Cover versions are songs in costume. While the original versions of these songs may not qualify as Halloween hits, these versions are hairier and scarier.
Here are a few of HERC's favorite creepy cover versions, songs for any Halloween gathering.
One of HERC's favorite Halloween movie soundtracks is The Lost Boys. One of his favorite songs on that album is "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMahon. This video features the same guy (with a different stagename) performing the same song in a swampy, True Blood style. As HERC doesn't watch True Blood, he doesn't know if the song was ever featured on the show. Does anyone know? Unfortunately, this version of the song is not available on Spotify. There is another version of this track on the playlist, though.
Kula Shaker took a stab at Deep Purple's 1968 organ-ized version of "Hush" which itself was a cover of Billy Joe Royal's 1967 mid-size hit of an original Joe South composition. Kula's high-energy throwdown is from the soundtrack to the film I Know What You Did Last Summer which stars the original J-Lo, Miss Jennifer Love Hewitt.
While many people consider Johnny Cash's version of "Ghost Riders (In The Sky)" the definitive version of the song, they do not realize he recorded it thirty years after Stan Jones wrote the original in 1948. It is known by many titles including "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky", "Ghost Riders" or just "Riders In The Sky". After Cash's take was released on his album Silver in 1979, The Outlaws committed their version to tape for their album Ghost Riders the following year.
Originally recorded for the soundtrack to 1997's The Crow: City Of Angels, White Zombie's creepy cover of KC & the Sunshine Band's 1977 Number One jam "I'm Your Boogie Man" fused slinky disco and noisy metal into a shiny new hybrid. The Jim Carey-lookalike playing "Dr. Spooky" in the video is Rob Zombie's little brother who goes by the name of Spider One (Rob calls him "Mikey") and fronts the band Powerman 5000. That group is also on the playlist with a creepy cover of INXS's "Devil Inside".
Pearl Jam quietly released their cover version of "Last Kiss" on the 1999 charity album No Boundaries: A Benfit For The Kosovar Refugees after they had performed it a few times on the previous year's tour. Eddie and the boys released it as a single to their fan club members for Christmas 1998 and later put it on their 2003 album Lost Dogs, which rounded up their non-album b-sides and singles as well as other rarities. The song was released to radio in 1999 after the charity album came out and raced up the charts, giving the band their highest ranking song on the Hot 100, where it peaked at #2, tying the 1964 version by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. The very first version of the song was written and recorded by Wayne Cochran in 1961 as part of the "tragedy songs" fad but that version failed to chart.
Surprisingly, there are not one but two Pink Floyd covers on the Creepy Covers playlist below. Scissor Sisters are a post-disco dance band that HERC digs and their version of "Comfortably Numb" is catchy in a polarizing way the original never was, perfect for Halloween hoedowns and hootenannies.
While many people consider Johnny Cash's version of "Ghost Riders (In The Sky)" the definitive version of the song, they do not realize he recorded it thirty years after Stan Jones wrote the original in 1948. It is known by many titles including "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky", "Ghost Riders" or just "Riders In The Sky". After Cash's take was released on his album Silver in 1979, The Outlaws committed their version to tape for their album Ghost Riders the following year.
Originally recorded for the soundtrack to 1997's The Crow: City Of Angels, White Zombie's creepy cover of KC & the Sunshine Band's 1977 Number One jam "I'm Your Boogie Man" fused slinky disco and noisy metal into a shiny new hybrid. The Jim Carey-lookalike playing "Dr. Spooky" in the video is Rob Zombie's little brother who goes by the name of Spider One (Rob calls him "Mikey") and fronts the band Powerman 5000. That group is also on the playlist with a creepy cover of INXS's "Devil Inside".
Pearl Jam quietly released their cover version of "Last Kiss" on the 1999 charity album No Boundaries: A Benfit For The Kosovar Refugees after they had performed it a few times on the previous year's tour. Eddie and the boys released it as a single to their fan club members for Christmas 1998 and later put it on their 2003 album Lost Dogs, which rounded up their non-album b-sides and singles as well as other rarities. The song was released to radio in 1999 after the charity album came out and raced up the charts, giving the band their highest ranking song on the Hot 100, where it peaked at #2, tying the 1964 version by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. The very first version of the song was written and recorded by Wayne Cochran in 1961 as part of the "tragedy songs" fad but that version failed to chart.
Surprisingly, there are not one but two Pink Floyd covers on the Creepy Covers playlist below. Scissor Sisters are a post-disco dance band that HERC digs and their version of "Comfortably Numb" is catchy in a polarizing way the original never was, perfect for Halloween hoedowns and hootenannies.
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