Cover versions

Come on in and cover me

Posted on by brucehhackett

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I had a peculiar aversion to cover songs. If I loved a tune, I had no interest in hearing someone else record the same song, whether it was a note-for-note copy or a radically different arrangement. I thought it was lazy of the artist to rip off a song already made famous when there were so many unknown songs waiting to be recorded and popularized.

Eventually, I saw how shortsighted this attitude was. I felt sheepish when I discovered that a song I loved — James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You,” for instance — was in fact a cover version of Marvin Gaye’s original from a decade earlier.

A great song is a great song, and it will almost certainly stand up to multiple re-imaginings. This truth has been driven home to me hundreds of times in recent years as newer artists have been returning time and time again to songs from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Some of these cover versions, of course, have been failed experiments, to my ears, but so many more have been resoundingly successful as valid art, regardless of whether they made any impact on the charts.

I have enjoyed combing through the releases of the past two decades, searching for the best cover renditions of classic rock tracks by current singers. Some I knew already but others were brand new to me, and I felt compelled to select 15 and present them here to my readers. As always, I have included a Spotify playlist so you can listen to these new versions of old favorites as you read along. If you have your own favorite cover songs, I’d be very interested to hear about them for a future blog post.

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“Someday We’ll Be Together,” Bruce Springsteen, 2022

Since his earliest days as a performer, Springsteen has often covered classic R&B and roots rock tunes in his concerts, most notably “Devil With the Blue Dress,” “Raise Your Hand,” “War,” “Quarter to Three,” “In the Midnight Hour” and “Twist and Shout.” In 2022, he finally got around to recording “Only the Strong Survive,” an entire studio album of soul covers like “Turn Back the Hands of Time,” “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” and “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do).” My favorite from that collection is his version of The Supremes #1 hit from 1969, “Someday We’ll Be Together.” One critic praised the LP as “an ideal opportunity for a new audience to discover glorious classics as interpreted by a rock ‘n’ roll stalwart.”

“Back Stabbers,” Seal, 2011

“In my years in the music industry, two things have remained constants — the voice and the song,” noted Seal upon the release of “Soul 2,” his second collection of R&B covers. “I continue to make music because of the chance that today could be the day I write a memorable song or have the opportunity to sing an all-time classic.” The songs he chose — “What’s Going On,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “I’ll Be Around,” among others — are some of the finest soul tunes ever. His magnificent treatment of The O’Jays’ 1972 hit “Back Stabbers” is the cream of the crop.

“Happy Together,” Weezer, 2019

Since their debut in the mid-1990s, Weezer has been one of the most critically praised and commercially successful alt-rock bands in the country, churning out more than a dozen albums and 15 Top Ten singles on the alt-rock charts. Their fans wanted them to record a cover of Toto’s mid-’80s hit “Africa,” so instead, they released another Toto hit, “Rosanna,” which led to “The Teal Album,” an LP of covers that included not only “Africa” but other iconic tunes like “Billie Jean,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” a-ha’s “Take On Me” and The Turtles’ 1967 hit “Happy Together.” They chose to remain faithful to the originals — “straight-ahead paint-by-numbers covers,” as one critic put it, “like something a wedding band might play.”

“Lean On Me,” Keb’ Mo’, 2022

Kevin Moore has been going by the Ebonic “Keb’ Mo'” version of his name since his debut in 1995, writing, recording and performing award-winning contemporary blues music. He has also dabbled in many convincing covers along the way, re-imagining traditional pieces like “America the Beautiful” and pop songs such as The Youngblood’s “Get Together,” Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and The Eagles’ “One Of These Nights.” In 2022, his 18th LP “Good To Be…” featured a compelling cover of the Bill Withers #1 hit “Lean On Me.”

“After the Gold Rush,” k.d. lang, 2004

Inspired by poet e.e. cummings and his use of lower-case letters, Kathryn Dawn Lang became k.d. lang upon her debut as a Canadian country singer in the late 1980s. She has won Grammy and Juno awards for her country, pop and folk music in the years since, especially for her 1992 LP “Ingenue” and its hits “Constant Craving” and “Miss Chatelaine.” She paid tribute to fellow Canadian musicians Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young on her 2004 LP “Hymns of the 49th Parallel” (the latitudinal line that comprises much of the border between Canada and the US). Feast your ears on her gorgeous cover of Young’s “After the Gold Rush.”

