starting in 74, he started basically playing a cover of a cover.

[Murdoch]

That's the point I was gonna make. It didn't even take Bob Dylan that long to say, hey, you know what, let's do his version. It's actually better. And that is the highest compliment that the original artist can ever pay someone who covers the material. Much less if you're Bob Dylan.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah. No better compliment. Wow.

[Murdoch]

The only way you're going to get that reaction probably is if you're Jimi Hendrix doing it.

[Christian Lane]

Fair enough.

[Murdoch]

What a great one. I would say probably one of the greatest covers in classic rock all along the Watchtower. You had some top picks today, Christian.

[Christian Lane]

Well, thank you. I think you did, too. I mean, do a part two.

[Murdoch]

Well, we've only scratched the surface here, really, when we're talking about classic rock covers. So, yeah, let's come back again and talk about some more great cover songs. Are you in?

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, yeah, we'll cover more covers.

[Murdoch]

Perfect. Thanks for joining me. As always, my pleasure. And on the way, much more classic rock and roll. Hey, I'm Elizabeth Reese. And I'm Marjorie Punnett. We host a podcast. It's called Best to the Nest. If you want to bring love, balance and joy to your home, relationships or parenting, listen. We do, too. We want your heart home to be your favorite place to be. We bring in experts to guide us along the way. We also chat about pop culture and how it plays in our lives. So learn and laugh along with us as you bring your best to your nest. Best to the Nest, the podcast that brings you home. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.