Camper Van Beethoven - Pictures of Matchstick Men (live)

[1972piledriver]

no STATUS QUO but ok

[1972piledriver]

@1972piledriver 

[TheAnthonybozza]

This is a board recording Artifact with probably 2 condensers to pick up the "Live" sound.

[tatunkha]

Still current the subject matter of the song innit. Nicely reworked by a respectable act. Thanks CvB & Thanks for the upload.

[doodahbagel]

Real rocking version of the song by CVB very similar to the original version. Excellent

[ninyae]

I love these guys. We all sprung out of punk, but I loved how this band gave great acknowledgement to what went down before punk. Early punks knew very well what went down before 76, but I used to find that some of the younger kids who got into punk by 81 or later gave scant recognition to music pre 76.

[colico14]

Cool, but not heavy like the Type O/Ozzy cut. Should be heavy as a cover. Purely my op of course.

[ArtifactAttic]

if you were to listen to the original record version of Camper van Beethoven, you would find it to be much heavier than the Status Quo orgiinal. It's hard to pick that up from a live version that is only recorded with audience mic's. And, by the way, CvB's cover record made it to #1 in the US alt-rock charts.

[bkpenta]

Great stuff!!

[23aprilmay]

Not too bad actually!

[peckersqueeze]

No way!

he has the same fuckin guitar i have!!!

Ibenez...

[theean]

Great cover - thanks

[HonRevJoWazzoo]

Funnee as hell. Hill Billie rockers singin psychedelic. heh. I just fell in this lookin for original.

[ArtifactAttic]

They may look "hill billie" with the singer's cowboy hat and all, but they are an alt.rock band from Redlands/Santa Cruz, California, and were popular in the late 80s/early 90s. Their cover of Pictures of Matchstick Men was #1 on Billboard's "Modern Rock" charts for 3 weeks from Oct. 21 - Nov. 4, 1989.

[ArtifactAttic]

Incentally, the lead singer of CvB (singing here) is David Lowry. The lyrics (by Status Quo's Francis Rossi) refer to the "matchstick men" of the paintings of L. S. Lowry.

The original Status Quo single reached #12 on the U.S. Billboard pop charts, and #7 in the U.K.

[HonRevJoWazzoo]

Thanks. I was sorta kiddin - really. This is good. I was 19 when Status Quo sang the original. (I was laid up in hospital for months and this and Sky Pilot were 2 songs I looked forward to every day. On AM radio - no MP3 players, internet or etc.) Thanks for all the info without ripping me to shreds. I get so sick of that here. I will definitely check these d00dz out cause this is a hoot. Cheers!!

[ArtifactAttic]

Cool. I have been meaning to post their Pink Floyd cover, plus their own hit (Take the Skinheads Bowling) too (but got too many other things to finish for now)...

What stations did you listen to on AM radio? In the states? Did you listen to WLS, WABC, CKLW, WOWO?

[HonRevJoWazzoo]

Stats yes. WLS - Chicago, WHB - Kansas City, KOMA - Oklahoma City, KAAY - Little Rock Arkansas. Some station from Omaha dunno call letters.

KOMA played Beeker Street Theatre - FM style before FM took off. heh. Take care.

[gnialf]

good cover :)

[randleclank]

soup kitchen nice fixings

[ianandterri]

What a pile of crap !!! In fact, it's F***ING awful, worst Quo cover i've ever heard, they sound like a shitty club band.

[vadge99]

awesome find....thnx 4 sharing Saw David Lowry and Cracker last summer in KC

[mazakman1957]

Definitely NOT hillbilly....listen to "When I Win the Lottery" and say that!

[ArtifactAttic]

I think these non-CVB fans get the wrong idea from the performance being in Kentucky and Lowry wearing a cowboy hat. I should post a video fo When I Win the Lottery from your suggestion.

[BeatChik]

No, not hillbilly but might they be termed Cow Punk?!?!

BTW, LOVE Lex - lived there for a time in the late '80s.

Awesome vid - thanks for sharing!

[DamianaLover]

love every version of this song.. especially the ozzy/type o negative cover.. somehow i missed the butthole surfer cover, though. wtf?

