Someone posted a performance I’ve wanted to hear for years on a Facebook group – Julianne Regan (she of All About Eve) singing “Who knows where the time goes” with Fairport at Cropredy. I think we can agree this is a tough gig, and to my ears Julianne nails it. (It’s only available on a few obscure Fairport compilations and turned up on the Spotify version of the Dave Pegg comp troublingly titled “A box of Pegg’s”).
Anyway, other examples of someone stepping into unfillable shoes and pulling it off? Or falling flat on their face?
This worked quite well
This? Not so much.
TBF Axl is doing it live. TBNF jeezus.
Don’t know why this example in particular sprung to mind, but I always thought Annie Lennox made a good attempt at filling Freddie’s shoes singing Under Pressure with Bowie at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992. She was quite magnetic.
A lot of singers tried to emulate Mercury that night… some more successful than others….
Gail Ann Dorsey filled those regal shoes royally – as featured on Reality Tour. What a talent!
Yep…
Julianne Regan has a beautiful voice, it must be said.
Good call, Twang. I was at the Cropredy event where that version of Who Knows was recorded. As far as I know, Julianne only performed once with FC at it, in the ‘Sandy role’ – which is a shame. I wonder why? Has she retired from music? I had suggested her to Dave at least a year before. I think he forgot that when he booked her – I recall him telling me on the phone, as a forthcoming guest, as if I hadn’t heard of her!
I think she sang “She moved through the fair” with them too. She’s quite active on FB and I even had a little exchange with her where I asked her if she’d fancied doing “Battle of Evermore” with Robert Plant who was also on – apparently he said he keeps that one for Sandy. She’s writing new songs with Tim Brichino of AAE at the moment, and I think just did a degree or MA or something. I think she teaches writing too.
Here’s a new one. She’s still got the voice.
https://youtu.be/sD4JiKn73SI
Fascinating. I daresay you’ve heard AAE’s ‘Witch’s Promise’ (nobody’s ever sure where the apostrophe should be!)? One of the greatest Tull covers…
This too, previously by Trees.
Planty was apparently happy to share “…Evermore” with Najma Akhtar…
I remember it too. Hearing one of your favourites covered can be nerve-wracking, and I must admit I find it easier for WKWTTG to work in a small venue or club rather than the scale of stadium or festival. Inevitably, I hear it quite a lot while I’m doing the rounds, and I’ve heard many singers give it a welcome new life.
I have a pact with one of my folk club compatriots; whichever one of us survives the other, will sing this at their wake. It is flattering but rather morbid that Liz says she wants to die first.
Hank Wangford has a fairly recent song in his repertoire about the unspoken problem in ageing couples of who is going to die first.
In the song, the protagonist wants to be the one who goes first, in order to selfishly avoid the pain of bereavement.
The temp was by no means the weak link here…
https://youtu.be/6WOS1k_tccM
Ronnie James Dio
Ian Gillan
Glenn Hughes
Tony Martin
all tried to fill Ozzy’s shoes in Black Sabbath, but none were quite as good
(Tony Martin, for me, was the best of the bunch)
Fine vocalists all, but not for the Sabs
Heaven & Hell is my favourite Sabbath-album. I like Ozzy-era too, but despite Ozzy rather than because of him.
I realise Ozzy is Ozzy and all that, but I just don’t get it.
Funny because at least three of them are much better singers than Ozzy.
John Mayall did a gig in Hatfield and Eric Clapton didn’t show. He asked the audience with there was a lead guitar player in the house and a shy blond youth put his hand up. A few years later Mick Taylor left Mayall’s band an joined the Rolling Stones.
Was it Eric or Greeny that didn’t show? Mick Taylor was Peter Green’s replacement in Mayall’s band. Unless of course he had Mick on hold all along as a spare.
I think it was Eric and Mayall already had his eye on Greeny and brought him in to cover for Eric when he disappeared to Greece, then took over after he finally left. But Mayall remembered Mick and called him after Greeny left.
Susanna Hoffs does a gorgeous version of Who Knows as one half of the fab ‘n’ groovy Sid ‘n’ Susie. She can do no wrong for me.
There is a slight tradition of sons of rock stars taking over from their dads. Mickey Jones’s son George did it for a while with Man, until he fell out with Martin Ace and Martin’s son Josh, who is in the band still. Dweezil Zappa tours frequently playing his father’s material. I’m sure some of you lot know of others.
Ian Astbury of the Cult joined The Doors for a bit.
Whassisname replaced Hugh Cornwell in The Stranglers.
