Which rock classics should get classical covers?

Date: 
03/30/2012
Contributor: 

My colleague Katie Wright had one of those "driveway moments" we brag about during WFCR's fund drives this morning.  Try as she might, late for work as it made her, she couldn't turn off the radio and leave the car until "Stairway to Heaven" ended.  Worry not for Katie; her job is safe.  But what was the Led Zeppelin classic (and I use that term loosely) doing on WFCR in the first place?  Beginning the classical music on Friday, in a version by the Wes10Brass of Germany, that's what.

That got Katie and me talking about what other rock standards of the era deserve similar treatment.  For both of us, you see, this music came during a time in our lives that we recall with a minimum of nostalgia, and with a deep regret bordering on embarrassment.  For Katie, it was her decade of doing overnights in commercial rock radio, years before achieving enlightenment and coming over to the non-commercial side.  For me, it was my college years at UConn.  Let's just say that if you knew me then, you'd have forgotten me by now.

Anyhow, here's the list we came up with in our brief hallway conversation:

"Freebird", Lynyrd Skynyrd

"Hotel California", Eagles

"Dream On", Aerosmith

"Listen to the Music", The Doobie Brothers

Not bad so far — and I feel the pimples coming back just thinking about them —but hardly enough for a whole album.  So here's where you come in.  What artifacts of your  musically misspent youth would you like the hear in a classical cover?  Not that it's ever going to get produced, unless someone has either volunteer skills and/or mucho money to contribute.  But it's fun to think about.  Don't be surprised, by the way, if a classical arrangment of your fave has already been done. In any case, please let us know.

 

Comments

POP Classics

Please keep these covers coming.   "Classical" music didn't stop at 1920,  1940 or even 2000.  New tunes, new arrangements of old tunes and variations of the above keep music alive.  jsb~~

I had the EXACT SAME driveway

I had the EXACT SAME driveway moment this morning listening to the "Stairway to Heaven" cover.  Awesome! To add to the list, how about some  Queen, although many of their songs have a strong classical influence already. Bohemian Rhapsody?

 

classical arrangements

White Rabbit and Hurdy Gurdy Man

With a real hurdy-gurdy!

With a real hurdy-gurdy!

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