Covers that are different from the original

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IIRC the Fall's cover of the Kinks' "Victoria" differs a fair bit from the original recording - I seem to recall the structure of the song being altered and a whole bridge (or something) being completely removed. Are there any other examples of covers that have been changed from the original?

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Friday, 25 October 2002 08:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Apart from normal covers that differ in the way that they're just played differently - I'm talking about where the song is actually changed.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Friday, 25 October 2002 08:43 (twenty-three years ago)

The epitome of what covers should be (i.e. if you aren't going to change them around, don't bother):

Keep Me Hangin On - Vanilla Fudge
Rosegarden Funeral of Sores - Bauhaus

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 25 October 2002 10:28 (twenty-three years ago)

The Swinging Erudites' Walk With An Erection sounds liek the Bangles but has different lyrics.

― tigerclawskank, Friday, 25 October 2002 10:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Judge Dread's version of Je T'Aime - I don't think Serge nearly gets it on with a transvestite in the original an Jamaica Jerk Off appears to be credited to Elton John and Bernie Taupin but I somehow suspect the lyrics are a bit different.

But is changing the lyrics enough to qualify?

― tigerclawskank, Friday, 25 October 2002 10:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"Shiny Happy People" by the Fatima Mansions.

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 25 October 2002 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Solex's version of Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Cutter" ditches the final section & is otherwise radically different.

― Douglas, Friday, 25 October 2002 12:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Diamanda Galas Gloomy Sunday has completely reworked lyrics, does that count too?

― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 25 October 2002 12:43 (twenty-three years ago)

First one that comes to mind is Cat Power's reworking of "Satisfaction" -- there's no chorus.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 25 October 2002 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Cat Power's version of "Satisfaction" comes to mind.

(I always thought of MES's rendition of "Victoria" as overly faithful to the original, but no doubt you are right about the changes)

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Friday, 25 October 2002 12:49 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah the cat power cover version is fab. i didn't know what it was until the DJ said it. really amazed.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 25 October 2002 13:14 (twenty-three years ago)

The Revolting Cocks' "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" ("I'm sorry but I'm out of K-Y Jelly...")

― Nate Patrin, Friday, 25 October 2002 13:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Robert Palmer (1982) and Rod Stewart (1984) each had a UK top twenty hit with "Some Guys Have All The Luck". Palmer's original is a glorious clanging mess of burping noises and drunken-sounding vocals, an unlikely hit in any era, while Stewart's changes the tune into something more radio-friendly, adds different verses, beefs it up for the big-hair mid-80s yet the song is undeniably still the same !

― darren, Friday, 25 October 2002 14:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick Cave's version of "Stagger Lee" - changes most of the lyrics, the tempo is much slower and the tune is different from anyone else's version.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 25 October 2002 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

RevCo I've not heard, but it cannot be as far removed from the original as The Hybrid Kids' cover of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" was. (I say "was", since AFAIK the HK record remains shamefully out of print)

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Friday, 25 October 2002 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

there's will oldham's ghostly, campfire version of "big balls".

― lauren, Friday, 25 October 2002 15:26 (twenty-three years ago)

television - knockin' on heaven's door

i'd say it's far better than the original

― coelcanth, Friday, 25 October 2002 19:46 (twenty-three years ago)

a number of my favorite covers are pretty drastic reinterpretations:

My Bloody Valentine - "We Have All the Time in the World"
My Bloody Valentine - "Map Ref"
Cabaret Voltaire - "Theme From Shaft"
and I know a bunch of folks hate this but I love,
Bark Psychosis - "Three Girl Rhumba"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 25 October 2002 20:41 (twenty-three years ago)

and tons and tons of Bryan Ferry covers, e.g. "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 25 October 2002 20:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned's Atomic Dustbin's version of "I've never been to me"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 25 October 2002 22:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Rosegarden funeral? Bauhaus version of this always sounded to me like a carbon copy of the original only worse, just like their other covers.

But the zydeco version of White Riot on the Clash covers album is a gem, and it's not by Bauhaus...

