Best cover by Buffett?

[Parrotreb]

First, Johnny Clegg's Great Heart, and then Scarlet Begonias, Someone I Used to Love, Pacing the Cage, and Take the Weather with You.

[Carolinadreamin']

Right now, my favorite cover is Rhumba Man...

wBs

[Docktails at 5]

While I am a fan of the earlier covers like Spider John and Big Rig and Biloxi and Lovely Cruise and Coast Of Marseilles and various others it's quite possible that the one cover Jimmy totally nailed is way more recent - Back To The Island

I like Leon Russell's version much better. My vote is for Biloxi. Followed closely by Banana Republic.

[iacubsfan2]

This is a fun post, I guess I really hadn't thought about all the covers he has done.

My Vote is Banana Republics

Although I do like several of his covers I would much prefer that at a show he leave out some of the covers that he usually does and give the time to some of his many songs he doesn't usually do.

Other than Banana Republics, he can do it and it is fine with me.
I have seen John Prine countless times and of course he does many tributes to Steve Goodman

Even though I have been to over 30 of JB's concerts over almost 30 years now, I can only remember hearing him do Banana Rebuplics once and that was at Sandstone west of KC in maybe 1985, I can remember thinking at that moment , this is almost spiritual for me LOL
We spent the end of the 70's living by the Changes in Latitudes and You had to be there, LP's. yes Lp's LOL

[HurricaneSeason]

They are still called LPs. That's not specific to vinyl. A lot of people think it is but it's not. Long Player means it's not a single or Extended Play(er) basically. And with CDs one can get some really long Long Players ha ha.

Flipflop - it's understandable why you thought We Learned To Be Cool From You could have been a cover - he's done a lot of covers this decade. Look at the last hit he had, Bama Breeze. Cover. Then there were the two singles from License To Chill - covers. Lots of covers, some pretty damn good (Hey Good Lookin', Whoop De Doo, Back To The Island, Everybody's Talkin'), some OK (Cinco De Mayo In Memphis, Wheel Inside The Wheel, Bama Breeze) and some that are awful (Silver Wings, Sail On Sailor).

[flipflop444]

They are still called LPs. That's not specific to vinyl. A lot of people think it is but it's not. Long Player means it's not a single or Extended Play(er) basically. And with CDs one can get some really long Long Players ha ha.

Flipflop - it's understandable why you thought We Learned To Be Cool From You could have been a cover - he's done a lot of covers this decade. Look at the last hit he had, Bama Breeze. Cover. Then there were the two singles from License To Chill - covers. Lots of covers, some pretty damn good (Hey Good Lookin', Whoop De Doo, Back To The Island, Everybody's Talkin'), some OK (Cinco De Mayo In Memphis, Wheel Inside The Wheel, Bama Breeze) and some that are awful (Silver Wings, Sail On Sailor).

yea i was listening on RM and i heard a completely different version of it so that why i thought it was it didnt sound like buffett.

[iacubsfan2]

They are still called LPs. That's not specific to vinyl. A lot of people think it is but it's not. Long Player means it's not a single or Extended Play(er) basically. And with CDs one can get some really long Long Players ha ha.

Flipflop - it's understandable why you thought We Learned To Be Cool From You could have been a cover - he's done a lot of covers this decade. Look at the last hit he had, Bama Breeze. Cover. Then there were the two singles from License To Chill - covers. Lots of covers, some pretty damn good (Hey Good Lookin', Whoop De Doo, Back To The Island, Everybody's Talkin'), some OK (Cinco De Mayo In Memphis, Wheel Inside The Wheel, Bama Breeze) and some that are awful (Silver Wings, Sail On Sailor).

Point taken LOL

Ok is this case they were all vinyl LOL

Some times I forget how many songs he does that are somebody elses.

And the more I listen to Zac Brown the more I hope he does at least 1 of his

[TSU86]

What are we calling a cover. Something that was recorded by someone else, or just written? The bama breeze comment made me think we're talking written.

As far as something recorded... how bout Spider John?

[C-Dawg]

First, Johnny Clegg's Great Heart, and then Scarlet Begonias, Someone I Used to Love, Pacing the Cage, and Take the Weather with You.

I love Jimmy's versions of all those songs, especially Great Heart, but mu current favorite cover is Rhumba Man, especially when he does it live.

[FinnsU.P.]

I'm willing to bet we hear Zac Brown's "Toes" this summer.

[ejr]

Anyone that knows me knows what my answer is....

Banana Republics.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I'm willing to bet we hear Zac Brown's "Toes" this summer.

Actually I really hope not... It's ZBB's hit song. Leave it to them, imho. I think it'd be kind of uncool to cover it unless Zac Brown were sitting in on a Buffett show.

[Mr Play]

It's a toss-up for me between Banana Republics, Coast of Marseilles, and Lovely Cruise.

[HD18JBGuy]

I'm willing to bet we hear Zac Brown's "Toes" this summer.

Actually I really hope not... It's ZBB's hit song. Leave it to them, imho. I think it'd be kind of uncool to cover it unless Zac Brown were sitting in on a Buffett show.

Totally agree. Considering 1/3 of his songs are already covers, he doesn't need another one. He has plenty. Plus, ZB's voice really does that song alot of justice.

But I do agree that I wouldn't be surprised it it does get covered this summer.

[OnoIsland]

There's tons of them. As great of a writer as Buffett is, he may also be the world's greatest cover artist. My top three would probably be Great Heart, Biloxi, and Stars on the Water. The one song I'd love to hear him cover would be Jackson Browne's "Jamaica Say You Will".

[HurricaneSeason]

Regardless of whether or not a song was ever released by the author, it's quite simply this scenario: Jimmy didn't write the songs that do not bear his name, hence them being a "cover" of someone's song. Country music, Tin Pan Alley - whatever - songs written by a person or people that is recorded by an act - not written by the artist. Hence my inclusion of Bama Breeze being a cover - Jimmy didn't write it. That's all.

Is that technically correct? I dunno. Possibly not - but even the term 'cover song' or 'cover version' is relatively new. People think of Irma Thomas doing Time Is On My Side but she covered it ie didn't write it. It's associated with her and that is probably the real point, whether she wrote it or not; she was the first person to have a hit with it, thus making it "her" song.

[HD18JBGuy]

Regardless of whether or not a song was ever released by the author, it's quite simply this scenario: Jimmy didn't write the songs that do not bear his name, hence them being a "cover" of someone's song. Country music, Tin Pan Alley - whatever - songs written by a person or people that is recorded by an act - not written by the artist. Hence my inclusion of Bama Breeze being a cover - Jimmy didn't write it. That's all.

Is that technically correct? I dunno. Possibly not - but even the term 'cover song' or 'cover version' is relatively new. People think of Irma Thomas doing Time Is On My Side but she covered it ie didn't write it. It's associated with her and that is probably the real point, whether she wrote it or not; she was the first person to have a hit with it, thus making it "her" song.

I take your approach to this as well. All credit should go to the artist who first wrote and recorded/played the song. Jimmy certainly gives credit where credit is due to the original artist. He is always giving credit to Jesse Winchester, John Prine, Steve Goodman, John Lennon, or whoever it may be that he is covering. Also, for the most part, I think Jimmy does a great job at most covers, to the point that many people think that it is his original song (Lovely Cruise, Stories We Could Tell, and Great Heart come to mind).

Many titles gain popularity through other artists. But it doesn't mean they are not covers. To add to your example, City of New Orleans was made popular by Arlo Guthrie, but was written by an unknown arist at that time named Steve Goodman.

This is my take on the definition of a cover.