Which cover versions improve on the original?

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Eels' take on "Damn, Wish I Was Your Lover" removes the AM radio emotion of the other one, and replaces it with a kind of hangover cleansing of emotion. Which is obviously a good thing.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 9 September 2002 05:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

"I'm sometimes like The Divine Comedy's cover of "there is a light that never goes out" to the original."

Wow! This sentence makes me look like an idiot. Nice.

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Monday, 9 September 2002 05:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

everything but the girl doing bruce springsteens' "tougher than the rest".

the orig. does NOTHING for me.

and it's not like i hate bruce or anything.

― amykins, Monday, 9 September 2002 05:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

all covers are better than the original, because they are more recent

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 9 September 2002 07:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Whatnots (from Santa Cruz, CA) cover of "You Play Glockenspiel, I'll Play Drums (by Beautiful South) is heart/gut-wrenching.

If you would consider a remix a cover, then on the topic of Elvis the single "A little less conversation" (Elvis vs. JXL) also improves rather than simply changing/modernizing.

― Ryan McKay, Monday, 9 September 2002 08:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

Good one, Ryan. Obv you missed A. Houston's thread about the song. ;-)

― nathalie (nathalie), Monday, 9 September 2002 09:03 (10 years ago) Permalink

I refuse to believe any cover of Can't Help Falling In Love With You can be worse than the UB40 version.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 9 September 2002 09:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

Pretty much all Klone Records covers were improvements - locating handbag-schmalz gold within some of the dreariest records ever made. Are they still going?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 September 2002 09:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

Mark S you pretty and daring flaneur! Money by the Flying Lizards - and that cover of 'Like A Rolling Stone' by a garage band I have to admit I've forgotten the name of - on the first Pebbles compilation?? Where they don't know any of the words but: "How does it feel to be on your own" and they follow it up with "Yeah do you feel alright" ... it's an improvement! Oh and Cher's cover of 'Like a Rolling Stone' is a big improvement but then all Cher's covers are big improvements - sorry Duane

― maryann, Monday, 9 September 2002 09:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hey English people are posting at the same time as me - it must be 9am? The perfect time to think about Cher

― maryann, Monday, 9 September 2002 09:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

adeva's "respect" pisses all over aretha's original.

― michael w., Monday, 9 September 2002 09:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

grrr Belgian lass you are not going to revive that hoary old pithecanthropus of a thread! ;-)

However, I must submit "The Logical Song" by Scooter, which is undeniably a visionary work of genius and MY single of the year thus far (sorry Missy, sorry Nelly). Siberia is, as it were, the place to be.

― Alison Houston, Monday, 9 September 2002 09:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Beatles version of 'You've really got a hold of me' is better while I'm listening to it (that clomping piano!).

The Smokey Robinson version is better while I'm listening to it (those ragged backing vocals!)

a score-draw I suppose.

― adam b (adam b), Monday, 9 September 2002 09:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

"none of the band seem to give a shit about making an effort or even know what it is they're singing (cf. Sugababes "Freak Like Me")"

Grrrr FITE! The 'babes know damn well what it is they're singing, and they know why they're singing it, too- it's an important public service to make the masturbational fantasies of teen boys (and girls) more interesting. Nuff respect.

adeva's "respect" pisses all over aretha's original.

Apart from the fact that nothing could ever possibly piss over Aretha Franklin, the original "Respect" is actually by Otis Redding.

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 9 September 2002 11:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

"massively unpopular opinion: Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music" was much improved when the Beatles did it."

"The Beatles version of 'You've really got a hold of me' is better while I'm listening to it (that clomping piano!).

Other Beatles covers that improve on the originals- "Baby It's You" and "Money" (not as good as The Flying Lizards tho.)

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 9 September 2002 11:36 (10 years ago) Permalink

Apart from the fact that nothing could ever possibly piss over Aretha Franklin, the original "Respect" is actually by Otis Redding.

i feel such a fool.

― michael w., Monday, 9 September 2002 11:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Tom Jones and Cardigans' cover of "Burning Down The House" shits all over David Byrne.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 September 2002 11:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

(He wishes)

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 September 2002 11:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

Scooter's version of "The Logical Song".

