The original vs The cover version

[Floyd.]

Song: Hurt
Original: NIN
Cover: Johnny Cash

The song was meant for Cash, Reznor wrote it for him without ever knowing it, nobody could of done it better. What do you think?

Song: Son Of A Preacherman(sp?)
Original: Dusty Springfield
Cover: Aretha Franklin

Aretha killed it, she put plenty of gusto into it but fucked the tempo and robbed it of any real soul. Dusty's version will forever stand up as a classic.

Song: Nothing Compares To You
Original: Prince
Cover: Sinead O'Connor

I've got to say Sinead wins in this instance but it's pretty fucking close really.

Right now come on kids give us your examples and judgements.

Edit: added a song

[Bazza]

Song: Louie Louie
Original: Richard Berry & The Pharaohs
Cover: The Kingsmen

One of those covers which most people think is the original version. Louie Louie started life as a do wop song back in the late 50's. When The Kingsmen covered Louie Louie it became a garage classic and has been copied hundreds of times since.

[Floyd.]

So who did the version that was made famous by Animal House? That's the version I'm most familiar with.

[coda]

SONG: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
Original: Bob Dylan 1968
Cover: Jimi Hendrix 1968 & many others

SONG:TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN'
Original: Tiny Bradshaw
Cover: The Yardbirds, 1965, Aerosmith, 1974 & manyothers

SONG: BABE, i'M GONNA LEAVE YOU
Original: Joan Baez, 1962
Cover: Led Zeppelin, 1969

SONG: I FOUGHT THE LAW
Original: The Crickets, 1961 (Buddy Holly's band)
Cover: The Clash, 1979 & many others

SONG: WOODSTOCK
Original: Joni Mitchell, 1969
Cover, Crosby, Stills & Nash 1969

SONG: I SHOT THE SHERIFF
Original:Bob Marley, 1973
Cover: Eric Clapton, 1974

SONG: BLACK MAGIC WOMEN
Original: Fleetwood Mac, 1968
Cover: Santana, 1970

SONG: ME & BOBBY MCGEE
Original: Kris Kristofferson, 1970
Cover: Janis Joplin, 1971

[Floyd.]

Every single song you mentioned with the exception of the second one the original was better. But The Clash one came close for me.

[coda]

Hey!

"Train Kept A Rollin'" I like the second cover by the Yardbirds better than Aerosmith. The Yardbirds was a great band!!! Page, Clapton & Jeff Beck all came out of the Yardbirds into their respective musical careers.
Check out The Yardbirds if you haven't heard them yet.

And Dusty owns "Son of a Preacher Man."

Gee, there are tons of covers, especially recent ones of old classics, With those, I like the originals better-- or the first cover of the original. It's hard to cover a song & get away with it, unless they're doing it as a Tribute. And some are best left undone.

[Floyd.]

Aerosmith are horrid of course I meant the Yardbirds; so yes I know them.

It depends really the truly great cover will outdo the originally easily depending on how much it is changed and the artists interpretation and how integrity and honesty are maintained. That is one reason that Sinead and Johnny Cash triumphed in the ones I listed.

The cover triumphs in this one:

Song: Jesus Wants'Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam
Original: The Vaselines
Cover: Nirvana

The rare case of a song improving each time it's covered I mean fuck it was originally a hymn.

[coda]

Oh well, yeah. In that case-- I haven't heard the Vaselines, I assume they are an early 1960's quartet or something.

I guess, I mean the songs that are established in everybody's mind. My music history goes back a few decades now so some of those covers I listed were originals for me at the time and when I hear them being recovered.. I kinda flip out. hahah! I'm a purist in that way. pretty darn reactionary in fact when it comes to that!!! But, some are not too bad, I admit.

Nivana did good by Bowie's "The Man who Sold The World." also.

But when you have Dolly Parton doing "Stairway to Heaven." That's just not right!!!!!!! :lol:

[Urban Rubble]

Song: 54-46 (Was my number)
Original: Toots and The Maytals
Cover: Sublime

Toots' version killed Sublime's. Nothing more to say.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

The Dead Kennedys BY FAR did the best version of "I Fought The Law".

Song: You're Not Blank
Original: The Dils
Cover: Dillinger Four

Dillinger Four may be my favorite band, but the midtempo Dils version of this song is just better on every level - the harmonies, the melody . . . D4 kill it.

Song: Class War
Original: The Dils
Cover: DOA, Seein' Red, every other punk band.

Anybody wanna weigh in on this?