[DamianaLover]

love the violin in camper van beethoven's cover..

[gnowave]

butthole surfer version? when? where? how? wow, that'd be well worth hearing

[DamianaLover]

yeah, i was hoping to hear it, too, gnowave. i was hoping spiddlestix would answer, but he/she hasn't. : (

[spiddlestix]

the butthole surfers version is spectacular - gibby rules

[beatbands1966]

agony

[MannicMailman]

this is worse then Ossie's version at least he tried something different instead of changing beat a tiny bit

[19caribou61]

Camper Van Beethoven does this song beat

[rcmaster1029]

I like the vocals more in this version than the original.

[forgottenrebelsTV]

Less ballsy than Ozzy. Nice hill billy version though

[salenarocks]

hey i know collin and jenna his neice and nefiew my mom also loves him

[FriendOfFreddie]

why the hell is this the first version that comes up when you search for this song?

it's terrible compared to the original

[lobotomicindulgence]

excellent clip! i will be glad to see more by them in the tube.

[nofukenway]

YEP STILL GREAT!

[etuberalism]

i think this is a great performance. Tx.

[captainjumpjet]

Just been reading the blurb about this video - was there really someone called Lowry in this band. Any relation to Laurence S Lowry who was famous for painting 'Pictures of Matchstick Men'. Obvious choice of a covering track by someone called Lowry?

Thank God Dave Lowry hadn't discovered Brian and Michaels Matchstick Men and Matchstick cats and dogs released mid-70's.

[captainjumpjet]

My friend Gee Spot

The band in question is called Flock from 1969 and last I heard they did a tour in Europe 2004.

Check out their videos on Youtube.

Jerry Goodman was their violinist in their early years and what a flamboyant guy he was.

Others bands you may find interest in:-

It's A Beautiful Day

Brian Auger Trinity

Camper Van B were around in the 80's. Around 2004 recorded New Roman Times that you may like. Plenty of references to the hippy culture.

Check them out.

[imageelove]

I've just been reading the comments and Oh MistaEks the vitriol you write. If you had your way would you be banning covers, tribute bands and live versions of songs.

A great song will always be remembered; no matter who covered it. I'm a great fan of the Kinks, but would have never heard of them if I hadn't stumbled across a cover song.

[imageelove]

Good version. This band leaves their mark on the old classic which I think will make the Quo proud.

Very reminiscent of a band called Flack from the 1970's who did a stunning version of the Kinks' Tired of Waiting - which is also violin led.

[tubehardcore]

THIS IS GREAT.

NO MATTER.

PEACE e

[etuberalism]

its definately different but why bad? Nice to see them all again, later. Feels like my youth DIDN<T die, just took a break.

[ArtifactAttic]

The other commenters have never heard of CvB.

[etuberalism]

unfortunately i usually get blank stares when i mention this band and how great they were (are?). Anyway, tx for posting.

[randomsticks1]

-.-

this is bad

you can't beat the origional!

[ArtifactAttic]

From now on "MistaEks" is permanently banned from the comments to this video.

[MistaEks]

Dear ArtifactAttic

Re "permanently banned from the comments to this video". Now isn't that a gross violation of your constitution? Dont forget all the people who gave their lives in the name of free speech.

[nofukenway]

We used to listen to these guys in the mountains of north Georgia tripping our ballz off....lol

[ArtifactAttic]

Incidentally, I have heard that, for years, Status Quo has been refusing to play this song live. Anyone know the, um, status of this? If that is so, then Camper van Beethoven is the band to see if you want to hear this song played live.

[BIKERJAKE74]

I'm just glad to hear this song so stick it

[dergrossen]

No surer form of flattery....wtf is a retard?

[MistaEks]

ask one of the Yanks..... they're all experts on it.

[ehrichweiss]

says the stupid limey.

[MistaEks]

Better still, ask this twat know as ehrichweiss. He's got plenty of time on his hands.... hanging around this vid all day long.... jeesus!

