One of my favorite radio programs ever was my Sunday evening appointment with the good Doctor Demento – a record collector in California whose show of novelty songs was always a treat. Dr. D. is best known to many of us as the person who “discovered” “Weird Al” Yankovic. I still follow Dr. D. on Facebook (my drug of choice).
Lately, I’ve found another class of songs – “Covers” of well-known songs done by unlikely performers. After a few months, I’ve come up with my own “Funny Five.”
At the number 5 spot is a song which could be forgiven for the fact that someone pulled a fast one on the performers. This little number, as seen on the Lawrence Welk show, is a cover of the song “One Toke Over the Line.” Most of us know what the song is about, but the performers seemingly have no idea, as seen on this video… https://youtu.be/MRa_gC6y4CY
I have to give this cover credit. The tune is there, but there’s the lyrics. Danish. And suddenly a studio version of a well-known song by The Village People becomes… https://youtu.be/zTbjLOem2Qg
In at number 3 comes from a veteran. Since back in the 1950’s, Pat Boone made a comfortable living doing covers of songs done by black performers for white people. One would think that Pat would be comfortable on those old royalties and endorsements for sit-down bathtubs, but no. He just had to prove his hipness to newer audiences with this cover of a semi-heavy metal classic… https://youtu.be/qIqY-zvdESQ
The runner up on this countdown is also a veteran. Herbert Khoury was known in the music industry as one of the best of the best. He was versatile and was noted as one of the best stage performers by his peers. Unfortunately, he was better known for his novelty act, first seen by me on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh in back in the late sixties. We all knew him as Tiny Tim – as seen covering a song on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. Johnny’s reaction is priceless. Look for a glimpse of David Letterman on the end of the video… https://youtu.be/iBhkvlTcAag
Coming in at number one is a cover of a song done by Nine Inch Nails. Hurt. There is an excellent cover done by Johnny Cash at the end of his long career. This isn’t that cover. This cover comes from a performer better known from where he comes from. He is instantly recognizable to fans all over the world, as is his foil and sometimes girlfriend. If you still admit to knowing me at the end of this clip, I thank you from the bottom of my heart… https://youtu.be/57ta7mkgrOU
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