“Tougher Than the Rest,” Shawn Colvin, 2015

Colvin is best known for the 1997 Grammy Song of the Year “Sunny Came Home,” but there’s so much more in her rich catalog that’s well worth exploring. She typically records her own songs but has twice released albums of other composers’ work — 1994’s “Cover Girl,” on which she sang unknown songs, and 2015’s “Uncovered,” where she attempted familiar tracks like “Baker Street,” “American Tune,” Graham Nash’s “I Used to Be a King” and Creedence’s “Lodi.” From that LP, check out her credible arrangement of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest” from his 1987 album “Tunnel of Love.”

“Alone Again Naturally,” Diana Krall, 2014

Krall is an accomplished jazz singer and pianist, winning countless awards for her impressive albums on which she has favored time-honored standards by the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Sammy Cahn. In 2014, she chose to wrap her voice around some of the better pop ballads of the 1970s by artists as varied as Jim Croce, The Carpenters, 10cc and The Eagles for her album “Wallflower,” produced by David Foster. I was knocked out how she took an eye-roller like Gilbert O’Sullivan’s melancholy 1972 hit “Alone Again (Naturally)” and made it something rather extraordinary.

“Bluebird,” Corrine Bailey Rae, 2014

Since the mid-1990s, several albums have been released that gathered a range of popular artists to each record covers of songs by celebrated songwriters like Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. On 2014’s “The Art of McCartney,” 42 different singers (Brian Wilson, Billy Joel, Smokey Robinson, Chrissie Hynde, B.B. King, Roger Daltrey, to name a few) paid tribute to the songs written by Sir Paul as a Beatle and a solo artist. Several of these tracks stood out to me, one being Corrine Bailey Rae’s version of “Bluebird,” the tender ballad from Wings’ 1973 LP “Band On the Run.”

“Can’t Find My Way Home,” Haley Reinhart, 2017

Reinhart came to the nation’s attention through the “American Idol” TV program, where contestants sing their versions of hit songs to show off their vocal chops. In Season 10 in 2012, Reinhart was a finalist, earning standing ovations for her renditions of songs by The Animals, Led Zeppelin and Adele. She won a record contract and has done well with superb covers of songs like Radiohead’s “Creep,” Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” From her “What’s That Sound?” LP in 2017, I’ve been impressed by the way she nailed Steve Winwood’s classic “Can’t Find My Way Home” from the 1969 “Blind Faith” album.

“For Free,” David Crosby with Sarah Jarosz, 2021

Crosby played a pivotal role in getting Joni Mitchell discovered back in 1968, bringing her to L.A. and producing her debut LP. In the mid-’70s, he and Graham Nash sometimes performed Mitchell’s song “For Free” (from her 1970 “Ladies of the Canyon” LP), and a recording of one of their performances ended up on the Crosby, Stills and Nash live album “Allies” in 1983. In 2021, Crosby decided to collaborate with singer Sarah Jarosz for a proper studio recording of “For Free” and made it the title track of what turned out to be his final album before his death in 2023. What a song. What a voice.

“Ode to Billie Joe,” Tom Scott with Patty Smyth, 1999

Saxophone great Tom Scott has appeared on more than 200 albums during his storied career, sometimes just contributing sax solos, sometimes as bandleader on his own albums. His work spans multiple genres — jazz fusion, rock, blues, country and pop — and in 1999, a new lineup of the L.A. Express accompanied him on his “Smokin’ Section” LP. It’s an all-instrumental album, with one exception: He invited the great Patty Smyth (formerly with ’80s band Scandal and a solo artist in the ’90s) to offer a potent vocal on a new arrangement of the 1967 hit by Bobbie Gentry, “Ode to Billie Joe.”

