OT: The Cover Song is at Least as Good As - or Better - than the Original

[Aluminny69]

 

[Aluminny69]

This song was written by Percy Mayfield, who first recorded it in 1960

 

[Aluminny69]

This song was first recorded on December 8, 1932, by the Ray Noble Orchestra, with vocals by Val Rosing

 

[Jackcatscal]

Patti Smith covering an excellent Dylan tune. One of the commenters said, "Dylan treats it as if its prophesy, Patti Smith treats it as dream."

 

[Aluminny69]

"You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a song written by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy, and was released first as a single in 1967 by Brenda Holloway on the Tamla label. The song was later a huge hit for jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1969, and became a Gold record.

 

[Jackcatscal]

Celine Dionne covering an epic Edith Piaf song. (I understand Piaf wrote it after her lover died in an airplane accident). Celine's version has so much going for it: it's the Paris Olympics, she's back from a debilitating illness, she's singing from the Eiffel Tower, it's raining. Plus her stunning gown.

 

[Aluminny69]

"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley and released in 1973 with his band the Wailers.

 

[Jackcatscal]

Sinead O'Connor covering a poignant song by Prince.

 

[Aluminny69]

"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Recorded originally by Big Mama Thornton on August 13, 1952.

 

[Aluminny69]

 

[Bigboote]

Laura Nyro’s first two albums were a treasure trove of singles for other artists. There are damned few performances that I like more than hers, but BS&T’s version of And When I Die is one:

 

[Aluminny69]

Can you cover your own song? Love this version.

 

[meyers7]

Not a lot of covers of TLC songs, but Blues Traveler did a cover of Waterfall.

Which TLC "borrowed", a little, from Paul McCartney's Waterfall. (lyrically anyway)

Paul - "Don't go jumping waterfalls, please keep to the lake".
TLC - "Don't go chasing waterfalls, stick to the rivers and lakes that you're used ."

But Anyway (another Blues Traveler song) here's Popper's version with Train and Diasha McBride

 

[Bigboote]

I was absolutely blown away when I heard this late one night on WPLR in the mid-late seventies. Yes doing Simon & Garfunkle:

 

[Aluminny69]

Linda Ronstadt sang many great cover songs. Difficult to pick just one.

Whenever you think of Ronstadt’s legacy, it’s hard not to immediately think about ‘Blue Bayou’. Roy Orbison’s classic is already a perfect version of everything that the song should be. This just adds to the fact that Ronstadt pulled off the impossible, enhancing its heartfelt sentimentality and surpassing the original in terms of timelessness.

 

[Aluminny69]

Linda turns a classic Phil Everly song into a country-rock classic and makes it into a bigger hit than the original rising as high as No. 2 on the Billboard pop single charts.

 

[Spaceman213J]

My favorite is Pearl Jam's cover of "Last Kiss".

I also like Cage the Elephant's cover of "Whole Wide World", Marvin Gaye's cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Nirvan doing "The Man Who Sold the World", Joe Cocker "With a Little Help From My Friends" and then the Beatles cover of "Twist & Shout"

It's been mentioned, but Cash absolutely owns "Hurt".

 

[Bigboote]

Stormy Monday is a widely-recorded song, written and recorded by T-Bone Walker I think in the 40's. My favorite version is from the Allmans, on one of my favorite live albums:

 

[Aluminny69]

 

[Scud49]

If you like soft sultry blues, this David Bromberg cover of the 1959 original by Fenton Robinson is a treat:

 

[Jackcatscal]

The Allman Brothers covered (sort of) Donovan's There Is a Mountain, turning it into a 35 minute instrumental tour de force. Recorded at the same Fillmore gigs that produced the Allman's Fillmore East album. Duane's slide guitar will make you cry.

 

[cullaville]

"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley and released in 1973 with his band the Wailers.

This is not better than the Bob Marley original. The Bob Marley version seemed real and personal. The Clapton version seemed to be to create a large selling single with a catchy phrase "I shot the Sherriff"

The only positive the Clapton version had was to bring recognition to Bob Marley.

 

[cullaville]

I know it is hard to say a cover of a Beatles song is better than the original but this is awesome

 

[cullaville]

Fine Young Cannibals covering Elvis

 

[Jackcatscal]

Beth Hart covering I'd Rather Go Blind, an Etta James tune. With Jeff Beck as a lagniappe.

 

[Hoops66]

The Four Knights did this well but you can't beat the bass voice in this Statler Bros hit country rocker...

 

[Bigboote]

Beth Hart covering I'd Rather Go Blind, an Etta James tune. With Jeff Beck as a lagniappe.

Lagniappe is one of my favorite words. I used it in a (physics) paper once, but it was nixed by the referee.

 

[Hoops66]

How about this quartet?

 

[Huskee11]

Six Days on the Road is a great trucker song originally done by Dave Dudley in 1963. But I think that the 1969 cover by Taj Mahal with Jessie Ed Davis on guitar is the best version.

 

[johnhelvete]