Soundalikes


Paranoid        Black Sabbath

Dazed and Confused        Led Zeppelin        play soundalike clip

The guitar at end of "Dazed and Confused." I'm not paranoid; this is a true soundalike, rip-off, leaves me dazed and confused at the Sab-audacity to go stealing so close to home


Erotic City        Prince        play soundalike clip

White Horse        Laid Back

Again, the erotic-city, I mean, audac-city of stealing so close to home.


W.O.R.K        Bow Wow Wow        play soundalike clip

The Whistler        Jethro Tull


Suite: Judy Blue Eyes        Crosby, Stills & Nash        play soundalike clip

Yummy Yummy Yummy        Ohio Express

Ohio Express is the earlier song, at least according to my Top 40 chart book. I have to keep reminding myself that stealing doesn't reflect badly on the stealer, and this theft holds my feet to that fire, because of the high regard in which I hold Stephen Stills


Everything's All Right        David Bowie, doing Mojos        play soundalike clip

Shake a Tailfeather        Five Du Tones

Pillaging from r&b with a homage-y tipping of the hat is the world's second oldest profession


Waterfalls        TLC        play soundalike clip

It's Still Rock & Roll to Me        Billy Joel


Doll Parts        Hole        play soundalike clip

Love Is a Stranger        Eurythmics


Softer Softest        Hole        play soundalike clip

San Franciscan Nights        Eric Burdon


Smooth        Santana        play soundalike clip

No One Like You        Scorpions


I Wanna Sex You Up        Color Me Badd        play soundalike clip

Strawberry Letter 23        Brothers Johnson

The Brothers Johnson version of the song not Shuggie Otis the writer's. (Until that record falls in my lap, my curiosity about Shuggie Otis is satisfied by, and my interest in is confined to, his playing on his father Johnny Otis's early '70s reworkings of '50s R&B classics with the original singers, which is great!)


Old Days        Chicago

I'm Your Captain        Grand Funk


Old Days        Chicago

Love's Theme        Love Unlimited Orchestra


Just the Way You Are        Billy Joel

You Are Too Beautiful        John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman

Beginning of piano solo


Time        Supergrass

(?)        Cheap Trick

Remarkable Cheap Trick soundalike


Don't Let Go        En Vogue        play soundalike clip

Heartbreaker        Pat Benatar

Fix bad file name: "Hearbreaker.mp3" to "Heartbreaker.mp3"


Don't Ease Me In (title?)        Grateful Dead

The Happening        The Supremes

Dead: "Don't ease, don't ease, don't ease me in / I've been [all night long comin' home] / Don't ease me in" -- Supremes: "Hey life, look at me / I can see that we are two / 'Cos when you [shook me, took me out of my world] / I woke up, suddenly I just woke up / To the happening"


I'll Take You There        Staple Singers        play soundalike clip

Liquidator        Harry J's All Stars


Can't Get Enough        Bad Company        play soundalike clip

Natural Born Woman        Humble Pie


Badge        Cream        play soundalike clip

I Need a Man to Love        Big Brother & the Holding Company


Smooth        Santana        play soundalike clip

Mercy Mercy Mercy        Buckinghams

I know, the melody's not quite the same, but, christ, the WORDS are essentially the same, and the melody's close enough


Fable of a Failed Rose        Hawkwind        play soundalike clip

I'm Not in Love        10cc


Can't Smile Without You        Barry Manilow        play soundalike clip

Candy Man        Sammy Davis, Jr.

The bridge of "Can't Smile Without You"


Changes        Gordon Lightfoot (written by Phil Ochs)        play soundalike clip

Sealed with a Kiss        Bobby Vinton (original by Brian Hyland)

I only have Bobby Vinton's 1970s version of Sealed, and I don't have the Phil Ochs version of Changes


Come Dancin'        Kinks        play soundalike clip

Long Live Love        Sandie Shaw


Gene McDaniels subarea

Note to songwriters: apparently, don't listen to Gene McDaniels anywhere near the time you're planning to write something.


(title?)        Traveling Wilburys

Planet Queen        T-Rex


Life's a Gas        T-Rex        play soundalike clip

Hundred Pounds of Clay        Gene McDaniels


Aint Too Proud to Beg        Temptations        play soundalike clip

Tower of Strength        Gene McDaniels


Careless Whisper        Wham        play soundalike clip

Tower of Strength        Gene McDaniels

Trombone part in Tower, right after chorus -- I shouldn't be implying here that Gene McDaniels wrote either Hundred or Tower -- he didn't, but later he did write well-known songs. For extra credit, he wrote "Compared to What?" and Roberta Flack's (not Bad Company's) "Feel Like Makin' Love" -- yee ha.


Leaving Gene McDaniels subarea, returning to regular soundalikes . . .




