One that kind of surprises me since I like Zeppelin a lot.. but then again, I'm a big Tool fan... Tool doing Zep's No Quarter.

Another off the wall one... Soft Cell added quite a bit to Tainted Love first done by Gloria Jones...

Jane's Addiction doing Sympathy for the Devil (same disclaimer as above applies).

I always loved David Bowie's version of "Rosalyn" (originally done by The Pretty Things). In fact, the entire Pin-Ups lp is quite nice.

Thin Lizzy's "Rosalie."

rooster.

Hendrix's "Watchtower" is just so much more powerful than Dylan's. Conversely, Dylan's "Tambourine Man" lost something when the Byrds covered it, IMHO.

I may be in the minority with this next one, but I like Echo and the Bunnymen's "People are Strange" better than the original...

Johnny Cash - Hurt (NIN) & I Hung My Head (Sting)

I prefer Joe Cocker's covers of Wayne Thompson's/The Box Tops' The Letter, Leon Russell's Delta Lady, The Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends and, with great respect for Dave Mason, Traffic's Feelin' Alright.

Yes's cover of America is incredible...

I gotta agree with People are strange, but I just can't get into Cash doing Hurt..

I prefer Joe Cocker's covers of Wayne Thompson's/The Box Tops' The Letter, Leon Russell's Delta Lady, The Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends and, with great respect for Dave Mason, Traffic's Feelin' Alright.

I definitely prefer Cocker's cover versions of these, too. :yes: :thmbsp:


I like Eric Burdon and the Animals' cover of House of the Rising Sun (which most people, it seems, think is the original!) and maybe (hard to decide) like Frijid Pink's cover of it even more.

I KNOW there are a bunch more songs I like later covers of more than the originals, but can't think of them just now. I'll try to come back and add 'em when I think of them.

Love Devo's cover of the Stones' Satisfaction. Jagger said it was the best cover he ever heard.

Or David Byrne's cover of Whitney Houston's "I want to dance with somebody." Check it out here at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hx6KQH22TA

Devo - Satisfaction, what a good pick. They did the hell out of the song, in typical DEVO style. :thmbsp:

How about Joan Jett doing Crimson and Clover? Personally, I like the original (Shondells) better but I bet some prefer her version.

Yep.. Devo is much better than the Stones, and to that I'll ad Secret Agent Man and Working in a Coal Mine were better by them than the originals.. to me at least..

I prefer Joe Cocker's covers of Wayne Thompson's/The Box Tops' The Letter, Leon Russell's Delta Lady, The Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends and, with great respect for Dave Mason, Traffic's Feelin' Alright.

Drybasement beat me to it! I totally agree........Dave

Workin' in a Coal Mine--another goodie.

Here's some I just remembered: Frijid Pink covering House of the Rising Sun (Animals)

Bauhaus doing a cover of Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust"

Metallica covering Bob Seger's "Turn the Page (on the road again)"

The Green Manalishi by Judas Priest.

OH.. maybe not the best sounding version, but NO ONE could ever make Ballroom Blitz as enjoyable as Tia Carrere did...

Metallica ~ Whiskey In A Jar

The Who ~ Summer Time Blues

I hated the Metalica version of Turn the Page.. That's just one of those songs I don't think I'll ever like anyone doing other than Seager... You just know how every breath and word should drop, and any change to it seems to just ruin it..

The Who ~ Summer Time Blues


I liked the Flying Lizards version of this best...

I liked the Flying Lizards version of this best...

Same here.

I always liked Judas Priest doing Diamonds & Rust too.

Tears for Fears - Mad World by Gary Jules

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6740803162658927402

Got one---- Howard Jones' version of "No one is to Blame" :thmbsp:

I liked the Flying Lizards version of this best...


and their cover of Money is cool as well but I think I still like the original better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iQZiVD_zA

I can't listen to any version of Money without trying to hear it like the Lizards did... It's amazing how once you hear a certian version of a song that "just sounds right" to you, it makes it hard to listen to other versions..

New Order's Ceremony better than Joy Division's.

OH.. another great one I just thought of... Nirvana doing the Meat Puppets Lake of Fire unplugged... FANTASTIC!

The Damned - Alone Again Or by Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RqcEuxY_Q

Interesting you mention The Damned.. I stumbled on them Doing Ballroom Blitz a bit ago looking for the Tia video... And in checking that out, I didn't realize that Lemmy played bass for them doing Ballroom.....

Saint Vitus doing Black Flag's Thirsty & Miserable.

