Television Personalities
COVERS
Those who saw Television Personalities play live or have heard a selection of live tapes will be aware that cover versions were a regular feature of the set. From classic Sixties rock to Eighties pop and many points in between, these covers often delighted fans while leaving casual observers baffled. Dan still managed to inject his own style into the source material, however unlikely this may seem on paper. For example, renditions of the likes of Dr Hook's 'Sylvia's Mother' and Smokie's 'Living Next Door To Alice' are often strangely moving in Dan's hands. This list, which is by no means exhaustive, gives a taste of what audiences have enjoyed over the years. If you know of any others, contact me!
For a list of artistes who have covered TV Personalities songs, visit the Strangely Beautiful website.


STUDIO COVERS

Song Title Original By Where To Find It
Biff Bang Pow The Creation Creation flexi 7"
Painter Man The Creation They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles
Making Time The Creation They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles
Apples And Oranges Pink Floyd Beyond The Wildwood LP
Respectable Mel and Kim Caff Corporation 7" single
Your Class BMX Bandits Clawfist 7" single
Honey I Sure Miss You Daniel Johnson Little Teddy 7" single
I'm Not Like Everybody Else The Kinks Little Teddy 7" single
I Hear A New World Joe Meek and the Blue Men Little Teddy 7" single
I've Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up To Me) Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood Little Teddy 7" single
Whatever Gets You Through The Night John Lennon and Elton John Little Teddy 7" single
You Are Something Arthur Lee We're All Normal And We Want Our Freedom LP
Bike Pink Floyd Whaam! Bam! Thank You Dan!
No-one's Little Girl The Raincoats Whaam! Bam! Thank You Dan!
Seasons In The Sun Jacques Brel / Terry Jacks Twist 7" single
Love Changes Everything Michael Ball, from the musical 'Aspects of Love' Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
TV On In Bed Zarjaz Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
Pablo Picasso Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
Darkside Shadows Of Knight / Hangman's Beautiful Daughters Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
Sorry To Embarrass You The Razorcuts Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
Isn't It A Pity George Harrison (Galaxie 500's version is arguably a greater influence) Don't Cry Baby...It's Only A Movie
Harmony in my Head Buzzcocks And They All Lived Happily Ever After (2005)
I Fall The June Brides Still Unravished (2006)
If I Should Fall Behind Bruce Springsteen Are We Nearly There Yet? (2007)
Mr Brightside The Killers Are We Nearly There Yet? (2007)
The Good's Gone The Who Somewhere Between Heaven & Woolworths (2007)
Milkshake Kellis Somewhere Between Heaven & Woolworths (2007)

