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» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Song Covers That Are Better Than The Original Recordings (Page 1)

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Author Topic: Song Covers That Are Better Than The Original Recordings
TL
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Title: If You Leave
Cover Artist: Nada Surf
Original Artist: OMD

Better version ... Nada Surf

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TL
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Title: Hallelujah
Cover Artist: Jeff Buckley
Original Artist: Leonard Cohen

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TL
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Title: Love Song
Cover Artist: 311
Original Artist: The Cure

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Troubadour
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Title: I will Survive
Cover Artist: Cake
Original Artist: Gloria Gaynor

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Paul Goldner
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Eeeeesh. Cake better then Gloria Gaynor? What type of messed up world are we living in...
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TL
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I agree with Troubadour. Cake's is way better.
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TomDavidson
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Wow. We JUST had a variation on this thread. It might even still be on the second page.
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Speed
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Here it is.

Last post was 3 days ago. Search is your friend [Smile]

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Lisa
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That was just good covers, though.

"Blinded by the Light", "(I Came) For You", and "Fire" were all written and performed (barely) by Bruce Springsteen. The first two were done a billion times better by Manfred Mann, and the third was done better by the Pointer Sisters (I think).

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Synesthesia
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Love Song
Tori Amos
The Cure

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Uprooted
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"The First Cut is the Deepest"
Cover Artist: Sheryl Crow
Original Artist: Cat Stevens (later covered by Rod Stewart)


Other covers I love:

Alison Krauss, "When You Say Nothing at All," original artist Keith Whitley
Dixie Chicks, "Landslide," original artist Stevie Nicks (well, I guess Fleetwood Mac officially)

The last one was a real surprise to me because I LOVE Stevie Nicks' Landslide. I don't think Dixie Chicks' version is better, but I enjoy it just as well.

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Primal Curve
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quote:
Originally posted by TL:
Title: Love Song
Cover Artist: 311
Original Artist: The Cure

I'm sorry, but you're out of your freaking mind.
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ricree101
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quote:
Originally posted by Uprooted:

Dixie Chicks, "Landslide," original artist Stevie Nicks (well, I guess Fleetwood Mac officially)

The last one was a real surprise to me because I LOVE Stevie Nicks' Landslide. I don't think Dixie Chicks' version is better, but I enjoy it just as well.

Personally, I think that the Smashing Pumpkins version of Landslide was a bit better, although the others were still good.


I also preffered the Guns N'Roses version of Live and Let Die over Paul McCartney's version.

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kojabu
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Take On Me as done by the Real Big Fish

Originially done by A-Ha

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SteveRogers
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The Song: "Spiderman"

The Cover: The Ramones

The Original: Whoever sang the original Spiderman cartoon theme song.

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Dav
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Song: "Heart Full of Soul"
Cover: Rush
Original: The Yardbirds

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Joldo
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Song: "Last Seskatchewan Pirate"
Cover: Unsure, actually
Original: Arrogant Worms

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theCrowsWife
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Song: Hungry Like the Wolf
Cover: Reel Big Fish
Original: Duran Duran

*ducks and runs from thread*

--Mel

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erosomniac
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quote:
Take On Me as done by the Real Big Fish
>_<

Song: Johnny & Mary
Cover: Placebo
Original: Robert Palmer

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pH
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Ah, Placebo. [Smile]

I'm sorry, but I think the Cure's version of Love Song is WAY better than 311's. Way, way better.

-pH

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Fyfe
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Song: Brick
Cover: UPenn Off the Beat
Original: Ben Folds Five

Odd but true.

Jen

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SteveRogers
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Song: "I am the Walrus"
Cover: Styx
Original: The Beatles

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erosomniac
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quote:
Song: Brick
Cover: UPenn Off the Beat
Original: Ben Folds Five

While I agree that UPenn's Off the Beat is one of very few college a capella groups worth listening to, I think their cover of this song takes away from the mood of the original. But that's just me, I suppose.
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Carrie
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Song: "Got to Get You Into My Life"
Cover: Earth, Wind & Fire
Original: The Beatles

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Synesthesia
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Scott Weiland
Dancing Days
Led Zepplin.

He'd be so much better if he'd lay off the damn drugs. He has a great voice.

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Princess Leah
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"Long Tall Sally"
cover: The Beatles
original: Little Richard

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Dan_raven
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"For what its worth"
Cover: The Muppets
Original: Buffalo Springfield.

Oh, heck,everything the Muppets covered was better than the original.

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Dav
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"All Along the Watchtower"
Cover: Jimi Hendrix
Orig: Bob Dylan

(Jimi's version is amazingly mind-blowing, while Dylan's original was pretty bland. imho...)

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Princess Leah
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I find that most covers of Dylan-penned songs are better than the original version.

"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
cover: Bryan Ferry


"Simple Twist of Fate"
cover: Joan Baez

"Tangled Up in blue"
Indigo Girls [although occasionally I prefer Dylan's, I have to admit]

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Celaeno
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Title: Summer Breeze
Cover Artist: Jason Mraz
Original Artist: Seals & Crofts

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Cashew
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There's an amazing version of Bobby Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe" by someone I've heard a few times, very dark, have no clue who it's by, another female, but it's fantastic.
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beatnix19
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Romeo and Juliet
Cover: Indigo Girls (1992)
Original: Dire Straits (1980)

I think the Dire Straits version is the original but I may be wrong and someone else wrote it (Icouldn't find writter credits for teh song in the short amount of time I tried to look). I own both albums and the Indigo Girls is far and away the better version. Although while doing a google of the song I saw that Edwin McCain also did a version of it but I haven't heard it so I can't comment.

