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MLT – Cover Requests
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Or how about this rocking, bluesy version by Australian guitarist Nathan Cavaleri, (featuring Chris Bailey, formerly the lead singer of the Saints), taken from the album ‘Jammin’ With The Cats’ in 1993.
Nathan was only eleven years old at the time. Now Lisa, are you up for this guitar challenge?
As for the Saints, they were from Brisbane, Australia and one of the first punk bands to emerge in the 1970s! Their first single was “Stranded”, released in 1976.
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Now Lisa, you always wanted to be a punk rocker, with flowers in your hair. Well, how about this one from the first punk rockers outside the US. Written by guitarist Ed Kuepper and singer Chris Bailey.
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And of course, another Merseyside group “The Searchers” have received mentions. There were quite a few hit singles from them in the sixties, including:
“Sweets for My Sweet” “Sugar and Spice” “Needles and Pins” “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” “When You Walk in the Room” “Love Potion No. 9” and “What Have They Done to the Rain”.
I remember way back in January 1971 seeing a covers band (with a female lead singer), at a night club in Townsville, Australia. The songs they played included “Little Egypt” followed by “Love Potion No. 9”. I can well imagine the MLT singing both these songs at a venue like the Cavern Club.
“Sugar and Spice” was surely written for Bubbles and Blossom Wagner!
However, my preference for the MonaLisa Twins would have to be a studio version of “Needles and Pins”. They could really shine on this number, just like they do with their simply gorgeous “Bus Stop” Hollies cover! Oh, if only!
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You’re coming up with a lot of great MLTable songs, Howard! Now you’ve inspired me to do a “Searchers search” on the Internet, and I found this interesting cover that circles back to an earlier discussion topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m4BZQhmzxg
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Good pick David. The Searchers negotiated a contract with the Star-Club in the St. Pauli district Hamburg for 128 days, with three one-hour performances a night, starting on July 1962. They would have obviously tried out some songs in German while there.
Although Mona and Lisa have stated they’re not that keen on covers in German, I’m sure they could have lots of fun doing a live number like this at a venue like the Cavern Club.
https://youtu.be/tWzgaYVpBJI?list=PLDsjTB9WCCUR-ciLgMId09R52ff70JCV
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We are opposites in that regard John B. I’m a wind-powered person myself when it comes to the water. I took up sailboarding in the eighties and loved it. With a wet suit vest and a harness to hook onto the boom, I could sail anywhere, anytime all day and my country has lots of beaches, lakes and protected passages for this recreation. On the land, it’s an internal combustion engine Moto Guzzi California 1400 Tourer though. However, the future is definitely electric. Just yesterday I read a review of an electric Harley Davidson, believe it or not!
Also yesterday, I checked out a Hobie “Mirage Adventure Island”. With foot pedal propulsion they are hands-free for fishing etcetera and also have moveable outriggers and a mast and sail. An electric motor can also be easily attached. Unfortunately, at around $9,000 (including trampolines), they are probably twice the cost here that you’d pay in the US!
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That Moto Guzzi is awesome. I’ve heard they are great bikes. Reliable and very well made. Went the Goldwing route myself for touring and a V65 if I feel like getting somewhere very quick or just blow dry my hair. That Hobie Cat does sound fun! Just not sure it would pull me water skiing 😉 I guess from the day I got my dirt bike and skis I became obsessed with speed. The touring is nice though. Feet on the highway pegs, crank the stereo, hit cruise control, lean back and watch the scenery (and bugs splattering on the windshield). Now I can really turn up the stereo and listen to the MonaLisa Twins. I’ll probably need to print up a card with their website and YouTube channel for when people say “Wow, that’s amazing, who’s that?”
So, to actually contribute to the topic of discussion finally:) I love your suggestions here for cover songs and for whoever mentioned “Summer Song” by Chad and Jeremy.” Also, I love the audio version Mona and Lisa did of “The Night Before” by the Beatles. Would love to see that in a video. Most anything by Credence, especially “Have You Ever Heard The Rain”, “Who’ll Stop The Rain” or even “Fortunate Son.” I’ll bet Mike Sweeney would love to help belt that out.
I really love the incredible talent of the first concert the twins did, but would love to hear a version of “Love is All Around” by the Troggs with their mature, enhanced, beautiful voices or a version of “I Will.” The twins may not want to revisit past songs and videos, but the songs are so good and Mona and Lisa are so good!
For another Beatles – at least George Harrison – song I think they could do a beautiful version of “If Not For You” by Bob Dylan. It has a great melody and words. George Harrison did a cover of it a few months after Bob Dylan and then Olivia Newton-John did a cover a few months after that. Olivia’s version hit number one in the US and in the top ten in many other countries. Not sure about the previous two. There’s a little bit of a country flavor to Olivia’s version, but George’s is more rock. There are some good versions of George Harrison’s cover on YouTube and an Olivia Newton-John version where someone put a lot of effort into enhancing the quality. I’ve really come to love both versions. I didn’t know George’s voice was sooooooo good.
Two more come to mind. Alison Krause did a great cover of a Keith Whitley song “When You Say Nothing At All.” The MonaLisa artistry could really do that one well. Another song might seem out of their normal era and genre, but the message and words of “As Long As I Can Dream” by Expose done with Mona and Lisa’s beautiful voices and harmony would be wonderful. So there’s a few of my dream cover ideas.
I love the twins original music, but I keep remembering it was the cover songs that led me here. Not just that, but they are so good when Mona and Lisa put their magic to them. I read a few comments on their videos last night, and like me, it seems many people love their covers, because of their respect for the original and yet their special touch that adds a special beauty. My favorite comment was that “So much talent couldn’t be contained in one person so there had to be twins.”
