The Music Show

It’s almost impossible to choose a Beatles song for Cover Story (we’ve been putting it off for three series). The band’s productivity in 1964 alone would give us ten good options. It was the year of their first - and second! - US tours, their one Australian tour, and the film A Hard Day’s Night. Can’t Buy Me Love inspired a wide and wild range of covers, so strap in with DOBBY and Vanessa Hughes for jazz, bossa nova, and raunchy madrigal takes on the classic. 
Every great song gets covered. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes badly, and sometimes by people who clearly should have known better.
Cover Story, returning for its third series, hunts down the best, the worst, and the downright strange versions of classic songs, and asks the question: why does this version give us goosebumps while that one makes our skin crawl?
Can’t Buy Me Love
By Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon/McCartney.
First performed by The Beatles
Released as a single 1964
Versions heard in the show:
The Supremes - A Bit of Liverpool (Motown, 1964)
Ella Fitzgerald - Hello, Dolly! (Universal, 1964)
Stanley Turrentine - Mr. Natural (Blue Note, recorded 1964, released 1980)
Peter Sellers - A Hard Day’s Night (recorded 1965, released 1993)
Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles (RCA Victor, 1966)
The King’s Singers - New Day (Warner Music, 1980)
Blackstreet - Another Level (Interscope, 1996)
Tahta Menezes - Relaxing Bossa Lounge 3 (Charm Music, 2009)
Leo Sayer - Northern Songs (Edsel Records, 2022)
Paul McCartney - Tripping the Live Fantastic (Parlophone, 1990)
Catch up on every episode of Cover Story
Technical production by Isabella Tropiano
The show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.

Stephen Foster's songs remain among the best known music to come out of the United States, with classics like Oh! Susannah, Hard Times (Come Again No More), and Old Folks At Home still covered to this day. He wrote with an ear to melody that saw his songs performed both in minstrel shows and in the parlour, and with an ambiguity that led to his lyrics being claimed by both sides prior to the civil war.
July 4 marks 200 years since Foster's birth and, on his bicentenary, Christopher Lynch, author of Formulating Foster,  will explore the music, the myths, and the man behind them.
Music heard in this program:
Title: Hard TimeArtist: Emmylou Harris and The Nash RamblersComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: At The RymanLabel: Reprise Records
Title: Old Folks At HomeArtist: Paul RobesonComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: A Lonesome RoadLabel: ASV
Title: Oh! SusannaArtist: 2nd South Carolina String BandComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: Hard RoadLabel: Independent release
Title: Camptown RacesArtist: 2nd South Carolina String BandComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: Hard RoadLabel: Independent release
Title: Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young CharmsArtist: John McCormackComposer: Thomas Moore
Title: Jeanie With the Light Brown HairArtist: Jan DeGaetani & Gilbert KalishComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: Songs By Stephen FosterLabel: Nonesuch
Title: Beautiful DreamerArtist: Broderick SmithComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: Crayon AngelsLabel: ABC Music
Title: Hard Times (Come Again No More)Artist: Bruce Springsteen And The E Street BandComposer: Stephen FosterAlbum: Live at Nassau Coliseum Label: Independent release
Title: Sabotage! feat. Josh PykeArtist: DOBBYComposer: Rhyan ClaphamAlbum: MarshmallowLabel: ABC Music
Technical production by Isabella Tropiano
The show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.