[ArtifactAttic]

BTW, Ehricweiss does not hang around here. He was at this show, and was behind the camera & helped created this video. Notice that he hasn't been in here for 2 months. ;)

[MistaEks]

He hasn't been for 2 months cos he was embarrassed when it was pointed out to him that he hangs around here all day. Did he ask you to post that comment?...... haaaaa!

[ArtifactAttic]

(reply to MistaEks's idiotic comments) The answer to all your stupid questions is of course empathically 'no!'.  You, sir, are nothing but a troll. INTERNET TROLL ALERT!

[MistaEks]

Hardly a 'troll' when I've only replied to your comment... no?

Anyway, I see your beloved camp cowboys have been busy stealing from other bands as well... good lord!

[pirrung123]

VERY GOOD I BOUGHT THIS 45 WHEN OT CAME OUT AND I STILL HAVE IT AND PLAY IT ON MY RCA 45 RECORD PLAYER=45s ALWAYS SOUND BETTER ON YOUR RECORD PLAYER :o)

[ArtifactAttic]

Awesome. Which version do you have on 45? The original Status Quo or the Camper van Beethoven cover?

[pirrung123]

status quo 45

[ArtifactAttic]

This SQ song was played on the NBC show "My Name Is Earl" just awhile ago.

[organic59]

CVB FTW!

[MistaEks]

Though you all might like to know. I sent email to Status Q record comp. They reply, and I quote here.. "..we never heard of Camp Cowboys with a van. We'll be getting our lawyers on to them asap". Well there you have it.

[timinlex]

You're an idiot, MistaEks. LOL There is no "Camp Cowboys With A Van".

[ehrichweiss]

There we have it...your country's education system at work, or you're simply a retarded troll. Regardless: Good day.

[ehrichweiss]

Thought you might like to know...that's not the band's name and you now look like a retarded troll.

[MistaEks]

Dudes it dont matter what they're called. The record comp is on to them and will finally put stop this 'living off someone elses talent when you havent got any of own'. And finally, ask yourselves why is 'retard' the favourite word amongst yanks.

[ehrichweiss]

You obviously know nothing about how rights are granted for bands to be able to cover a song since that is handled by ASCAP, EMI or the like, NOT the record company you contacted. Try in vain to argue to the contrary, you're still just wrong.

BTW, spreading word that CVB "stole" this song puts YOU at risk for libel/slander. I hope your "knowledge" of intellectual property can defend you in court since I'll be talking to the band's record company about your behavior here.

[gnowave]

ha ha ha, funny as fuk man, nice one, i appreciate

[ehrichweiss]

Ask yourself why it is that you've heard 'retard' so much in your life, regardless of where you heard it. Maybe because you behave like a retard and can't make a logical arguement?

[MistaEks]

Calling me a retard is not my affliction.... dude.

[ehrichweiss]

no, though being a retard is apparently.

[ArtifactAttic]

Furthermore, Camper van Beethoven has hits of their own, that they wrote themselves, in fact, their biggest hits were songs they wrote. They were a well-known and well-established alt.rock band during the 80s. I just happened to pick this song first to edit because I liked the Status Quo song. It was my choice, not the band's. I was actually planning to edit their other cover song, Pink Floyd's Interstellar Overdrive, plus CvB's own hit, Take The Skinheads Bowling.

[ArtifactAttic]

Anyone who thinks it is wrong for a band or musician to perform a song written by someone else is not only an idiot, he does not know music. The Beatles covered nearly one hundred songs, plus wrote nearly a thousand of their own. CvB covered a handful, but wrote hundreds.

[gnowave]

i mean, yeh, does it sound like they care?

short answer NOPE

[grrimm1]

what happened to just enjoying music here???? You guys and arguing over musical semantics. I am glad someoneremembered this song to cover it. Peace Out

[Bob125641273]

Not having a dig there, by the way. Just irritated me that there was a slighted insult to all us Brits in that post.

Loved this cover, instrumentally. But didn't really like the vocal. Sounds 'lazy' to mine ears.

Hadn't heard of these guys. :)

[Bob125641273]

ehrichweiss.. There is a big difference between intelligence and knowledge.

(Albert Einstein didn't know about Status Quo/international copyright law situation, but he wasn't neccessarily dumb.)