― jon (jon), Friday, 25 October 2002 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

a carbon copy of the original only worse, just like their other covers

I must disagree on the 'only worse' part all around. I would, though.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 26 October 2002 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

The Residents' Third Riech & Roll album is full of these.

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 26 October 2002 23:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually every single Residents cover is much different than the original. (Matchmaker, Stars & Hank album, George & James.

And of course there's all those punk band covers of songs like Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Willy Wonka songs, etc.

Joao Gilberto: 'Swonderful

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 26 October 2002 23:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Heaven by DJ Sammy featuring Do is very, very different to Bryan Adams' version. His sucked, theirs rocks.

― toraneko (toraneko), Sunday, 27 October 2002 12:55 (twenty-three years ago)

christian fennesz - "paint it black"

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 27 October 2002 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Aztec Camera's version of Van Halen's "Jump" has become kind of legendary, hasn't it ?

― darren, Sunday, 27 October 2002 14:47 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.worldinmotion.net/neworder/discography/singles/1983/BlueMonday12_small.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc900/c924/c92456qcys2.jpg

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 27 October 2002 15:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Primus's cover of "Making plans for Nigel" by XTC
Devo's cover of "Satsfaction" (they actually made a video for it, and its great)

― David Allen, Sunday, 27 October 2002 16:25 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Logical Song" by Scooter, surely (I always giggle at the three-syllable pronounciation of "li-be-ral" in Supertramp's original)

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Monday, 28 October 2002 01:54 (twenty-three years ago)

My Bloody Valentine - "We Have All the Time in the World"

Uhhh, the version of this I have seems to be...well, about as faithful-to-the-original as I could possibly imagine it to be in the hands of KS et al. I thought.

― Charlie (Charlie), Monday, 28 October 2002 02:02 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah good point Charlie, i thought about that after posting. I suppose Bilinda's voice makes all the difference (languid, breathy, druggy, resigned, sex -vs- gravely, throaty, resigned etc). "Map Ref" is similarly faithful, so I semi-take these back.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 28 October 2002 18:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Lots of Frank Sidebottom.

― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 12:42 (twenty-three years ago)

And don't forget the Barron Knights.
Now there was a funny band (if you were 8).

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 13:29 (twenty-three years ago)

melt banana's version of queen's 'killer queen'. (um, actually, it appears to be by tourette's lautrec rather than melt banana, melt banana do 'we will rock you' on the same lp). sample (hopefully) here

oh those crazy japanese... 8)

and dinosaur jr's killing of 'feel a whole lot better'. um, probably not, musically it's very similar but the vocals...

andy

― koogs, Tuesday, 29 October 2002 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

"Secret Agent Man" by Devo. Basically a whole new song built around the "secret ayy-gent man" chorus (and even that's altered).

There are lots of mutated covers on Half Jap's "1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts."

― Mike Appelstein (mike a), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

also the chorus part of Dinosaur Jr's "Just Like Heaven" is slightly different...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 October 2002 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

fatima mansions' "everything i do" turns a terrible song on its head and gives it a role in the world.

on the other hand, although paul young's "love will tear" loosely follows the arrangement of the original, it knocks all the stuffing from it so that it really does sound like a different song.

― kieron, Tuesday, 29 October 2002 17:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Talking of giving a terrible song a role in the world, how about 'The Greatest Love of All' by Kevin Rowland. Makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

And all the songs on his 'My Beauty' album probably qualify here as he turns them all into part of his personal therapy. Loads of changed lyrics and ad libbing at the end about how he's really turned a corner and can start to love himself again.

It sounds very cheesy but it's one of the most moving records I own.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:31 (twenty-three years ago)

no some ppl like that rec james. i've nevah heard it myself. never got round to anything by kevin rowland.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Death of Samantha did a great version of "Werewolves of London"

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 19:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Hot Chocolate's Every 1's a Winner performed by Alan Vega from Suicide. No chorus, cheap basic sound.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 20:52 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Patti Smith's version of Gloria by Them

― Johnny Jojo, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Magazine's version of Beefheart's "I Love You Big Dummy"
Cabaret Voltaire's "She Loves You" cover (also retitled "She Loved You", I think)
Angry Samoans' "Time Has Come Today" (Chambers Brothers)

― Myonga Von Bontee, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Prisonshake "Eisbar"

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure "Purple Haze" - Renders the original riff unrecognizable and sets it over a completely new bass and drum part.

