Youtube Amateurs (Gifted or strange, come one, come all)

[Talulah, really!]

Sometimes it seems every piece of music on Youtube comes accompanied by several amateur renditions. Occasionally these can actually be quite good. Here's three of my favourites from recent forays.

Alas the wondrous "You Only Live Twice" appears not to have been covered by the wonder that is Scott Walker, this though gets pretty close.

You Only Live Twice - Jack Hicko plays 007 / John Barry

Wittering on about "In the House - In a heartbeat" by John Murphy earlier in the soundtrack thread caused me to see if it was on youtube. It is, as are a number of recreations. Like this one the best, where one man, one acoustic guitar and one overexposed camera try to recreate the perfect distillation of post rock (maaaaann!). Endearingly lo-fi, especially slapping the guitar to give the oddly hypnotic clip-clop percussion effect.

In the House in a Heartbeat (John Murphy cover)

Finally Nerina Pallot's Real Late Starter done by a girl with a kora (an African harp/sitar kind of thing).

Nerina Pallot Competition - "Real Late Starter" - Josie Lloyd on Kora

[The Boston Crab]

RubyWeaponMono does AnCo's #1, in a very obvious winsome acoustic strumalong. How then do I almost prefer it to the original? I love the way it strips away the electronics and effects to reveal a song of very simple, delicate beauty.

http://www.youtube.com/user/RubyWeaponMono#p/u/9/JuC9HYoO6f4

[Darles Chickens]

On the flip side, this guy comes under the "so bad it's good" category.

Sleeping Satellite Tasmin Archer acoustic cover

Chumbawamba Tubthumping cover

Rock around the clock Bill Haley and The Comets acoustic cover
He ought to be a YouTube legend by now - browsing through his 600-odd uploads, you've got to admire him for how prolific he is, and the fact that he just does not care.

[Desi Rascal]

Not sure if he counts as an amateur anymore, but the very talented Paul Dateh

Hip Hop Violin - Paul Dateh and inka one

[Phil_A]

On the flip side, this guy comes under the "so bad it's good" category.

Sleeping Satellite Tasmin Archer acoustic cover

Chumbawamba Tubthumping cover

Rock around the clock Bill Haley and The Comets acoustic cover
He ought to be a YouTube legend by now - browsing through his 600-odd uploads, you've got to admire him for how prolific he is, and the fact that he just does not care.

To be fair to the guy it sounds like English isn't his first language, but at least he can play the right chords and sometimes he gets near something approaching a tune. I've heard some who don't even manage that(there used to be this one guy with 400+ videos who never got near the right melody or chords in any one of his covers, but sadly he's removed himself from youtube)

I can't stop giggling over "Sleeping Settality" though.

[boki]

Deven Gallo - what a man!

[The Boston Crab]

Marvellous stuff there, Desi.

[Geraint]

The Chronicles of Chris-chan: Smell Yo Dick Too: ECLECTIC BOOGALOO [8/5/09]