When talking stereotypes and insinuating that someone is lacks smarts or is dumb for a lack of knowledge, you are simultaneously reinforcing the stereotype that 'Yanks have no sense of Irony' by using a dumb statement to try to mock the uninformed as dumb.

[ehrichweiss]

Bob: no, homie wasn't "uninformed", he was refusing to actually read up on the law. When one doesn't know something because they've never been led down the path to that knowledge, that's ignorance. When someone is shown that they're in error and then they STILL refuse to learn, that's DUMB.

[niittymakifan1]

you are all wrong... fighting over the internet makes you dumb... being british just makes you suck at sports...

[isidro7667]

They still sound great but it's a bit unsettling to me to compare how David Lowery looks here with how he looked in the "Take the Skinheads Bowling" video, or in '88 when I saw them play UMASS! The whole band, for that matter!

[nethead4223]

Well, its a bit unsettling if i look into the mirror too. Deaths closing in on us..

[entdave]

Nice cover of a real psychedelic masterpiece from a unique time in music history. Thanks! Dave from Philly

[centuryflowers]

CVB was one of the only things that got me through my twenties. Great Santa Cruz band. And David could not be more authentic.

c

[timinlex]

It appears that "MistaEks" has been vastly outnumbered! The truth remains: CvB was paying tribute to Status Quo, *never* claimed the song was theirs, but are more than likely fans of Quo themselves as well.

[mabewa]

Dude, as a CVB fan for 20 years and counting, I can attest they have NEVER pretended to have written this song, or any of the many other cool covers (Wasted, I Love Her All the Time, O Death, Come Out) that they do.

[ArtifactAttic]

TimBambi - Bowie's "See Emily Play" is good but the latest "Arnold Layne" with 1/2 Floyd is excellent!

Your introduction to Status Quo via this cover is another great reason for great covers by great bands!

[ArtifactAttic]

BTW, CvB also did an excellent performance of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" in this same show... been meaning to edit and post that as well.

[TimBambiStalin]

Also Camper Van Beethoven is America's version of the Pougues... Drunken and provincial, we love this band... leave them alone! They're drunk can't you see!

[TimBambiStalin]

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, plus I love the country music tinge along with the guitar

I didn't know about Status Quo and now I do! I think they are both excellent...

Greatest Cover Remakes..

Quo-CVB Pictures of Matchstick Men

Beatles-Joe Cocker Oh you know

Pixies-Weezer

Meat Puppets-Nirvana

Syd Barrett/David Bowie

[bazza272]

to be honest as a masive QUO fan this aint that bad !ask yourselves this "did the rock god ozzy do it any better" lol

[tmbmtl]

They did a great cover of that song. That song rocked my world when it came out, and to hear it again is a great pleasure.  Kudos to the group and to the videographer.

[tuuurster]

Great cover of a great song. Nuff said.

[ArtifactAttic]

Status Quo were PAID because of this version. I am offended and appalled that someone would suggest such nonsense as "plagiarism" for legitimately recording a song. Gheez! Your music teacher did you a disservice by not properly teaching you, or did you fall asleep in class?

[MistaEks]

Plagiarise - use another's idea or work and pretend that it's your own. Thats exactly what I'm saying. This second rate band thought 'Status Quo? who the hell has heard of them, we take their song and nobody will know any better'. Well I got news for you Yanks, Status Q are like an institution in Britain (like the pop group Queen) and when you try to nick one of their songs people are goin to find out. It's only a matter of time before them camp cowboys with the van get their arses sued off!

[ArtifactAttic]

Man, you didn't even read a single thing I wrote! It is not possible to sue somebody who has PAID you to record your work! Status Quo should be PROUD that somebody gave them a TRIBUTE by recording their song, which they were clearly credited for, and PAID for.

[ArtifactAttic]

If your argument were true, most performances throughout history were plagiarism, so you are still wrong. Did you know that in the 19th century, music was sold as sheet music, for other people to sing? Does that mean everyone was a plagiarist? I think not. Nobody is pretending here. CvB were not pretending it was their song when they recorded it for their album "Key Lime Pie", released in 1989.