OH.. I also like Presidents of the United States of America's version of Video Killed the Radio Star better than the Buggles version... not as bubble gummy...

and their cover of Money is cool as well but I think I still like the original better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iQZiVD_zA

Actually, I think I like the FL version better. It's just more fun. More irreverent. Well, it is to me anyhow.

Oh yeah.. and Rage Against the Machine showed Springsteen how The Ghost of Tom Joad should really be played.

I bought this CD off the Talking Heads' web site a few years ago called Never Mind the Cover Band, and it's a collection of (largely) unknown bands doing covers of THeads songs. There's some really cool stuff in there, and I'm drawing a blank on the song name, but there's this one super heavy industrial sounding cover, it might be Burning Down the House, but it's like Nine Inch Nails mixed with David Byrne. And there's a really freaky cover of Once in a Lifetime by some Eastern European band that sounds like too much Franz Kafka got slipped to them in middle school.

Just an interesting little disk, though.

Big Star - Thirteen - Elliot Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hbZlSMOySE

And then there's Los Lobos' CD called Ride This which is a bunch of their songs covered by other artists and includes:

Jockey Full Of Bourbon (Tom Waits)
More Than I Can Stand (Carter/Womack)
Uncomplicated (Elvis Costello)
Patria (Ruben Blades)
Shoot Out The Lights (Richard Thompson)
It'll Never Be Over For Me (Bobrick/Blagman)
*Marie Marie (Dave Alvin)

The other cool track of theirs that came out on the immediate precursor to this track , The Ride, features Mavis Staples covering the vocals on Someday.

Personally, I'm not a religious person, but she is incredible on this track.

Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - The Vaselines done by Nirvana although the original is pretty good itself so really a toss up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdyqXSa5Bzc

Yep.. Devo is much better than the Stones, and to that I'll ad Secret Agent Man and Working in a Coal Mine were better by them than the originals.. to me at least..
Agreed.

I prefer Chris Smithers' version of Tim Hardin's "Don't Make Promises that You Can't Keep".

Also, M.Ward's version of Bowie's "Let's Dance".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgYQ90prZ4M

And although I'm generally not a Pigpen fan, The Dead's version of Otis Reading's "Hard to Handle" because it was a vehicle for some of their most exciting '70/'71 jamming.

g'n'r - "live and let die"

I like the Vanhalen (Vanhagar) live cover of The Who's Won't get fooled again, Not better than the origional but pretty good.

I also like Jimmy Buffet's version of CSN's Southern Cross....

Buddy Miles did a killer version of Neil Young's Down By The River on his Buddy Miles Live album from the 70's.

Beatles - Mr. Postman
Beatles - Slow Down
Ry Cooder - Go Home, Girl
Stones - Can I Get a Witness

I liked the Flying Lizards version of this best...

Summertime Blues, by Eddie Cochran, is one of those tunes that no one can better, but it is easy to do justice. Just a great song, but take a listen to the original again and tell me a cover is better.
Blue Cheer did a very heavy version that got some airplay, and was waaayyy cool, but IMO any cover of an Eddie Cochran tune is a tribute to one of the great early pioneers of real rock music. Same can be said for Buddy Holly.

Robert Gordon's covers of:

Someday, Someway (Marshall Crenshaw)
Fire (Bruce Springsteen)

Talking Heads version of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"

Here's another:

Led Zep's version of Leadbelly's "Gallis Pole" (retitled Gallows Pole)

Helter Skelter by Pat Benatar... NAAAHHHH... the original was better.

XTC's - All Along the Watchtower.

Harry Nilsson - Mother Nature's Son
Harry Nilsson - Dayton, Ohio 1903

War Pigs /Faith No More or
Southparks Cartman doing Styx's Come Sail Away

You're no good - Linda Ronstadt

Tracks of my tears - wow, Linda Ronstadt again!

From a distance - Nanci Griffith

Well the tone of this thread is more rock oriented but as far as interpreting others songs Dusty Springfield was one of the greatest. Dusty in Memphis had "Son of a Preacher Man" among others. Ok I'll go back to my rocking chair while the young guys google "Dusty".

Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower is far superior to Dylan's, I'll agree. I'll throw in Rush's cover of Mr. Soul, but Buffalo Springfield rocks pretty good on the original. :music:

And then there's Los Lobos' CD called Ride This which is a bunch of their songs covered by other artists...


I'm assuming you actually meant it contains their covers of other artists' songs.

Santana ~ Black Magic Woman (although the Peter Green's Version is great too)
Santana ~ Oye Como Va (original Tito Puente)
The Who ~ Young Man Blues ~ Live at Leeds (by Mose Allison)

You're no good - Linda Ronstadt

Tracks of my tears - wow, Linda Ronstadt again!

