Queen Cover That Could Have Been

In the later years, when the band was not as prolific, I wonder why they didn't consider doing a few covers. I think that the last handful of albums would have really benefited from them picking some songs they enjoyed and cutting a cover version with the "Queen Treatment" instead of some of the weaker cuts on the records.

I was thinking what covers, based on known influences of the band, they might have cut. How about Freddie really digging into some Aretha like "Think" or "Chain of Fools" with the big, multilayered background vocals - god, that would have been awesome! Or maybe even Brian doing "Isn't it a Pity" or "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by George Harrison. Imagine that! And they all loved Hendrix, so maybe a stab at a more obscure Hendrix tune like "Gypsy Eyes". Or even picking a good song from a buddy - how about them ripping through Elton John's "Love Lies Bleeding"? Think of how the boys would have banged that one out! Man, the possibilities...

Any other ideas to imagine???

I liked Queen because of their originality, and never saw the need for covers.  On the other hand, I know Brian was looking to do an album of covers when he did his second solo album.  I think songs like To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees, Yesterday and a Red Special version of Eleanor Rigby would have been a treat to hear.

[QUOTE]

[b]Sheer Brass Neck wrote: [/b]

I liked Queen because of their originality, and never saw the need for covers.  On the other hand, I know Brian was looking to do an album of covers when he did his second solo album.  I think songs like To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees, Yesterday and a Red Special version of Eleanor Rigby would have been a treat to hear. [/QUOTE]
It is amazing how original they were. If you think about it, they made just four covers; Made In Heaven, Heaven For Everyone, I Was Born To Love You and Too Much Love Will Kill You. That's not alot; especially if you compare them to someone like Van Halen who has made a speciality of doing covers.

And especially if you consider those covers you mention were all written or co-written by members of the band. But there are still more, some of which were also co-written by the band, some of which weren't:

- [i]Doing All Right
[/i]- [i]See What A Fool I've Been
- God Save the Queen
- The Wedding March

[/i]Plus what they did on stage.

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[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]



And especially if you consider those covers you mention were all written or co-written by members of the band. But there are still more, some of which were also co-written by the band, some of which weren't:

- [i]Doing All Right
[/i]- [i]See What A Fool I've Been
- God Save the Queen
- The Wedding March

[/i]Plus what they did on stage.

[/QUOTE]
I don't consider GSTQ to be a cover as it's a national anthem. Like Hendrix's 'The Star-Spangled Banner' it's not the kind of song which is originated by a specific artist. People sing national athems every day of the year, and they aren't covering them. IMO May simply delivered his own version; rather than covering it. 


However, even including GSTQ, it's still not alot of covers. Up to 15 albums, and what, six or seven covers plus SWAFIB. They were stunningly original.

I can't see Freddie singing While My Guitar Gently Weeps.  I also didn't take a week off when Jeff Healey did it a few years back and he did a pretty good job.

I don't think Queen was a cover band.  Thank God.

Doing covers doesn't mean you're not original - ever heard of the Beatles? Led Zeppelin? Rolling Stones? Elvis Presley? They did a few covers in their day (although Zep changed the credits!). However, they put their original sound on a song, and that was exciting - and original!

And live, Queen did plenty of covers - Tutti Frutti, Big Spender, Jailhouse Rock, Hello Mary Lou, Immigrant Song, Imagine, and more I would guess.

My point was that Queen was a great BAND. Their sound would have benefited almost any song. And as their songwriting became more challenged at the end, an album like the Miracle could have benefited from a fresh take on a good song.

And Micro, I can't see Freddie singing While My Guitar Gently Weeps either. I said Brian, and I would love to hear him take that one on. I've always thought he had a nice, soft quality to his voice like George Harrison.

A studio Queen Album full of covers,  would have been a bad idea, very Status Quo-ish.  Nothing wrong with Queen doing covers on Live Albums, Solo projects or just at Gigs. But on a fully fledged Queen album, I think it would have sort of spoilt it.  To be honest, I think Bri & Rog knew this also, That's why Runaway was left off the last Album.

[i]While My Guitar...[/i] would've been great with May singing and Freddie on piano & harmonies.

