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Any "covers" ever better than the originals?

just dave said:
Don't know if this has been mentioned but for my money the best cover ever done was Train kept a Rollin by Aerosmith back when they were a real rock band,much better than the Yardbirds version.Second was Molly Hachet coverin Dreams I'll Never See by the Allman Bros.
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Train has been mentioned, plus the fact that the Yardbirds version is also a cover. Plenty of songs were back then.
'Ghost Riders in the Sky' is a classic example with the first studio recording being an acoustic guitar version recorded by...wait for it ...Burl Ives.

Motown used to record multiple versions of the same song with different vocal artists but using the same studio musicians.
The musicians would take turns as to who played lead/rhythm, etc. just to give each a slightly different flavor.
So essentially the versions that weren't hits were covers.
 
Spooky Tooth - Better by you, Better than me
Judas Priest - Better by you, Better than me
 
valvenator said:
Train has been mentioned, plus the fact that the Yardbirds version is also a cover. Plenty of songs were back then.
'Ghost Riders in the Sky' is a classic example with the first studio recording being an acoustic guitar version recorded by...wait for it ...Burl Ives.

Motown used to record multiple versions of the same song with different vocal artists but using the same studio musicians.
The musicians would take turns as to who played lead/rhythm, etc. just to give each a slightly different flavor.
So essentially the versions that weren't hits were covers.
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Burl Ives, he's my favorite!
 
IMHO, Dedicated To The One I Love by The Mamas & The Papas is the best version of this song ever recorded.

 
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Bowie's re-do probably wasn't a heinous attack on former members like most rerecordings are. Leave out the fired guy's tracks, update the recording quality (which always destroys the period-correct sound and original vibe), and the abortion is complete.

Bowie honors his legacy, I'm sure.
 
I've been a member here for awhile now and just found this thread. Whoopee ! One of my favorite subjects. I worked on-air for almost twenty years and always made a point of showcasing originals and covers. I could write a large volume about this subject. I'll keep my comments short for here. to begin with, classical is 99% covers. An artist plays music by some composer. Very often the composer conducted or played it first. Since we have no recordings of say, Bach, we don't know how did any piece. That's fair but still we're going to play it. Aside from a cadenza or so, it's played as it was written. That said, there are some exceptions. Most of the modern remakes on established classics are regrettable. Now here comes the exceptional exception. I found in the files of the last station I worked at a copy of a steel band sampler. On it was a cover of Mendelssohn's overture Fingle's cave. I don't recall if it was by the Esso Trinidad steel band or Steel pulse. Total knock out. It would give you goose bumps. A most incredible performance. I haven't been able to find it since.
The blues is another field of extensive covers. Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson (to name only a few) gave the blues so many standards that are covered to this day. My collection of blues is very heavily slanted to covers. For those interested, I offer that the best cover ever of Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' on my mind" came from Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods. Fantastic arrangement and a rhythm section that a clock would envy. Add to that Mike's tasty slide played on strings heavy enough to support a bridge. It's killer stuff.
 
sinewaver said:
I've been a member here for awhile now and just found this thread. Whoopee ! One of my favorite subjects. I worked on-air for almost twenty years and always made a point of showcasing originals and covers. I could write a large volume about this subject. I'll keep my comments short for here. to begin with, classical is 99% covers. An artist plays music by some composer. Very often the composer conducted or played it first. Since we have no recordings of say, Bach, we don't know how did any piece. That's fair but still we're going to play it. Aside from a cadenza or so, it's played as it was written. That said, there are some exceptions. Most of the modern remakes on established classics are regrettable. Now here comes the exceptional exception. I found in the files of the last station I worked at a copy of a steel band sampler. On it was a cover of Mendelssohn's overture Fingle's cave. I don't recall if it was by the Esso Trinidad steel band or Steel pulse. Total knock out. It would give you goose bumps. A most incredible performance. I haven't been able to find it since.
The blues is another field of extensive covers. Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson (to name only a few) gave the blues so many standards that are covered to this day. My collection of blues is very heavily slanted to covers. For those interested, I offer that the best cover ever of Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' on my mind" came from Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods. Fantastic arrangement and a rhythm section that a clock would envy. Add to that Mike's tasty slide played on strings heavy enough to support a bridge. It's killer stuff.
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Mike Henderson? Two thumbs up. He does quite a few great covers.
What album is that Johnson tune from?

My favorite non-classical cover of classical music is Ellington and Strayhorn's take on The Nutcracker.
 
