Never Judge A Soundtrack By Its Cover Song
My Mixtape’s A Masterpiece is a weekly feature in which a guest compiles a playlist around some theme. This week Derek Smith assembles 12 cover songs from movie soundtracks. Read Derek’s thoughts on each song and listen along to the Spotify playlist on top and/or the YouTube playlist at the bottom of the post.
One thing I learned from Lloyd Kaufman's book Make Your Own Damn Movie is that, when creating your movie's soundtrack, you need 2 things for a song to be on your soundtrack: the publishing rights (the songwriters’) and the performance rights (the actual artists’). Have a perfect song for your movie, but can't afford to pay the original artist? Or just want a unique take that better suits the tone of your film? What better way than to utilize a cover! Thankfully, movie soundtracks from the late 1990s and early 2000s were filled with some banger covers from the 1960s through the 1980s! And don't worry, we're not getting into the breathy, piano-only covers from recent years. Nor will we address any covers done by fake bands created for the movie itself. We'll save all of those for another playlist!
1. “Dead Souls” by Nine Inch Nails (from THE CROW (1994))
Yes, I was a fan of NIN prior to seeing THE CROW, but this cover, and Joy Division, was brand new to me. Being a ‘90s industrial goth (just sans the fashion sense), this hit me hard. It opened the door for me to another band that I needed to explore. Which is something that every cover should hope for!
2. “Battle Of Evermore” by The Lovemongers (from SINGLES (1992))
When one thinks of SINGLES, you immediately picture the Seattle grunge scene, but this Led Zeppelin cover, by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, feels right at home. The Lovemongers was a way for the Seattle-based Wilson sisters to step outside of Heart's shadow a bit and tap into a different style of music, without alienating their fanbase.
3. “Pictures of Matchstick Men” by Ozzy Osbourne, Type O Negative (from PRIVATE PARTS (1997))
For Howard Stern's fictionalized biopic, he had a huge selection of songs covering his many years of DJ-ing. This cover by Ozzy and Type O Negative taps into the original by Status Quo, but the Prince of Darkness and his Greenmen make it their own. After the passing of Peter Steele, I had truly hoped for similar collaborations for the remaining members, however that didn't happen as they disbanded completely.
4. “Hush” by Kula Shaker (from I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997))
I remember getting this CD and cranking it up in my mom, and being extremely confused when my mother walked into my room singing along with this. One of the rare times that she actually approved of my music choices. That was quickly dashed however when Type O Negative's cover of “Summer Breeze” popped up.
5. “Metro” by System of A Down (from DRACULA 2000 (2000))
While most people associate the band Berlin with their TOP GUN track “Take My Breath Away,” but one of my favorites is “Metro.” And to have a band I was really into then cover it? All the better! After System of a Down's self-titled album, I was jonesing for more, and this song scratched that itch for sure.
6. “I'm Your Boogie Man” by White Zombie (from THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS (1996))
With a music video that foretold his directorial career, Rob Zombie and crew slayed this KC and The Sunshine Band bop, with a killer bass line and plenty of horror movie samples.
7. “Ma Génération (My Generation)” by Chapeaumelon (from EUROTRIP (2004))
Raised on the National Lampoon's VACATION movies as well as John Hughes' teen comedies, it was practically guaranteed that I would love EUROTRIP. And with it having a French version of The Who's teenage anthem to start off with? Mi scusi, mi scusi! I got a little too excited there.
8. “Fascination Street” by Chimaira (from DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004))
Sure, I could have featured the Richard Cheese cover of “Down With the Sickness,” but I couldn't resist sharing a cover of The Cure that actually rocks. Chimaira was a Cleveland metal band that hit hard and fast, but sadly never truly took off, despite a small but fervent fan base.
9. “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Presidents Of The United States of America (from THE WEDDING SINGER (1998))
When you devote a whole movie to music from the 1980s, it makes sense that you include the first song ever played on MTV. And with their unique videos, The Presidents were a regular staple on MTV. Talk about a perfect marriage!
10. “Take On Me” by Reel Big Fish (BASEKETBALL (1998))
It takes a lot of balls to trade in the extremely catchy synths for a horn section and guitar. But when you have a zany sports comedy where the South Park creators collaborate with David Zucker (AIRPLANE!), ya gotta go nuts! The guitar riff in this is one that has me always reaching for the volume dial to crank it up.
11. “I'm Eighteen” by Creed (from THE FACULTY (1998))
Hi, my name is Derek, and I'm a closet Creed fan. Scott Stapp and crew were building steam touring for their "My Own Prison" release when they added this Alice Cooper track to a bonkers high school body snatcher movie soundtrack. Shortly thereafter, the country welcomed them with arms wide open, before considering them a joke and moving along.
12. “Rebel Rebel” by Seu Jorge (from THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004))
Having only recently re-watching the movie since it hit video, I didn't remember a lot about my first viewing. One of the few things I did remember though, was the incredible Portuguese David Bowie covers by Seu Jorge. These acoustic versions are a beautiful way to appreciate Bowie's approach to rhythm and melody in their stripped down nature.
Honorable mentions not available for streaming:
“Mama Said Knock You Out” by The Waking Hours (from IDLE HANDS (1999))
“Amazing Grace” by gODHEAD (from TERROR FIRMER (1999))
“Relax” by Powerman 5000 (from ZOOLANDER (2001))
“How Soon Is Now?” by Love Spit Love (from THE CRAFT (1996))
