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The Most Amazing Cover I’ve Heard Live
Was by a backing band from Dothan Alabama in 1967
There have been a number of fine Medium articles about cover songs, including Paul Combs’ cover challenge from Plethora of Pop in April.
It’s hard to pin down what makes cover songs so appealing, but I think we appreciate the combination of the familiar with the new. A great cover song captures the spirit of the original but adds something from the personality of the cover artist. Otherwise, you just have a faithful but unimaginative tribute band.
This is the exception: an exact copy that when played live in 1967 amazed its audiences.
Background and personal history
At the teen dance club in my small South GA town in 1967, The Candymen (best known at the time as a touring band for Roy Orbison, hence their name), performed several times at a venue called The Woods, whose slightly naughty tagline on radio commercials was “Hey guys, take your girls to The Woods tonight.” Here’s a photo from The Woods (courtesy of Southern Garage Bands), with a red circle around someone that I think is me — or a doppelganger.