Marionbloke replaced Hooky in New Order.
The Undertones without Feargal? No thanks.
Musical theatre bloke replaced Michael Hutchence in INXS via TV talent show competition. Yikes.
And, much closer to my heart, a Londoner from the West End show circuit replaced Dorina Morelli as Frida Longstokin in Bjorn Again. I stopped going to their gigs.
Not forgetting Mick Hucknall in The Faces.
Kevin Coyne was invited to join The Doors at some point after Morrison’s death.
He turned them down “Because they were crap” (his words).
Paul Roberts was Hugh’s replacement in The Stranglers – he did OK, but not setting the world on fire.
Baz Warne (who does it now) does a much better job
Now you are wrong about the Undertones. Yes, Feargal has a unique voice. But Paul McLoone has more stage presence, they are still one of the best nights out you can ever have.
I’m more of a That Petrol Emotion man, myself.
Overdue a critical reappraisal and comeback tour I think. Damien has reworked a couple of their songs on his last CD.
I ripped all of my TPE cd singles for a pal last year. Every track, bar a few early b-sides, was a killer.
I’m now trying to track down a BBC Transcription LP of a gig I was at, two for sale on Discogs from £118 (neither of which has sold for 12+ months, you’d think they’d be discounted by now).
Oh, TPE were a fantastic band. First two albums in particular were excellent. Brilliant live too. I understand they did a reunion tour a few years ago which I’m quite gutted I missed.
This one’s in the triumphs column, lest there be any doubt…
Paul Rogers fronting Queen just didn’t work.
I was offered a première (or whatever it’s called) enclosure ticket to their Hyde Park gig but just didn’t fancy it. I knew I’d hate it so I passed despite liking them individually.
George did good though.
This came up in conversation over dinner only this evening. Magnificent.
Take it you’ve seen the rehearsal footage too?
Yes, a richly deserved round of applause from David Bowie at 4:49, of course.
Stiltskin singer joins Genesis and both bands fold. And wasn’t Rob Halford replaced by a tribute band singer for a while. Let alone Yes.
In passing, @Twang , Box of Peggs looks like an interesting set, dodgy title notwithstanding….
Yes there’s other good stuff on it – I’ve been playing it on Spotify.
It is called a Box of Peggs as the box is based on the cribbage board score is kept by placing pegs in the holes.
Hence the title.
It’s called “A box of Pegg’s”. For once apostrophes matter.
A pune?
Sorry @Twang problems posting from tablet.
Sure mine adds them when I don’t want them and removes them when I do. Fucking autocorrect.
Kelley Looney was Steve Earle’s bass player for over 30 years. Poor fella died at the end of last year. Some shoes to fill there.
I can’t bear the Grateful Dead, but I have Deadhead friends who are very pleased at how well John Mayer stepped into Jerry Garcia’s (I would have thought unfillable) shoes.
I’ll let somebody less biased comment on this. Yikes!
To change tack a little, I have been thinking about TV quiz shows:
Countdown – Des Lynam was a great-sounding replacement for Richard Whiteley but it didn’t quite work. Des 2 (O’Connor) was surprisingly quite good but Nick Hewer doesn’t quite do it for me. The best post-Whiteley host was Jeff Stelling – the only one I think that came close.
Pointless – if both or either presenters left, it wouldn’t work as well. See Top Gear, Bake Off.
The Chase – could survive without Bradley Walsh but it would be a hard act to follow.
QI – seems to be surviving OK without Mr Fry, which is good to see.
Eggheads – Jeremy Vine is the second presenter and very good but I think the show would be OK if someone else came in.
Only Connect – I can’t imagine anyone other than Victoriz Coren Mitchell. I would say is she is irreplaceable.
University Challenge – Bamber Gasgoigne was synonymous with the show but frankly rather dull, Paxo has made it a better watch.
QI survives (and its repeats seems to form 75% of the output of “Dave”) because it is an entertaining format and often funny. But Toksvig is irritatingly school-marmy and lacks Fry’s delicate touch.
Were it not for the delightful Mrs Coren Mitchell, I probably wouldn’t bother with Only Connect.
and sadly, after today, Just a Minute without Nicholas Parsons.
He did miss a couple of episodes last year, and was replaced by Paul Merton and Gyles Brandreth doing one each. It just wasn’t the same.
Mind, nobody thought they could replace Humph on ISIHAC. Jack Dee does a bang-up job.
And Jack Dee’s spoofing of Parsons JAM style is a rare and affectionate hoot.