Marginally like Aretha Franklin's version of Natural Woman over Carol King's. Actually, I'm happy to have both versions.
Cover songs that are better than the originals.
There is an active thread about terrible cover songs so I thought I'd start one about cover songs that are better than or have completely eclipsed the originals. I'll start:
Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
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I am not fond of country music, but for some reason, I found in my collection an album by Roy Clark. On it is the song, Yesterday, When I was Young. I have listened to it over and over...and subsequently the other songs on the album. I am thinking this is a remake but maybe not. Anyway, I want to put in a vote for it. Fantastic!!! |
@initforthemusic, great list! Nice to see someone who knows Bobby Fuller's version of "I Fought The Law" was a cover of Buddy Holly's, and who also didn't nominate The Clash's God-awful version ;-) . Though I really, really love Barrett Strong's original of "Money", Jerry Lee's is great too. I liked The Beatles version until I heard Barrett's, which leaves their's in the dust. Wicked guitar tone, and deep, deep groove. |
Louie Louie- The Kingsmen.Hurt- Johnny Cash.Have Love Will Travel- The Sonics.Money- Jerry Lee Lewis. (Live At The Star Club). Barrett's original version is great too.Spooky- Dusty Springfield.Sweet Jane- Cowboy Junkies.Disco Inferno- Damian Lovelock.Mr. Suit- New Bomb Turks.Jivin' Sister Fanny- New Bomb Turks.Eleanor Rigby- Zoot.Hush - Deep Purple.Love Buzz- Nirvana.Mad World- Gary Jules.Satisfaction- Otis Redding.Young Man's Blues- The Who.I Fought The Law- Bobby Fuller Four.Goin' Blind- Melvins.The Green Manalishi - Melvins. |
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My sister rented Bridesmaids tonight, and as the movie was nearing it’s conclusion, I was surprised to hear a killer version of "Shakin’ All Over" by Wanda Jackson. Wanda was a 1950’s Rockabilly singer, dated Elvis, then went into the Gospel field for decades. This great, great song, originally recorded by Englishmen Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, is best known to a lot of people from The Who’s version on the Live At Leeds album. Wanda’s version was produced by Jack White and is on Wanda’s 2011 The Party Ain’t Over album. It is SMOKIN’ hot, almost as good as the 1965 version by The Guess Who. Better than Johnny Kidd’s version, and much better than The Who’s imo kinda lame one. Following directly behind the song is another using a guitar riff almost identical to the one is Shakin’, Blondie’s "Rip Her To Shreads". This is a live version, and is also great, much better than their studio recording heard earlier in the movie. |
Not necessarily better, but great takes: Chromatics - Running up that hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgv88ZLi6LY Bobby Womack - California dreamin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ytX3IaFHGk Madeleine Peyroux - Blue alert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q14XNTxqCcQ Everything but the Girl - Corcovado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D8HgCTKYfc |
Led Zeppelin did many great covers. Dazed and Confused Since I have been loving you etc. Probably the greatest cover band ever. They improved upon and improvised upon stuff. Jimmy Page and Plant were great at seeing potential in stuff and making it 10x better Who has ever heard of Jake Holmes or Moby Grape? I rest my case. |
Better is a very loaded term. I'm not saying they are better, but... Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" by Otis ReddingBob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell" by Mick TaylorPaul Simon's "American Tune" by Willie NelsonWailer's "Get Up, Stand Up" by Ojos de BrujoTraffic's "No Time To Live" by Johnny Winter AndAl Green's "Love And Happiness" by Toots HibbertEarl King's "Come On" by Jimi HendrixDionne Warwick's "I Say A Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin |
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Two by Ben Folds: Common People (original by Pulp) on William Shatner's "Has Been" Album Bitches Ain't Shit (original by Dr. Dre) from "supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp" NRBQ's cover of Johnny Cash's "Get Rythm" - so good that Johnny started to play it like them after hearing it Kat Edmonson's version of Brian Wilson's "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" is not necessarily better than the Beach Boys' original but it is great in its own way. John Prine's cover of Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons" from "Fair & Square" Glen Campbell's cover of Paul Westerberg's "Ghost On the Canvas" (Paul's recording is almost unlistenable - Glen's is genius). |
Another vote for Hendrix and All Along the Watchtower but I also like Bobby Womack's version. Thr Troggs Wild Thing by Jimi. I Heard It Through the Grapevine was originally sung by Gladys Knight and the Pips. I think the versions by Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater were much better. People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield was equaled by the Chambers Brothers version. |
