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June 20, 2007

Bon Jovi Covers Leonard Cohen

No matter what ails, Bon Jovi covering "Hallelujah" is bad medicine. Yes, it's been covered a billion times, but can we draw the line somewhere? Is there some way to call a moratorium? If they could drum up support for Paris petitions, anything's possible. Listen here. (Via TMFTML) While we're talking tunes covered to death, feel free to flesh out our virtual protest with other candidates you'd like to see immune from future homage. (Dylan fans, the floor is yours.)

Posted at 10:23 AM
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19 Comments

i shall be released...from those covering I Shall Be Released!

Posted by: ev at 06/20/07 11:07 AM  | Reply
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"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding"

Let the madness end.

Posted by: Steve at 06/20/07 11:11 AM  | Reply
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I'd like to propose a specific ban on crappy pop-punk bands from covering "A New England," having entirely missed the point of what billy bragg was all about.

Posted by: Leff at 06/20/07 11:38 AM  | Reply
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Hotel California. I was already sick of it before I heard the French Rap version.

Posted by: Zayin_451 at 06/20/07 11:41 AM  | Reply
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After the Imogen Heap bowel movement that she called a "Hallelujah" cover I tried to start a grassroots effort for a federal law requiring Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley to approve all future attempts.

Yes, I know Jeff is dead. Exactly.

Posted by: Yarrr at 06/20/07 11:51 AM  | Reply
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Well, Bono's version of "Hallelujah" is the worst cover of the song, for all time, for forever. Even Bon Jovi can't touch that.

Posted by: Kat at 06/20/07 12:01 PM  | Reply
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after mandy moore covered 'god only knows' i think we should all stand up and say NO MORE

Posted by: seth at 06/20/07 12:29 PM  | Reply
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I'd like to add an emphatic "hell yes" to whoever recommended that "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding" be taken off the homage block. Enough already. Also, I'd like to see any and all Nirvana covers cease.

Posted by: Adam at 06/20/07 12:41 PM  | Reply
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I would like to go all Comrade Ogilvy on Rod Stewart's cover of Downtown Train. That stain should be erased from history and our collective memory.

Posted by: James at 06/20/07 1:00 PM  | Reply
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though "these days" reached it's peak with Nico's cover, all the covers of it since have worn down the sheer radiance of the song

Posted by: James at 06/20/07 1:18 PM  | Reply
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jesus christ do i hate this goddamn song. nice of bon jovi to be on top of things.

Posted by: gm at 06/20/07 1:29 PM  | Reply
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Show me where Bono released Hallelujah. I call bullshit.

Posted by: D at 06/20/07 1:46 PM  | Reply
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Correction: There is no "French Rap" version of Hotel California. There is a song called "Hotel Commissariat," that was featured in a film called Gomez & Tavares. The song features an interpolation of the Eagles "Hotel California." Legally speaking, quite different from a full fledged cover.

Clever film, but nowhere nearly as good as "La Beuze" starring Michael Youn...ALPHONSE BROWN!!!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x29dod_gomez-tavares

Posted by: Colonel K at 06/20/07 2:41 PM  | Reply
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Lennon's Imagine.

The person I've ever heard do anything remotely interesting with it was Neil Young.

Posted by: Chris at 06/20/07 2:43 PM  | Reply
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Heh, D! It's from the "Tower of Song" tribute album-- search it out on hypemachine (hypem.com) if you really want to hear it. At least he tried to do something different with it, I suppose.

Posted by: Kat at 06/20/07 3:11 PM  | Reply
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rather than banning songs from being covered, let ban bands from doing covers. we'll start with bon jovi and anything that bono is associated with.

Posted by: annie onymous at 06/20/07 3:43 PM  | Reply
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Bono covered Hallelujah on the "Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen" compilation. That was a false bullshit alarm.

No amount of bad versions could take away from Cale's or Buckley's versions, though.

Posted by: Craig at 06/20/07 4:41 PM  | Reply
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NO MORE "HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN". PLEASE. Original was perfect, Breeders was acceptable. NO MORE!

Posted by: canifuckingsaysumpin? at 02/26/08 6:26 PM  | Reply
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http://www.thesharkbook.com/blog/2008/03/livin-on-prayer-bon-jovi-guitarist-dui.html

Oh my! This was a glaring omission in our 'Worst Bon Jovi Covers' list...

Have you heard them do 'Fever' or 'Twist and Shout'? Well, cover your nose, your ears and all other orifices and check out our list...

Posted by: thesharkguys at 07/11/08 8:31 AM  | Reply
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