“Bell Bottom Blues,” Larkin Poe, 2020

Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, based in Nashville, have built a following under the moniker Larkin Poe, the name of one of their ancestors. They have specialized in blues and Southern rock since their 2010 debut, releasing LPs and EPs and collaborations with other like-minded players. In 2020, they came up with “Kindred Spirits,” an album of covers of songs by Neil Young, The Allman Brothers, The Moody Blues, Elton John and Phil Collins. Not surprisingly, their most effective entry here is the Eric Clapton heartbreaker, “Bell Bottom Blues,” from the Derek and The Dominos’ “Layla” double album.

“Immigrant Song,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with Karen O, 2011

In 2010, filmmaker David Fincher tapped Atticus Ross and Ten Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor to provide the electro-industrial soundtrack for his movie “The Social Network,” and their work earned an Oscar for Best Soundtrack. They were an obvious choice the following year when Fincher needed an edgy soundtrack for his film version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The highlight of the soundtrack LP, featured in the popular trailer as well, was a spectacular take on Led Zeppelin’s chaotic “Immigrant Song” from “Led Zeppelin III,” with Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs shredding the lead vocals.

“Space Oddity,” Brandi Carlile, 2022

Carlile has been everywhere lately, notably as cheerleader and collaborator for the return to the stage of Joni Mitchell, but her albums have been generating lavish praise since her 2005 debut. Each LP has performed better than the one before, and her two most recent works — “By the Way, I Forgive You” (2018) and “In These Silent Days” (2021) — have won awards, notably the anthemic ballad “The Joke” from 2017. She chose to re-release “In These Silent Days” in 2022 with acoustic treatments of the songs, and then added a startling cover version of David Bowie’s landmark “Space Oddity” as the closer.

“The Sound of Silence,” Disturbed, 2015

Surely one of the most unlikely covers recorded in recent years was this heavy metal band’s reinterpretation of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1965 classic. “I was surprised,” said Paul Simon in response to Disturbed’s performance of his song on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” in 2016. “It was pretty moving.” Disturbed has released four #1 LPs since 2002, mostly original material, and had covered a few tunes from the ’80s like Tears for Fears’ “Shout” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” but this was a much bigger departure for them. “We’re aggressive, but also intensely melodic,” claimed lead singer David Draiman, “and the song is about isolation and darkness, so maybe it wasn’t all that strange for us to give it a shot.”

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A new and different way

Posted on by brucehhackett

I’ve written a few times about “covers” — new recordings of songs already made famous by someone else.

I used to hate the whole concept.  My thinking was, why record a song that’s already identified with another artist?  Why not attempt a hit with something never tried before?

Here’s why:  People LOVE them.  In the ’40s and ’50s, most singers covered the big hits of the times.  In 1955, there were three versions of “Unchained Melody” in the Top Ten simultaneously.  The Beatles and The Stones got their start doing renditions of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly tunes.

In every decade since, the pop charts have been full of popular cover versions of hit Untitled-1songs:  “The Letter” (The Box Tops in 1967, Joe Cocker in 1971), “Sea of Love” (Phil Phillips in 1959, The Honeydrippers in 1984), “Proud Mary” (Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969, Ike and Tina Turner in 1971), “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (Roberta Flack in 1973, The Fugees in 1996).

Today I’m exploring 20 cover versions of hit songs you may not have heard before.  I’ve selected renditions that usually differ significantly from the hit versions but still have a great deal of appeal on their own merits.  Please follow along with the Spotify playlist found at the end of the column.  No doubt my readers can name other great unknown cover versions worthy of our attention, and I’d love to hear about them!  Please scroll to the very bottom and look for the “comment” box…

And here we go:

b84f97aa5c8e566fda4e73479a8ec731“Imagine,” a hit single by John Lennon in 1971, and covered by Keb’ Mo’ in 2004

In 2004, using slide guitar, acoustic guitar and harmonium, blues stylist Keb’ Mo’ put together a superb cover of John Lennon’s anthem “Imagine” for his wonderful “Peace: Back By Popular Demand” collection of anti-war songs.  Lennon’s original, which had been a #3 hit in the US in 1971, went on to become a larger-than-life signature song following Lennon’s murder in 1980.  Of the many covers of this simple song, I’m partial to this one for its down-home instrumentation.

