Most cover versions are rubbish, but there are some hatchet jobs that actually make the world a better place. Here's my non-exhaustive list in no particular order:
Aerosmith "Come together" (Beatles) and "Walking in the sand" (Morton, orig. performed by Shangri-Las). It's worth mentioning that the Aerosmith/Run DMC version of "Walk this way" is incredibly dull and leaden, compared to the original, and that the Girls Aloud/Sugababes version was absolutely dire.
Ron Wood "I can't stand the rain" (orig. performed by Ann Peebles, beating Eruption to it by several years)
The Clash "English civil war" ("When Johnny comes marching home", trad.)
Keith Richards "Run rudolph run"/"The harder they come" (respectively Marks/Bradie, orig. performed by Chuck Berry; and Jimmy Cliff)
The Toy Dolls "Nellie the elephant" (Butler/Hart)
The Dickies "Banana split song" (from the TV show, itself the inspiration for "Buffalo soldier" by Bob Marley")
Soft Cell "Tainted Love" (Ed Cobb, orig. performed by Gloria Jones)
UB40 "I'll be your baby tonight" (Bob Dylan) and "Red red wine" (Neil Diamond)
Aretha Franklin "Jumping Jack Flash" (Rolling Stones)
Primal Scream "Loaded" and Guns'n'Roses "Sympathy for the devil" ("Sympathy for the devil" by Rolling Stones)
Guns'n'Roses "Knockin' on heaven's dooor" (Bob Dylan). At this juncture I should mention the "Rise" by Gabrielle, which would be a great song, but they messed up the sample - there's an awkward split-second gap every time it repeats. Incredibly irritating.
Rolling Stones "Like a rolling stone" (Bob Dylan)
Sugababes "Freak like me" (lyrics from "Freak like me" by Anita Howard and music from "Are friends electric?" by Tubeway Army)
Britney Spears "I love rock'n'roll" (orig. by Arrows, and more famously covered by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
Marylin Manson "Tainted Love" and Rihanna "SOS" ("Tainted Love" by Soft Cell)
Girls Aloud "Jump" (Pointer Sisters)
Marilyn Manson "Personal Jesus" and Jamelia "Beware of the dog" ("Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode)
Kid Rock "All summer long" ("Sweet home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Coda: I'd always complained that my iPod just isn't loud enough. I used proper big headphones when compiling this list, rather than the little in-ear ones, and I am staggered at how loud it really is. You live and learn.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Cover versions that are quite good
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Hendrix's 'All Along The Watchtower' (Dylan)
Snuff's 'Do It All' (from the Do It All ad - 'how do do it all do it?') and 'Soul Limbo' (Booker T and the MGs - better known as Test Match music)
Lemonhead's 'Luka' (Suzanne Vega) and 'Frank Mills' (from Hair)
Velvet Crush's 'Everything Flows' (Teenage Fanclub)
That Kid Rock one - I don't get it. I'd rather listen to the original Lynyrd Skynyrd every time.
Mark Ronson - Stop Me (the Smiths)
Madness, It Must be Love (Labi Siffre)
Nowt wrong with covers if they're done right, especially those that cross genres, with the attendant change to tempo and style. In fact, it's sometimes surprising to find that the artist that defined a song isn't the one that the originally sang it.
I'd add to your list:
Paul Young's "Wherever I lay my hat"
(orig. Marvin Gaye)
Alison Krauss' "Baby, now that I've found you" (orig. Foundations)
Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" (orig. Leonard Cohen)
Rufus Wainwright's "One man guy" (orig. his dad)
Marilyn Manson's "Sweet dreams" (orig. Eurythmics)
God, there's loads.
If we're counting "English Civil War" then a number of tracks by Kate Rusby or Jim Moray are worth a look. In fact the folk and country genres are so built on traditionals, it isn't really fair. Though I have to include this gem:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3larcGfwC0g
Love bluegrass, just love it.
And hip-hop and rap are dependent on covering/sampling.
Wu Tang clan improved Texas' "Say what you want"
Sugarhill gang improved Chic's "Good times"
Etc.
D'oh, can't believe I left out a favourite from my youth, i.e. a few years ago,
The Ataris' "The Boys of Summer" (orig. Don Henley)
PT, is The Ataris better than 'Boys of summer' by DJ Sammy?
Don't forget Axl Rose's rendition of 'Live and Let Die'- shows up Macca for the sentimental slush-bunny he is. There's a rough video of it, but as Axl performs in rubber boots and knickers, he has an unfortunate resemblance to giant toddler.
Travis' cover of Britney Spears' 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' shows the complexity which the bigger version stripped out, and in which Travis mercifully keep their trousers on.
Depends what sort of mood you're in. It's perhaps the mark of a good original that it can later be successfully pulled in different directions.
Personal Favourite atm is http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GekMvB_H9f8
As far as I know no-one has done a cover version of 'Happy Birthday Mr President' with anything like the emotional engagement deployed by Marilyn Monroe - and never will.