I think first exposure to a song, whether it's an original or remake, often determines which a person likes.

For example, I prefer Frigid Pink`s version of "House of the Rising Sun."
And I prefer any Mannfred Mann remake to Springsteen`s.
"Shape of Things" by Nazareth is still my favorite.
I love the Robin Tower version of the blues standard, Rock Me, Baby."
And I think Johnny Cash sings "Hurt" with a lifetime of emotion and gravitas compared Trent Reznor, who just sounds whiney.
The Gipsy Kings version of "Hotel California" is full of Spanish guitars and Latin rhythms.
As is Santa Esmeralda`s version of "Don't Let me Be Misunderstood" (even if it does devolve into repetitive disco sometimes).
I prefer the Foghat version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You."
And Led Zepplin stole or remade (depending on who you ask) many blues standards.

As far as originals, there are many more I prefer to remakes, like "Breadfan" by Budgie over Metallica.
Or Thin Lizzy`s treatment of "Whisky in a Jar" over Metallica.

But to me, the greatest cover band, that smashes ANY original is The Warning. ;)
 
Ready for Love
I like the Bad Company version better than Mott the Hoople's orginal

Shambala
I like Three Dog Night's version better than the BW Stevenson take.

Right Down the Line
Bonnie Raitt's cover is great, and is very respectful of Gerry Rafferty

maybe not better, but the 12" 45rpm of Dennis Brown covering MJ's Don't Stop Till You Get Enough is a knockout.
 
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ShadowFerret said:
Or Thin Lizzy`s treatment of "Whisky in a Jar" over Metallica.
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I'm guessing you know that is actually a traditional Irish folk song, and Thin Lizzy was by no means the original artist. I do like both theirs and Metallica's tho, as well as traditional arrangements.

Speaking of Metallica, I really dig their cover of Turn The Page. I also like the Seger version though. They're both great, but in different ways.

Absolutely agree about Cash and Hurt though. Not a fan of Reznor for whine reasons.
 
Motörhead: Enter Sandman (Metallica)
The Gourds: Gin and Juice (Snoop)
Lenny Kravitz: American Woman (The Guess Who)
Johnny Cash: Hurt (Nine Inch Nails)
Johnny Cash: Rusty Cage (Soundgarden)
Nirvana: In The Pines (Lead Belly)
Nirvana: Lake of Fire (Meat Puppets)
Cake: I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
Johnny Paycheck: Take This Job and Shove It (David Alan Coe)
Foo Fighters: Down In the Park (Tubeway Army)
Helmet: Army of Me (Bjork)
Korn: Word Up! (Cameo)
Marilyn Manson: Tainted Love (Soft Cell's Version of Gloria Jones' Version)
Nine Inch Nails: Physical (You're so) (Adam Ant)
Nine Inch Nsils: Metal (Gary Numan)
Ween: It's Gonna Be a Long Night (Motörhead)
Primus: Amos Moses (Jerry Reed)
Rage Against the Machine: Maggie's Farm (Bob Dylan)
Rage Against the Machine: Pistol-Grip Pump (Volume 10)
Sturgill Simpson: The Promise (When In Rome)
The Eagles of Death Metal: Save A Parayer (Duran Duran)
Van Halen: Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison)
ZZ Top: Gotsta Get Paid (25 Lighters) (DJ DMD)
Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet (Betty Hutton)

Worse than the Original:
List is too long
 
gadget73 said:
I'm guessing you know that is actually a traditional Irish folk song, and Thin Lizzy was by no means the original artist. I do like both theirs and Metallica's tho, as well as traditional arrangements.
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Smokie (anyone remember 'Living next door to Alice' and 'If You Think You Know How to Love Me'?) do a surprisingly rockin' version (1988) of 'Whiskey in the Jar'.
 
KrisM said:
Mike Henderson? Two thumbs up. He does quite a few great covers.
What album is that Johnson tune from?
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I thought it was on First Blood...not so. That's a great CD but it actually was found on a blues slide sampler from Icehouse. P2 53555
If you can't find it. PM me and I'll hook you up.
One cover not mentioned so far is Theme from an Imaginary Western (Jack Bruce RIP) Cream was good but I prefer to hear it from Mountain.
Ever watch the video of Jack Bruce and Rory Gallagher doing Politician ? Ten minutes well spent. Two guys enjoying playing together. Rory kicks Eric's part up a couple of notches. A great pairing.
My program segment was called Cover to cover. One just leads to another. So many and everybody has an opinion.
 
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