She did a mighty fine version of Lowell George's Willin' that I really like as well.

Rickie Lee Jones doing "Under The Boardwalk"....

Tinsley Ellis doing," just dropped in"
Harry Nilsson doing, "without you"
Hendrix, voodoo child

John Mellencamp - Under The Boardwalk - Coasters
Pearl Jam - Love Reign Over Me - The Who
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - For You - Bruce Springsteen
Johnny Winter - Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
Grand Funk Railroad - Some Kind Of Wonderful - The Drifters

The Who ~ Young Man Blues ~ Live at Leeds (by Mose Allison)

great version, but the original by mose is so different, it is hardley the same song.

;2758994']Johnny Cash - Hurt (NIN) & I Hung My Head (Sting)

You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman.

+1

I can't listen to any version of Money without trying to hear it like the Lizards did... It's amazing how once you hear a certian version of a song that "just sounds right" to you, it makes it hard to listen to other versions..

that flying lizards lp is just plain amazing, both money and summertime blues are maybe the definitive versions of those songs.

although those are two pretty classic songs to begin with, i do like the beatles version of money alot. and the version on The Soundtrack for Back Beat is good, if my memory serves me right.

"Help! I'm a Rock!"
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (covering The Mothers of Invention)

"Baby, Can I Follow You Down?"
Bob Dylan covering Dave Van Ronk

"Somebody To Love"
Jefferson Airplane covering The Great Society

Obscure...and known only by metalheads...but Slayer covering Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor" is so much better that I can't even listen to the original anymore. (and no one is a bigger Rob Halford fan than I am!!)

Sympathy for the Devil-Jonathan Round

"Heartbreak Hotel"
John Cale, covering Elvis.

"Streets of Laredo"
John Cale, covering Marty Robbins... among others.

You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman.

+1

cool avatar and aforementioned intellect aside, "hurt" would never make a better cover, not even by johnny cash. maybe you should listen to it again.
mike

mighty mighty bosstones "detroit rock city"

Pearl Jam - Love Reign Over Me - The Who
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - For You - Bruce Springsteen

I have to disagree on these three. The Who nailed Love, Reign O'er Me; Daltrey's vocal is just perfect.

Similarly, while SRV does a virtuoso turn on his cover, Hendrix' reserved and restrained guitar work on the studio recording of Little Wing perfectly fits the mood of the song, as does Mitch Mitchell's drumming.

Finally, Manfred Mann's Earth Band took three brilliantly loose, rocking songs from Greetings from Asbury Park and sucked all the life out of them through massive overproduction.


I don't know if this qualifies; it's a David Bowie song (he did write and record it) but Iggy Pop's cover(?) of China Girl was released first...

I agree with the Flying Lizards fans; their deconstructions of Money and Summertime Blues are absolute classics.

Sympathy for the Devil-Jonathan Round

Jane's Addiction doing Sympathy for the Devil (same disclaimer as above applies).

counter your SFTD's and raise with..

GNR doing Sympathy for The Devil
So very many excellent SFTD covers and another good example where a song was held back by it's original creators IMO
tal

Marshall Chapman did an interesting cover of Turn the Page.

I may be in the minority with this next one, but I like Echo and the Bunnymen's "People are Strange" better than the original...I have the 7inch. Lurve it.

She did a mighty fine version of Lowell George's Willin' that I really like as well.

anything by Linda qualifies but "willin" gets a +5 as does yes covering "america"

cool avatar and aforementioned intellect aside, "hurt" would never make a better cover, not even by johnny cash. maybe you should listen to it again.
mike

I have. It's good.

But not only do I like Cash's version better ("I like"), I even like Unni Lovlid's (Rusk) cover of Hurt better, too (which is really a cover of Cash's cover, as she incorporates Cash's lyrical change in her cover).

Lest we forget!!! Ring of Fire!!!
Wall of VooDoo and Social Distortion. Two completely different styles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JegJYlZ7UQE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbFlM6pFjso

Two of Us by Aimee Mann & Michael Penn from the I am Sam soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBgVJMuSh-I

I'll think of some others later.

The Revolting Cocks (Revco) cover of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart

Souixse (sp?) and the Banshees - Helter Skelter although I'm not sure I like it more than the original but it's close (I really like the Anthology Helter Skelter better than the original)
Beatles - Dizzy Miss Lizzie - Lennon really sings the hell out of this imo.
Mike

The Revolting Cocks (Revco) cover of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart

Good one! How did I forget that?