― tigerclawskank, Monday, 9 September 2002 12:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane and Im So Lonesome I Could Cry
Eric's Trip - Open Your Heart
Husker Du - 8 Miles High
Big Star - Femme Fatale

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 9 September 2002 12:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

Spirit's take on Like A Rolling Stone is fucking incredible.

― Roger Fascist, Monday, 9 September 2002 13:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

Die Kreuzen's version of "Land of Treason" by the Germs is light years ahead of the original.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 September 2002 13:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

Inner Life's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" slaughters the original.

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 9 September 2002 13:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

that's the winner!

― michael w., Monday, 9 September 2002 13:32 (10 years ago) Permalink

That one dude who set his guitar on fire and then choked on vomit did a pretty good cover of this song by that one nasal Northern Minnesota guy with the Jew-fro. I think it was about the Jehova's Witnesses or something.

(Well, it's a tired answer. I had to make it interesting somehow.)

Also, the Ramones' version of "Let's Dance" is ace.

― Nate Patrin, Monday, 9 September 2002 14:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

It's Cat Power. It's Wonderwall. It still hasn't been officially released.

And I dunno if it's better, but Cinerama's version of London runs the Smiths very, very close...

I also remember Paul Heaton doing a fantastic version of Lean On Me a few years ago too, the Radio 1 Christmas Carols thing.

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 9 September 2002 14:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

Neu!'s Weissensee covered by Autechre is so much more addictive/hypnotic than the original. The best thing I know of Autechre.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 9 September 2002 15:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Aztec Camera's version of "Jump."
Bob Dylan's version of "Belshazar."
Elvis Presley's version of "Hound Dog."

― Burr, Monday, 9 September 2002 16:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Wedding Present covering "Red Shoes By The Drugstore".

― Poppy (poppy), Monday, 9 September 2002 17:03 (10 years ago) Permalink

Actually, the Wedding Present's take on "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones is completely ejacutastic!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Scooter's take on "The Logical Song". Having said that, my left testicle's cover of "The Logical Song" would be better than the original.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

My favourite cover of Song To the Siren is by Elvis impersonator The King. There are literally thousands of covers that improve on the original. The best ever, for me, might be Al Green's version of the Bee Gees' How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. Aretha's Respect, already mentioned, and I Say A Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick was first), and Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight was first) all leap to mind too.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:11 (10 years ago) Permalink

The King, oh no, not the guy who covers songs as Elvis, like "Come As You Are" etc.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:15 (10 years ago) Permalink

Yes, a whole album of covers of songs by other dead stars, called Gravelands. The first three tracks on it (Come As You Are, Love Will Tear Us Apart and Song To The Siren) are all terrific, though most of the rest is rather less good.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Apart from the fact that nothing could ever possibly piss over Aretha Frankli,

I bet Ronan could!

There are several gothy/new beat versions of early Depeche Mode songs on _I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous_ that I vastly prefer to the originals. I'm thinking in particular of Systema The Affliction's "Shouldn't Have Done That", Pouppe Fabrik's "Photographic", Signal's "My Secret Garden" and Ater Koma's "The Sun And The Rainfall". S.P.O.C.K's "Ice Machine" comes very, very close to beating the original.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

Joan Jett's "Crimson and Clover" and Eugene Chadbourne's "Oh Yoko" belong on the list.

― dan (dan), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

GRACE JONES - she´s lost control (joy division) BEN WATT - you´re gonna make me lonesome when you (B.Dylan) BYRDS - my back pages (B.Dylan) CARL BEAN - i was born this way (Valentino) DRAGONS (they are cchinese and have a violin!) - anarchy in the uk (sex pistols) get off my cloud (rolling stones) SCHNEIDER TM - the light 3000 (smiths) Y PANTS - off the hook (rolling stones) Jay-Z Foxy Brown - Ain´t no nigga (Four tops) are a few of them
'

― Jens (brighter), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Raincoats' "Lola" is one of the best covers ever.

― mike a, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

wedding present "let's make some plans" - the definitive version of an anaemic original.
napalm death "nazi punks fuck off" - it just gives it the anger it was always meant to have.
14 iced bears "summer nights" - a revelation, i always thought i hated that song.
and mr swygart is right - cinerama's "london" is the peerless, partly because it's almost a rewrite.
the fall "lost in music" - the original just doesn't sound right any more.