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SteveRogers
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"Wounded" by He is Legend (2006)
Originally recorded by Third Eye Blind
Made available as an iTunes exclusive single

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Threads
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What's so interesting about cover songs?
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DevilDreamt
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I don't even hear much difference between 311's version of love song and the cure's. I think it fails as a cover. I like covers to at least put the song into a new light, for the artist to alter something in the song to make it their own. sometimes they can do this just with their voice and the way it's sung, sometimes not. 311 covering love song? bleh.

Patti Smith covering Hey Joe, however, = success.

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DSH
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A few of my favorites:

Title: Always On My Mind
Cover Artist: Pet Shop Boys
Original Artist: Elvis (Google never ceases to amaze me...I thought Willie Nelson was the original artist!)


Title: '97 Bonnie & Clyde
Cover Artist: Tori Amos
Original Artist: Eminem


Title: Mad World
Cover Artist: Michael Andrews/Gary Jules
Original Artist: Tears For Fears

Actually I like both versions of "Mad World" equally well.


Title: I Got You Babe
Cover Artist: UB40/Chrissie Hynde
Original Artist: Sonny & Cher

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Mucus
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Title: All rock songs
Cover artist Me on Guitar Hero

[Wink]

Seriously? Does the version of 'All Along the Watchtower' in BSG count?

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ketchupqueen
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I'm gonna agree that almost any Dylan cover by a decent artist is better than Dylan doing a Dylan song.
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sylvrdragon
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This may just be a rumor, but I heard somewhere that the makers of either Rock Band or Guitar Hero got sued by a band because the cover version of the song used in the game was better than the original.
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Itsame
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quote:
Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
I'm gonna agree that almost any Dylan cover by a decent artist is better than Dylan doing a Dylan song.

Agreed. All in favor say aye.
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aspectre
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChBFFoP-Ijc
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Architraz Warden
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Title: Hurt
Artist: Johnny Cash
Artist: NiN

Title: Smooth Criminal
Cover: Alien Ant Farm
Original: Michael Jackson

EDIT:

Oh, and wasn't Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' a cover? That's gotta go on this list (and so many other lists).

[ May 09, 2008, 02:23 AM: Message edited by: Architraz Warden ]

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anti_maven
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Title: Wichita Lineman
Cover: Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66
Original: Glen Campbell

I second the motion:

Take On Me as done by the Real Big Fish
Originially done by A-Ha

[Smile]

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EmpSquared
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quote:
Originally posted by sylvrdragon:
This may just be a rumor, but I heard somewhere that the makers of either Rock Band or Guitar Hero got sued by a band because the cover version of the song used in the game was better than the original.

Not a rumor. The band that wrote "What I Like About You" complained because the cover sounded exactly like them (not better.)

Oh, and BTW, this thread is making my head explode.

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Sterling
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quote:
Originally posted by JonHecht:
quote:
Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
I'm gonna agree that almost any Dylan cover by a decent artist is better than Dylan doing a Dylan song.

Agreed. All in favor say aye.
This may have something to do with Dylan being a gifted songwriter, but singing rather like his voice is coming out by way of his nasal pasages.

Virtually every song in Weird Al's "Angry White Boy Polka."

"I Don't Like Mondays"
Original Boomtown Rats
Cover Tori Amos

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aretee
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quote:
Originally posted by SteveRogers:
The Song: "Spiderman"

The Cover: The Ramones

The Original: Whoever sang the original Spiderman cartoon theme song.

I like the version by Moxy Fruvous
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happymann
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"Hooked on a Feeling"
Jonathan King
B.J. Thomas

Although they both are good. I just like the "ooga shaka."

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Dagonee
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I stopped reading this thread in horror when it first went up when I got to this:

quote:
Title: Hallelujah
Cover Artist: Jeff Buckley
Original Artist: Leonard Cohen

Just when I thought I could soldier my way through, I saw this:

quote:
Title: I will Survive
Cover Artist: Cake
Original Artist: Gloria Gaynor

Title: Hurt
Cover Artist: Johnny Cash
Original Artist: Nine Inch Nails

Title: Satellite of Love
Cover Artist: U2
Original Artist: Velvet Underground (Although Lou Reed's solo version is more famous)

I'm a little ashamed of the last one, though. [Smile]

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Shmuel
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Title: Fields of Gold
Cover: Eva Cassidy
Original: Sting

...Sting is on record as agreeing with me on that one. The next one may be more controversial...

Title: I Only Wanna Be With You
Cover: Vonda Shepard
Original: Dusty Springfield

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scifibum
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All my faves already mentioned: Mad world, Hurt, and Smooth Criminal.

OK, I like Metallica's "Turn the page" even though they didn't do anything that original with it. Just like the guitar better than the sax.

Edit: got the title wrong.

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