Make Me Your Baby        Barbara Lewis        play soundalike clip

Downtown        Petula Clark

This may be a lead-in soundalike


Frankenstein        Edgar Winter Group        play soundalike clip

Hocus Pocus        Focus


No Surrender        Bruce Springsteen        play soundalike clip

Harmony Constant        Mike Nesmith


Wichita Lineman        Glen Campbell        play soundalike clip

Nights in White Satin        Moody Blues

String section


There Is a Light That Never Goes Out        The Smiths        play soundalike clip

The Voice        Moody Blues


Burn the Flames        Roky Erickson        play soundalike clip

Flaming Youth        Kiss

Sound clip has a full verse of Burn, just cause it's amazing


The Tourist        Radiohead        play soundalike clip

The Man with the Child in His Eyes        Kate Bush


The New Pollution        Beck

That Beatles (Harrison) song that goes "we were talking ... about the space between us all"        Beatles


Young Splendor        Pond, first song on album

That Beatles (Harrison) song that goes "we were talking ... about the space between us all"        Beatles


Material Girl        Madonna

You Should Hear How She Talks about You        Melissa Manchester


I Looked Away        Derek & The Dominoes        play soundalike clip

Everlasting Love        Carl Carlton (original by Frederick Knight)

I only have the 1970s Carl Carlton version


Disgracing the Family Name        Skafish        play soundalike clip

Birthday        Beatles

This is a perfect example of why not to get too bent out of shape about rip-offs -- I mean it's not like Skafish "profited" much by ripping off those poor Beatles


Heat of the Moment        Asia        play soundalike clip

Video Killed the Radio Star        Buggles


Christmas Camel        Procol Harum        play soundalike clip

Ballad of a Thin Man        Bob Dylan


Lido Shuffle        Boz Scaggs        play soundalike clip

Kaleidoscope        Procol Harum

"Lido Shuffle" organ surge


Let It Loose        Rolling Stones (Exile)        play soundalike clip

Handbags and Gladrags        Rod Stewart

Piano part


Possession        Sarah McLachlan

Take My Breath Away        Berlin


All I Want to Do        Cheryl Crow

Stuck in the Middle with You        Stealer's Wheel


Breakfast at Tiffany's        Deep Blue Something

All Along the Watchtower        Bob Dylan/Jimi Hendix


Champagne Supernova        Oasis

(?)        (?)

Harmonica part


Champagne Supernova        Oasis

(?)        Rod Stewart

Guitar part before last verse, after big crescendo


Here Comes a Regular        Replacements

Helpless        Neil Young


Here Comes a Regular        Replacements

Knockin' on Heaven's Door        Bob Dylan


Interstate Love Song        Stone Temple Pilots

I Got a Name        Jim Croce

Descending thing


Jane Says        Jane's Addiction

Many is a man, oft-times leaves me guessin'        Led Zeppelin


Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart        Stone Temple Pilots

How Soon Is Now        Smiths


Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart        Stone Temple Pilots

Dancin' Days        Led Zeppelin


Ride the Cliche        Stone Temple Pilots

Tiny Dancer        Elton John


Mother Russia        Renaissance        play soundalike clip

Hang 'Em High        Booker T. & The MGs


Hang 'Em High        Booker T. & The MGs        play soundalike clip

Exodus        Percy Faith

Hang is the theme to some Clint Eastwood movie. I can't tell if it's actually different from Exodus, but whatever


Telstar        Tornadoes        play soundalike clip

White Christmas        Darlene Love

I don't have the Bing Crosby version of White Christmas. Do you?


(title?)        Paula Cole (Dawson's Creek theme song)

(title?)        Don Henley

Paula Cole: "I don't want to wait / For our lives to be over" Don Henley: "Even if, even if / You don't love me any more"

This I think is a lead-in soundalike, where the Paula Cole leads in to that part of the Don Henley song.


"Do you have the time, to listen to me whine"        Green Day

"And everything she wants costs money"        The Smiths


Here Come Those Tears Again        Jackson Browne

Tequila Sunrise        Eagles


Focus II        Focus, from Moving Waves

Pomp and Circumstance        Elgar


Hurting Each Other        Carpenters

You've Lost That Loving Feeling        Righteous Brothers


Busy Bodies        Elvis Costello

I Got the Blues        Rolling Stones


Listening to Old Voices        John Hiatt

Screams        Blue Oyster Cult


Waitress in the Sky        Replacements

Mountain of Love        Harold Dorman


I Only Want to Be with You        Dusty Springfield

It Was I        Skip & Flip


Bad Weather        Poco

Gasoline Alley        Rod Stewart

Guitar sound


Plastic Fantastic Lover        Jefferson Airplane

Bummer in the Summer        Love

... and, both their titles are rhymingly alliterative


It's All Too Much        George Harrison

Family of Man        Three Dog Night


Selfish One        Jackie Ross

Tenderly        the standard


What Am I Crying For?        Classics IV

Little Green Apples        O. C. Smith


Rock & Roll Junkie        Motley Crue

Shake Your Body        Jacksons


Knockin' on Heaven's Door        Bob Dylan

Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow        Jimmy Cliff


You Can't Always Get What You Want        Rolling Stones

Feelin' Alright        Traffic

Piano part?


