Tag: cover songs

Belgians Reach Out to Bruce Springsteen With “Waiting on a Sunny Day”

Musicians from three music schools in Belgium met on a field to cover Bruce Springsteen’s “Waiting on a Sunny Day.”

sunny day belgium

More than 200 musicians from three Belgian schools came together recently to perform Bruce Springsteen’s “Waiting on a Sunny Day” in a field. The musicians came together for the joy of playing the uplifting song, and they came together to send a message to Springsteen.

The musicians hope the video of their performance will somehow make it to Springsteen and that it will inspire Springsteen to travel to Belgium for a concert. As they explain on a website about the event, “[W]e hope that Mr. Springsteen will appreciate the result and will come to do us the honor of a concert in the Belgian fields because we want to prove that you don’t have to be a big music business company to reach the greatest artists in the world.”

I suspect Springsteen would like the video. I know I do. The song is joyous in concert and it also sends an uplifting message when musicians gather to play it on an open field. I also like that the video is professional but not too professional. The musicians are not overly coordinated in their dress or the way they move as in many videos involving large groups and music. It’s a wonderful interpretation of “Waiting on a Sunny Day.”

What do you think of the Springsteen cover? Leave your two cents in the comments.

Jim Boggia Has a Ukulele and He’s Learned How to Make It Talk

Springsteen UkuleleSinger-songwriter Jim Boggia has three studio albums and several recordings of his own, and he has worked with many other artists during his music career over the last few decades. But currently, he is focusing on the songs of Bruce Springsteen, reinterpreting the Boss’s songs on his ukulele.

After putting his version of “Thunder Road” on YouTube and receiving positive responses, Boggia decided to create a complete show of Springsteen’s music. So currently he is bringing his ukulele and voice to “Bruce Off Broadway” as a tribute to Springsteen’s music.

There are a lot of covers of Springsteen’s songs out there. But Boggia’s wonderful voice and skill at playing the ukulele make the classic Springsteen songs sound new and refreshing. Watch his interpretation of “Thunder Road” below.

NJArts has described Boggia as a “dynamic performer” who does different things with the ukulele at his Springsteen tribute. For more on Boggia’s “Bruce Off Broadway” shows around the country, check out his website.

And, finally, here is Boggia’s moving version of “Born in the U.S.A.”

Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Belgians Reach Out to Bruce Springsteen With “Waiting on a Sunny Day”
  • Alt-Country Tribute to Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”
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    Cover of the Day: “Walking in Memphis”

    Lewis, Henry
    Back in 1991, I played my cassette of Marc Cohn’s debut self-titled album until it nearly wore out. I loved the entire album, but like everyone else, I especially was mesmerized by his song “Walking in Memphis.” The song has held up well through the years in both the original and cover versions.

    I still love the version by Marc Cohn, who continues to tour. But I am happy that some other folks have introduced the song to a new generation, as Lonestar did with their 2003 version, which appeared on their album From There to Here: Greatest Hits.

    One of my favorite covers of the song is the one by Cher, who, of course, has the pipes to sing almost anything. Cher originally recorded “Walking in Memphis” not long after Cohn’s version was released, and the song appeared on her 1995 album It’s A Man’s World.

    Cher often played the song in concert, as she does in this video from a 1999 performance, where she follows it with her song “Just Like Jesse James.” Check it out.

    Cher’s performance was filmed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada and appeared on the DVD Live in Concert.

    Illustration of Memphis by Henry Lewis, public domain. What is your favorite cover of “Walking in Memphis”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Belgians Reach Out to Bruce Springsteen With “Waiting on a Sunny Day”
  • Jim Boggia Has a Ukulele and He’s Learned How to Make It Talk
  • Duet of the Day: Cher and The Jackson 5
  • “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”: Randy Travis and Marty Robbins
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    “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”: Randy Travis and Marty Robbins

    Randy Travis Don't Worry

    Randy Travis has released a video for “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” a track from his upcoming album Influence Vol 2: The Man I Am (2014). This album of Travis covering songs that influenced him was recorded prior to Travis’s 2013 stroke that reportedly left him unable to speak. But it is still great to see some new music coming from the country singer.

    Travis’s new song is a cover of “Don’t Worry,” which was written by Marty Robbins, who had a number one hit with his own recording of the song in 1961. Here is Randy Travis’s version, which uses the slightly longer title, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me.”

    The original Marty Robbins version, “Don’t Worry,” which was released as a single and first appeared on the album More Greatest Hits (1961), features a little piece of music history. Reportedly, the distortion you hear in the song below starting around the 1:25 mark was an accident. During the recording, a tube blew in the amplifier of session musician Grady Martin, who played guitar on the track. Martin did not like the sound, but producer Don Law kept it in, resulting in one of the first recorded guitar distortion sounds used on a record. Check it out.

    Grady Martin is also known for sounds he did intend. He played the famous guitar riff on Roy Orbison’s “Oh Pretty Woman,” and he played the nylon-string guitar on Marty Robbins’s hit “El Paso.”

    Randy Travis’s Influence Vol 2: The Man I Am — a sequel to Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am (2013) — will be in stores on August 19, 2014. Other songs on the album include “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “For the Good Times,” and “Are the Good Times Really Over.” We look forward to hearing more of these songs. And in light of reports that Travis’s loss of voice may not be permanent, we are also hopeful for his health to continue to get better and for him to make some new recordings.

    Which version of “Don’t Worry” do you like best? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • Belgians Reach Out to Bruce Springsteen With “Waiting on a Sunny Day”
  • Jim Boggia Has a Ukulele and He’s Learned How to Make It Talk
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  • Cover of the Day: “Walking in Memphis”