What Song Would You Like The Stones to Cover?

By 2000 Man on Feb 19, 2010

I had a friend that used to be a big Stones fan and he always liked their cover songs. I do too, but he used to just think everything he heard would have been better had The Stones done it. I'm thinking in particular that he thought The Stones would have absolutely killed Billy Thorpe's "Children of the Sun." I never liked that song, but who knows?

I know what song I always wanted them to do. I wanted them to do it because I thought it would have kicked ass on Rod Stewart's version, and I like the way Rod did this song. I can just imagine Keith and Mick Taylor slashing through this, and Jagger would have owned this one. Besides, Charlie would have only done a cursory drum solo, letting the guitars get right back to work.

I also wish The Stones would have released their version of "Drift Away" (I'll use an mp3 of it; the YouTube versions seem to cut off early and it's been awhile since I shared any of the vaults with you guys), but they recorded it while it was still pretty high in the charts, I think. Still, it would have been a nice B-side.

"Drift Away"

What song would you like to see them cover?

20 comments

Comment from: misterioso [Member]

The Stones covering the Faces covering Motown! What a feedback loop.

To your interesting question, I suppose it is foregone conclusion to note that it is too late for anything good to come from the Stones covering anyone, but let's play along.

I think a cover of an early 70s Van song would be (or have been) very cool, from a predictable song like "Domino" or a more ambitious song like "St. Dominic's Preview."

02/19/10 @ 11:31

Comment from: Oats [Member]

For this exercise, should we choose a particular era/lineup of the Stones that we'd like to hear cover a certain song?

For the current lineup of the Stones, I think they should cover John Cage's "4'33"." BURN!!

02/19/10 @ 11:39

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

It would have been fun to hear the Brian Jones-era Stones cover The Clash's "Hateful," using their "Not Fade Away" approach.

I wish the Mick Taylor-era Stones could have gone a little bit into the future and covered Elvis Costello's "Alison" rather than laying frigging "Angie" to tape!

The Ron Wood/Some Girls-era Stones could have had fun covering the entire first New York Dolls album.

02/19/10 @ 11:40

Comment from: mockcarr [Member]

Did the Stones ever return the favor the Who was trying to do when they covered Under My Thumb and The Last Time? Maybe they could have thrown Pete a bone by doing Long Live Rock. Pete's guitar licks in there sound very Keefy to me.

02/19/10 @ 11:43

Comment from: 2000 Man [Member]

I don't care how you do it, Oats. For me, I just think if the Exile era band had even just did a one off in concert captured by a taper in a toilet next door, I'm Losing You would have been really neato. I think if they did Children of the Sun, I'd barf.

The way the band stands today, I think they're really well suited to do blues. Mick seems to get bored with it, but I really think Keith and Ronnie are better suited to blues these days. They both take their hands off their guitars so often that it requires a lot of onstage "helpers" to rock out.

02/19/10 @ 12:11

Comment from: 2000 Man [Member]

Oh, mockcarr - No, The Stones never did reciprocate with a cover of a Who song. I think The Who is better suited to cover The stones than vice versa. I bet they'd kcik ass on a cover of It's Only Rock N Roll.

02/19/10 @ 12:13

Comment from: pepe lepew [Member]

Every time Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" by The Rolling Stones, finds its way into the shuffle mix of my ipod, it makes me smile. Fantastic cover!

02/19/10 @ 12:32

Comment from: diskojoe [Member]

I think the Stones should do a cover of the Birds' (Ron Woods' 1st band)"No Good Without You".

02/19/10 @ 12:46

Comment from: hrrundivbakshi [Member]

Current band: insert Lucinda Williams song here

1970s cocaine edition: "I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly

1970s early Mick Taylor edition: "Got to Be Free," Kinks

1960s strung-out edition: "S.F. Sorrow Is Born," Pretty Things

1960s Brian edition: dunno, doesn't matter

02/19/10 @ 12:54

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

Hrrundi, I was cheering on your suggestions until your final dig at the Brian edition. I'll forgive you, man, but you've put a serious dent in what had been a sterling, young afternoon in the face of handling some emergencies at work.

02/19/10 @ 12:58

Comment from: hrrundivbakshi [Member]

Well, Mod, what I really meant was that that early edition of the Stones only did one kind of cover anyway -- ever, so what would be the point of suggesting *another* Chuck Berry "deep cut"? (Please, no pince-nezzing over Rufus Thomas and Buddy Holly covers. You know what I'm talking about.

02/19/10 @ 13:21

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

I got you now, HVB. Thanks for clearing that up. I will resume feeling good about this day.

02/19/10 @ 14:08

Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]

Tattoo You/Emotional Rescue Stones doing Bowie/Iggy's China Girl.

02/19/10 @ 14:40

Comment from: cdm [Member]

I think their cover songs are usually pretty lackluster but I'd like to hear them take a crack at Falling Down by Tom Waits. Jagger would probably be fairly good on the vocals and the band, especially Keef could work up an excellent version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoWyLXV88qs

02/19/10 @ 20:26

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

Here's another one I'd like to hear the Some Girls-era band do: Blondie's "Heart of Glass." I can hear it slowed down a notch with a slightly "reggae" feel to it.

02/19/10 @ 23:37

Comment from: BigSteve [Member]

I'd have the Between the Buttons version of the Stones play some Kinks songs from the same era. Party Line, House in the Country, Session Man (with Nicky Hopkins sitting in of course) -- these songs could easily be Stones songs.

And I could see the Mick Taylor era Stones rocking out on some more Robt Johnson songs like they did on Stop Breaking Down.

02/20/10 @ 10:37

Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]

Man, I didn't know the Stones covered those Kinks songs. I'll have to check them out. They're right up their alley, especially at that point in their recording career.

02/20/10 @ 10:38

Comment from: dr john [Member]

I'm surprised the MT-era Stones didn't cover any Gram Parsons. I think they'd sound great doing "Ooh Las Vegas."

02/21/10 @ 16:18

Comment from: sourbob [Member]

I'd like to hear the current lineup cover Cody ChesnuTT. Maybe "The Seed" or "Look Good in Leather." They could use an injection of something messy and funky.

02/22/10 @ 14:04

Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]

BA-BY FOR-GIVE ME
FOR BE-IN THE DICK
THAT I'VE BEEN TO
THE CHIL-DREN & YOU!

02/22/10 @ 17:41

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