Middle of the Road        Pretenders        play soundalike clip

Living in the U.S.A.        Steve Miller

I think this is an "enjambment," or lead-in sound-alike


Twilight Zone        Golden Earring

Another Brick in the Wall        Pink Floyd


Riot in Room C        Knock-Outs        play soundalike clip

Rebel Rouser        Duane Eddy


Running Bear        Johnny Preston        play soundalike clip

Rebel Rouser        Duane Eddy


Over at the Frankenstein Place        Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack

Massachusetts        Bee Gees


Puppets        Depeche Mode        play soundalike clip

(I Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman        Kinks


Don't Go        Yaz        play soundalike clip

No Disco        Depeche Mode


Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)        Yaz        play soundalike clip

No Disco        Depeche Mode

Also in Covers, Self-covers: Rewrites and retreads


Acknowledged, or homage, sound-alikes


Valley of the Dolls        Generation X

Rebel Rebel        David Bowie


Goodbye Blue Sky        Pink Floyd (The Wall)

Ruby Tuesday        Rolling Stones


Racing in the Street        Bruce Springsteen        play soundalike clip

Then He Kissed Me        Crystals

Keyboard part of Racing. Racing also has "Geronimo's Cadillac"


Songs that quote the Beatles' "Taxman"

Start        The Jam

Quicksilver Girl        Steve Miller Band

Taxman, Mr. Thief        Cheap Trick


Rewrites of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"

It's Only Rock and Roll        Rolling Stones

Livin' Lovin' Maid        Led Zeppelin

Dime a Dance Romance        Steve Miller Band

Livin' in the U.S.A. album (or whatever its original title was) also has a Dylan imitating song -- homage sound-alikes must be a theme of the album. "Space Cowboy" (on Brave New World) copies the lyrical form of that Beatles or Lennon song that goes "I told you 'bout Strawberry Fields / You know the place where nothin' is real."


Quotes "Jumpin' Jack Flash"

Lose to Live        Strawberry Alarm Clock


Soundalike artists

Axl Rose (Guns n' Roses) sounds like Dan McCafferty of Nazareth -- example is "Broken Down Angel" from Razamanaz. This is interesting because Gn'R is critically well regarded by non-metal people (like Rolling Stone and other critic types), whereas Nazareth is dogmeat.

I've always heard that Klaatu sounds like the Beatles, but "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (covered by the Carpenters, I have it incidentally), doesn't sound like the Beatles. Now that I own the Klaatu record, I know why the people who said that said that: "Sub-Rosa Subway" and others.

Be Good to Yourself        Frankie Miller

Sounds like Bad Company or Free, that is, Paul Rodgers

Saturday Night beneath the Plastic Palms        Leyton Buzzards

Sounds like Ian Hunter imitating the Kinks

Have I the Right        Honeycombs

Is the singer imitating Neil Sedaka?

Something's Wrong with Me        Austin Roberts

Like David Cassidy singing a Barry Manilow song

Is there a similarity between Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac's "Storms") and Emmylou Harris?

"Minstrel Rap," Straw Dogs, from the weird Skin Talk compilation I have is a remarkable copy of XTC (with Colin Moulding singing). Other soundalikes on the record, Spandau Ballet

The Frank Zappa guitar sound when he solos

Frank Zappa's solo guitar playing is very distinctive

Hot Stuff        Rolling Stones

Various songs by Grand Funk -- on the album produced by Frank Zappa. Zappa plays on one track, but even other songs do too, so whoever played lead guitar for Grand Funk on that record played like Frank Zappa. As a producer Frank Zappa's knowing how get that guitar sound only partly explains it

Elvis sound-alikes

Suspicion        Terry Stafford

Tragedy        Thomas Wayne

Take Out Some Insurance Baby        Tony Sheridan (!)

Keyboard parts that go like this

AEIOU        Freez

AEIOU Sometimes Y        Ebn Ozn

Remember What You Like        Jenny Burton

Confusion        New Order

Songs with that weird keyboard sound

Point of No Return        Nu Shooz

Feels Like I'm in Love        Kelly Marie

From Soul Classics CD; also uses video game firing shots

Things that the group Pulp sounds like

Boomtown Rats, Animals-era Pink Floyd, "Twilight Zone" Golden Earring

"Lay It Down" by the Replacements sounds like Aerosmith