10. Annie Omalley & Smallpools — If I Could Turn Back Time
This cover’s hazy vocals put you in a dreamscape right from the beginning. It’s an even-keeled delivery that doesn’t escalate as much in energy in the choruses as the original does. However, by the second chorus, you can feel the swell of emotion. Even with the measured delivery and simple kick drum metronome, the layered vocals result in a rich homage to Cher’s heartfelt and powerhouse hit. — Sara Stoudt
9. The Mooney Suzuki — Just Like Jesse James
Retro garage-rockers-in-shades The Mooney Suzuki were one of those bands that got so hyped in the early 2000s that there was no possible way for them to live up to it. They were kind of band for whom that classic backhanded compliment “you need to see them live” was made. You either loved them or hated their earnest kitschiness. Their 2007 cover of “Just Like Jesse James” appeared on Guilt By Association, a typically hit ‘n’ miss collection of covers of songs that weren’t conventionally cool like Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” done by “cool,” mostly indie artists like Luna and Will Oldham.
Composed by prolific pop songwriting genius’s Desmond Child and Diane Warren, Cher’s version of “Just Like Jesse James” was a top 10 U.S. hit in 1989. Apparently she was not too crazy about it (among other complaints, she found it to be a mouthful to sing) but no matter–she belted the living hell out of it, and it remains one of the most ridiculously perfect pop anthems she ever recorded. The Mooney Suzuki version is pretty faithful right down to the lyrical content which remains blessedly intact. Coming from an all-boy rock band, this adds an extra spurred-boot kick of hotness to the proceedings—which is to say that when singer Sammy James Jr. urges “Come on baby show me what that loaded gun is for,” it’s extra-loaded. — Hope Silverman
8. Radiomatic — Petit homme [Little Man]
This French take on Sonny & Cher’s folk-style tune is a little less polka-y and a little more murder-mystery-like, with the original accordion elements replaced with an ominous organ. The changes in instrumental style make for a less jaunty and more come-hither sonic experience, but even for listeners who don’t know French, this take still captures the storytelling nature of the song. — Sara Stoudt
7. Okay Kaya — Believe
Okay Kaya’s bedroom pop cover creates a comfortable space with the warm, pulsing bass and Kaya Wilkins’ just-above-a-whisper vocals playing nicely against a vibey synth background. Wilkins doesn’t aim for the soaring vocal heights of the original, but she uses her voice expressively and with a very slight distortion, filled out with sweet, pitched-up harmonies in the latter half of the song. It’s a lovely and cozy sound that plays off the expectations of the original. — Mike Misch
6. Scud Mountain Boys — Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves
Wikipedia describes “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves” as being upbeat. I never got that sense at all from the song. If anything, the story of “a gal in trouble” makes it sound like the narrator is trapped in her traveling show, frantically dancing in the face of scorn and derision. The Scud Mountain Boys cover neatly excises that panicky agitation, slowing the song way way WAY down and softening the words even as it lays them bare. The slings and arrows are soft as popcorn, bringing no harm to the heroine. It’s still not an upbeat song, but there’s a lot less pain to the traveling show life now. — Patrick Robbins
5. The Raconteurs — Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
On their very first tour, back when they were still “that side project Jack White plays with before he’ll return to the White Stripes,” The Raconteurs performed a show-stopping cover of “Bang Bang” at every show. Probably because they didn’t have enough of their own songs to fill out a set yet. (They also covered David Bowie-via-Ron Davies’ “It Ain’t Easy” a lot.) This song was made for Jack to yelp over. It recalls the Stripes’ classic, equally-pained “Jolene” cover which almost-topped our Dolly list when she got in the Rock Hall. They’d extend it to six or seven minutes every time, with tons of dynamic shifts, and no shortage of room for Jack to solo either. — Ray Padgett
4. The All Seeing I — The Beat Goes On
Apologies, because you’ll have this track lodged inside your head for the foreseeable future upon hearing it. Also, because you might call it a cover of a cover, seeing that it samples another cover, the Buddy Rich Band version of “The Beat Goes On” (which makes the Britney Spears version at #27 something like a cover-of-a-cover-with-a-sample-of-a-cover). But just hold on there a minute! It might also be called Sonny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On” reinvented brilliantly for the dancefloor in 1998 by British electronic group The All Seeing I. It might also be called a track that perched at #11 in the UK chart and is still a staple of radio and clubland alike, combining an impossible-to-resist big band vibe with lo-fi production charm. Yes, let’s call it that! — Adam Mason
3. Mandy Barnett ft. John Hiatt — A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done
With this cover, Mandy Barnett continues proving that her voice can flex far beyond the roots of country. The Sonny & Cher original is a wistful remembrance of carefree childhood days, its happy-sad lyrics complemented by a pruned big-band orchestration. Barnett traces Cher’s path with undaunted range. Sleek, full, and nuance, her vocals sail above the blues-deep tone of guest John Hiatt, who steps into Sonny’s role, making a wonderful contrast. While the original was more playful, this one digs into the mournful nature of letting go of the playing-cowboy days. – Merry Mercurial
2. Karen Elson — Believe
Removing the vocoder and over-the-top arrangement reveals “Believe” to be an airy torch ballad, something Karen Elson manipulates to great effect. Shut your eyes and it could be any of the big-haired singers that inhabit a soft-focus MTV, a wet dream for any big-shot producer needing a song to play over the credits of their next blockbuster. Which, oddly, wan’t always Elson’s usual domain; when she was Mrs. Jack White, she vibed much more rock chick. This comes from an altogether mellower recording, Radio Redhead, Vol. 1, an EP of five covers, which also features a plangent take on Elton John’s “Sacrifice.” — Seuras Og
1. Nancy Sinatra — Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” was Cher’s third solo single which peaked at #2 in the US and #3 in the UK, to become, in 1966, the singer’s first million-selling song. Not too shabby for the Sonny Bono-penned number. But it is perhaps surprising to recall that the track was also considered a “novelty” song in those swinging days of yore, despite having heartbreak, rejection and the fear of loneliness at its core. Perhaps it was down to its jaunty and theatrical Spanish/gypsy style and its fluctuating tempo. Or perhaps the childish and theatrical veneer of its lyrics about playing with toy guns.
The Nancy Sinatra cover, on the other hand, did not speak “novelty hit” later that same year. It was deadly serious, quite grim and eerie, even in go-go boots. Slow of tempo. Stripped down. Possessed of Billy Strange’s wonderfully evocative tremolo guitar. It was easy, in this case, to feel the pain inherent in those “bang bang” images. And, of course, the inclusion of this version in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol 1 only adds to its sense of sinister drama, being here that the lyrics are interpreted really rather literally indeed. — Adam Mason
Thank you for the Cher Covers some wonderful renditions here Great work