― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 September 2002 13:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 9 September 2002 13:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
― michael w., Monday, 9 September 2002 13:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
(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 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 9 September 2002 15:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Burr, Monday, 9 September 2002 16:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Poppy (poppy), Monday, 9 September 2002 17:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dan (dan), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jens (brighter), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mike a, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― kieron, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
Better than the Johnny Cash original?! This is something I have to hear.
― o. nate (onate), Monday, 9 September 2002 21:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
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.
"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 (twenty-one years ago) link
Peaches version of Rock Show
― Dave Beckhouse, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nickn, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'll think of some more in a minute. My mind's gone blank.
― jon, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:09 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ryan McKay, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
.. Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
My Bloody Valentine's cover of 'Map Ref 41°N 93°W' ever so slightly improves it also.
bis's recent cover of 'Shack Up' was better than the A Certain Ratio version they were covering (it was an ep of Factory covers) but not as good as the Banberra original.
That's all Ican think of at the moment that hasn't been mentioned.
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 21:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― keith, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 02:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 04:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― B:Rad (Brad), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
Am I the only person who prefers Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" by far? I don't think it's a very good song in the first place and I think Hendrix' version gives it a gravitas it really doesn't earn, and unearned gravitas = horrible bombast, nice guitar work or no.
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― B:Rad (Brad), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
Actually Justyn is right in that the Byrds also did this, and I love them because they make everything sound so flat and pretty. So my point sort of falls apart.
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
chocolate watchband: "baby blue"
shellac: "jailbreak"
the swamp rats: "louie louie"
hendrix's "like a rolling stone" at monterey is better than his other dylan covers. it's also a proven scientific fact that loadsa dylan songs are done better by other people. i think d. zarakov will back me on this...
― cameron, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
Dylan version is so… soulless. You’d never guess it’s one of his best written songs if you went by the original version.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 11 June 2021 05:40 (three years ago) link
Even the Anonhi version which sounds as if recorded on a potato is better.
In a similar vein, does anyone stan for Leonard Cohen's original version of Hallelujah?
― enochroot, Friday, 11 June 2021 11:49 (three years ago) link
Rod Stewart – Tom Traubert's BluesRod Stewart – Downtown TrainBruce Springsteen – Jersey Girl
(hmmm, I see a pattern developing here)
Fairport Convention – Percy's SongNick Cave – Death Is Not the EndMarianne Faithfull – The Ballad of Lucy Jordan10,000 Maniacs – Everyday Is Like Sunday10,000 Maniacs – Hello In ThereTindersticks – If You're Looking for a Way OutThis Mortal Coil – Song to the Siren
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Friday, 11 June 2021 11:59 (three years ago) link
Nina Simone - Feeling Good (the original Broadway musical version ("The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd") of the song is...uhh...fairly unremarkable)
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Friday, 11 June 2021 12:17 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPdoWp-PHFU
― Maresn3st, Friday, 11 June 2021 12:40 (three years ago) link
Nina Simone also makes the most definitive version of Sinnerman. I wasn’t even aware it was a cover until recently via another thread on ilm.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 11 June 2021 14:50 (three years ago) link
Nina Simone's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" is also the definitive version IMHO.
― raven, Saturday, 12 June 2021 09:21 (three years ago) link
I still love the original but boy is this one smooth take on this songkali uchis - venus as a boyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47oiB_quDf8
― Swanswans, Saturday, 12 June 2021 09:30 (three years ago) link
Nina Simone does a lot of reinventions of very white singer songwriter stuff on the material I have collected as Sugar In My bowl.Have found that an odd companion to black militancy which I thought she was about at the time.BUt the versions are really good from what I've heard of them and I'm really glad to have them
― Stevolende, Saturday, 12 June 2021 11:54 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgZ3B-2q-g
― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Saturday, 12 June 2021 15:36 (three years ago) link