One Great Cover: The White Stripes’ “John The Revelator”

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Nov 052025
 

One Great Cover looks at the greatest cover songs ever, and how they got to be that way.

The White Stripes' “John The Revelator”

In the documentary It Might Get Loud, Jack White is shown putting a record on a turntable. He sits, listening intently, as we hear Son House’s “Grinnin’ in Your Face.” After a few bars the camera zooms in on the record cover and we hear Jack’s voiceover: “By the time I was about 18, somebody played me Son House. That was it for me.”

He elaborates that the song has been his favorite since the first time he heard it, and he was taken in by the simplicity of the music. “I didn’t know that you could do that, just singing and clapping.” Continue reading »

Watch: Chris Isaak and Conan Team Up for “Ring of Fire”

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Jan 052012
 

Last October, Chris Isaak released his excellent Sun Studios cover album (read our review) and he’s still promoting it in the new year. Last night he hit Conan for a performance, joined by O’Brien himself on guitar. The band performed a jumping take on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” with Conan in a vintage nudie suit. Continue reading »

Watch: Reggie Watts Brings a Big Band Thin Lizzy Cover to Conan

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Nov 012011
 

Last night had a full slate of special TV covers. We’ve already seen the Flaming Lips warp the Beatles on MTV and Amanda Palmer and friends do their take on Rocky Horror on Ferguson. Not to be outdone, Conan offered its own special cover: Reggie Watts doing Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town.” Continue reading »

Watch: Jack White and Conan O’Brien’s Guitar Duel on Conan

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Nov 092010
 

Jack White returned to [Insert Show Title Here] with Conan O’Brien last night for the umpteenth time. He didn’t bring the White Stripes, Raconteurs, or Dead Weather along this time though. Instead, he brought his ace in the hole: Conan O’Brien. Backed by Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, White and O’Brien rocked Conan’s first night out with a reprise of “20 Flight Rock.”

The pair first performed the song at White’s Third Man Records over the summer, jamming out the Eddie Cochran tune with horns and plenty of soloing. Last night the reprise featured snappier dressing, but the same dirty guitar work. Seeing Jack front a swinging big band was…different. If his raw blues doesn’t entirely work with their über-polished swing, well, it was a fun night regardless. Watch it, along with the subsequent O’Brien-White interview, below. Continue reading »

Welcome Back Conan! Love, the White Stripes.

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Nov 082010
 

Last week we welcomed Lil Wayne back from jail. As soul revivalist Mayer Hawthorne tweeted, “Conan coming back > Weezy coming back.” Agree or not, as of 11pm tonight, we’ll have ‘em both. Conan O’Brien’s new show Conan hits TBS and, after the crazy promotion the station has been doing (you gotta watch this video), it better be good.

As the youngest, hippest late night show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien always featured better music than Leno/Letterman. With Jimmy Fallon recruiting the Roots, though, O’Brien finds himself with more music-cred competition. He starts his comeback strong by bringing back Jack White for the 876th time tonight. The two first met at a Detroit bowling alley when Jack White was still John Gillis and have been buddies ever since. Jack has appeared on various Conan-helmed shows ever since, even briefly reuniting the White Stripes for the Late Night sendoff in 2009. Continue reading »