Fleetwood-Mac_Mystery-to-Me“For Your Love,” a hit single by The Yardbirds in 1965, and covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1973

Eric Clapton joined The Yardbirds because of the group members’ mutual love for the blues, so when their manager persuaded them to record the pop song “For Your Love,” Clapton bailed, despite the fact that it became the group’s first Top Ten single.  Almost ten years later, a struggling Fleetwood Mac (prior to Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joining) did a fine cover version of “For Your Love,” featuring the late great Bob Welch on vocals and guitar.  It appears on the third of Welch’s four albums with the band, 1973’s “Mystery to Me.”

51QaQzuujBL._SX355_“Classical Gas,” a hit single by Mason Williams in 1968, and covered by Tommy Emmanuel in 2005

Mason Williams had gifts as both a songwriter and a comedy writer — he was head writer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and also worked at “Saturday Night Live.” He came up with the wondrous instrumental tour-de-force “Classical Gas” in 1968, and against all odds, it became a pop hit that year, peaking at #2.  It has been covered by more than two dozen other artists through the years, and the one that really floors me is this live recording by virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel from a 2005 live album recorded in Australia, complete with orchestra.  Wow!

Bayou-Country-cover“Good Golly Miss Molly,” a hit single by Little Richard in 1958, and covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969

Little Richard’s flamboyant appearance and performances were complemented by a repertoire laced with lyrics that offered sexually suggestive double-entendres.  (“Tutti Frutti, oh Rudy” was originally “Tutti frutti, good booty”…). “Good Golly Miss Molly,” written in 1956 by John Marascalco and Robert Blackwell, was spiced up by Little Richard to include “she sure likes to ball” (which somehow slipped past the censors).  It became a #4 hit in 1958.  In 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded a ferocious rock version on its breakthrough LP “Bayou Country” which, for me, is arguably better than the original.  John Fogerty’s vocal growl is perfect here.

220px-Eric_Carmen_(1975_Eric_Carmen_album_-_cover_art)“On Broadway,” a hit single by The Drifters in 1963, and covered by Eric Carmen in 1975

Brill Building songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote this fabulous tune as a shuffle in 1963 for the girl group The Cookies.  Then they offered it to The Drifters, who changed it to a bluesier tempo and made it a huge #9 hit.  Fifteen years later, jazz guitarist/singer George Benson’s version (used to dramatic effect in the opening moments of the 1979 film “All That Jazz”) went to #7 on the pop charts.  In between those two versions, former Raspberries leader Eric Carmen included a potent rendition on his solo debut LP in 1975, and I’ve always enjoyed his treatment.

zaqhj4ujtqj5a_600“You Don’t Know How It Feels,” a hit single by Tom Petty in 1994, and covered by Liz Huett in 2018

The rock world was shaken by the sudden death of Tom Petty in 2017, one of the biggest American rock stars of the past 40 years.  I was recently turned on to the work of Liz Huett, a former backup singer for Taylor Swift now establishing her own credentials as an L.A.-based pop artist, who considers Petty one of her important early influences.  She wanted to record one of his tracks as a tribute, and selected “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” a #13 hit in 1994.  Huett’s version offers some alluring vocal nuances to Petty’s classic.

MI0000087322“All Along the Watchtower,” a hit single by Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968, and covered by Dave Mason in 1974

Bob Dylan’s spare, brief, original version of “Watchtower” from his “John Wesley Harding” album (1967) was immediately and forever overshadowed the following year by Jimi Hendrix’s incendiary cover version from his “Electric Ladyland” double LP.  Many other renditions now exist, but the one I’ve always been very fond of is Dave Mason’s superb cover from his “Dave Mason” LP in 1974.  Such excellent guitar work and vocals!

