Covers equal to or better than the "Original Hit"

[KEW]

Please post when you "discover a cover" of a popular/familiar song that you believe meets or beats the original hit!

I say hit because, for example, Bob Dylan wrote and performed "Make You Feel My Love", but it is Adele's version that made it the huge hit it is. Posting Adele's version of this song won't really expand our music base!

I just came across this (Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Pink) version of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" from his "So" album. I not positive it is better (Gabriel's is damn good),but certainly it is worth a listen:

 

[speakerman39]

Excellent rendition!


Cheers,

Phil

 

[lovinthehd]

I love covers

First one that comes to mind is Jimi Hendrix' version of Dylan's All Along the Watchtower (and Hendrix' was probably the bigger hit, too)...then again I also like Michael Hedges' version of All Along the Watchtower a lot, but each are quite different. On the same album (Live on the Double Planet) Hedges also does a killer version of Prince's A Love Bizarre. Another that comes to mind is Los Lobos' version of Bertha on Deadicated (and on Deadicated are several very good covers of Grateful Dead standards).

 

[speakerman39]

Kurt, here are a couple more:

Cheers,

Phil

 

[ryanosaur]

 

[ryanosaur]

 

[highfigh]

Please post when you "discover a cover" of a popular/familiar song that you believe meets or beats the original hit!

I say hit because, for example, Bob Dylan wrote and performed "Make You Feel My Love", but it is Adele's version that made it the huge hit it is. Posting Adele's version of this song won't really expand our music base!

I just came across this (Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Pink) version of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" from his "So" album. I not positive it is better (Gabriel's is damn good),but certainly it is worth a listen:

I don't see the guitar player- methinks his record company wouldn't give permission or he couldn't be there but since Tal Wilkenfeld and Vinnie Colaiuta are on it, I would say it could be Jeff Beck. Tal and Vinnie have been touring with Herbie, but with their past association and and player's slide intonation & phrasing, it's definitely possible.

I just went to YouTube to see more info and someone else mentioned Beck playing but I didn't realize this was from 2010.

I don't think John Lennon would be too upset with this-

 

[killdozzer]

Originally by Cars, I believe this song profited by this rendition. It is still in the same POP genre - I don't like all those heavy metal renditions of Michael Jackson or Manson singing the Tainted Love - but there'e a noticable dimension of depth and saddness and seriousness which gave some wings to this song. Although I discovered a very conventional set of brains in my head so the fact that it is the lady asking who's gonna drive you home, just makes me giggle and say; what the f... do you care? To my defense, I still appreciate the song as better that the original.

 

[speakerman39]

This song was very popular when i was a kid!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

This is one of the best songs ever written imho!

I was going to link the actual video, but some may find it too offensive!


Cheers,

Phil

 

[lovinthehd]

Speaking of Tainted Love, the jazz version by Stella Starlight Trio is pretty nice

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

So much of Led Zep's songs are covers, and most of them are much better.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-led-zeppelin-songs-that-led-zeppelin-didnt-write

 

[Irvrobinson]

IMO, any song written by Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen sung by a great female singer.

Linda Ronstadt, Norah Jones, and Emmy Lou Harris come to mind as singers who have done this.

 

[lovinthehd]

I do like this version of the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever better....

 

[davidscott]

Manfred Mans version of "Blinded by the Light' written by Springsteen.

 

[KEW]

OOOOH! I almost forgot this one!
I'm not going to say this one is better, but the first time I heard it (in a store?),it drove me F'ing crazy! "I KNOW that song, but can't place it!". It is indisputably the same song, but the style is so different, I wasn't even thinking of "rock" groups!

I wish I could post it without "Time - Pink Floyd" being listed so you could enjoy the same wonder I had trying to figure it out.

If you get the chance, cue it up for a friend and see how long/if they figure it out!

The original, from DSOTM:

Edit: Damn! I just realized that all of these years, Pink Floyd has scammed us!
The colors of the rainbow! "Roy G Biv" is the mnemonic and where is the F'ing "I"? They skipped Indigo!!!

 

[KEW]

So much of Led Zep's songs are covers, and most of them are much better.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-led-zeppelin-songs-that-led-zeppelin-didnt-write

And then there's Dread Zepplin:

Is it wrong that I can get into this music as much as the original? I can't help but get a smirk on my face listening to it!
I think they describe the group: Led Zepplin songs sung by Elvis Pressley in a Reggae style!

 

[lovinthehd]

OOOOH! I almost forgot this one!
I'm not going to say this one is better, but the first time I heard it (in a store?),it drove me F'ing crazy! "I KNOW that song, but can't place it!". It is indisputably the same song, but the style is so different, I wasn't even thinking of "rock" groups!

I wish I could post it without "Time - Pink Floyd" being listed so you could enjoy the same wonder I had trying to figure it out.

If you get the chance, cue it up for a friend and see how long/if they figure it out!

That's on the Vintage Cafe collection I was listening to, heard it the same day as that Tainted Love (same group too)....but did take me a while to figure out what it was

 

[speakerman39]

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Cheers,

Phil