When the "cover" song is as good or better than the original

amirm · Apr 16, 2015

Most covers struggle to approach the original. But sometimes, they create unique works of arts of their own, even though they are a "copy" of the original. After all, a painting is a copy of the real thing and we praise that.

So I thought I create a thread and have everyone post the covers they enjoy as much if not more than the original.

To get us started, here is the House of the Rising Sun, sung by Kimberly Nichole in the show, The Voice:

And the "original" as sung by Animals: [yes, I know, they were also doing a cover as this is a much older song than their rendition]

Bruce B · Apr 16, 2015

We all know the original of this...

Original artist for this was Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

Original by Florence and the Machine

astrotoy · Apr 17, 2015

'Fields of Gold' original Sting, cover Eva Cassidy. To me Sting isn't even close. Larry

Orb · Apr 17, 2015

That is still one of the great aspects of Radio stations, where they do live sessions with both the big names and also up and coming ones.
The BBC has done this for awhile now, and I do feel they provide a quality that can be missing from albums (such as Adele ironically sounding better IMO in their studio live than the released albums).
Unfortunately the albums released by the BBC are compilations and that is rather annoying when one is interested in specific bands that were on but that I guess is a reason to listen to the actual show

Anyway here is an example that has mostly covers but some doing their own tracks albeit stripped back for live studio; like anything there are a few stunning, a fair amount good, and a few not so good.
Bear in mind the samples for listening are not CD quality so do not compare fully from a sound quality perspective.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saturday-Se...0479&sr=8-1&keywords=saturday+sessions+dermot
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dermot-Olea...0479&sr=8-4&keywords=saturday+sessions+dermot
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dermot-Olea...0479&sr=8-2&keywords=saturday+sessions+dermot

I would think there would be something similar from the big radio stations on ones own country.
Cheers
Orb

Whatmore · Apr 17, 2015

Johnny Cash covering NIN's "hurt"
Hendrix - "All Along the Watchtower"
Sinead O'Connor - All Apologies
SRV - Little Wing

still-one · Apr 17, 2015

Mumford and Sons covering Springsteen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6gOg4a2kBs&spfreload=10

Orb · Apr 17, 2015

Whatmore said:
Johnny Cash covering NIN's "hurt"
Hendrix - "All Along the Watchtower"
Sinead O'Connor - All Apologies
SRV - Little Wing

I love the Hurt cover as well, personally though I would put above that "I Hung my Head" and also "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" he also covered.
Cheers
Orb

asiufy · Apr 17, 2015

Well, since Jimi was mentioned, I'd say any Dylan song done by somebody else wins over the original

Cool idea for a thread, but right now I can't think of any other situation where I prefer the cover to the original (except Dylan, of course).

The Zep songs they "borrowed" from old bluesmen count? If yes, I prefer the Zep's

Orb · Apr 17, 2015

Decided to play one of those Saturday Sessions CDs I own: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saturday-Sessions-Dermot-Oleary-Show/dp/B00I8CUFDO/
or : http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/th...-the-dermot-oleary-show-various/0886444362740
Stand-out covers IMO are:
Turin Brakes: Chim Chim Cher-ee (Mary Poppins)
Alt-J: Dancing in the Moonlight (Thin Lizzy)
Cattle and Cane: Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer)
Asgeir: Heart-Shaped Box (Nirvana)
London Grammar: Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)
Ben Howard: The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel)
Foxes: Hold On Were Going Home/Monster (Drake/Eminem)
Emily Barker & The Choir of Angels: Day After Tomorrow (Tom Waits)

The benefit of these being from a live BBC Radio recording studio to show is that the quality is superior (shame samples of album though do not match actual CD album quality) to what can be found usually from Youtube/concert releases (such as Turin Brakes).
Cheers
Orb

still-one · Apr 17, 2015

asiufy said:
Well, since Jimi was mentioned, I'd say any Dylan song done by somebody else wins over the original

Cool idea for a thread, but right now I can't think of any other situation where I prefer the cover to the original (except Dylan, of course).

The Zep songs they "borrowed" from old bluesmen count? If yes, I prefer the Zep's

Any cover of a Neil Young song is also better than the original. Dylan and Young write great songs, other do better at singing them.

zztop7 · Apr 17, 2015

Stairway to Heaven:
Bruce Brown & others, please correct me if you know different.
Many, many decades ago in an interview, Robert Plant made the statement that it took him & Jimmy Page less time to write this song than it took to perform it.
The very early Robert Plant voice was Great.
zz.

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 17, 2015

The first one that came to mind was HEART's version of Stairway to Heaven, but Bruce beat me to it. So let me offer up this one for your consideration.

still-one · Apr 17, 2015

Beth Hart always does justice to this one in concert, but just accompanied by guitar here, she is great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUaut2m4YaI&spfreload=10

FrantzM · Apr 17, 2015

Bruce B said:
We all know the original of this...

Original artist for this was Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

Original by Florence and the Machine

HERESY ... Stairway to Heavens is untouchable .. You don't mess with perfection

... The rendition is however good ...

24bit · Apr 17, 2015

Got to Get You Into My Life; but with a GROOVE!

zztop7 · Apr 17, 2015

FrantzM said:
HERESY ... Stairway to Heavens is untouchable .. You don't mess with perfection
... The rendition is however good ...

"The rendition" probably cost at least One Thousand times more than the original clean & clear & balanced Led Zeppelin 1971 recording.
.........would totally over-produced be an accurate statement of "The rendition"?
zz.

24bit · Apr 17, 2015

Wicked Game

Wicked Game, but transformed

.................................................................. .................................................. link to Carmen Gomes http://www.soundliaison.com/

KeithR · Apr 17, 2015

asiufy said:
Well, since Jimi was mentioned, I'd say any Dylan song done by somebody else wins over the original

winner!

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 17, 2015

still-one said:
Any cover of a Neil Young song is also better than the original. Dylan and Young write great songs, other do better at singing them.

I might agree with you on Dylan, but definitely NOT Neil!

asiufy · Apr 17, 2015

Well, there could be examples were the song is remade completely, like the Beatles one above (done by EWF). It's hardly the same song, really...

"Stairway" was pretty much done the same style, but with more bombast. Of course the original is better

Not even the Zeps themselves could make it better in the 70s, what makes you think it can be done better now?

It *is* a pretty good cover, though, one of the best in recent memory.

Branching out the subject a bit, there are a few bands that end up doing an entire album of cover songs. I do love a cover song, in spite of what I wrote before

So these albums are particularly fascinating to me... I wouldn't say any of these songs are done better than the original, but they're all pretty good, and worth hearing!

One of such kind of album that I remembered right away, from one of my fave bands, is this one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Box_of_Birds

Great selection!

Another cool album (that became a series, with 2 other volumes), is this one by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Covers,_Vol._1 (60s theme)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Covers,_Vol._2 (70s)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Covers,_Vol._3 (80s)

Guess who's covered in both albums? Good ol' Neil

When the "cover" song is as good or better than the original

Banned

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member

VIP/Donor

New Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

New Member

Industry Expert/VIP Donor

New Member

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Industry Expert/VIP Donor

Similar threads