Stu Reid Under The Covers: Did You Know Nina Simone Covered Hall & Oates?

Is there a song that is more fun to cover than Hall and Oates' "Rich Girl"? I posit that there is not. I saw Diane Birch in concert last week (swoon) and she blew me away with a cover of said song. "Some people might say that this song is a little cheesy," she said to introduce the tune, "but I dare anyone in this room to raise their hand and say they don't like Hall and Oates." WORD.

There are tons of great Hall and Oates covers out there, but a couple caught my ear recently. The first comes from The Bird and The Bee, a cute little duo best known for some baller covers (including a sick one of the BeeGee's "How Deep Is Your Love"). Recently The Bird and The Bee announced a covers project which will begin with a full album of Hall and Oates covers. I dig it. The Bird and The Bee have a cool spaced out electro pop vibe that lends itself really nicely to taking older "cheesier" songs and making them wonderfully enchanting. I love this version.

On the other side of the coin is the all-time great Nina Simone, lending her raspy voice and personal arrangement to Hall and Oates. This is from a concert she did in London in December of 1977, and is just completely awesome. Mainly because Nina Simone is completely awesome. Pretty sure she could sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and make it sound epic. Love all around.

Get in on these two covers and check out the original below. Because like we always say, everyone needs a little Hall and Oates in their life.

Hall & Oates - Rich Girl (YSI) (filesavr)

Nina Simone - Rich Girl (Hall & Oates Cover) (YSI) (filesavr)

The Bird and The Bee - Rich Girl (Hall & Oates Cover) (YSI) (filesavr)