It's Covered: Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women OR A Terrible Time for Birthdays

I'm keeping this one fairly short and sweet, as cakes and gifts await, children.

February 3-5 marks three birthdays in the Terrible household--my father's, my brother's and mine. You may recall a tribute i made to my bro, Cornbread, last year (he currently lives in Texas; they give each other those kinds of nicknames; don't look at me).

Well, this year, i'm doing one for the three of us. As we grew up, it was not uncommon for someone to bust out a guitar aty whatever family gathering and start a sing-a-long. Was booze often involved, too? Couldn't tell you, as i was just knee high to a grasshopper back then, but i think the fact that our favorite and preferred song was "Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women" kind of speaks for itself, no?

And with that, kids, It's Covered.

mp3: Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women (Jim Croce from The 50th Anniversary Collectoin)

mp3: Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women (Sons of the Pioneers from Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women/My Best to You)

mp3: Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women (Paul Curerri and Devon Sproule from Duets 2)

mp3: Cigareets and Whiskey (Session Americana from Table Top People Vol. 2)

Feel free to start a thread wishing me many happy returns of the day or, better yet, send drugs and nude pictures of your ex's. It's all about the giving, right?

It's Covered: It's Beginning to Sound Too Much Like Xmas

i'm relatively positive there's a whole covered/wrapped/wrapping paper joke i should be making, but quite frankly, i've been so swamped 'round here lately, i just don't have time to think of what that line is. That being said, ain't no Scrooges at LET during the holidays, so let's delve into some tasty Christmas covers, shall we?

Now, if this first one wasn't listed as part of the A.V. Club's Holiday Undercover Series, i don't know if i'd even think of it as a Christmas song. i mean, let's be honest, this is the Vacation song, pure and simple, but who am i to argue with the Walkmen? Hell, they even wore Santa hats for the video, so clearly i am in the wrong. Except i'm not, but Xmas is a time for acceptance, right? So there you have it.

mp3: Holiday Road (The Walkmen from The A.V. Club's Undercover Series)

Quite possibly my most favoritest holiday classic penned in the 80s, Summer Camp does a pretty faithful cover of the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping." Much like TNT's 24-hour Christmas Story marathon, this one is a comfy fit for the holidays.

mp3: Christmas Wrapping (Summer Camp from their MySpace)

It's Covered: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

i've got a big review of yesterday's DC stop for the Rock the Bells tour coming soon, but what's the point of co-owning a blog if you can't take time out to wish The Missus a happy second wedding anniversary? A lot of people lost money on that bet, i tell you what.

In honor of two years of wedded bliss, a quick It's Covered on the Randy Newman classic, "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear." The Missus and i have a running joke about getting eaten by bears, which probably isn't that funny if you were friends with this guy, but it's a laugh riot to us regardless. You go hang out in Alaska meeting your in-laws, and tell me the thought doesn't cross your mind. Then have your father-to-be draw a pistol on what turns out to be a leafy stump swaying in the breeze. It's a knee slapper, i tell you what.

While Newman penned it, it was first performed by Harpers Bizarre and, with the change of an article, was made classic overseas by Alan Price (though if you're from the States and about my age, you might credit its true international success to Scooter, Rowlf and Fozzie).

i'll let you decide for yourself.

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman from Sail Away)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Harpers Bizarre from The Platinum Collection)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Harry Nilsson from Harry)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Okkervil River from Golden Opportunities mixtape)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (The Muppets from The Muppet Show - The 25th Anniversary Collection)

mp3: Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear (Alan Price from The Best Of)

mp3: Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear (The Animals from Perform Price)

(Ed. Note: Today's Blog-on-Blog love gets you sticky from She'll Grow Back, who longtime readers will remember inspired this column in the first place, thereby giving you the correct answer to the upcoming LET version of Trivial Pursuit.)

It's Covered: Summertime Blues

Mother Terrible recently mentioned that summer is about over, and that school is just around the corner. While her exaggeration is obvious, it got me to thinking that if i'm going to do an "It's Covered" on the classic "Summertime Blues," i better get off my duff and into action.

Originally penned by Eddie Cochran and his manager, Jerry Capehart, it started life as a B-side before eventually peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958 and #18 on the UK Singles Chart. It's been covered by dozens of folks, and i've got more than a couple of versions for you to sample, from the original to a Japanese release only version by the greatest rock band playing today to the speed punk of the gods that were Guitar Wolf. i understand there's an Olivia Newton-John version out there i'm dying to get my hands on for reasons i can't even figure out myself, but there you have it.

Hopefully, it cures what ails ya.

mp3: Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran from The Very Best of Eddie Cochran)

mp3: Summertime Blues (The Black Keys from Rubber Factory (Japanese Release))

mp3: Summertime Blues (Guitar Wolf from Jet Generation)

mp3: Summertime Blues (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts from I Love Rock 'n Roll)

mp3: Summertime Blues (T. Rex from Electric Warriors Session)

It's Covered: The Star Spangled Banner

Many happy returns of the day, Uncle Sam, you daffy bastard, you. Who loves ya, baby?

And now, for our national anthem. As you'll shortly find out, however, these are not your daddy's versions.

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix from Live at Woodstock)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones from Flight of the Cosmic Hippo)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Jaco Pastorius from Heavy 'N Jazz)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Miri Ben-Ari ft. Doug E. Fresh from The Hip-Hop Violinist)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Blues Traveler from Live: What You And I Have Been Through)