LIVE COVERS

Song Title Original By Where Covered
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Various 1980 onwards.
Roadrunner Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers 1980 onwards.
Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand The Who Berlin 16/10/80, Hamburg 8/5/96
Eight Miles High The Byrds Nottingham 14/4/81
I'm Waiting For The Man The Velvet Underground Hamburg 8/5/82 and often in the medley. See below.
I Can See For Miles The Who Hamburg 8/5/82 and often in the medley. See below.
White Riot The Clash Hamburg 8/5/82 and Berlin 20/7/89
She Loves You The Beatles Hamburg 8/5/82 and often in the medley. See below.
Helter Skelter The Beatles Hamburg 8/5/82 and often in the medley. See below.
Pablo Picasso Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers 1982 onwards.
La Bamba Ritchie Valens London 15/10/83
Venus In Furs The Velvet Underground Enger 7/1/84
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Pink Floyd Berlin 10/1/84 and often in the medley. See below.
Shiny Black Shirt Jowe Head solo Occasionally played after Jowe joined TVP during 1984.
Midget Submarines Swell Maps Berlin 10/1/84
Hang On Sloopy The Strangeloves Enger 7/1/84. Often played in the medley in the mid-80s. See below.
White Light / White Heat The Velvet Underground A part of the mid-80s medley. A live version from Oslo in 1990 was also released on the 'Where's Jowe Head Now?' 7".
Blue Monday New Order Mid-80s.
The Model Kraftwerk St Gallen 13/9/84
Vegetable Man Pink Floyd London Ambulance Station 22/12/84
Godstar Psychic TV Live from 1986 onwards.
Never Understand
Upside Down
Just Like Honey
You Trip Me Up
Jesus and Mary Chain Part of the extended 'Salvador Dali's Garden Party' that was a feature of the song when it first entered the live set in late 1984 and remained so into '85.
She Sells Sanctuary The Cult Played at the end of 1985.
Into The Groove Madonna London Room At The Top 14/12/85
February Jowe Head solo Aberdeen 12/7/86
Diesel Loco Train Jowe Head solo Aberdeen 12/7/86
Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep Middle Of The Road Aberdeen 12/7/86
Batman TV Theme Tune Greenock 13/12/86
A Horse With No Name America Dortmund 10/5/87
Nebelwerfer Jowe Head solo Played often during 1987.
Close To You The Carpenters Dortmund 10/5/87
The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Tokens / Tight Fit Played often during 1987 (sung by Jowe Head)
Living Next Door To Alice Smokie First spotted in 1987, then Berlin 31/12/89 and tour of Germany Spring 1990.
Dress You Up Madonna London 100 Club 27/8/87 and later.
Onward Christian Soldiers Traditional hymn 1987 - 89.
Sylvia's Mother Dr Hook Live in 1987-89 and occasionally since.
What Goes On The Velvet Underground Linz Posthof 10/10/87, Bergen 16/3/90
The Passenger Iggy Pop Linz Posthof 10/10/87 (medley sung by Jowe Head).
Bright Eyes Art Garfunkel Linz Posthof 10/10/87 (medley sung by Jowe Head).
Physical Olivia Newton-John Linz Posthof 10/10/87 (medley sung by Jowe Head).
Crawfish Jowe Head solo Athens 12/12/87
Cakeshop Girl Jowe Head solo Athens 12/12/87
Garageland The Clash Athens 12/12/87
Someone I Care About Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Athens 12/12/87
Solitaire Neil Sedaka (but covered by many artists) Live 1988 - 89.
Fire Crazy World Of Arthur Brown Glasgow 3/4/88.
The Way We Were Barbra Streisand Glasgow 3/4/88.
Crash The Primitives Central London Poly 23/4/88
Without You Harry Nilsson Central London Poly 23/4/88, Berlin 31/12/89
How Does It Feel To Feel The Creation Bloomsbury, London 1/10/88.
Wonderful Tonight Eric Clapton Portlands, London, 4/10/88.
You Wear It Well Rod Stewart Portlands, London, 4/10/88.
Bend Me Shape Me Amen Corner Portlands, London, 4/10/88.
The Six Teens The Sweet London Market Tavern 23/11/88
To All The Girls I've Loved Before Julio Ingelsias and Willie Nelson London Market Tavern 23/11/88
Heroes David Bowie Hamburg Fabrik 2/9/89
Vicious Lou Reed Hamburg Fabrik 2/9/89
Miss You Rolling Stones Live 1989.
Uptight Stevie Wonder Hamburg 2/9/89
I've Been A Bad Bad Boy Paul Jones Edinburgh 13/12/89
Set Me Free Paul Jones / Patti Smith Edinburgh 13/12/89
Chinese Rocks The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders) Berlin 31/12/89 (with Evan Dando).
You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory Johnny Thunders Berlin 31/12/89 (with Evan Dando).
Hospital Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Berlin 31/12/89 (with Evan Dando), Cologne 28/3/90.
Why Don't We Do It In The Road? The Beatles Übach 26/3/90
My Bonnie Traditional Übach 26/3/90
I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown Tour of Germany Spring 1990.
Flaming Pink Floyd Vienna 5/4/90
Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin Vienna 5/4/90
Constantinople They Might Be Giants Oslo 90 (vocals by Jowe)
I Put A Spell On You Screamin' Jay Hawkins Backnang 14/12/91
Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) Crystal Waters Cambridge MA 2/4/92
We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together The Velvet Underground NYC Knitting Factory 4/4/92
Clear Day The Palookas NY Kim's Underground 5/4/92
Why Can't I Touch It? The Buzzcocks Hoboken, New Jersey USA 11/4/92
Even The Bad Times Are Good The Tremeloes London Archway St Johns Tavern 8/7/93
Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi Jacques Dutronc Hamburg 8/5/96
Typical American The Goats London Camden Dublin Castle 21/6/96
See Me The Who London Bush Hall 10/12/04
The Good's Gone The Who Glasgow 30/4/05
Mr Brightside The Killers Glasgow 30/4/05
Baby Honey The Pastels Glasgow 30/4/05

ODDITIES

Song Title Original By Where Covered
David Watts The Kinks 'Geoffrey Ingram' often mutated into this.
I'm A Believer The Monkees A line from this often popped up in 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' in the Eighties.
Denis Blondie In 1989/90, 'Salvador Dali's Garden Party' often ended with a snatch of this cover.
Always Something There To Remind Me Sandie Shaw 'This Time There's No Happy Ending' often ended with a line borrowed from this.
Downtown Petula Clark Jowe appropriated some of this for his contribution to 'My Very First Nervous Breakdown'.
True Colours
Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper The rendition of 'My Very First Nervous Breakdown' on 'Don't Cry Baby' includes snatches of these songs.
You Were Made For Me Freddy and the Dreamers The rendition of 'Virgin and a Whore' recorded for WMBR in Cambridge, MA, on April 2nd 1992 veers off into this 60s pop hit in the middle. The recording can be heard on the 'Falling Uphill' compilation LP.
To The End Blur The rendition of 'Another Rainy Day In Manchester' from Camden 21/6/96 includes some lines from this song.

THE MEDLEY

During 1984, Television Personalities developed a medley of classic songs. Sometimes shambolic, always enjoyable, the list below contains many of the songs that they visited on their trip back to the Sixties. An excellent rendition can be found on the live 'Chocolat Art' album. See also the setlists for performances during the same period, such as St Gallen 13/9/84 and Hanover 26/9/84.

Song Title Original By
I'm Waiting For The Man The Velvet Underground
I Can See For Miles The Who
She Loves You The Beatles
Helter Skelter The Beatles
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Pink Floyd
Louie Louie The Kingsmen
Hang On Sloopy The Strangeloves
Sister Ray The Velvet Underground
White Light / White Heat The Velvet Underground
Wild Thing The Troggs
Run Run Run The Velvet Underground
Day Tripper The Beatles
Bungalow Bill The Beatles
You Really Got Me The Kinks
All Day And All Of The Night The Kinks
Making Time The Creation
I Can't Explain The Who
Substitute The Who
The Kids Are Alright The Who
See My Friends The Kinks
Whatcha Gonna Do About It The Small Faces
White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane
Interstellar Overdrive Pink Floyd
Silver Machine Hawkwind
Gloria Them
School's Out Alice Cooper
Blue Monday New Order

Grateful thanks to Darrell Whitbeck for his assistance.

Return To Home Page