220px-FateOfNations“If I Were a Carpenter,” a hit single by Bobby Darin in 1966, and covered by Robert Plant in 1993

Folk singer Tim Hardin wrote this gentle tune in 1965, and Bobby Darin made it a #8 hit in 1966.  Hardin himself performed it at Woodstock in 1969.  It’s also been recorded by The Four Tops, Johnny Cash and Bob Seger, among many others; the one that grabs me is this one by ex-Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, who recorded a lush version for his “Fate of Nations” LP in 1993.

Bryan_Ferry-These_Foolish_Things_(album_cover)“It’s My Party,” a hit single by Lesley Gore in 1963, and covered by Bryan Ferry in 1973

While still the lead singer of the new avant-garde British band Roxy Music, Ferry showed his love for the music of previous decades with his first solo LP, 1973’s “These Foolish Things.”  Among an eclectic song list that included “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Piece of My Heart,” “You Won’t See Me” and “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” you can find his loving tribute to Lesley Gore’s iconic tearjerker from 1963, “It’s My Party.”  Ferry’s voice is admittedly an acquired taste, but ultimately, his covers are great fun.

tiger“Eye of the Tiger,” a hit single by Survivor in 1982, and covered by The Rural Alberta Advantage in 2010

Sylvester Stallone was denied the use of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” as the theme song to his “Rocky III” film, so he opted instead for “Eye of the Tiger,” which US rock group Survivor had written for “The Karate Kid” but was rejected.  The song held the #1 spot on the pop charts for six weeks and has sold more than eight million copies.  (Several Republican presidential campaigns have tried to co-opt the track for use at rallies but were forced to stop by court orders.)  A Canadian indie pop-rock band called The Rural Alberta Advantage, still struggling to make it after a dozen years in the business, recorded a much gentler cover version of “Eye of the Tiger” in 2010 that I find very appealing.

4151N2S26PL“Groovin’,” a hit single by The Rascals in 1967, and covered by Kenny Rankin in 1976

One of the best vibes from the 1967 “Summer of Love” playlist can be found on this serene track by The Rascals, the New York-based group known more for high-energy tunes like “Good Lovin’.”  Mid-’70s folk crooner Kenny Rankin, known for his low-key covers of Beatles standards as well as his own originals, did a nice job covering “Groovin'” on the 1976 LP “The Kenny Rankin Album,” which, although a bit over-arranged with strings by Don Costa, still soothes the ears without getting too saccharine.

black-tie-white-noise-cover“I Feel Free,” a hit single by Cream in 1966, and covered by David Bowie in 1993

Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker exploded on the British music scene in 1966 with their “Fresh Cream” LP, highlighted by the vibrant UK single “I Feel Free.”  Although it didn’t chart in the US, the record paved the way for future US hits like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room,” which helped cement Cream’s place in the rock pantheon.  More than 25 years later, another British rock titan, David Bowie, couldn’t resist offering his own distinctive take on “I Feel Free” as an intriguing deep track on his overlooked 1993 LP “Black Tie White Noise.”

Steve_Winwood_-_Junction_Seven“Family Affair,” a hit single by Sly and the Family Stone in 1971, and covered by Steve Winwood in 1997

Sly Stone wrote this piece — somewhat darker than the more celebratory material he’d been known for up to that point — in 1971, and he and his band topped the charts for the third and final time.  This funky, electric piano-based tune is the first hit to ever feature a “rhythm box” (precursor to the drum machine).  It has been covered by at least a dozen R&B artists, and I’m partial to the glitzy rendition by Steve Winwood on his underrated 1997 LP, “Junction Seven.”  Winwood’s vocals and full arrangement are arguably superior to Sly’s original.

711TxEhDwYL._SY355_“Wichita Lineman,” a hit single by Glen Campbell in 1968, and covered by James Taylor in 2008

The great songwriter Jimmy Webb came up with this gem on very short notice for a Glen Campbell recording session, and it became, to my mind, Campbell’s finest recorded moment, peaking on the singles chart at #3 in late 1968.  Many smooth-voiced vocalists in the country and pop idioms have given the song a try since then, but my favorite cover, hands down, is James Taylor’s fine version, recorded in 2008 for his “Covers” LP, released during his writer’s block period (2002-2012).