[coda]

The only cover that I can think of that blew away the original or a cover that was made widely known of an original, was The Sex Pistols rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way." That was pretty brilliant!

[Bazza]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30 2005, 01:05 PM
So who did the version that was made famous by Animal House? That's the version I'm most familiar with.
The one in Animal House is sang by John Belushi and is pretty similar to The Kingsmen version.

[Bazza]

Song: September Gurls
Original: Big Star
Cover: Squire


While I quite like Big Star I think that Squire's version is far better than the original. Squire were a band who came out of the 79 Mod revival and released September Gurls as a mini album back in the mid 80s.

[codyvo]

Here's a toughie

Song: I'm a man (Mannish Boy)
Original: Bo Diddley
Cover: Muddy Waters

Song: It Ain't Me Babe
Original: Bob Dylan
Cover: Johnny Cash

[coda]

I like the Bob Dylan "it ain't me,babe." and again that would be the first version I ever heard, which seems to be the rule for me with a few rare exceptions.

[EneME]

Song: I Will Survive
Original: Gloria Gaynor
Cover: Cake

I am completely SICCKKK of Gloria Gaynor's version. It's fuckin EVERYWHERE. Cake has an AWESOME version of it, you should all check it out: (You might have to right click/save target as)
32k High Speed Stream (http://a425.v8384d.c8384.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/426/8384/3b858b51/mtvrdstr.download.akamai.com/8512/wmp/0/406/756_1_7_05.asf)
16k Low Speed Stream (http://a425.v8384d.c8384.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/426/8384/3b858b51/mtvrdstr.download.akamai.com/8512/wmp/0/406/756_1_7_04.asf)

Song: No Ordinary Love
Original: Sade
Cover: Deftones

I am a Sade fanatic, so I absolutely love the original but I really enjoyed the cover. I like it when artists do a cover of a song, and make it their own. I hate it when they just copy it, whats the POINT? *mumbles* fuckin Gloria Estefan...

[codyvo]

Song: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Original: The Band
Cover: Joan Baez

[coda]

the Band for me.

there are a couple covers that really irk me off. Madonna's cover of Don McClean's "American Pie." really bad. I wonder what someone is thinking when they try to pull off such a classic song like that.

And another one is that Disney Mousekeeteer, Hillary Duff, a product of Amerikan pop culture, who did the Who's "My Generation." She should have atleast waited until The Who were dead to insult them. :blink:

[coda]

Hey yeah, Molotov.. the Dead Kennedys did a great cover of "I've fought the law." that may be one of my exceptions to the rule. I still like the Clash though. Usually, when a cover comes along -- i intensely dislike it if I have the other version firmly established in my head.

Another exception is Marley's "I shot the Sheriff" over Clapton's who I had heard first.

[bed_of_nails]

Cash did a great cover of Hurt, but nobody beats out Trent Reznor at his own songs.

[BOZG]

Reznor's original is much better. You can't help but place Hurt in the context of the whole album when you listen to it. You can't do that with Cash's version.

Song: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Original: Nirvana

Song: Losing My Religion
Original: REM

Song: Enjoy The Silence
Original: Depeche Mode

Song: Raining Blood
Original: Slayer

All four of these songs have been covered by Tori Amos and they're all fantastic covers. I don't think I could say whether the originals or the covers were better but that they both appeal to me depending on mood. Her versions are far more haunting, I recommend downloading them.

[bed_of_nails]

Floyd: NIN is one man. Of course that is going to be self-indulgent.

His cover of hurt was a masterpiece. Cash's piece was good right before he died but it just doesnt have the same feeling to it.

[Floyd.]

Bed of Nails:
Johnny Cash was one man I meant in comparison to Cash but anyway Rexnor still is more self-indulgent than most respectable musicians.

If anything Cash's death makes his cover of Hurt more powerful.

[bed_of_nails]

Using your own logic there, any dead musician is obviously better than any live musician.

[Floyd.]

No, I said that becuase Csh was very sick when he recorded it and knew he was going to do with added so much more gravity to the song and an entirely deeper feeling. He didn't choose any old song it was a reflection on the past and on what was coming for him.

If he had recorded the song in perfect health and unexpectedly died I wouldn't of said it because it wouldn't have the same deep reflection that it does. This has nothing to do with a dead musician being better because of legacy bullshit this has to do with Cash being fucking deep, honest and a good chooser/interpreter of songs.

You've got it all wrong on this one mate.

[Floyd.]

You just reminded me of this:

Song: With A Little Help From My Frieds
Original: The Beatles
Cover: Joe Cocker

I have to say Joe Cocker totally outclasses Ringo on this track.