My vote goes to the Detroit / Mitch Ryder cover (1971). Classic Dee-troit rock & roll!

Steve A, who vaguely remembers Michigan State, 1970 -- 1974...

I have to disagree on these three. The Who nailed Love, Reign O'er Me; Daltrey's vocal is just perfect.

Similarly, while SRV does a virtuoso turn on his cover, Hendrix' reserved and restrained guitar work on the studio recording of Little Wing perfectly fits the mood of the song, as does Mitch Mitchell's drumming.

Finally, Manfred Mann's Earth Band took three brilliantly loose, rocking songs from Greetings from Asbury Park and sucked all the life out of them through massive overproduction.

Love Reign O'er Me, may be a toss up compared to the other two.

Springsteen, some Holiday Inn band doing Manfred Mann.

Hendrix, some guy playing a guitar behind some guy singing. Srv's tone and soul makes it the hands down winner.

Disclaimer: Not a musician, just my opinion.

I'm assuming you actually meant it contains their covers of other artists' songs.

Yeah, you're right. The Ride, which came out first, had a lot of those same artists doing their own interpretations of Los Lobos songs, and then, to return the favor, they did the Ride This EP, which was Los Lobos covering their tracks. Just a boneheaded mistake on my part.

Still, my ignorance aside, it was a pretty cool reciprocal effort between the two disks.

Going back a few years to 1967.SPOOKY by Denis Yost and the Classics 4,the original was good but you have to look up SPOOKY by the Atlanta Rhythm Section done a few years later,it was awesome and I mean AWESOME!

Rita Coolidge does a very nice cover of Boz Scaggs' We're All Alone. There are times I prefer Rita's version over Boz's but it's really hard to top the original. Boz sings it so well.

I love love love cover tunes. Here are a few off the top of my head. I could go on all day....

Supersuckers doing Rocket From the Crypt's Ball Lightning
Siouxsie and the Banshee's doing the Beatle's Dear Prudence
the Pixies doing the Jesus and Mary Chain's Head On
Bauhaus doing T. Rex's Telegram Sam
Mayumi Chiwaki Pilar Stupa doing Bauhaus' Slice of Life
Mark Lanegan doing Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Soundgarden doing Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning
White Stripes doing Dolly Parton's Jolene
Reverend Horton Heat doing Frankie Laine's Jezebel
Deke Dickerson and the Eccofonics doing Bing Crosby's Mexicali Rose

And more...

Bow Wow Wow covering the Strangelove's I Want Candy
Iggy Pop covering Johnny O'Keefe's Wild One
Joan Jett's cover of the Arrow's I Love Rock 'n Roll
Maxwell's cover of Nine Inch Nails' Closer
Both the Foo Fighters and Marilyn Manson's cover of Gary Numan's Down in the Park
Adam Ant and the Cure's cover of the Doors Hello, I Love You
Screaming Trees covering of John Lennon's Working Class Hero
They Might Be Giant's cover of The Four Lads' Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Aretha Franklin's cover of Otis Redding's Respect
Mad Season covering John Lennon's I Don't Want to be a Solider

Mott the Hoople performing Bowie's "All the Young Dudes."♠

Phil Collins - Tomorrow Never Knows

Dixie Dregs - "Kashmir", by Led Zep.
Kevin Gilbert - "Kashmir", by Led Zep.
Sting - "Little Wing", by Hendrix
Dee Carstensen - "Angel", by Hendrix.

"Help! I'm a Rock!"
"Baby, Can I Follow You Down?"
Bob Dylan covering Dave Van Ronk


PMSummer-

Did B.D. get this from Van Ronk or rather Eric Von Schmit? Both those guys had it in there repetoir before B.D. made the scene i would guess... they probably got it from Rev. Gary Davis. The ever so talented songwriter named "Traditional" gets the credit for that one. And I would have to dig thru my music but I think there is a Blind Boy Fuller tune of a different title that is similar.

Also pmsummer, your camera work is awesome and you have a very eclectic mix of music you listen to.

Hope no one said it, but how about "Der Kommisar" by After the Fire? I loved Falco's original but they nailed this song IMO. Plus, it was in English :D

RIP Falco, BTW.

Not that I like it better than the original but Hayseed Dixie does an interesting cover of the Led Zepplin classic Stairway to Heaven.

Tesla does Zeplin, Thank you
Reverend does Black Sabbath, Hand of Doom
Ugly Kid Joe does Cats In The Cradle
Doro Pesch does Lighter Shade of Grey
SRV, VooDoo Chile
There's more.......