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“So much talent couldn’t be contained in one person so there had to be twins.” I think that quote pretty well sums it up for all of us. We are very fortunate that Papa Rudi has not just one passionate, talented and adorable daughter, but two!
You mention the Troggs from their first concert. I would also like to see them redo their “Mr Tambourine Man” but really think they did such a superb job in the 2007 concert that they don’t really need to do it again! There are far too many covers we are looking for that I think it is unreasonable that we would expect them to do versions twice. Now if only there were two sets of identical MonaLisa Twins! Their redoing of “Leise Rieselt Der Schnee” 2.0 in the fabulous “Advent Calendar” was a nice surprise even though I still love their first, oh so cute version.
And as for “Have You Ever Heard The Rain”? not lately, but I have “seen” the rain”! And as for “Fortunate Son”, “It ain’t me, it ain’t me… I ain’t no senator’s son, no It ain’t me, it ain’t me… I ain’t no fortunate one, no.” In 1972, I was in the second last intake of National Servicemen in my country but fortunately wasn’t sent to Vietnam!
And I’m not sure about “As Long As I Can Dream” but how about “Any Dream Will Do”!
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So much for my proofreading. Yes, “seen the rain”. Guess My days as a writer are truly over.
Funny, I was just listening to “Mr Tamborine Man” moments ago. Like everything in that concert – it’s great and so impressive for that age – or any age. I hesitated to mention doing another version of anything, it’s just that I know it would go from amazing to spectacular. I just downloaded “Any Dream Will Do” a couple days ago (Donny’s version) It would be great too. I hadn’t heard the Jason Donovan version. He has a great voice. Thanks for sharing that.
One more Beatles song I’ve grown to love “Words of Love” would be towards the top of my list. After tonight I’d also have to add one of my favorite songs ever to the list “Here Comes The Sun.”
Just watched “Yesterday” tonight. Excellent and funny film. I couldn’t help but relate. I am so grateful to Mona and Lisa getting me reacquainted with The Beatles again. I literally had kind of forgotten how much I loved their music and they brought it back to my world and made it brighter like in the film. They made it live again and introduced me to a number of songs I either had never heard or had overlooked. A few of The Beatles songs that were not high on my list have become favorites due to the beauty, joy and excitement that the twins put into them. Starman is another example. I was never much of a Bowie fan and probably wouldn’t have listened to his version a second time if I had heard it. Now I love the song – the MLT version.
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You also picked one of my favourites with Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love”. The Beatles certainly made it their own on their “Beatles For Sale” album and I think the MLT could also make it their own! A great album that included”, Rock and Roll Music”, “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “Eight Days a Week” (MLT did an acoustic cover, featured in their Uluru, Australia video) and my favourite from the album, “No Reply”.
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By the way, Mona and Lisa seemed to be in danger of becoming permanently infected by an Aussie accent during their big adventure Downunder! Listen to Lisa’s introduction. eh! Fortunately, they seemed to have survived the encounter and have shone through with just enough of their cute German accents intact to complete the perfect picture of sublime, enchanting excellence. I just can’t help myself, so much of what I write and see reminds me of music, even enchanting! “Some enchanted evening”. Now, how good would a cover of this be by our favourite Twins! Jay & The Americans “Some Enchanted Evening” 1965.
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Jay and The Americans had many hit records in the sixties, including, Cara Mia, This Magic Moment, Come A Little Bit Closer and Some Enchanted Evening. The lead singer, Jay (David) Black had a powerful tenor voice.
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I’ve long thought that Jay Black is the most underrated vocalist of the 60’s. And he was still wowing them with that voice as recently as eight years ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffGjbaAFVpw
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Yes, he had an amazing voice, David. Unfortunately, Jay Black went bankrupt due to his gambling addiction and in 2006 he was required to sell the rights to perform as “Jay and the Americans” in order to satisfy his debt to the IRS. Hence he marketed himself as “Jay Black The Voice”.
These gorgeous twins were recorded live at the Cambridge Street Festival Wembley, Western Australia – 21st March 2015. No world beaters but not a bad effort in terrible outdoor conditions. I’ve only included them because they are twins and Australians! Forgive me, but I like them. Just imagine what our favourite twins could do with this song!
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Hi Howard, Hi John,
Hello John and Howard,
That’s a nice cover of those Aussie twins of yours. Better for me than the original of Donny Osmond (to mellow I’d even say sugary if that make sens). Cover by the MLTs It would be perfect for next Christmas.
I would quote John as he said “I love the twins original music, but I keep remembering it was the cover songs that led me here. Not just that, but they are so good when Mona and Lisa put their magic to them. I read a few comments on their videos last night, and like me, it seems many people love their covers, because of their respect for the original and yet their special touch that adds a special beauty. My favorite comment was that “So much talent couldn’t be contained in one person so there had to be twins.”
and also when he said ” Just watched “Yesterday” tonight. Excellent and funny film. I couldn’t help but relate. I am so grateful to Mona and Lisa getting me reacquainted with The Beatles again. I literally had kind of forgotten how much I loved their music and they brought it back to my world and made it brighter like in the film. They made it live again and introduced me to a number of songs I either had never heard or had overlooked. A few of The Beatles songs that were not high on my list have become favorites due to the beauty, joy and excitement that the twins put into them. Starman is another example. I was never much of a Bowie fan and probably wouldn’t have listened to his version a second time if I had heard it. Now I love the song – the MLT version.”
I totally agree with John. So let’s wish the MLTs work on their own music but continue to make covers and let us re discover the music that is part of our forgotten cultural heritage.
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My MLT cover requests are endless. For some reason I don’t think Mona has been keeping up her flute practice, so here’s a challenge for her:
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