Cover of the Moment: Crazy Mary

[mikejasond]

I couldn't find any thread for this song, it wasn't in the chat index, and the search hasn't been working for a few days so I'm sorry if this already exists

[mikejasond]

I was listening to the actual studio track of this on spotify on the Vs bonus tracks.

It made me realize...Im not sure I ever heard this studio version before??? Im so used to the epic live version.

This studio version is actually pretty nice, even if I like what it has evolved into live.

Different vibes, but I love that quiet story-teller Eddie, especially at the time this came out it was more of a rarity to hear him that way.

Good song, and a good cover.

[mikejasond]

(Also it's interesting the Pearl Jam cover actually came out before the original)

[stip]

I didn't realize Pearl Jam's version predates Victoria William's. I am equally amazed you are just hearing it now.

I love both versions. I really enjoy the dueling keyboard/guitar solo elements of the live version.

If Pearl Jam's came out first, is it fair to call this their song?

[mikejasond]

That's a good question lol. Victoria Williams wrote it and she did record it, but Pearl Jam's version on the benefit CD was the first one to come out in 1993, with Victoria William's version coming out in 1994, so maybe??

It's also very possible I've heard it years ago and just don't remember (I feel like I MUST have) - but I just listened to it and it didn't sound familiar to me, and then when I thought about it I wasn't sure if I'd actually sat down and listened to the studio track. I was surprised by the quietness of it, compared to the live version. A really great song though with evocative lyrics. Listened to the Victoria version now too and it also sounded good, very similar to the Pearl Jam one. But man, Eddie really is a great cover singer.

I agree, the live version is great too, both are. I don't love all their covers they play all the time but I'd always be happy to get this one

[Ms Harmless]

I love Crazy Mary

I love Boom on Crazy Mary

yes

[Monkey_Driven]

I much prefer the live versions of the song because I don't really care for Ed's vocal tics/delivery on the studio version.

[Matters]

It’s a Pearl Jam original that was written by someone not in the band. When Williams later recorded and released it she was covering a Pearl Jam song that she wrote. Uncommon but not unheard of. “Islands in the Stream” is another example of this happening. The Bee Gees wrote it and gave it to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton who recorded and released it in 1983. Almost 20 years later The Bee Gees released they’re own studio version of it and by doing so covered a song that they wrote.

[Birds in Hell]

I'd argue it's a cover by any conventional metric.

It's a not a song specifically written for the band (or other artists) to perform, like in the example above, or any number of songs by professional songwriters.

It just happened Victoria Williams' version wasn't commercially released until after Pearl Jam's.

[ridleybradout]

I'd argue it's a cover by any conventional metric.

It's a not a song specifically written for the band (or other artists) to perform, like in the example above, or any number of songs by professional songwriters.

It just happened Victoria Williams' version wasn't commercially released until after Pearl Jam's.

Stop making sense

[Matters]

If it’s a cover can you please point me towards the original?

[Matters]

The studio version is so beautiful. Ed’s making an effort to sound like Williams. I forgot she sang w him on this. Some of my favorite guitars from any studio performance ever.

[ManofGoldenWords]

This is the song that "clicked" for me and turned me into the die-hard PJ fan.

I was a freshman in high school when it came out and, prior to that, I considered PJ my favorite band. However, it was all solely based on the studio albums they've released. I knew the singles, had the albums and enjoyed listening to them, but that was it.

One day I was riding in the car and Crazy Mary came on the radio. I had no clue it was Pearl Jam, but the music caught my attention and I really enjoyed the song. After it ended, the radio host mentioned how that was Pearl Jam from the Sweet Relief benefit album, and that was it for me. That was when it "clicked".

After hearing that, I started looking into all of the other music they've released that I didn't know about (i.e., benefit CDs, B-sides on singles, soundtracks, etc.) and started collecting it.

I'm glad I did because it has been a fun journey and I've never been disappointed. I've discovered so much more, really good music because of this.

[stip]

I was just learning how the music industry 'works' and because of this and the singles soundtrack (and no alternative a little later) I would pour through BMG catalogs looking for hidden places Pearl Jam just popped up

[Kevin Davis]

I definitely had that "OMG, bands release music that isn't on their albums??" moment because of Pearl Jam too (Singles soundtrack, CD singles, etc.). I distinctly remember going through the various artist compilations at various music stores, sometimes for hours, trying to find CD's that had rare tracks by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. What a time to be a kid.

But this was a song that managed to elude me through that whole exercise. I found all the CD single B-sides, the Singles soundtrack, the Surfrider comps, etc., but never this one. I didn't hear it in full until the 2000 bootlegs (heard it in part on 3/5/98, but had no idea what it was).

The 2000 versions are still my favorite. After acclimating to the song through those versions, he sounds a bit drawly and twangy on the studio version in a way that feels off to me, and I find the backing vocals distracting. I like the Mike/Boom duel versions too but those versions also correlate with Eddie getting a bit showier vocally, which to me lessens the impact of the most important part of the song -- the story and the delivery. It's felt a bit warhorsey to me since about 2006 or so.

[stip]

there are days I would say that Glynis from No Alternative is my favorite Pumpkins song

[Kevin Davis]

I love "Glynis!"

[Leatherhead]

I'd argue it's a cover by any conventional metric.

It's a not a song specifically written for the band (or other artists) to perform, like in the example above, or any number of songs by professional songwriters.

It just happened Victoria Williams' version wasn't commercially released until after Pearl Jam's.

Did she not write it FOR Pearl Jam?

[Birds in Hell]

I'd argue it's a cover by any conventional metric.

It's a not a song specifically written for the band (or other artists) to perform, like in the example above, or any number of songs by professional songwriters.

It just happened Victoria Williams' version wasn't commercially released until after Pearl Jam's.

Did she not write it FOR Pearl Jam?

I've not seen anything to suggest that's the case.

This LA Times article from 1993 about Sweet Relief suggests she didn't have a record deal at the time of that album's release but was negotiating for a new one, which I presume is what happened as her next record (featuring her version of Crazy Mary) came out in 1994.

If it’s a cover can you please point me towards the original?

I don't think those terms are as strictly defined as suggested.

It wouldn't commonly be the case that the original artist's version of their song is released after a cover version - but in this case, that's simply what happened. I'm sure there's many other examples.

At the time of Sweet Relief, Williams hadn't released anything commercially in several years, despite having a devoted local following, including Lou Reed's wife Sylvia, who arranged the benefit album. I can only presume Crazy Mary was a song written during that period and was considered 'on the table' (so to speak) in songs open to being covered for that project. Williams clearly still intended to release her own version and did so shortly thereafter.

I don't think this is that complicated.

[oasisfan35]

This same question was asked on the old board and it was settled then, I can't find the quote now because a) the old board done died and b) with the VS reissue there are a million new search results in google.

Anyway, Vedder had a tape of a demo of this song from Williams well before Pearl Jam ever recorded it.