― kieron, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:57 (10 years ago) Permalink

Bob Dylan's version of "Belshazar."

Better than the Johnny Cash original?! This is something I have to hear.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 9 September 2002 21:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Gravelands" was ace but by the time "Return To Splendour" was released the joke had pretty much worn thin (I mean, "Under The Bridge"? "CHILD Of A Preacher Man"??)

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 9 September 2002 21:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

Otis Redding's version of Daytripper

Peaches version of Rock Show

― Dave Beckhouse, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hmm. From my perspective, it seems like Weird Al's "Polka Power" and "Alternative Polka" improved on a number of originals each, and were also the most entertaining things he produced.

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

Luna's cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer."

Sonic Youth's cover of Neil Young's "Computer Games."

― nickn, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

Glad to see someone namecheck the Dragons. But the best cover of Anarchy I know of was the version by Frazier Chorus - a B s-de - made it spookily menacing, fragile and beautiful. A gem.

I'll think of some more in a minute. My mind's gone blank.

― jon, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

Cat Power - Satisfaction. By taking away the melody and the chorus Chan Marshall strips away everything that sucks about this song. I am not sure if what is left after is beautiful, but it grates less, for sure.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:09 (10 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I missed the Elvis remix thread...anyway, the best cover ever and I can't believe I forgot it upon first posting is Killdozer's version of the Jessi Colter single "I'm Not Lisa."

― Ryan McKay, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

Sonic Youth's cover of Neil Young's "Computer Games."
Hyou mean "Computer Age", yes?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:01 (10 years ago) Permalink

Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble" as done by the Blue Aeroplanes. Even Paul Simon fans (egh) like it.

.. Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On"

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:46 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and Johnny Cash's versions of "One" and "Rusty Cage" - FAR superior.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 116 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Oh, and Bauhaus's "Ziggy Stardust."

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 14 January 2006 04:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bryan Ferry: The "In" Crowd.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 14 January 2006 05:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

claudine longet owns this thread - see esp. "let's spend the night together" & that inspired Jealous Guy/Don't Let Me Down medley. Genius!

― prof. felchenstein, Saturday, 14 January 2006 05:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

the birthday party's version of 'loose' is way more unhinged and awesome than the stooges original

i like us maple's 'lay lady lay' a lot more than dylan's

― 6335, Saturday, 14 January 2006 08:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gloria' - Patti Smith

Patti Smith rarely improves on anything

'Black Steel' - Tricky

Tough one. Certainly arguable, especially since the PE song goes on for way too long.

'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' - Saint Etienne

Absolutely.

'Your Song' - Billy Paul
'By the Time I Get to Phoenix' - Isaac Hayes

never heard

'My Favourite Things' - John Coltrane

boring, but the original is hardly unfuckwithable to begin with. Weak inclusion.

'Song to the Siren' - This Mortal Coil

Absolutely

'Hallelujah' - Jeff Buckley

y'know, I'm not sure if I've ever actually heard the original, but Buckley certainly did a fantastic job of making the song his own (unlike Rufus Wainwright, whose version makes me want to punch myself)

'Hurt' - Johnny Cash

Again, arguable, though I still probably prefer the original (and without the video, might not even be a contest)

'Heartbeats' - Jose Gonzalez

Of course not. Do people actually think this?

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 14 January 2006 08:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

M. Ward's version of "Let's Dance" is pretty damn stunning.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Saturday, 14 January 2006 08:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

I doubt many of you will agree with me, but I vastly prefer REM's version of "Strange" to the Wire original.

