Musicians and covers - opinion

[very-near]

Someone I work with has a daughter who is an aspiring musician, went to music college, writes and performs her own stuff, and gets a gig about once every 6 weeks - she refuses to cover any other 'artistes' material, and whilst has an OK voice, all the songs she performs sound very 'same-ish' (sp)

Someone else I know covers other peoples stuff, does put her own spin on the performance, and is out performing every few days, and is very well received as she has a very good voice (there is a couple of years between them)

The father of the singer/songwriter came forth with the statement 'you will never get anywhere covering anyone else's stuff' . The market is awash with cover performers.

Now I'm aware that the music business is a very very competitive space, but for someone with the drive, ability, looks etc etc, would you agree that being a composer/performer the only way to get ahead, or can just raw singing/performing ability enough ?

 

[TheDoctor]

The likes of Bjorn Again, Australian Pink Floyd Show etc seem to doing OK. I agree, you won't go down in history doing Oasis covers, but you'll pay the bills...

 

[Mr Pig]

I think you need all the bits of the jigsaw, if the songs are weak you're missing a part.

Artists have always covered other people's songs, done correctly there's no harm in it. At least until she gets enough backing to employ decent songwriters.

Having said that, I would never underestimate the public appetite for bland s***! ;0)

 

[sw3008]

Queen covered "You're so square", "Hello Mary Lou" & "Tutti Frutti" when I saw them at Wembley. The Who like to do "Summertime Blues"

If it's good enough for the "Big boys", then it should be good enough for the newbies.

People like to hear familiar songs. Any new band needs to cover material until they get enough of a back catalogue.

 

[Amanda P]

People don't know what they like, they like what they know.

Which is a smartarse way of saying that playing covers pays the bills. Just now and again you can slip one of your own in. And just occasionally someone will ask you "who wrote that one?"

Most full-time professional musicians I know are flat out teaching and performing. They do write their own stuff, and arrange other people's, but that's very much at the bottom of the list - it might make some money, one day, if they're lucky. Lessons and gigs do make money.

 

[very-near]

People don't know what they like, they like what they know.

Which is a smartarse way of saying that playing covers pays the bills. Just now and again you can slip one of your own in. And just occasionally someone will ask you "who wrote that one?"

Most full-time professional musicians I know are flat out teaching and performing. They do write their own stuff, and arrange other people's, but that's very much at the bottom of the list - it might make some money, one day, if they're lucky. Lessons and gigs do make money.

That makes a lot of sense. I guess that is why the singer/songwriter is only doing one gig every 6 weeks and waiting tables the rest of the time.

 

[red_tom]

You can get away with it if alter the version enough to make the songs your own. Nouvelle Vague for example.

 

[Radius]

Jazz music is one big cover, they just 'cover' it up by calling them 'standards' instead

More seriously though, I think you have to do both. If you can do them well people appreciate hearing something they know, and you can always use the influences from the covers you've learnt as a basis for you own musical development....or something

 

[Riverman]

I think you're missing something if you don't do covers and frankly it's a little arrogant to think you can learn more without doing it.

You may end up inadvertently mimicing some famous artists but so what? They are great artists and you're supposed to have influences.

For example I'd love to be able to write music like Nick Drake but I'd love a lot more to have my music influenced by him.

 

[GrahamG]

Loads of young musicians in 'original' bands have the same attitude - they mostly grow out of it when they realise that they can't write a decent tune or at least can't write a set full of decent tunes... a bit like the girl in the OP.

 

[Amanda P]

Quite.

There's an awful lot of bands on the radio who keep turning out essentially the same song over and over.

And quite a few of those songs are simply a single line of melody repeated over and over.

Really, you'd think the whole history of western music, with the development of harmony and counterpoint had passed these people by...

 

[very-near]

Quite.

There's an awful lot of bands on the radio who keep turning out essentially the same song over and over.

And quite a few of those songs are simply a single line of melody repeated over and over.

Really, you'd think the whole history of western music, with the development of harmony and counterpoint had passed these people by...

Do you mean the latino type 'harmonising' boy band stuff which are played at gigawatt level from the wikkid Corsa/Fiesta/Clio type cars ?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Gig with covers and the odd origional thrown in.

Use the web for your origional stuff...

use the gigs to direct peeps to your web page/you tube etc. and vice versa

The more peeps come to th egigs the mor ethey will visit you own page and the more they will want to hear your own stuff at your gigs...

...bottom line is its ****ing hard and it's all about who you know and how much you are preapred to give up to get to the top....

in the imortal words of acdc...'it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll'

 

[Dan B]

I agree with the majority view here ("covers are a good thing"). To maintain otherwise feels a bit like an author insisting that he can improve his writing without reading anyone else's.

I would add only that if you're going to make it bigtime really bigtime and you want to retire off your platinum albums, you need the songwriting credits because that's where the real royalties are. But there's a gulf between here and there.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I'll go the other way from the majority view, and say I like doing the odd cover with most of our stuff being self penned. Most people seem to like us and get what we're trying to do (we're frequently booked for weddings, too). I don't imagine we'll ever make a living from it, but going on a stage night after night and churning out a load of cover versions in order to please an audience would not be my idea of being in a band. It's all about creating things (or it should be) in my view; nothing bores me rigid faster than watching or listening to a covers band. If you must do covers, put your own spin on them.