Beech Tree News Network

Back Under The Covers

I’ll start off smokin’…that is, “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”.  The song was originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 for their album called Yeah! It reached #3 in Canada and on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song, obviously about getting caught smoking in the boys room, was covered in 1985 by Motley Crue.  Their version became the Crue’s first top 40 hit.  It appears on the 1986 film The Wrath.  A LeeAnn Rimes version of the song appeared on the album Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Motley Crue.  

Next up are a couple of my favorites.  They both happened to be covered by Smashmouth.  Up first is “I’m a Believer”.  Originally recorded by The Monkees in 1966 for their album More of the Monkees, the group took the Neil Diamond written tune to #1 in the weekly charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, U.K and the U.S.  Smashmouth covered the song and released it in 2001, 35 years after the original.  Their version charted highest on the U.S. Adult Top 40 where it reached #4.  In 2010, Weezer covered the song for the soundtrack to the movie Shrek Forever After.  In 2019, the official trailer for the movie Jojo Rabbit featured the German version of the song by Jack White, “Mit All Deiner Liebe.  That doesn’t’ really roll off the tongue though, does it?

“Can’t Get Enough of you Baby” is the second song Smashmouth has covered.  This one has just as long of a lineage as “I’m a Believer”.  This one was also originally done in 1966.  It was written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer and recorded many times: the first was The Four Seasons in January 1966.  The pop/punk band ? and the Mysterians did it in 1967 for their second album called Action.  Their version reached #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released as a single.  Smashmouth’s version peaked at #8 in Canada and #14 on the U.S. Adult Top 40(Billboard).

Now we get a little Bluesy.  The earliest version of “Hey Joe” was recorded in late 1965 by The Leaves. They re-recorded the song in 1966 and it became a hit in the U.S.  The song was covered by Jimi Hendrix that October.  It was his first single with his band the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  The Byrds also recorded the song in ’66.  Released that December. Hendrix’s version became a hit in the U.K, peaking at #6.  

Our final song is “Sympathy For The Devil”.  Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, recorded in June, ’68 and released 5 months later as the opening track for their album Beggars Banquet.  It’s considered one of the best songs of the popular music era, ranked at #32 on Rolling Stones’ 500 greatest songs of all time.  It charted highest in the U.K(#14).  It reached #97 in the U.S.  I could’ve sworn that song would’ve charted higher in the States.  I’ll have more covers sometime in the future.