Now:

>>> I don't consider GSTQ to be a cover as it's a national anthem.

Straight from Dictionary.com:

[b]Cover version: [/b]'a recording of a song by a singer, instrumentalist, or group other than the original performer or composer'.

Were May & Taylor the original performers of GSTQ? No
Were May & Taylor the original songwriters of GSTQ? No

Hence, it [b]IS[/b] a cover version.

>>> Like Hendrix's 'The Star-Spangled Banner' it's not the kind of song which is originated by a specific artist.

[i]Star-Spangled Banner [/i]was written by Key & Smith. They, for that reason, [i]originated [/i]it. And they're as 'specific' as anybody else. Btw Hendrix also played [i]God Save the Queen [/i]long before Brian. 

>>> People sing national athems every day of the year, and they aren't covering them.

Of course they are, and even if they weren't, one thing is to sing something in a school or event and something different is to release it on an album. People sing [i]We Will Rock You [/i]every day but still Bruce Dickinson's version is a cover. Same here: people sing [i]GSTQ [/i]every day but still May & Taylor's version is a cover.

>>> IMO May simply delivered his own version; rather than covering it.

Loads of covers 'simply deliver their own versions'. GnR's [i]Knocking on Heaven's Door [/i]is very different to the original, it's their own version, and it's still a cover (i.e. they're delivering their own version AND covering the song - no 'rather' involved). The Blanks' [i]Superman[/i] is very different to the original, it's their own version, and it's still a cover.

Same for GSTQ.

>>> However, even including GSTQ, it's still not alot of covers.

Never said otherwise.

>>> Up to 15 albums, and what, six or seven covers plus SWAFIB. They were stunningly original

Yes but that's not a cause-effect thing: even if they had three covers per album, they'd still be 'stunningly original'.

Sebastian I love the thought that you put into your posts!

[QUOTE]

[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]

[i][/i]>>> Up to 15 albums, and what, six or seven covers plus SWAFIB. They were stunningly original

Yes but that's not a cause-effect thing: even if they had three covers per album, they'd still be 'stunningly original'.[/QUOTE]
Exactly.

For all I know, Survivor, Foreigner, Journey, Coldplay, and others didn't do a cover. So does that put their originality on par with Queen, and above those losers like the Beatles, Elvis, Stones, CCR, and others that actually *[i]gasp[/i]* DID COVERS????

God forbid song quality exceeds royalty payments...

It would be interesting. Im sure there would be some songs out there that Queen would do a great job of.

Guns and Roses and Aerosmith have done them, how ever they dont realy do much for the band.

Aerosmith done it at a time when they didnt care about charts. They done it for the love of blues in which they were brought up on.

new york, new york was a nice cover:)

Sebastian wrote: " don't consider GSTQ to be a cover as it's a national anthem.

Straight from Dictionary.com:

Cover version: 'a recording of a song by a singer, instrumentalist, or group other than the original performer or composer'.

Were May & Taylor the original performers of GSTQ? No
Were May & Taylor the original songwriters of GSTQ? No

Hence, it IS a cover version." Wikepedia has it as a a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded, commercially released song. The Free dictionary has it as a 'recording of a song that was previously recorded or made popular by another.' It is actually quite debatable as to whether or not recorded versions of nationl anthems are cover versions, since there isn't any one original version which made the song popular.

"Like Hendrix's 'The Star-Spangled Banner' it's not the kind of song which is originated by a specific artist.

Star-Spangled Banner was written by Key & Smith. They, for that reason, originated it. And they're as 'specific' as anybody else. Btw Hendrix also played God Save the Queen long before Brian." Except that SSB has become America's national anthem. It's like 'Happy Birthday to You'; yes, it was borne out of Patty and Mildred J. Hill's 'Good Morning To All', but if someone were to sing Happy Birthday to you and record it on youtube, would that be a cover version? IMO the answer is no.