Hello Folk,

Some great picks so far! I’ll add some of mine even though my first is considered overproduced by some.

Blinded by the Light (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8cDmi7-U8) • Manfred Mann's Earth Band (Bruce Springsteen)

Cocaine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG_P5TMt87k) • Eric Clapton (J. J. Cale)

Crazy Mary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLRj3XB4jE) • Pearl Jam (Victoria Williams)

Black Magic Woman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXXmhPAaDDc) • Santana (Fleetwood Mac) - Bonus on video!

Hey Joe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLnKUiybiFo) • Jimi Hendrix (The Leaves)

Ain't That a Shame (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLZL_E5MjkE) • Cheap Trick (Fats Domino)

Land of Confusion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeDAZSoOQwI&feature=PlayList&p=0920690A99D2D1D0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=35) • Disturbed (Genesis)

Wicked Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WA2jBMk-Pk) • HIM (Chris Isaac)

Dancing in the Streets (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPS12Vll_tA) • Van Halen (Martha and the Vandellas)

War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgyzWTlzjD4) • Bruce Springsteen (Edwin Starr)

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgxhLJKMDsc) • George Thorogood (John Lee Hooker)

I Love Rock n Roll (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3T_xeoGES8) • Joan Jett (The Arrows)

Torn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTod6ecTzUg) • Natalie Imbruglia (Ednaswap)

Enjoy the Silence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx58hXh4pVA) • Lacuna Coil (Depeche Mode)

Running Up The Hill (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdK9OlOzayE) • Placebo (Kate Bush)

Rock Me Amadeus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d5AVM6KGUA) • Megaherz (Falco)

And just for the Video

Wild Thing (http://headbangers.houseofhaironline.com/_Sam-Kinison-Wild-Thing/video/29375/2440.html) • Sam Kinison (The Wild Ones)

Dixie Dregs - "Kashmir", by Led Zep.
Kevin Gilbert - "Kashmir", by Led Zep.

Serious on both of these covers, you like better than Zep?

Regards,
TB

The Grateful Dead's live version of Me & Bobby McGee is beautiful.

I really like covers so this could be a really long list! Many times I get enjoyment out of hearing new covers because I can only hear a song so many times before I tire of it. Other times the new version makes me go back and give the original a listen. Either way, there always seems to be a couple of covers on any assorted play list I make, it was the same when I made assorted CDs or tapes.

Just a few off the top of my head.

Beware Of Darkness - Marianne Faithfull
Working Class Hero - Marianne Faithfull - Her voice just fits this song
Guilty - Bonnie Raitt
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Bonnie Raitt - Check out her slide guitar on this one
Thunder Road - Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I never took to the Bruce S version
Thunder Road - Cowboy Junkies (so many of the Junkies great tunes are covers)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
None Of Us Are Free -Solomon Burke - To put it in nice terms, Ray Charles version somewhat suffers from over production (what were they thinking)
Sweet Child Of Mine – Luna
Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets) - Carla Bozulich & Nels Cline


Here is a useful site when your racking you brain trying to remember who did a cover.
http://www.secondhandsongs.com/

PMSummer-

Did B.D. get this from Van Ronk or rather Eric Von Schmit? Both those guys had it in there repetoir before B.D. made the scene i would guess... they probably got it from Rev. Gary Davis. The ever so talented songwriter named "Traditional" gets the credit for that one. And I would have to dig thru my music but I think there is a Blind Boy Fuller tune of a different title that is similar.

Also pmsummer, your camera work is awesome and you have a very eclectic mix of music you listen to.

You got me. I was kinda playing fast and too loose there. One of those two got the credit (and royalties), but claimed they didn't write it. I'd have to find the LP to check (easier said than done). And of course you are absolutely correct about how it probably came from Rev. Davis.

Edit. EVS, re Wikipedia:
Von Schmidt is widely (and erroneously) credited as the author of the song, "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down", which was for years a staple of Dylan's musical catalogue. In a spoken introduction to the song on his 1962 self-titled debut album, Dylan mentioned that he first "learned" the song from "Rick von Schmidt" and told of meeting him "in the green pastures of Harvard University." In fact, von Schmidt had adapted the song from Blind Boy Fuller and credited Reverend Gary Davis as author of "three-quarters" of the song. In 1979, he co-wrote a book of the same name about the Cambridge scene.

Inspired by a post above...

"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" -- Thirteenth Floor Elevators covering Bob Dylan (Bob himself said it's the best version).

Enjoy the Silence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx58hXh4pVA) • Lacuna Coil (Depeche Mode)

Serious on both of these covers, you like better than Zep?

