Good Reggae/Ska Covers of Non-Reggae/Ska Songs

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Country Roads - Toots & the Maytals

― Erick, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Baltimore - The Tamlins

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:39 (twenty-two years ago)

grace jones - she's lost control (joy division)

actually.. i wouldn't call this good. it's actually pretty fucking disturbing. sorry.

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Harry J Allstars' "Don't Let Me Down" just KILLS.

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Melt Banana - Monkey Man

oh wait

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

This old DC band called "I Spy" did a cover of that Bread song that goes "I would give everything I own...". I Spy may have shared a member or two with the Ignobles, who went on to become Jonathan Fire*eater. Or maybe it was with Swollen Colon, who became French Kicks...
Anyways, it was really good. On a Level records 7".

Oh, and Op Ivy's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" is classic.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Ken Boothe did a reggae cover of "Everything I Own" too.

Help Me Make It Through The Night - John Holt

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Derrick Layo & Trinity - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

― searchanddelete, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Horace Andy, "Ain't No Sunshine"

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Skatalites "Guns of Navarone".

― jazz odysseus, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:30 (twenty-two years ago)

SOOOO many, so I'll just stick to Curtis Mayfield covers:

Minstrel and Queen, Soulful Love, and I've Been Trying by Pat Kelly/The Uniques
I'm So Proud by Joe Smith
Closer Together by Junior Murvin....Slim Smith did a good version as well
Keep on Moving by Bob Marley and the Wailers
Darker Than Blue by Lloyd Charmers

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

easy dub all-stars - dub side of the moon lp

― rw, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"Estimated Prophet" - Burning Spear

― BrianB (BrianB), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

i have been listening to the Paragons version of "Blackbirds Singing" a lot the last couple months

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

shinehead - billy jean

― mullygrubber (gaz), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

frank zappa -- "ring of fire"

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I have usually tended to like most of those "let's put a reggae beat to this old hit" hits. "Baby I Love Your Way", for instance, I think sounded better in Big Mountain's reggae version than in Peter Frampton's or Will To Power's earlier hit versions.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

easy dub all-stars - dub side of the moon lp
-- rw

hell yeah, totally second that.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 00:52 (twenty-two years ago)

ooh! one of my fave covers:

judge dread - "je t'aime (moi non plus)"

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Norma Fraser - "First Cut Is The Deepest"
Ken Boothe - "Set Me Free"

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Arrogant Sons of Bithces - Paranoid Android

― phunktion, Wednesday, 28 January 2004 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Who did Baltimore originally? The Tamlins version is SO good!

I love the Tighten Up version of Bridge Over Troubled Water, but I forget who did it right now.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Desmond Dekker - Come Together

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Baltimore" is a Randy Newman song. Nina Simone did a great cover of it too.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bridge ..." was covered by Jimmy London & the Impact Allstars

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

First I looked for the Rolling Ska 2007 board, but this'll do. Anyone hear the new Reel Big Fish/Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer album: Duet All Night Long? It's six cover songs (from The Smiths to Madonna to... Pete's Dragon).

Any thoughts?

― Mordechai Shinefield, Thursday, 22 February 2007 04:59 (nineteen years ago)

eighteen years pass...

So this is great!!

https://themightyrootsmen.bandcamp.com/album/the-mighty-rootsmen

1. I Won't Back Down 02:44
2. Love The One you're With 03:19
3. Fly Like An Eagle 04:39
4. Peace Train 03:39
5. Take It Easy 03:33
6. Drift Away 03:17
7. Summer Breeze 03:27
8. Don't Stop 03:47
9. Sunshine on my Shoulders 04:24
10. Come & Get It 02:19

Toots Hibbert, Gregory Isaacs, Luciano, Mykal Rose, Sly & Robbie, Mikey Chung, Robbie Lyn, Sticky Thompson, Zap Pow Horns members David Madden, Calvin ‘Bubbles’ Cameron, and Glen DaCosta

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 7 August 2025 16:51 (ten months ago)

dean fraser, "magnet and steel." third world covered as well but i prefer this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV_dR8ejRPw

will check that comp later, tracer. they cut off bandcamp access at work last week. boo!

― andrew m., Thursday, 7 August 2025 20:05 (ten months ago)

My friend and I have decided that there is no song that can't be successfully reggae-fied. This is one of the most impressive examples from recent years that comes to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-obkMBXmqE

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 8 August 2025 04:00 (ten months ago)

Rhoda Dakar's "Everyday Is Like Sunday" deserves a mention. There's even a dub version.

― fetter, Friday, 8 August 2025 05:34 (ten months ago)

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