[Bazza]

Song: Shipbuilding
Original: Elvis Costello
Cover: Robert Wyatt


Although Elivs Costello wrote the song it was first released by Robert Wyatt. Both versions are great but I think Costello's version just edges it.

[coda]

I came across a tough one for me.

Dear Mr. Fantasy
Original: Traffic (excellent band!)
Cover: CSN

also covered by: The Grateful Dead & Blind Faith with Winwood post-Traffic)

[bed_of_nails]

But Cash doesnt seem to fit into the song because he doesnt seem very self-destructive. I will give you the fact that everyone around him was dying or dead though.

[coda]

I was just thinking of a thread that where we could analyze the impact and merits or lack of.. of past bands, considered now the classic stuff, --- their contributions to music, form and their place in history.

You can do the honors. Starting threads makes me hyperactive, if you know what i mean.

by the way, Seems we have the same taste in music, RZ!

[Don't Change Your Name]

Nice idea. I'm ready to challenge anyone and anything about my views on "old" music. Bring it on!

[codyvo]

Okay, new music sucks.

Also, I would like to know if anyone here has ever heard a Hendrix cover, I haven't I think it might be because he played a right handed guitar left handed, plus they'd be hard to play anyways.

[coda]

Yes, I remember somebody trying to do Hendrix's version of "the Star Spangled Banner" and have no recall of who it was.

anybody?

[coda]

also there have been various covers of Little Wing, Manic Depression, and Hey Joe.

[codyvo]

Oh, well I haven't heard any of these, I have heard the Star Spangled Banner, but it isn't exclusive to Hendrix, so I wouldn't consider that a Hendrix cover.

[coda]

Here's a small list of who has covered Little Wing
http://www.secondhandsongs.com/song/3978.html

[codyvo]

Wow, thats great, I'm not surprised Clapton could cover it, he is one of the greatest guitarist ever, their was some pretty good artist on their, also if I'm not mistaken, The Guess Who has done a few Hendrix covers, just found this out though.

[RhetoricalAbsurdity]

I've got two I can think of at the moment.

Song: Another Brick in the Wall.
Original Artist: Pink Floyd.
Cover: Korn.

kdjfkdsjfkds Pink Floyd.

Song: Skinhead Girl.
Original Artist: Symarip.
Cover: Bad Manners, The Oppressed, others.

This one's tough. The original is good, but I personally like the Bad Manners version better. The Oppressed's cover wasn't bad either, and I like that they really made it their own. I'm not familiar with the other versions, but I'm fairly sure there are some. Any other thoughts on this one?

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2005, 08:43 PM
Okay, new music sucks.

Also, I would like to know if anyone here has ever heard a Hendrix cover, I haven't I think it might be because he played a right handed guitar left handed, plus they'd be hard to play anyways.
Hendrix isn't too hard technically. Yes he was left handed, I think its the inverted headstock he had on his famous white strat that may be confusing you here. Even if he played with his toes, the notes he plays are still well written musically in most songs, and an accomplished guitarist can pick them up with work. His tone is a lot harder to recreate, and doing live...well Hendrix was a showman. The toughest bits I find is trying to use the tremello like he does. There are points when he has entered the guitar through the back and messed with the strings and bridge whilst playing.

[coda]

The thing about Hendrix is that his hands were huge! so easier to do multiple chord progressions.

[codyvo]

I heard he had more than just big hands if you know what I'm saying. ;)

[coda]

hehe. I do!!! :blink:

forever immortalized too, I heard in plastercast!!! :rolleyes:

It's true what they say.. big hands...

My friend has a theory which he claims to be 100% percent reliable. that the measurements are contained between the tip of your middle finger to the bottom palm of your hand!!!!!! :lol:

well, now I feel like I've diverged into the perverse... and inapporpriate forum.

How about:

Song: Gloria
Original: Them
Cover: The Doors

[SittingBull47]

Cash covered hurt on a whole different level. It's good in it's own right, but I find Reznor's original to be better.

[el nicaraguense]

Its my life sang by NO-doubt y Talk talk.

I like talk talk better cuz sound more drama

[Sir Aunty Christ]

The Stranglers' version of "Walk on By" is fantastic.

[Floyd.]

Misfits - Static Age

EDIT: haha I posted in the wrong thread when high

I left it there just so you could all see

[Bazza]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2005, 08:52 PM
also there have been various covers of Little Wing, Manic Depression, and Hey Joe.
My favourite version of Hey Joe is by Love and was on their debut album. Which was released a few years before Hendrix recorded it.