Regards,
TB

Heck, yeah I do! Anberlin also did a great cover of "Enjoy The Silence."

Inspired by a post above...

"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" -- Thirteenth Floor Elevators covering Bob Dylan (Bob himself said it's the best version).

That is quite good, but I prefer the version by the Byrds on the LP called Never Before (i Think that's what the record is called).

Three covers I know of I like much better than the original versions, all of them by Creedence Clearwater Revival:


Proud Mary

I heard it through the Grapevine

Susie Q


I think Aretha Franklin was who originally did 'Proud Mary' and 'Grapevine'. I have no idea who originally did 'Susie Q'. In any case, John Fogarty's rearrangements and vocals give life to them. Have to say I like many of Zep's covers of blues stuff from their early albums a lot too, even if they did try to take credit for them instead of giving the original artists the credit. Too many of them to list on that note.

Also, Rod Stewart's version of I'm Losing You beats the hell out of the original Motown version, especially since I'm a drummer! :D I don't know which Motown artist originally did that one however.

There is an album named "Pickin' on Zeppelin" (CMH Records Inc.) that is a bluegrass interpretation of 12 Zep tunes that is very good. No vocals, just traditional bluegrass instruments.

Three covers I know of I like much better than the original versions, all of them by Creedence Clearwater Revival:


Proud Mary

I heard it through the Grapevine

Susie Q


I think Aretha Franklin was who originally did 'Proud Mary' and 'Grapevine'. I have no idea who originally did 'Susie Q'. In any case, John Fogarty's rearrangements and vocals give life to them. Have to say I like many of Zep's covers of blues stuff from their early albums a lot too, even if they did try to take credit for them instead of giving the original artists the credit. Too many of them to list on that note.

man, you should listen to Dale Hawkins, i think he was the first to do Susie Q, his version is rockin! I still like the Creedence version but Hawkins version is better.

Marvin Gaye and or Gladys Knight did Grapevine first or simultaniously.

John Fogerty wrote Proud Mary.

Clive Gregson|Christine Collister's cover of Mama Tried

man, you should listen to Dale Hawkins, i think he was the first to do Susie Q, his version is rockin! I still like the Creedence version but Hawkins version is better.

Marvin Gaye and or Gladys Knight did Grapevine first or simultaniously.

John Fogerty wrote Proud Mary.

Thanks much, it shows how much of a dunce I still am in music history. :sigh:

Definitely Hendrix doing All Along the Watchtower. The first time I heard the Dylan version, I thought "what the hell is this garbage?".

Thanks much, it shows how much of a dunce I still am in music history. :sigh:


don't fret, music history is not as important as music.

[QUOTE=Cool_Manchu;2761071]And more...

Bow Wow Wow covering the Strangelove's I Want Candy

They Might Be Giant's cover of The Four Lads' Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Thanks so much Cool_Manchu, that freaking Bow Wow Wow song has been playing in my brains tape loop section non-stop all day today. The only time it wasn't playing I was singing, 'Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say People just liked it better that way!"

I liked the Lemonheads cover of Mrs. Robinson better than S&G.

Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal was excellent, video was pretty cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDeFYDk8atg

I am so sorry Olson Jr! Please accept my sincerest apologies! It could have been worse, it could have been a Journey song or something. :)

Vonda Shepard's cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You" nearly always brings me to tears.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/I_Only_Want_to_Be_With_You/12172449

Melvins cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit with Leif Garrett singing!!

Going back a few years to 1967.SPOOKY by Denis Yost and the Classics 4,the original was good but you have to look up SPOOKY by the Atlanta Rhythm Section done a few years later,it was awesome and I mean AWESOME!

:thmbsp:

ARS' version is great!

One of my faves is actually a parody: Weirs Al's "Smells Like Nirvana", he just nails Nirvana's "Smells Liike Teen Spirit"!

I liked the Flying Lizards version of this best...

Blue Cheer "Summertime Blues" for me

The Sonics did the best version of "Louie Louie" I ever heard

Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin (covered by Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot (among others) before Joplin).

"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin is a remake (with different lyrics) of the 1943 French tune "La Mer."

Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin (covered by Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot (among others) before Joplin).



don't forget Jerry Lee Lewis he did a "killer" version also!

[QUOTE=finnbow;2764748]Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin (covered by Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot (among others) before Joplin).

Kristofferson wrote "Me and Bobby McGee," so if anything, Janis Joplin covered his version.

[QUOTE=finnbow;2764748]Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin (covered by Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot (among others) before Joplin).

