Covers that are better than the original...

edited January 2017 in Other music
... at least in the posters opinion of pop or rock.

Something really obvious like Soft Cells cover of Tainted Love (written by Ed Cobb & first recorded by Gloria Jones) immediately springs to mind.

How about some more, possibly less obvious;

Donvans "Lalena" by Deep Purple



Crowded House's "Better Be Home Soon" by Andrea Zonn



Plus a gaggle of Bob Dylan songs!


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Comments

  • I forgot two huuuuuuuuge ones...

    Joan Baez's "Babe I'm gonna leave you" by Led Zep

    Prince's "Nothing compares to you" by Sinaed O'Conner
  • Better than the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings original.



    I also prefer this live version to the one on the album.
  • Hm, not a sophisticated choice, but it's part of my heritage, so here it goes.... Seven Bridges Road Eagles
  • Suzy6toes said:
    Hm, not a sophisticated choice, but it's part of my heritage, so here it goes.... Seven Bridges Road Eagles
    Can I add my ignorance to your lack of sophistication? :-)

    I don't know that song at all. What was the original?
  • Thanks for those guys.
    Enjoyed them all.
    When done well, a good cover makes me feel the safety of the familiar with the excitement of the new.

    I always think of this one (especially the NWA "Straigh Outta Compton" bit...)



    From this compilation album which is one of the best I've come across (possibly the only one ;-) ). Be assured, most all of the other covers are not comical!

    image

  • uglymusic said:
    Suzy6toes said:
    Hm, not a sophisticated choice, but it's part of my heritage, so here it goes.... Seven Bridges Road Eagles
    Can I add my ignorance to your lack of sophistication? :-)

    I don't know that song at all. What was the original?
    Steve Young  and there's also a warble version by Joan Baez if you're up for it Chris!  The Eagles used it initially as a pre-gig warm up.

    Love, Dave, that you're straight back at ya with Coltrane !!

    Ok, my next offering...... Dear Prudence    (reminded of this this morning)


    B-) B-) :D
  • Suzy6toes said:

    uglymusic said:
    Suzy6toes said:
    Hm, not a sophisticated choice, but it's part of my heritage, so here it goes.... Seven Bridges Road Eagles
    Can I add my ignorance to your lack of sophistication? :-)

    I don't know that song at all. What was the original?
    Steve Young  and there's also a warble version by Joan Baez if you're up for it Chris!  The Eagles used it initially as a pre-gig warm up.

    Love, Dave, that you're straight back at ya with Coltrane !!

    Ok, my next offering...... Dear Prudence    (reminded of this this morning)


    B-) B-) :D
    Thanks for the link to Steve Young. Somehow, he passed me by :-)

    Sorry, had to do the Coltrane!

    I'd forgotten the Siouxsie. What a great version!
  • Docfoster said:
    Thanks for those guys.
    Enjoyed them all.
    When done well, a good cover makes me feel the safety of the familiar with the excitement of the new.

    I always think of this one (especially the NWA "Straigh Outta Compton" bit...)



    From this compilation album which is one of the best I've come across (possibly the only one ;-) ). Be assured, most all of the other covers are not comical!

    image
    Snort, giggle :-)
  • Or, to upset any Queen fans around here, may I suggest another Dadaist effort by the aforementioned Bad Plus?


  • edited February 2017
    Some really good ones in there, Souxsie! Essential cover.

    The Bad Plus doing Iron Man, surprisingly OK. That reminds me of 2Cellos covering "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, excellent.
    Some more;

    Cat Steven's (edit) Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the cradle" by Ugly Kid Joe



    Fleetwood Mac's "Black magic woman" by Santana

    Re Joan Baez, not really a fan of her singing but Diamonds & Rust is a wrencher which has been much covered but not equalled.
  • God, Ugly Kid Joe, there's a blast from the past!! Just forwarded it to my little brother for a similar shot of pure nostalgia!!
  • How about:



    ?
  • From:

    John French, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser and Richard Thompson - Live, Love, Larf and Loaf

    comes this wonderful cover:

  • A bit of fun there! I actually have this album, not sure why and have to admit I only ever liked the second side of the round, black & grooved thingy.


  • uglymusic said:
    From:

    John French, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser and Richard Thompson - Live, Love, Larf and Loaf

    comes this wonderful cover:

    Nice example of the juxtaposition of the familiar, the unexpected and the humorous that a good cove can provide.
    :-)
  • uglymusic said:
    How about:



    ?
    For me (and I imagine I'm on my own here) I'm grateful for Bowie's existence but don't really take any enjoyment from his music.
  • cj66 said:
    Some really good ones in there, Souxsie! Essential cover.

