Roxyrama Cover Versions

The Bride Stripped Bare

One of Ferry's most personal albums, recorded in Montreux, Switzerland at a time of personal difficulty in his life, and rather stark and austere in character, The Bride Stripped Bare, which took it's name from a glass sculpture by Belgian artist Marcel Duchamp, was a critical success, but his first commercial failure. It featured a high proportion of cover material.

Hold On, I'm Coming

(Hayes/Porter)

Sam and Dave's soul classic, penned by Issac Hayes, had never charted in the UK, perhaps because the sexual overtones of the title precluded radio airplay, but was covered by Ferry in a glance back to his student days when it was a staple of the Gas Board's repertoire. Lyrics for Hold On, I'm Coming

The Same Old Blues

(JJ Cale)

Seminal Southern rocker JJ Cale was really only known in Britain for his authorship of Cocaine which was popularised (in many ways!) by Eric Clapton. Ferry dug deep into Cale's songbook for this stark reinterpretation. Lyrics for The Same Old Blues

Take Me To The River

(Al Green)

One of Ferry's finest covers, his thunder was stolen somewhat by Talking Heads quirky remake in the same year. It's hard to follow a voice as beautiful as the Reverend Al Green, who wrote this song, oddly never a hit in Britain, but Ferry does so with immaculate phrasing a strength. Lyrics for Take Me To The River

What Goes On

(Lou Reed)

Ferry made no secret of his admiration for imaginitive New York art-rockers The Velvet Underground, and covered Lou Reed's song in a rocky, innovative way. Despite the faith Ferry invested in his performance, releasing it as a single, the song, like the album, was a commercial flop, reaching only number 67. Lyrics for What Goes On

Carrickfergus

(Traditional)

This traditional Irish folk song was rearranged by Ferry. Although a little out of place on what is an admittedly eclectic album, the song, which is well suited to Ferry's voice, has remained a staple of his live act for over two decades. Lyrics for Carrickfergus

That's How Strong My Love Is

(Jamison)

This song was a cover of a minor 1965 hit for, ironically, the 'In Crowd', but Ferry's English tones struggled to match the aching quality of the soul original. Lyrics for That's How Strong My Love Is

Last Updated: 24 March 2008