When rock was young most careers were initially build on cover versions of existing hits and this has since been a road travelled by many bands and artists. Their reasons have been both to stir attention and saluting musical heroes, and results have ranged from “why would anyone do that to a great song?!” to “it should never have been done any other way!” – and everything in between.

February’s Top 10@10 salutes the cool cover versions presenting some of Scandinavia’s hottest artists’ take on 10 classic songs on a list heavily represented by Sweden (apparently doing covers is a big thing there) and a list showing that a much used trick when doing a cover is to go slow.

Volbeat (DK) - I Only Wanna Be With You (orginally by Dusty Springfield)
The original: With all due respect to Dusty Springfield: A nice, if somewhat boring, pop song from 1963.

The cover: A balls-out, right-foot-on-the-monitor, everything-turned-up-to-11, full speed ahead rock’n’roll song featuring one of the best guitar riffs in Scandinavian music.

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José Gonzalez (SE) – Teardrop (originally by Massive Attack)
The original: One of the finest, darkest moments in trip hop.

The cover: One of the finest, darkest moments in cover history.

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Hafdis Huld (ISL) – Stop (originally by Sam Brown)
The original: What a flashback and a class example of the grandiose soul balladry as it was done 20 years ago by British songstress Sam Brown, released in 1988 but not making the charts until the year after.

The cover: Opposite the strong woman dictating full stop in the original Iceland’s Hafdis Huld sound more like she’s making a quiet plea, adding a very moving fragility to the song.

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Hellsongs (SE) – We’re Not Gonna Take It (originally by Twisted Sister)
The original: 1980s glam metal, big hair and spandex boiled down to a stock of pure metalness.

The cover: A very low-key, very acoustic, very mellow and frankly damn good version from Swedish trio Hellsongs who released ‘Hymns In The Key Of 666’ with acoustic covers of songs by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath etc in 2008.

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Susanna And The Magical Orchestra (NO) – Hallelujah (originally by Leonard Cohen)
The original: Covered endlessly, but in our humble opinion only ever done justice, or even elevated, by legendary Jeff Buckley…

The cover: … until Norwegian singer Susanna Karolina Wallumrød and her Magical Orchestra did theirs on the 2006 cover album ‘Melody Mountain’.

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Jonathan Johansson (SE) – Everybody Wants To Rule The World (originally by Tears For Fears)
The original: Smash hit in its time and beyond, but never intended to be part of British synthpop act Tears For Fears’ second, million selling album, ‘Songs From The Big Chair’ (1985). Brilliant and soooo 80s.

The cover: Not only covered, but also translated into Swedish (‘Alla Vill Ha Hela Världen’) by Jonathan Johansson it’s a match made in heaven. Gutsy, fairly true to the original, brilliant and soooo 00s.

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Seabear (ISL) – Teenage Kicks (originally by The Undertones)
The original: To-the-point punk rock song rooted in a fiery teenage groin, recorded by Irish The Undertones in 1978 and instantly taken in by legendary radio DJ John Peel, who later announced it his favorite song. Ever!

The cover: Acclaimed Icelandic alt-folk outfit Seabear take the teenage fire down quite a few notches in their sweet’n’low-key, bedroom dreamy version, really striking the nerve of that – horrible when unfulfilled – hormone dictated teen state of mind.

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Astrid Swan (SF) – When You Were Young (originally by The Killers)
The original: Loaded with heartache, Springsteen-like storytelling and driven by a grand riff L.A. based The Killers hit it big with this first single from sophomore effort ‘Sam’s Town’ (2006).

The cover: Even though you already got an acclaimed (debut) album out it never hurts to attract more attention, so Finnish Astrid Swan made this expressive “one-girl-and-her-piano” cover and hit it big in the blogosphere.

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Lillasyster (SE) – Umbrella (orginally by Rihanna)
The original: Depending on your musical taste either the musical equivalent of stepping in gum or one of the best pop songs ever written, making it impossible to A) Ever forget that chorus, and B) Pronounce “umbrella” correctly.

The cover: Depending on your musical taste either the musical equivalent of stepping in gum – only with more guitars – or a bunch of chubby Swedish guys rocking totally out and making one hell of a rock’n’roll version of a pop song.

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Høgni Lisberg (FO) – All Along The Watchtower (originally by Bob Dylan)
The original: Released on the 1967 album ‘John Wesley Harding’, ‘All Along The Watchtower’ is another classic covered endlessly (probably most famously by guitar god Jimi Hendrix) and His Bobness as he will be remembered.

The cover: Faroese singer Høgni Lisberg might not necessarily add much to the original, but you can’t help but be charmed by this version, starting out a-man-and-his-guitar before erupting in band-having-shitloads-of-fun.

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