    The Bad Plus doing Iron Man, surprisingly OK. That reminds me of 2Cellos covering "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, excellent.
    Some more;

    Cat Steven's (edit) Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the cradle" by Ugly Kid Joe



    Fleetwood Mac's "Black magic woman" by Santana

    Re Joan Baez, not really a fan of her singing but Diamonds & Rust is a wrencher which has been much covered but not equalled.
    Woah! Nostalgia / flashback warning.
    Great stuff! :-)
  • cj66 said:
    A bit of fun there! I actually have this album, not sure why and have to admit I only ever liked the second side of the round, black & grooved thingy.


    I thought I knew the album, but when I played it on Tidal earlier, I don't think I've ever heard it before. But there is some good silliness on those intangible 1s and 0s, for sure :-)
  • Docfoster said:
    uglymusic said:
    How about:



    ?
    For me (and I imagine I'm on my own here) I'm grateful for Bowie's existence but don't really take any enjoyment from his music.
    I must admit that it's only since his death that I've become a real fan. I quite liked Low and Heroes in the late 70s/early 80s, but Bowie's genius of having a jazz drummer and a funk bassist underpinning his rock band for years sells him to me now. They give his mid 70s to early 80s albums an amazing feel.
  • edited June 2017
    Kings of Convenience [& Roma crowd] "Free Falling"

  • Aretha Franklin "Bridge over troubled water"

  • That one had me thinking who did El Condor Pasa originally?

    I had assumed Paul Somon's lyrics were a rough translation from the original Spanish language but how wrong was I?!

    Anyway, it appears there is no original as it's an old traditional song. However the following is very nice indeed and gives S&G's version a pretty good run!




  • Vanessa Fernandez' album of acoustic Led Zeppelin covers - When the Levee Breaks
  • rvarey said:
    Vanessa Fernandez' album of acoustic Led Zeppelin covers - When the Levee Breaks
    That's much better than I feared :-) Although I think I prefer the Zep versions (some of which are various degrees of cover, of course).
  • Here's one I'd forgotten. Away with the original's sickly sweetness, and in with:



    Archie Shepp - The Girl from Ipanema
  • That's a nicely wazzed-up version.

    Add a bit more and you have...




    >:)
  • Time to revive this thread, with this!


  • Good as ABBA's Winner Takes It All is (almost a perfect song), the cover by Beverley Craven is superb.
  • MartinT said:
    Good as ABBA's Winner Takes It All is (almost a perfect song), the cover by Beverley Craven is superb.
    Is it on YouTube?
  • It's on Spotify, not sure about YouTube.  Can I post Spotify links here, do they work?
  • You can, but they only work for Spotify subscribers, which is why we tend to have a look at YT and paste it from there.

    It's up to you what you do.
  • Found it!



    spotify:track:4qsjr2H2vM49i7wZYqzrje
  • Ooh. It's gone all reggae!
  • No one listened to the old guy with the harp, a few posts back?

    I played it to my wife without the preamble last night, and she was in stitches.
  • uglymusic said:
    No one listened to the old guy with the harp, a few posts back?

    I played it to my wife without the preamble last night, and she was in stitches.

    It was worth his having a go.
    I'll give him that much. 
  • MartinT said:
    Found it!



    spotify:track:4qsjr2H2vM49i7wZYqzrje
    Thanks for digging out the YouTube link Martin.
    I like that she's made it just different enough, and without a harp in sight.

  • Docfoster said:
    uglymusic said:
    No one listened to the old guy with the harp, a few posts back?

    I played it to my wife without the preamble last night, and she was in stitches.

    It was worth his having a go.
    I'll give him that much. 
    I liked it!
  • edited January 2018
    uglymusic said:
    Time to revive this thread, with this!


    That was quite surprisingly ok but left me wanting a more full on treatment of gravelly voice over folky tones a la Mark Lanegan or Johnny Cash or Van da man or Joe Cocker or...... I'll stop harping on there ;)
  • cj66 said:
    uglymusic said:
    Time to revive this thread, with this!


    That was quite surprisingly ok but left me wanting a more full on treatment of gravelly voice over folky tones a la Mark Lanegan or Johnny Cash or Van da man or Joe Cocker or...... I'll stop harping on there ;)
    You know you liked it, really :-)
  • May I commend this to you, my friends?



    Name that toon!
  • White Light / White Heat is a Velvet Underground song.
  • Of course, it is! You win a beer next time I see you ;-)
  • Good version, I thought.
  • It passed rather well methinks.
  • It is rather good!
  • Diana Krall’s version of Temptation is sublime and so much better than the original.
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