The Best Cover Song You've Never Heard

Today marks the beginning of a new occasional feature here on Phillyst: "The Best You've Never." Phillyist will be exploring everything from the best albums you've never bought to the best movie you've never seen to the best beer you've never tasted. By never, we don't necessarially mean never ever, but it's probably been a while, or you've forgotten. Maybe, for some of you, the never will actually mean never ever. And that's cool, too.

We figured we'd start y'all off slow, with the Dandy Warhols' cover of AC/DC's "Hells Bells." Surprisingly few people have heard the Warhols' version of the song, even though it was the B-Side to their popular single "Bohemian Like You." Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor said of the band's decision to cover the song:

We needed some extra money, and we wanted to try and sell it to a horror movie for a soundtrack. I also just wanted to do it really bad. I've been listening to "Back In Black" a lot this year, and "Hells Bells" is not how I remembered it as a kid. It is not nearly as creepy and warm, and [it doesn't have that] scary sexuality. It just isn't. So I just wanted to make a version that is as monstery, overwhelmingly creepy and powerful, and as scary-rock as I remember it being when I was a kid. So that's what we did. (Via MTV.)

Phillyist likes the Warhols' version of the song just as much as, if not more than, the original. By the time the song is done, Taylor-Taylor's voice is permanently ingrained in your head. The instrumentals are brilliant (including some slow Spanish-style guitar picking and a full horn section) and the effect is exactly what Taylor was going for: "overwhelmingly creepy and powerful."

We highly reccommend finding this song and moving it from your "best you've never" to your "best you've ever" list.

The Dandy Warhols' cover of "Hells Bells," the B-Side recording on their single "Bohemian Like You," is not available for download via iTunes, but you can purchase the disc online.

Image found via: Zueritipp.