Covering a song from an iconic group is not something just any artist will attempt. While many artists have covered the Rolling Stones, many of them are icons in their own right. Find four such covers, below.
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4 of the Best Covers of Rolling Stones Songs
1. “Let’s Spend The Night Together” (David Bowie)
One of the most famous Stones covers comes from David Bowie. Bowie released his rendition of “Let’s Spend The Night Together” a few years after the Stones’ original version was released. Though they are similar in tone, Bowie adds a sense of disorder that works oh-so-well with this song’s exuberance.
Don’t you worry ’bout what’s on your mind, oh my
I’m in no hurry, I can take my time, oh my
I’m going red and my tongue’s getting tied
(Tongue’s getting tied)
I’m off my head and my mouth’s getting dry
I’m high, but I try, try, try, oh my
2. “Tumbling Dice” (Linda Ronstadt)
Linda Ronstadt flexed her vocal range on her cover of “Tumbling Dice.” She comes in hot in the caustic opening line: People try to rape me / Always think I’m crazy / Make me burn the candle right down. This cover showcases an entirely new side of Ronstadt’s artistry.
Baby, I can’t stay, you got to roll me
And call me the tumblin’ dice
Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry
Don’t you see the time flashin’ by
Honey, got no money
I’m all sixes and sevens and nines
Say now baby, I’m the rank outsider
You can be my partner in crime
3. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Aretha Franklin)
Aretha Franklin tapped Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood for her cover of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Even with their expertise applied, it’s Franklin’s incomparable vocals that steal the show. From soaring ad-libs to growling low notes, Franklin proves why she was dubbed the Queen of Soul with this cover.
I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead
I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled
Yeah, yeah
I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I was crowned with a spike right through my head
My, my, yeah
4. “Honky Tonk Women” (Ike and Tina Turner)
Tina Turner set fire to every stage she stepped on. It’s a wonder the German stage she stepped on in 1970 to perform “Honky Tonk Women” was left standing. With a perspective switch and subtle changes to a few of the lyrics, Turner made this song her own. The original Stones rendition is in danger of being shoved to the side with this cover as competition.
I laid a divorcee in New York City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then she covered me in roses
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
It’s the honky tonk women
That gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Alan Messer/Shutterstock
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