Covers that are better than the original

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Grace Jones with her version of pretenders....PRIVATE LIFE...ok maybe not better but Grace gives the song a level of authority and moodiness that Chrisie Hynde just didn't manage imo.

 

[DocG]

Anyone into bluegrass?

Try Hayseed Dixie - Walk this Way

 

[Al ears]

Have a listen to Richard Thompson's version of Britney Spears' "Oops! I Did It Again" off his marvellous 1000 Years of Popular Music album.

Brilliant - although I must declare a view that Britney's "baby one more time" song was a great pop song albeit with a unnecessary video.

A couple of other candidates to consider:

Stairway to Heaven by Rodrigo y Gabriela

Wonderwall by The Mike Flowers Pops

Talking of Led Zepp. I don't mind Beth Rowley's version of Nobody's Fault But Mine.

It makes a change for someone to be ripping off a Led Zeppelin number. ;-)

John Renbourne's version is better. Led Zep kind of zapped it.

+1

 

[jjbomber]

Santana's cover of Fleetwood Mac's Black magic woman. Although I like both.

Absolutely the best by a country mile. Santan has built a 40 year career on the back of that cover version. Did All Along The Watchtower have any effect on Hendrix career? No. not much anyway. It is just fashionable to pick that, but career wise it has to be Santana.

The only one that comes close is Joe Bonamassa with Sloe Gin. Again his career went from zero to hero with that cover version. A total life changer. It still tops the PlanetRock chart for listener enquiries (What was that track?).

 

[BigH]

Santana's cover of Fleetwood Mac's Black magic woman. Although I like both.

Absolutely the best by a country mile. Santan has built a 40 year career on the back of that cover version. Did All Along The Watchtower have any effect on Hendrix career? No. not much anyway. It is just fashionable to pick that, but career wise it has to be Santana.

The only one that comes close is Joe Bonamassa with Sloe Gin. Again his career went from zero to hero with that cover version. A total life changer. It still tops the PlanetRock chart for listener enquiries (What was that track?).

Hendrix died 2 years later. Dylan seemed to do his live All Along the Watchtower based on Hendrix version. Did Fleetwood Mac do Santana's? Its good but then the whole album Abraxus is great so I don't think its just on the back of Black Magic Woman.

What about The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack

 

[jjbomber]

Did Fleetwood Mac do Santana's?

Exactly my point. Most people think it is an original Santana song, rather than Peter Green. And 'Peter Green is God' was pinched by (fans of) Eric Clapton!

 

[DIB]

Santana's cover of Fleetwood Mac's Black magic woman. Although I like both.

Absolutely the best by a country mile. Santana has built a 40 year career on the back of that cover version.

That's a bit of a stretch. There was a whole lot more to Santana than just that particular song, and as far as career trajectory goes I would have thought that their Woodstock performance was the catalyst to superstardom.

.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Donna Summer (so much more than a disco queen):

Could It Be Magic

MacArthur Park (the 18 minute Suite version is excellent)

State Of Independence

Lush Life

Dinner With Gershwin (not really a cover, written by Brenda Russell, DS sang it first then Russell had a stab at it and ruined it)

There Goes My Baby (although Drifters original version is damned good too)

La Vie en Rose (Piaf's version is beyond reproach, DS version is in English and uptempo)

Con Te Partiro (A Bocelli/S Brightman version is brill in a different way, (titled incorrectly as Time To Say Goodbye; DS's transaltion from Italian title is correct - I Will Leave (go) With You).

Plenty of other covers in her live shows but not recorded.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Susan Boyle - I dreamed a dream

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

And she's still dreaming.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

And she's still dreaming.

Yep.

 

[AntAxon]

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends

If I was purely objective I'd agree, being a human being I generally despise all Beatles covers.

As a lifelong Beatle fan who too usually also despises all Beatles covers I really like Rod Stewart's version of Get Back.

 

[The_Lhc]

Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Better than Soft Cell or better than the original?

Thinking about it, either way you're wrong...

 

[The_Lhc]

How about Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer?

Given Diamond wrote it, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a cover really.

 

[TrevC]

How about Robert Wyatt doing Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding and also doing Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer?

 

[TrevC]

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends

If I was purely objective I'd agree, being a human being I generally despise all Beatles covers.

As a lifelong Beatle fan who too usually also despises all Beatles covers I really like Rod Stewart's version of Get Back.

I quite like Richie Havens doing Here Comes the Sun.

 

[TrevC]

How about Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer?

Given Diamond wrote it, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a cover really.

Who called it a cover? Not me. I meant Robert Wyatt doing it. I've edited it for clarity.

 

[jjbomber]

Given Diamond wrote it, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a cover really.

Robert Wyatt covering ..... Neil Diamond's I'm a believer. Yes, I had to read it twice!

 

[The_Lhc]

How about Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer?

Given Diamond wrote it, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a cover really.

Who called it a cover? Not me. I meant Robert Wyatt doing it. I've edited it for clarity.

Ah, I see what you mean.

 

[TomSawyer]

Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Better than Soft Cell or better than the original?

Thinking about it, either way you're wrong...

better than Soft Cell, perhaps as you say, but I prefer Gloria Jones which I assume was the original?

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Nah, gel is just in love with the uncensored vid on youtube for Manson's version. Gloria Jones and Soft Cell cover is waay better.

 

[AntAxon]

Forgive my ignorance but I'd never heard of Richie Havens, but just been listening to him on Spotify. He's got are really nice voice. Spotify is great for finding new music isn't it.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Guns n Roses - knocking on heaven's door.

 

[Daz B]

Siouxsie and The Banshees
Dear Prudence.