The Cure "Foxy Lady" - Is Rober Smith trying to sound Japanese?

Low "Transmission" - Leaves out the last verse/rant. It would have been eight minutes long otherwise.

Nine Inch Nails "Dead Souls" - Only cycles through the intro once before going to the first verse.

― boldbury, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The Sisters of Mercy - "Teachers"; completely different music, cuts half the verses, usually medleyed with "Gimme Shelter" intro and an original ("On The Wire".)

― anode (anode), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Mascis changed a good deal of the lyrics to Bowie's "Quicksand", no?

and 'Retha makes some excellent alterations to The Band's "The Weight" (one of my favorite covers ever)

― Will (will), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Stina Nordenstam's entire 'People are Strange' album. esp. 'Bird on A Wire', 'Purple Rain', and 'I Dream of Jeannie'

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I think ultimate answer to this, in terms of cover being completely different from the original, is US Maple's cover of "The Wanderer" by Dion

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

Tori Amos' cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

A lot of folks don't even recognize that it's the same song at least until the chorus.

― grant camden (gxus), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 20:13 (twenty years ago)

Even though the lyrics are identical? Who wouldn't know what song that was?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 20:30 (twenty years ago)

Nick Cave's cover of "Disco 2000" may be the choice here, unless you consider hip-hop and house adaptions that may not even be described as the same song.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 21:22 (twenty years ago)

Was there ever a disco or upbeat version of "Just the Way You Are" ?

― JTS (JTS), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 22:03 (twenty years ago)

Barry White covered it, but his version was not upbeat nor disco in any way.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 22:16 (twenty years ago)

I highly recommend you all download this for its sheer hilarity.

Graveworm- Losing My Religion (REM cover)

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

The Cure "Foxy Lady" - Is Rober Smith trying to sound Japanese?

It's not Robert singing is it?

― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

I didn't know the Raconteurs covered "Bang Bang." I think they sound more epic than Nancy Sinatra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGnuHuD5Fc&feature=PlayList&p=CFAA348C9803122B&index=0&playnext=1

― nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 9 August 2009 03:29 (sixteen years ago)

Ex Models doing "She Blinded Me With Science." Totally unrecognizable and awesome.

― lindseykai, Sunday, 9 August 2009 03:45 (sixteen years ago)

Beck - Leopardskin Pillbox Hat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGx0Lkq8tM

― abanana, Monday, 10 August 2009 13:58 (sixteen years ago)

The Rats (pre Dead Moon) cover of the Beatles (or the Stones, if you prefer) "I Wanna Be Your Man" is completely unrecognizable and totally rad. There is a credit to Lennon and McCartney on the sleeve for the song and after listening to it once I thought to myself "where is the Beatles cover?" Easy to miss! But, yeah, they are just singing "I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man" over a completely different, very spikey arrangement with synth and stuff. It's good! On Intermittent Signals (recently reissued by Mississippi Records).

― Trip Maker, Monday, 10 August 2009 14:59 (sixteen years ago)

Celtic Frost's cover of Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" sounds -- unsurprisingly -- nothing like the original.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 10 August 2009 16:18 (sixteen years ago)

last night I was listening to Cud's cover of Bohemian Rhapsody (from that old Alvin Lives in Leeds comp) and it's actually a really fun romp through... totally different from the original and wonky and weird and just spazzy..

― rentboy, Monday, 10 August 2009 16:34 (sixteen years ago)

a great comp all the way around - 14 Iced Bears doing "Summer Nights" from Grease is HUGE

― rentboy, Monday, 10 August 2009 16:34 (sixteen years ago)

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