Tune du Jour: “Rebel Rebel” – David Bowie
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Bay City Rollers vs. Medi & The Medicine Show vs. Tegan & Sara
Ground Control to Major Tom
Eat Your Broccoli and
Put Your Helmet On
Donald Trump has not read any biographies of presidents and says he does not have time to read books. “I never have,” he says. “Now I’m more busy, I guess, than ever before.” What he mostly reads are articles about himself, which his staff prints out and delivers to his desk.
The Washington Post
The Original
David Bowie:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Bay City Rollers vs. Medi & The Medicine Show vs. Tegan & Sara
Bay City Rollers (the original rebels):
Medi & The Medicine Show:
Tegan & Sara:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On?!!?
cover me impressed 
Tegan & Sara’s version is good. Nice vocals. But I really like the ska feel of Medi & The Medicine Show’s version. As often as I’ve heard this song, I had never thought of it in a ska light. But it definitely works. As for the BSR, their version was entirely mediocre. If I never hear them again I won’t be disappointed.
Didn’t realize The Rollers covered Bowie, but then again I never bought their albums.
Medi & The Medicine Show sounded good and almost got the vote.
I went with Tegan & Sara because they had that drum and bass rhythm section driving the beat.
you had all of them…don’t lie.
Bay City Rollers ..hands down… I mean, give the suffrin’ bastards a break….
The Bay City Rollers? I don’t even know what to say. I mean who picks these songs?!!? That Medi show looked like a good time. Tegan & Sara get my vote. I like girl bands …
Somebody voted for The Rollers? Oh, it was Fouts. This has to be one of the most infectious guitar riffs not created by Keith Richards or Jimmy Page. I liked the music for the Tegan and Sara version but not the vocals which surprises me because I have enjoyed some other recordings by them. Of all the identical twin sister gay bands out there, they are definitely top five. I remember Howard Cosell touting The Bay City Rollers on Monday Night Football, calling them “the heaviest rock band.” Clearly he had gone all Reagan-soft in the core of his melon. I voted Medi.
“This has to be one of the most infectious guitar riffs not created by Keith Richards or Jimmy Page.” – Very well said, Pete-O.
“I remember Howard Cosell touting The Bay City Rollers on Monday Night Football…” – So do I. I remember all the screaming girls. Clearly, they were trying to revive the 1964 hype associated with the Beatles.
I’m late to the party here, with the newly re-launched Cover Me Impressed, but I’m glad I’m here, because this is my favorite Bowie song, and it was one of my top 8 desert island songs in our little e-mail thread a while back. Despite the Bay City Rollers trying to act all tough with some flashy lead guitar, the rest of their version, and their vocals, suck donkey dick. So to speak. Medi and the Medicine Show looked and sounded like any ol’ generic bar band. Compared to the Bay City Rollers version, though, they were very good, and not in a Golden Earring sort of way. I know that statement makes no sense, but I just got back from Amsterdam, and I felt that I should mention Golden Earring somehow, no matter the context. Tegan and Sara get my vote. The guitar riff gets all the notice in this song, but it’s really the punchy drums and bass that drive the song home, and Tegan and Sara know this, and do it pretty well.