Have Love, Will Cover

July 4, 2009 5:45 AM

Have Love, Will Travel is a song with an instantly recognisable opening that was originally recorded by Richard Berry in 1959 and subsequently covered by The Sonics, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Crazyhead, Bruce Springsteen, Jim Belushi & Dan Akroyd, The Black Keys and at least two ukulele duos to name a few. (single song, MLYTP)
posted by slimepuppy (21 comments total)

See also Lady Dottie and The Diamonds, Ian Gillain (song ends at 3:38) and Hot Boogie Chillun. No Stiv Bators, The Montesas, The Thing, Vibrators, Adam West or Thee Headcotees I could find on youtube...

I'll stop now.
posted by slimepuppy at 5:58 AM on July 4, 2009

The Sonics kick the collective ass of all other versions, which comes as no surprise. Still, Paul Revere and the Raiders turned in a respectable one, it must be said...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:59 AM on July 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Fun vocal arrangement on the Berry original, of course.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:00 AM on July 4, 2009

All well and good, but incomplete without this.
posted by HuronBob at 6:12 AM on July 4, 2009

One of my favorite rock riffs by any band, but the Sonics version is pretty much untouchable. This is one of those songs that I can't imagine a bad version of, although I don't have the courage to click on any link with the words "Jim Belushi" in it.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 6:19 AM on July 4, 2009

I thought Thee Headcoats' version might be on YouTube, but all I could find was this video of girls dancing to the version by Thee Headcoatees. Maybe even better, though.
posted by Grangousier at 6:21 AM on July 4, 2009

The Sonics version is my favourite as well, but I have to say that that second ukulele version wasn't too shabby; it had a certain charm.
posted by bjrn at 6:41 AM on July 4, 2009

The Headcoatees version was the first one I heard, so that one is my favorite. Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd? No thank you.
posted by pinky at 7:17 AM on July 4, 2009

The title (which is also sixty percent of the lyrics) is undoubtedly from a very popular TV show at the time, Have Gun, Will Travel, starring Richard Boone as Paladin, a gunfighter who had the line on his business card.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:03 AM on July 4, 2009

Same title, different song: Have Love, Will Travel by the talented Bill Kirchen. Plus on the cover of the album with the same name, Bill's wearing a jacket and carrying a suitcase that the Sonics just wouldn't be able to carry off.
posted by Killick at 8:06 AM on July 4, 2009

I had never heard of the Sonics, but I thought: "They sound like a 1961 cover band."

Turns out that's exactly what they were! I thought I had entered a time warp. . .<a
posted by rdone at 9:10 AM on July 4, 2009

The Sonics are the real thing, rdone... Interesting how on the Richard Berry original, the bass voice carries the riff. Hearing this, it occurs to me that this must where the Beach Boys got their arrangement of Louie Louie, which also features a bass voice (probably Mike Love) doing the riff, which in all other versions of the song, is carried by the guitar and organ.
posted by Faze at 10:49 AM on July 4, 2009

Mojo Nixon did it too, on Here Ain't the Sonics - an above-average Sonics tribute record.

BTW The Sonics just played NXNE last week.
posted by stinkycheese at 12:28 PM on July 4, 2009

Did you go, Stinkycheese? How was it? I'm considering the Echo show in LA...
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 1:02 PM on July 4, 2009

I'm so excited about this Boss Tracks blog. Yay.
posted by Miko at 2:52 PM on July 4, 2009

I ... er, love ... this song. Thanks for the post.
posted by Amanojaku at 3:56 PM on July 4, 2009

I didn't make it, sadly. The friends who went said they were great, and that Gerry did in fact still scream. They sure look like they're still in pretty good shape.
posted by stinkycheese at 4:20 PM on July 4, 2009

Have Love, Will Travel is a song with an instantly recognisable opening

This sound is right up my alley as far as what I like but.... nope, not recognizable. Never heard it before.
posted by Doohickie at 5:13 PM on July 5, 2009

There's a cover done by a band out of Copenhagen called the The Blue Van that's pretty kick-ass too. Can't find a feed of it anywhere though. I sing in a cover band and we base our version of HLWT on the Blue Van version (minus the organ). Wicked song.
posted by sharpener at 12:17 AM on July 6, 2009

"Never heard it before."

Me neither.
posted by Eideteker at 12:50 PM on July 6, 2009

And now you have!* Ain't Metafilter great?

*if you clicked on the links, that is...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:35 AM on July 7, 2009