Never Tear Us Apart began its life as a bluesy demo by INXS’s keyboardist and songwriter Andrew Farris. Frontman Michael Hutchence gave it lyrics, producer Chris Thomas gave it synthesisers, and the public gave it a place on every Australian Music best-of list. 
And the covers come from far and wide: you’ll hear English, American, Welsh, French and Lanarkshire accents amongst the covers. 
Andy’s guests are ABC Classic’s Alice Keath, and Double J’s Al Newstead. 
Every great song gets covered. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes badly, and sometimes by people who clearly should have known better.
Cover Story, returning for its third series, hunts down the best, the worst, and the downright strange versions of classic songs, and asks the question: why does this version give us goosebumps while that one makes our skin crawl?
Never Tear Us Apart
Words by Michael Hutchence, music by Andrew FarrisFirst performed by INXSOn the album Kick, 1987
Versions heard in the show:
Joe Cocker - Respect Yourself (2002)
Tom Jones feat. Natalie Imbruglia - Reload (1999)
The National - Songs for Australia (2020)
The Ten Tenors - Wish You Were Here (2017)
Courtney Barnett - Rehearsal Room Recording (2018)
The Twilight Sad - single (2011)
Paloma Faith - John Lewis Ad (2012)
INXS with Ben Harper and Mylene Farmer - Original Sin (2010)
Next time on Cover Story: The Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love.
Technical production by Tegan Nicholls
The show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.

Alina Pash was last on the show back in 2021, before the Russian invasion of her country began. At that point, Pash said that she wanted to stay in Ukraine and be part of a strong emerging music scene there. Circumstances changed and Alina is now based in the USA, but she returned home last year with the Belgian-Canadian producer Apashe. Together, they recorded with local choirs in Kyiv, drawing on the traditional music of Ukraine to create something very modern.
Singer-songwriter Kristina Olsen has been a regular guest on the Music Show over the years, playing folk, jazz, and blues. But her latest work sees her taking on a new challenge - choral compositions. With a suite of works inspired by the equinoxes and solstices, Olsen is connecting with local choirs on her latest tour across Australia.
Kristina Olsen's full tour dates are available here
Music heard in this program:
Title: Winter Solstice EveArtist: Kristina Olsen, Angie Doctor, Kim Scanlon, Ed Johnson, Avi JacobsonComposer: Kristina Olsen
Title: KyivArtist: Apashe & Alina PashComposer: Apashe & Alina PashAlbum: Hymns of ResilienceLabel: Majestic Collective
Title: EverestArtist: What So Not ft. Alina PashComposer: Chris Emerson, Alina PashAlbum: Everest singleLabel: Independant release
Title: PortalArtist: Alina Pash & David AugustComposer: Alina PashAlbum: Alina Pash Coven DeluxeLabel: Bad Witch Good Corporation
Title: VoyagerArtist: PJ HarveyComposer: PJ HarveyAlbum: Voyager SingleLabel: Partisan Records
Title: I Still Do Miss You Pierre (live)Artist: Kristina OlsenComposer: Kristina OlsenAlbum: Live performance
Title: Maybe Better (live)Artist: Kristina OlsenComposer: Kristina OlsenAlbum: ChemistryLabel: Take A Break Productions
Title: Never Tear Us ApartArtist: INXSComposer: Michael Hutchence, Andrew FarrisAlbum: KickLabel: WEA
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Tegan Nicholls and Marcus Hobbs

A love song, a football anthem, and a weapon of war for men with acoustic guitars: Noel Gallagher said he thought Wonderwall was an annoying song when he wrote it. 
Cover Story dips more than a toe into the world of Britpop with composer and ex-Go-Between Amanda Brown, and conductor, composer and singer Dan Walker. 
Every great song gets covered. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes badly, and sometimes by people who clearly should have known better.
Cover Story, returning for its third series, hunts down the best, the worst, and the downright strange versions of classic songs, and asks the question: why does this version give us goosebumps while that one makes our skin crawl?
Wonderwall
Words and music by Noel GallagherFirst performed by OasisOn the album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, 1995
Versions heard in the show:
The Mike Flowers Pops - single (1995)
Cat Power - John Peel Session live at the BBC (2000)
Bring Me the Horizon, single (2025)
Paul Anka - Rock Swings (2005)
Brad Mehldau - Brad Mehldau Trio Live (2008)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays The Music of Oasis (1997)
Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell (2004)
The Killers - Live At Lollapalooza Chile (2018)
Oasis - Live in Dublin August 2025
Next time on Cover Story: the nation’s favourite Australian song, Never Tear Us Apart by INXS.
Technical production by Antonia Gauci
The show this week was made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.