Covers by Spacemen 3

It's fairly unlikely you'd have made it here without ever having heard of Jason's previous incarnation. So here you go, talk away...

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Ro S_repeater
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Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by Ro S_repeater »

Hello,

I'm new to the forum (just registered but been here numerous times in the past).

I'm trying to compile a comprehensive list of all songs by other artists that Spacemen 3 covered. (They don't have to be on an official release - they can be live performances and demos.)

Below I'm posting a list of all the songs I can think of.

Can you help and add any more covers?

thanks!

Provisional list

OFFICIAL RELEASES ON STUDIO ALBUMS/SINGLES
  • Transparent Radiation - Red Krayola ['re-arranged']
    Rollercoaster - 13th Flr Elevators
    Mary Anne - 'Just One Time' - Juicy Lucy (G Campbell)
    Starship - MC5 / Sun Ra
    Che - Suicide
    Little Doll - The Stooges
    May the Circle Be Unbroken - gospel traditional (13th flr elevators; the staple singers)
    When Tomorrow Hits - Mudhoney
AND, LOOSELY
  • Hey Man/Amen - derived from Gospel traditional and Otis Reading, 'Amen'.
    Ode to Street Hassle - based on 'Street Hassle', Lou Reed
    OD Catastophe - lyrics from 'TV Eye' , The Stooges
    Come Down Easy - derivative of Delta Blues traditional, "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" , and Bob Dylan's 'Fixin to Die'.
    Revolution - riff related to 'War Sucks' Red Krayola, and 'Black to Comm' MC5
STUDIO DEMOS
  • It's Alright - Bo Diddley / The Rolling Stones
    We Sell Soul - The Spades / Roky Erikson (aka Don't Fall Down - 13th flr elevators)
    Anyway That You Want Me - The Troggs (by Chip Taylor)
    Girl on Fire - The Perfect Disaster
    I Want You (Right Now) - The Troggs / MC5
PLAYED LIVE ONLY
  • Come Together - MC5
    Some Kinda Love - The Velvet Underground
    Sister Ray - The Velvet Underground
    Why Don’t You Smile Now - All Night Workers (by Cale/Reed/etc)
    I'm A Man - Bo Diddley / The Yardbirds / The Sonics
    Peter Gunn Theme -
    Blow My Top - The Gun Club
    I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges
    Turn On - The Godz
  • By The River - ???????? (Gun Club?)
natty
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by natty »

Didn't realise "Blow My Top" was a Gun Club cover.

There's a version of The Stooges "Funhouse" on "How The Blues Should've Turned Out as well", "Blow My Top" kinda segues into it IIRC.

Some of the lyrics for "How Does It Feel?" are pretty much the same as some of the lyrics for Silver Apples "I Have Known Love", as well.

I remember Sonic saying somewhere that "Losing Touch With My Mind" was them basically trying to rip off The Rolling Stones "Citadel" but it came out like it did due to their relative musical incompetence.
imagne
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by imagne »

"take me to the other side" is basically a "i can see for miles" cover
runcible
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by runcible »

imagne wrote:"take me to the other side" is basically a "i can see for miles" cover
I always thought that link came through the MC5's 'Come Together'. Same riff really.
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by vejtables »

The Deviants song 'I'm Coming Home' has lots of Spacemen in it, including some Feel So Good and Revolution, including Will's bassline for Revolution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86gRdJUeBE

Pretty sure the release of The Deviants record (Ptooff!, 1967) predates any release of MC5's Black To Comm or Faust's Krautrock..although the live version here of Black to Comm was taped in 1967 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwV5Sqlhlgc
runcible
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by runcible »

There are many similarities between The Deviants and The MC5 - more than just the afro hairstyle of the singers but that's a nice coincidence!
scratch
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by scratch »

Ro S_repeater wrote: Little Doll - The Stooges
I think the stooges stole about 80% (rhythm and notes) of it from hardbopper ahmed abdul-malik.. played with monk, trane and odetta

It is a taqsim - improvisation around a traditional maqam.. you will no doubt hear that the song spelled takseem off his 1959 album "east meets west" sounds strangely familiar..
"the greatest example of self-violation in the history of art"
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by nickh »

scratch wrote:
Ro S_repeater wrote: Little Doll - The Stooges
I think the stooges stole about 80% (rhythm and notes) of it from hardbopper ahmed abdul-malik.. played with monk, trane and odetta

It is a taqsim - improvisation around a traditional maqam.. you will no doubt hear that the song spelled takseem off his 1959 album "east meets west" sounds strangely familiar..
Bloody hell Scratch, you are a genius! Just previewed this on itunes and sure enough, it’s Little Doll. 8)

I always thought 2.35 sounded a little like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0l4uVYuGXA it is a pretty common riff though.
runcible
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by runcible »

nickh wrote:I always thought 2.35 sounded a little like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0l4uVYuGXA it is a pretty common riff though.
Hey - that's an awesome clip Nick! I once heard an amazing version of 2.35 by a band called Chrome Cranks but I was never able to track this down. It was a Peel session I think and really swamp rock in style - excellent too. I would love to find a good copy of that.

Is there a link to the abdul-malik thing somewhere?
nickh
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by nickh »

runcible wrote:
nickh wrote:I always thought 2.35 sounded a little like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0l4uVYuGXA it is a pretty common riff though.
Hey - that's an awesome clip Nick! I once heard an amazing version of 2.35 by a band called Chrome Cranks but I was never able to track this down. It was a Peel session I think and really swamp rock in style - excellent too. I would love to find a good copy of that.

Is there a link to the abdul-malik thing somewhere?
Thanks Mark. They were around the psychobilly/garage scene of the early to mid eighties which around 85 started to get a little more psychedelic, they made some good records.

I can’t really find any clips of the Ahmed Abdul-Malik song anywhere other than itunes I'm afraid.
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by scratch »

nickh wrote: I can’t really find any clips of the Ahmed Abdul-Malik song anywhere other than itunes I'm afraid.
I will upload an mp3 tonight - gotta run now

edit: getting technical errors at both megaupload and yousendit.. if you have a good alternative let me know.
"the greatest example of self-violation in the history of art"
scratch
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by scratch »

"the greatest example of self-violation in the history of art"
struts
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Re: Covers by Spacemen 3

Post by struts »

If you want to include Sonic Boom/Spectrum projects, you could add:

from Spectrum LP:
Doc Pomus - Lonely Avenue
Suicide - Rock 'n' Roll Is Killing My Life

from the Indian Summer EP:
Beat Happening - Indian Summer
Jan & Dean - Lullaby in the Rain (California Lullaby) [as basis for "Baby, Don't You Worry"]
Bo Diddley - It's Alright [which you already mention above]
Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You In the End
13th Floor Elevators - Through the Rhythm

from Soul Kiss (Glide Divine) LP:
The Hollies - "I Can't Let Go" [basis for "How You Satisfy Me"]

from True Love Will Find You in the End 2X7"
Cryin' Shame's 1966 cover of Drifter's "Please Stay" [basis for "Don't Go (Please Stay) (Vocal Version)"]

If you have not already, you definitely want to check out Sonic's "Spacelines" comp., which includes:
The Red Krayola - Transparent Radiation (Demo)
The Cryin' Shames - Please Stay
Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You in the End
Juicy Lucy - Just One Time

Then from Spiritualized, you could add:
The Troggs - Any Way That You Want Me [already mentioned above]
Moe Tucker - Why Don't You Smile Now
J.J. Cale - Call Me the Breeze
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