[ArtifactAttic]

Now if people listening to it are ignorant about Status Quo, that is *their* problem. It is a matter of IGNORANCE, not plagiarism. Furthermore, I for one am in favor of bands digging up little-known tracks and covering them, which might EDUCATE fans into better music than their exposed these days. There are a ton of psychedelic classics that need to be resurrected, and bands *SHOULD* consider covering them.

[MistaEks]

Ok dude, keep your wig on. I take your point that they didn't nick the song. However, I stil think they were hoping no one would read the small print and see that it's not their song.

[ehrichweiss]

No, there were doing nothing of the sort. That's simply your preconceptions at work. Nothing more. Try removing your "they stole this song"(or "they were hoping someone would think it was theirs") filter from your brain and looking at it with a fresh perspective.

[ehrichweiss]

Are you that dense?!?!? CVB aren't pretending that Pictures of Matchstick Men is their own original song. YOU are the one doing that.

Do people not play "covers" in your 3rd world country?

[MistaEks]

Hey dude! The govnor and inmates of Her Majestey's Barlinnie prison are insulted that you think we live in a '3rd world country'.

[ehrichweiss]

That might be because your arrogance and ignorance of the matter of intellectual property make you seem, how do you say, stupid. Intelligent people will argue about something they have at least *some* knowledge of. In your case you don't have that defense.

Ciao.

[realmaml]

You know, if you look on the Key Lime Pie album Status Quo are given credit for the song. Status Quo gets cash for every time someone buys Key Lime Pie and every time the song is played on commercial radio.

There is no intellectual property protection for live performances (at least not in the States). While it is polite to tell the audience who's song you're singing, you can play whatever the heck you want live, as long as you don't attempt to sell a recording of it.

[MistaEks]

That's my point.. the play the song but keep quiet about it's origin.. so eveyone will think it's theirs. Cheap or what?

[ArtifactAttic]

Furthermore, CvB are obvious fans of this song and the original version, obtained permission to record it, and that is why this is called a COVER VERSION or TRIBUTE.

[ArtifactAttic]

MistaEks, You obviously have no idea whatsoever of what you are talking about, and you obviously know nothing whatsoever about music.

[MistaEks]

Ok 'plagiarism' then.... either way, there's no 'z' in it. Got that! you yankees.

[ehrichweiss]

And here I thought the perception was that you Brits were supposed to be smarter than people here in the States. You've helped blow that stereotype out of the water.

[ellsvill]

im appalled to be in the same country as you.

[MistaEks]

Dear Nob Head,

I'm from a remote Scottish Isand. Though currently hiding along the Meditarranean coast and sampling the local talent here. As for you being from the same place, I don't recall there being a hippy commune near where I grew up.

[xstingrayx]

GREAT

[MistaEks]

'GREAT' my arse..... this is blatant plagarism!

[xstingrayx]

i don't know the word plagarism

[mattisprettycool]

No it's not..It's a cover.

[ehrichweiss]

Sounds like MistaEks is fulla MISTAKES. Check your dictionary for the word, plagiarism, it's obviously not what you think it is. Maybe you're thinking about copyright infringement? If so, you'd be wrong again but at least you'd have a word that would be more appropriate.

[ArtifactAttic]

incarnation of both bands, i would say -- Cracker Van Beethoven sounds like a great alternate name.

[HumGuitar]

Is Cracker no longer? Or is this kind of an incarnation of both bands? Sort of a "Cracker Van Beethoven" if you will.

[AlturaCt]

Great cover!

[dstozzt14]

cvb need some backup go-gos

[rdfscp]

CVB rocks... Great moments from my adolescent years! Rudolfo, Portugal

[amberts]

nice song. i wouldnt of thought that the singer would look like that...

[jblacktree]

Saw em in Edinburgh, waited for THIS song. Nope. left mad.

[cforssi]

Excellent song, I wish Status Quo would play this live but they refuse to. Nice rendtion by Camper Van Beethoven.

[LegledTrepteg]

great, love it, psychedelic and stompin too!

[jeff561964]

fantastic cover/this band knows what sounds good/

wish i could hear more music like this on the radio/

anyway keep up the good work thanks jeff