...or come to that 'I want to be loved by you'....ooooo aaahhh sigh
Neil, "All along the watchtower" is not in the category of 'cover versions that are quite good'.
Lola, as it happens, Ginger Spice did a quite good version of 'Happy Birthday Mr President' (for Prince Charles' 50th). Only she sang 'Your highness' or something.
PT, I've never heard MM's version of 'Sweet dreams'. Is it as good as his hatchet job on 'Tainted love'?
I think WOAR wins this round with 'Live and let die' which was a marginally superior cover version of a basically pretty good - but not brilliant - song.
Joe Cocker's cover version of 'Summer in the City'.
I didn't know about the Axl Rose version of 'Live and Let Die' - it's really good! And a good question for our 'James Bond Quiz' too, cheers :D
"It's worth mentioning that the Aerosmith/Run DMC version of "Walk this way" is incredibly dull and leaden, compared to the original"
This kind of talk is an outrage, and shouldn't be allowed. [*]
and that the Girls Aloud/Sugababes version was absolutely dire
That kind of record is an outrage, and shouldn't be allowed.
Suzanne's Luka is far better than Evan's, although Evan's Frank Mills (and Outdoor Type, from an Aussie band I can't be bothered to look up) are better than the originals.
John Cale's Hallelujah is better than Jeff's. Although Leonard did a bloody good job of it last weekend.
Anyone who thinks MM's version of Sweet Dreams is better than Annie & Dave's version needs their head examined. Ditto Tainted Love (although Soft Cell's version certainly counts, knocking Mrs Bolan's original into embarrassing nowhere).
And Live & Let Die is GNR, not Axl - relevant, as Slash properly guitar heroes it the fuck up.
MW, are you seriously suggesting that Jimi's Watchtower isn't good? Because that's worryingly close to crazy talk.
Oh, and the best cover ever is Johnny Cash's Hurt, unequivocally. I'm slightly distraught that it hasn't already been mentioned, indeed.
[*] for the sense-of-humour-free, this is a 'joke', or a 'thing that I'm saying that I don't actually believe to be true'.
The Rolling Stones started by doing covers (of Chuck Berry,Valentinos etc).All dreadful.
Elvis started with a lot of covers some of them better than originals.
Would nominate as covers better than originals: Nina Simone "I put a spell on you" better than Screaming Jay's "comedy" version;Buddy Holly's "Rave On" originally recorded by Sonny West in suspiciously similar circumstances and dates to the hit version.
I could go on interminably but the wine bids me take my ease.
Kid Rock isn't really a cover, though it is derivative (of Lynyrd, and also of Warren Zevon's '[i]Werewolves of London[/i]').
@ John B, for clarity, both "Watchtowers" are works of inestimable genius. Jimi H version fails to qualify as 'quite good' because it is brilliant.
It's intersting that Marilyn Manson's version is inspired more by the Soft Cell version of Tainted Love. It's become the best loved version.
Some other good suggestions here (e.g. It Must Be Love).
I'd add a few more:-
Siouxsie And the Banshees - Dear Prudence. It's my all time fave, because they took the Beatles song and just made it their own.
I Second That Emotion - Japan (Smokey Robinson).
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Delilah.
I Fought The Law - The Clash (Buddy Holly).
TA, now you're talking! Those are four cover versions that are perfectly valid (and arguably superior) alternatives to the originals.
Although "I fought the law" was apparently by The Crickets post Buddy Holly.
Franz Ferdinand - Gwen Stefani's "What Are You Waiting For".
The Sugababes' revved up version of "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is awesome, as is their "Livin For The Weekend". And their "Killer" ain't half bad either :)
SB, we might as well chuck in Sugababes/Sting "Shape of my heart" while we're at it; Sting being a top songwriter but insufferable twat.
And once we've headed in that direction, I ought to mention P Diddy/Faith Evans' marginally superior version of "Every breath you take" aka "I'll be missing you".
MW- you aren't seriously comparing Ginger Spice with Marilyn Monroe?
L, no not 'seriously'. This post was about things that are 'quite good'.
John B, you've got it wrong, the post isn't about covers superior to the original, it's about good covers. I'm probably biased on MM's "Sweet dreams" as it was tremendous live. It's not so much that the song is great, so much as it works with his whole aesthetic.
Mark, here's a youtube link:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3iuve2OjY_8
And Mark, you're dead wrong on Sting vs the Sugababes, though I'll take Sting vs Eva Cassidy on "Fields of Gold". In fact, Eva's aces on all the covers on the Live at Blues Alley album.
I mean, I take Eva over Sting on that one.
Oh, John B, totally agree on Johnny Cash "Hurt" (orig. NIN). That said most of his American Recordings covers are gold, with the notable exceptions of Danny Boy and Bridge over troubled water. If you want to hear a Sting song really sung, check out his version of "I hung my head".
Not forgetting Credence Clearwater Revival doing Heard it through the grapevine (original Marvin Gaye)
Links, dammit. I could have sat here all evening, using this post as a juke box.
PR, I was sorely tempted, but then I would have spent several weeks on YouTube compiling the best ones.
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