Kristofferson wrote "Me and Bobby McGee," so if anything, Janis Joplin covered his version.
That's what I was intending to say. Sorry for the backassward slip up.

To this I'll add The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performing JJWalker's "Mr. Bojangles."

Sidewinders version of Solitary Man

I like the Joan Jett version of Cherry Bomb much better than the version done by the Runaways when she was with that band.
Jimmy

I always liked David Bromberg's version of Mr. Bojangles, but he did some other great covers. "Mr. Blue", & "What a Wonderful World" come to mind..Then there's Jorma's cover of "Love is Strange"!

This Magic Moment by Jay and the Americans beats the Drifters.
Heatwave by Linda Ronstadt beats Martha and the Vandella.
Please Mr. Postman by The Beatles beats The Marvelettes (The Carpenters do not).
Dedicated to the One I Love by the Mamas & Papas beats The Shirelles.

Patti Smith's Gloria

I always liked David Bromberg's version of Mr. Bojangles, but he did some other great covers. "

Most definetly Bromberg live in the early days doing Bojangles is the best versions with all the banter about Jerry Jeff ect.

Linda Ronstadt - I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)

Joan Baez - Simple Twist of Fate - (Not only better than Dylan, the verse she sings like Dylan, she does Dylan better than Dylan does Dylan):D

The Cowboy Junkies' version of Sweet Jane, not sure it's better than Lou Reed's/The Velvet Underground's, but it is a beautiful interpretation.

This might sound nuts, but I've always liked the Run D.M.C./Steve Tyler/Joe Perry version of "Walk this Way" better than the original version that Tyler and Perry did with the rest of the Aerosmith gang. The more "in your face" version of the chorus works better for the song, IMHO.

How about Aretha Franklin's take on Otis Redding's "Respect?" Not a bad cover, methinks.

never thought i'd like a cover as much or better than an original but yesterday i saw/heard HEART on palladia doing the WHO's 'the rain' from 'quadraphenia'.

won't say HEART did it better but it was just as good, imo.:music:

Hendrix's cover of All Along the Watchtower.

Any cover by Linda Ronstadt.

Pat Benetar's cover of Wuthering Heights.

Any cover by Grand Funk Railroad

There are a ton of them I like better than the original. I won't try to list any more. :D

Atlantic Rhythm Sention - Spooky!

Ten Years After - I Can't Keep From Crying - Sometimes

Mountain - Stormy Monday from Isle of White/Something Jam live album

The Zombies - Summertime

Allman Brothers - One Way Out

Creed - Riders on the Storm

But not better than original

;2758994']Johnny Cash - Hurt (NIN) & I Hung My Head (Sting)

In that vein, I'd add his cover of Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat."

Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin (covered by Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot (among others) before Joplin).

Track down Joplin's slower, acoustic demo of "Me and Bobby McGee," if you haven't heard it. It blows the fast electric version out of the water. I found it on a "Greatest Hits" disc of Janis many years ago.

Govt Mule doing Tower of Power tune, "what is hip?"

fancy. wild thing...troggs original i think

I want to say Bonnie Raitt's version of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery," but I just can't. I saw John Prine last night (with Steve Earle) and despite his recent bout with throat cancer, it was a fine show.

I want to say Bonnie Raitt's version of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery," but I just can't...
I can't say she outdoes Mr. Prine, but it's still my favorite Bonnie Raitt song.

Leon Russell's version of "If I Were A Carpenter" (from "Stop All That Jazz") has that Tulsa Tube-Type sound in spades. Love it.

Rickie Lee Jones' take on The Dan's "Show Biz Kids" is neato. She slows it down a tad.

Dylan cover? The Lovely Linda Ronstadt's version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" nearly makes me cry. So damn good. Of course, in my book LaLinda could sing the phone book and I'd be a happy man.

Ministry's cover of Under My Thumb is great as well as their cover of What a Wonderful World.

Dylan cover? The Lovely Linda Ronstadt's version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" nearly makes me cry. So damn good. Of course, in my book LaLinda could sing the phone book and I'd be a happy man.

What Linda album is this on? For some reason, "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" resonates deeply with me and is one of my favorite Dylan songs.

2 Knuckles Deep's version of "Rescue Me" by Buckcherry. Oh, wait -- that's my cover band! Am I allowed to do that?

rooster.

finnbow: You'll find Linda's version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" on her 1998 release "We Ran". A damn good disc in its own right.

