Covers that are better than the original

[tonky]

Black Magic Woman - Santana's version very good - But nothing could beat Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac version.

Wild Horses - Susan Boyle - genuinely a very good version

As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithful - I must be honest The Stones wrote some very good stuff which other people covered well.

Mad World - Gary Jules . The only way to equal/improve the Tears for Fears original was to have such a different take on it - and Gary Jules did just that. (I wince when I hear a certain bank using a piano version of it in it's adverts - absolute tosh!)

Great thread - Tonky

 

[luckylion100]

Wuthering Heights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9VLfFYjAJc

OK, not exactly better than the original but to me different and just as good.

 

[luckylion100]

Melvins cover of the Wipers, again close call...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfqVfGEy8mQ

 

[TrevC]

How about Timebox doing Beggin'? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54On0uLtdJc

 

[keeper of the quays]

Just listened to sound of silence the disturbed version..love it! Now listening to loads more disturbed..think their version of land of confusion is rather good too!

 

[TomSawyer]

Obviously we all like different stuff so to my ears not all are better than the original, but a it's great way to try new stuff. I've always thought that I'd consider myself old when I found myself listening to the same old stuff.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

How about Timebox doing Beggin'? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54On0uLtdJc

That's a good version, though I like the original version too.

I don't know much about Timebox, but I've got a good compilation with a Timebox track on it called 'Gone Is The Sad Man', which is superb.

 

[Macspur]

Charlotte Martin, Wild horses

The Audreys, Paradise city

Julia Stone, Blood buzz Ohio

Kate Walsh, When love comes down

Neil Diamond, I think it's going to rain today

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[FennerMachine]

Some William Shatner covers are better than originals. Others of his are, well, “different”. *biggrin*

Venessa Carlton's version of Paint it Black is good, maybe not better than The Rolling Stones tough.

There is a version of “Lean On” in the style of Stevie Wonder. Very good. The Youtube channel has many good covers.

Shirley Bassey Get The Party Started is a fun song.

 

[TomSawyer]

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.

The Led Zep track was a coveras so many of their songs were https://open.spotify.com/track/5A6MEVPA6EZXbJOrImOpzW

John Renbourne's version is more like the original Blind Willie Johnson (which I assume is the original but may not be)

 

[luckylion100]

rarely is a cover 'better' than an original. Different is the key word, a reimaginaing of a piece, a chance to experiement and deviate a little...

Not better but very different, I love the brass addition and the backing singers especially!! And I'm a massive Nirvana fan and don't feel like they're slaughting a classic track here. Also loved Tripping Daisy, so win win for me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vzUh_55x2M&list=RD7vzUh_55x2M#t=0

Lithium

 

[Muddywaterstones]

Audioslave: Seven Nation Army. I don't know if it's on an album but can be found on YouTube. It amuses me to see the drummer trying to hold back but he can't quite manage!

Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah: I'm not really a fan of this or Leonard Cohen but it certainly made a mark.

Lucky Peterson: Smokestack Lightnin'. Not easy to upstage the Wolf but Lucky puts in a good effort.

Rory Gallagher: The Cuckoo: an old trad song also going by the name The Jack of Diamonds. Only other version I know is by Taj Mahal but this is on a different level.

Xentrix: Ghostbusters. Made their career though I'm not entirely sure the band welcomed that as their defining track.

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac: Jumping at Shadows.

Freddie King: Ain't no Sunshine. Not that it's a competition but Bill Withers version never did it for me after hearing this.

 

[Edbo2]

Every Thursday morning on his excellent BBC Radio London programme, Robert Elms plays an original and a cover (selected by a listener) and invites preferences live or by email/twitter/facebook, before reaching a not very scientific decision on which is best.

Excellent show.

 

[DIB]

How about Timebox doing Beggin'? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54On0uLtdJc

Timebox morphed into Patto who I really like. In Mike Patto they had one of the great British vocalists, and in Ollie Halsall one of the finest guitarists this country has ever produced. A bit too Jazz Rock to enter the mainstream, but if that's a genre that you like then grab a listen to Patto's first two albums.

.

 

[TrevC]

How about Timebox doing Beggin'? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54On0uLtdJc

Timebox morphed into Patto who I really like. In Mike Patto they had one of the great British vocalists, and in Ollie Halsall one of the finest guitarists this country has ever produced. A bit too Jazz Rock to enter the mainstream, but if that's a genre that you like then grab a listen to Patto's first two albums.

.

Listening to "Patto" now. :O)

 

[keeper of the quays]

I notice the op is a fan of rush? Maybe 'working man' which is a cd of covers of songs by rush..very good cd..great energy!

 

[TomSawyer]

I notice the op is a fan of rush? Maybe 'working man' which is a cd of covers of songs by rush..very good cd..great energy!

Didn't know about that, just added it to my music on Spotify for a listen on the way to work. It's all older stuff as well, which is more my bag.

 

[TrevC]

How about the Verve covering the Andrew Oldham Orchestra version of The Last Time? The words don't add much, rather dreary. Better without.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKC5cdGBY04

 

[Freddy58]

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.

.

 

[Freddy58]

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.

Check out his Woodstock performance

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

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.

Check out his Woodstock performance

And the album 'Something Else Again' is great.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger - Indian Rope Man

This cover of a Richie Havens track is superb, and despite my liking for Richie, it's the best version I've heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnHaMPIa-F4

 

[TrevC]

Written by Fenton Robinson, so could be described as a cover, this is one of my all time favourite tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFvAvsHC_Y

 

[Squidders]

Placebo - Running Up That Hill

KT Tunstall - The Boys of Summer

 

[keeper of the quays]

I notice the op is a fan of rush? Maybe 'working man' which is a cd of covers of songs by rush..very good cd..great energy!

Didn't know about that, just added it to my music on Spotify for a listen on the way to work. It's all older stuff as well, which is more my bag.

what did you think of the cd? Think dream theater were a big part of the recording! How good is mike portnoy? Wow....