― pfaff, Saturday, 14 January 2006 10:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Slits' Heard it Through the Grapevine rules

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 16 January 2006 12:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

fugees "killing me softly"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 16 January 2006 18:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

All improvements:

Donna Summer - "MacArthur Park"
Boys Town Gang - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
Cyndi Lauper - "When You Were Mine"
Pet Shop Boys - "It's Alright"
Miss Kittin & The Hacker - "Dirty Talk"
Alcazar - "Crying At The Discotheque"
Peaches - "Keine Melodien"

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Monday, 16 January 2006 20:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Slits grapevine rules, but the Marvin Gaye original is pretty rediculous as well. I think the Smashing Pumpkins "Landslide" is a little better

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 16 January 2006 20:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

just heard the original Jr. Walker version of "Do You See My Love for You Growing" for the first time, the Dirtbombs' version is definitely more good.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 16 January 2006 21:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not sure which was the original but Johnny Cash's version of "Beat the Devil" beats Kris Kristofferson's(who wrote it, but may have wrote it just for Cash, I forget). My favorite Johnny Cash song, actually.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 16 January 2006 21:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

caetano veloso's billie jean

― powpowpow, Monday, 16 January 2006 21:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

big black - heartbeat

boyce & hart - jumpin' jack flash

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 16 January 2006 21:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Blue Cheer's "Summertime Blues" just rocks to high heeaven

Japan's "Ain't That Peculiar"

Woven Hand's "Ain't no Sunshine"

The Gurus' "Louie Louie"

Natacha Atlas's "I Put A Spell On You"

― Cliftonb, Monday, 16 January 2006 22:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Marvin Gaye's "Grapevine" was a cover, too!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 16 January 2006 22:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Pet Shop Boys' "Where The Streets Have No Name"

― Curt1s Stephens, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 21:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

The Band - Don't Do It
(marvin gaye original i think)

― ógy, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 21:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

Vampire Weekend's Exit Music over the original anyday.

― lambchopelbow, Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I'd take 'The Day Before You Came' by Blancmange over the Abba original, definitely. I like the fact that Neil Arthur turns the writer from Marilyn French to Barbara Cartland, that's really funny! But I also think Neil Arthur's delivery is close to perfection -- he adopts a tone somewhere between Neil Tennant and Billy McKenzie and they add lots of percussive and instrumental flourishes which make their version more interesting.

― Grandpont Genie, Saturday, 28 April 2012 16:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

John Coltrane's My Favourite Things (Sound Of Music), Flamingoes I Only Have Eyes For You (think it was a broadway musical).
LOve Little REd Book
Roberta Flack No Way To Say Goodbye, First Time Ever I saw Your Eyes.
several Steeleye Span tracks from the first couple of lps, though the Dubliners' versions are also pretty great and that was presumably the source.
Gun Club Run Through The Jungle or at least I certrainly listen to it more than the CCR track it reinvents
MC5 I WAnt You? another major reinvention as regards the Troggs source, though I do like the Troggs

― Stevolende, Saturday, 28 April 2012 18:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

Coltrane's version is great but I prefer Mark Murphy's.

I Only Have Eyes For You is indeed from 1934 but it was written for this film: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dames

That one is a great suggestion.

― Moka, Saturday, 28 April 2012 18:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

(from the spiney-shivery thread)

Cecil Taylor's "This Nearly Was Mine" (South Pacific)

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Saturday, 28 April 2012 20:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

not sure as i never heard the original but i cannot imagine a better version of susie q than the one by creedence clearwater revival.

― alex in mainhattan, Saturday, 28 April 2012 21:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

Yeah, I like CCR version better too.

Still a good time to plug the original. Such a small place the world's been lately.

― pplains, Saturday, 28 April 2012 21:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

Wrong Hawkins pplains. The original is by Dale Hawkins not Ronnie Hawkins and it's miles better than that one you posted. The CCR is really good and I'd also say it's an improvement even tho I love Dale's version.

― Moka, Monday, 30 April 2012 07:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

Galaxie 500's version of 'Ceremony' by New Order

― fishermen are coveted by whores & stoners (Pillbox), Monday, 30 April 2012 09:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

On that tip, I'll add that Luna's version of 'Indian Summer' by Beat Happening.

― fishermen are coveted by whores & stoners (Pillbox), Monday, 30 April 2012 09:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

Aw, Hawkins cousins be cousins.

― pplains, Monday, 30 April 2012 13:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

Love Cave and the Bad Seeds version of "All Tomorrow's Parties." Great squalls of guitar and the frantic drumming...

― kwhitehead, Monday, 30 April 2012 23:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

who is Love Cave? Nick's daughter?

― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 30 April 2012 23:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

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