61xwPT6oxPL._SY355_“Need You Tonight,” a hit single by INXS in 1987, and covered by Bonnie Raitt in 2016

Australia’s INXS had a run of four Top 20 LPs in the US between 1985-1992, thanks to their seven Top Ten singles, most notably 1987’s #1 smash, “Need You Tonight.”  Singer/lyricist Michael Hutchence and composer/keyboarist Andrew Farriss were responsible for the bulk of the band’s MTV-friendly material.  You wouldn’t guess that blues/funk artist Bonnie Raitt would be much of an INXS fan, but wow, check out her dynamic cover of “Need You Tonight” from her fun 2016 CD, “Dig in Deep.”

2292658e6ce30dcc0ca6282f85e6ba70.600x600x1“The Boxer,” a hit single by Simon and Garfunkel in 1969, and covered by Mumford and Sons with Jerry Douglas and Paul Simon in 2012

I would rank “The Boxer” as not only in my top five Simon and Garfunkel songs, but in the top five of Paul Simon’s entire catalog.  The stunning melody, the story-song structure, the “lie-la-lie” chorus, the precision harmonies all combine to create a near-perfect track, and it peaked at #3 in the spring of 1969.  More than 40 years later, British group Mumford and Sons enlisted the great lap-steel guitar player Jerry Douglas to sit in on their studio recording of “The Boxer,” which appeared as a bonus track on the 2012 chart-topping album “Babel.”  Very sweet cover indeed.

220px-Annie_Lennox_-_Medusa_Album_Cover“I Can’t Get Next to You,” a hit single by The Temptations in 1969, and covered by Annie Lennox in 1995

Lennox, formerly with the British sensations The Eurythmics, has one of those phenomenal voices that sounds great singing any genre you name.  In 1995, she assembled a dozen tracks she had always loved and recorded loving cover versions of them for her “Medusa” album that year.  There’s nary a weak cut here, but my favorite is her take on the Motown classic, “I Can’t Get Next to You,” which The Temptations had made into a #1 hit in the fall of 1969.  If you play these two versions back to back, it’s hard to decide which one is superior.

62fdfba38ee3f31e3d09b3fdaf61b59b“How Deep is Your Love,” a hit single by The Bee Gees in 1977, and covered by The Bird and The Bee in 2007

This huge #1 hit ballad from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack LP was written by Barry Gibb and keyboard player Blue Weaver, and was intended for The Bee Gees’ next studio LP.  But when film producer Robert Stigwood asked for songs for his upcoming movie about the world of disco, the group gladly contributed this one and four others, and the rest is multi-platinum history.  An LA-based duo called The Bird and The Bee did a thoroughly engaging cover version of the song on a 2007 EP entitled “Please Clap Your Hands” that’s worthy of your attention.

APphoto_Music Review Eric Clapton“Call Me the Breeze,” an FM favorite by Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974, and covered by Eric Clapton in 2014

J J Cale wrote and recorded the original as a slow shuffle on his 1972 debut “Naturally,” and while he never made much of a dent in the charts as a performing artist, he has been widely praised as a songwriter.  Lynyrd Skynyrd were big Cale fans, and recorded a seriously rockin’ rendition of “Call Me the Breeze” on their 1974 LP, “Second Helping.”  There was no bigger Cale devotee than Eric Clapton, who had hits with Cale’s songs “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.”  Upon Cale’s death in 2013, Clapton released a tribute album of Cale-penned tracks featuring collaborations with numerous artists, and he titled the collection “The Breeze:  An Appreciation of J J Cale.”

Santana2“While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” an FM classic by The Beatles in 1968, and covered by Carlos Santana with India.arie and Yo-Yo Ma in 2010

Many cover versions exist of George Harrison’s masterpiece from The Beatles “White Album,” but the one I’m currently crazy about is the collaboration recorded by Carlos Santana with help from singer India.arie and cellist Yo-Yo Ma for Santana’s 2010 concept LP, “Guitar Heaven,” on which he offers versions of 10 classic guitar tracks using 10 different vocalists.  The whole album is worth checking out, but this track in particular is extraordinary.