"Of course they are, and even if they weren't, one thing is to sing something in a school or event and something different is to release it on an album. People sing We Will Rock You every day but still Bruce Dickinson's version is a cover. Same here: people sing GSTQ every day but still May & Taylor's version is a cover." Don't agree. If someone records a version of WWRY, as far as I'm concerned, it's still a cover version. I may sing WWRY in my shower; fine, that's not a cover, but if my school records it, that's a cover. May and Taylor's version of GSTQ isn't a cover as IMO I don't think one can cover such a song.

"IMO May simply delivered his own version; rather than covering it.

Loads of covers 'simply deliver their own versions'. GnR's Knocking on Heaven's Door is very different to the original, it's their own version, and it's still a cover (i.e. they're delivering their own version AND covering the
song - no 'rather' involved). The Blanks' Superman is very different to the original, it's their own version, and it's still a cover.

Same for GSTQ."Forgive me, I should have been more clear. When I said ''simply deliver their own versions', I meant that May was simply doing what other Brits do every day, he just happened to record his version, rather than covering it.

">>> Up to 15 albums, and what, six or seven covers plus SWAFIB. They were stunningly original

Yes but that's not a cause-effect thing: even if they had three covers per album, they'd still be 'stunningly original'."

Except it is a cause-effect thing. If Queen released three covers on each of their albums (even on albums with 9 or 10 songs) it would make them far less original than if they only released 6-8 covers on their up to 15 albums. When I used 'original' in this case, I did so in relation to the number of original songs that Queen has released. By that basis, I would argue that if Queen had three covers per album, they wouldn't be 'stunningly original'.

>>> Wikepedia has it as a a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded, commercially released song.

It'd still be a cover since there had been professional recordings of the National Anthem.

>>> It is actually quite debatable as to whether or not recorded versions of nationl anthems are cover versions, since there isn't any one original version which made the song popular.

So? The Beatles' [i]Twist & Shout [/i]is a hell of a lot more popular than the original one and it's still a cover. A recording of [i]Happy Birthday, Greensleeves, Amazing Grace [/i]or any religious hymn or national or regional anthem is obviously a cover, since it wasn't written by the artist in question.

>>> but if someone were to sing Happy Birthday to you and record it on youtube, would that be a cover version? IMO the answer is no.

Then what would you call it? There are loads of things in music which aren't black or white. This one, however, is: if you're doing the first official version, then it's not a cover (e.g. Britney's [i]Baby One More Time [/i]is not a cover even though she didn't write it); otherwise, it is a cover (e.g. Roger Taylor's live [i]Ride the Wild Wind [/i]is a cover even though it's his song, or Macca's [i]Eleanor Rigby [/i]for 'Give My Regards...'), and there's actually no more getting round to it.

>>> May and Taylor's version of GSTQ isn't a cover as IMO I don't think one can cover such a song.

To cover a song = To make a version of a song which was first published by an artist other than yourself. If the song hasn't got an 'original released version', it's still a cover since it's not the first time it's issued. So, again, an artist playing Bach is [i]covering [/i]him, an artist recording [i]I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside [/i]is covering it, and so on.

>>> I meant that May was simply doing what other Brits do every day, he just happened to record his version, rather than covering it.

First of all, I doubt many other Brits can pull off such arrangement. Second of all, loads of people sing [i]We Will Rock You [/i]or [i]I'm So Excited [/i]every day, but still, recorded versions are covers. Third of all, 'to record his own version' is precisely the definition of 'covering it'.

>>> Except it is a cause-effect thing. If Queen released three covers on each of their albums (even on albums with 9 or 10 songs) it would make them far less original than if they only released 6-8 covers on their up to 15 albums.

Originality's not a matter of number of songs per album. What if they record 3000+ original songs which are actually ripping off Led Zeppelin (or any other act for that matter)?

Queen's originality relies on the quality of their material, even the one they didn't write themselves. Their cover versions of GSTQ and TWM are original, just like their self-penned songs such as [i]Leroy Brown [/i]and [i]Somebody to Love [/i]are original (though both belong to genres whose origins Queen had nothing to do with), etc.

I think the correct phrasing would be: 'only a handful of covers in all their catalogue - Queen's amount of self-penned material is stunningly high', since that is indeed something that tells them apart from Beatles, Zeppelin or others.