Richie Havens' 'Here Comes the Sun' (original Beatles)
Asbury Johnnie's 'Don't Walk Away Renee' ('Left Banke'?)
Siouxsie & the Banshees' 'Wheels on Fire' (golden earring?)
Tommy Eden's 'Who'll Stop the Rain' (CCR) always loved this song but hated Fogarty's voice

speaking of HIM...they did a great version of 'Don't Fear the Reaper' which, urban legend has it, was a duo of Nick Cave and Enya (I sure thought so!).

The Faces's cover of "Maybe I'm Amazed".
Booker T. and the MG's version of "Mrs. Robinson".
Hendrix's cover of Watchtower.
The Staples Singers's cover of "The weight"
Sir Douglas Quintet's cover of "Wasted days and wasted nights" (Sorry Mr. Huerta)

Otis Blackwell's Daddy Rolling Stone covered by Streetwalkers, another stellar vocal by Roger Chapman

The Faces's cover of "Maybe I'm Amazed".

They sure do nail the naked emotion on that one.

In a similar vein, I dig Elvis' cover of "Bridge Over troubled Water." Never really listened to the lyrics until the King sang it for me.

The Jam's cover of the Kinks' "David Watts" is a nice homage.

Ken

Jefferson Airplane's version of "White Rabbit."

I also like Jimmy Buffet's version of CSN's Southern Cross....

He also does a great version of Brown Eyed Girl.

Talking Heads version of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"

:thmbsp:

Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal was excellent

Oh yeah, I've got a comp CD I call "Cool Covers" and that one opens it.

I also like (in no particular order)

Reel Big Fish doing Take On Me (Aha - youtube vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ4S-UiNmzo)) and Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran - youtube vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ33krSSeRY))

Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa doing Hit Me Baby One More Time (Britney Spears - youtube vid, please excuse the anime, all I could find (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaFhUvL_C1s))

Dweezil and Ozzy doing Staying Alive (BeeGees - youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_D4QhevNPw))

Ray

I can't say I like this better than the original ... check out the Dave Matthews Band doing "Money" off Live Trax 16, 8/9/08 at Alpine Valley. The vocals by Dave, guitar by Tim Reynolds, and Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck & THe Flecktones) on sax. Nice long jams all around.

Rita Coolidge does a very nice cover of Boz Scaggs' We're All Alone. There are times I prefer Rita's version over Boz's but it's really hard to top the original. Boz sings it so well.

I prefer Rita's myself.

You're no good - Linda Ronstadt

Tracks of my tears - wow, Linda Ronstadt again!

From a distance - Nanci Griffith

Linda's version is good but I prefer Johnny Rivers' much more than the Miracles original. I also prefer Johnny's covers of Baby I Need You're Lovin' and Memphis.

In honor of the late Kenny Rankin, I nominate his versions of "Blackbird", "Round Midnight" and "The Way You Look Tonight". He will be missed.

Love Devo's cover of the Stones' Satisfaction. Jagger said it was the best cover he ever heard.

I actually think that the Stones' original and the Devo cover are equally good, which is the best thing about the song. I always use these two versions as a prime example of how songs are subjective and can have multiple meanings. When I hear the Stone' original, I think of a guy that is down on his luck, can't score with the ladies, and is raging against the world. When I hear the Devo cover, I think of a guy that is isolated from his emotions in a postmodern world and is reflecting on his inability to keep up, cope, and find meaning. The words don't change to make me think of these two different scenarios...just the music and it's presentation.

'I'll be Around'; originally Spinners (I think), redone by Tammy Trent. great song both ways.
'Ghost in You', original Psy Furs, then Counting Crows. again, both excellent.
'How Soon is Now', original Smiths, redone by Love spit Love; used as the theme for the tv show Charmed. great synth work.

I actually think that the Stones' original and the Devo cover are equally good, which is the best thing about the song. I always use these two versions as a prime example of how songs are subjective and can have multiple meanings. When I hear the Stone' original, I think of a guy that is down on his luck, can't score with the ladies, and is raging against the world. When I hear the Devo cover, I think of a guy that is isolated from his emotions in a postmodern world and is reflecting on his inability to keep up, cope, and find meaning. The words don't change to make me think of these two different scenarios...just the music and it's presentation.

Very good interpretation of the two.. pretty much the way I've thought about the difference between them myself..

as big a bob dylan fan I am , I prefer the byrds version of mr tambourine man also the jimi hendrix cover of all along the watchtower

As long as you guys are talking about Satisfaction. I love the original and Devo version. I think the version by the Residents is pretty scary, it was overlooked when Devo released theirs.

But maybe Otis Reddings version is the best cover, the live version from Monterey is amazing, Steve Cropper just nails it to the wall. Really great enegy! The studio version is good also.