Cover songs that are better than the original

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superfluent

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The title says it all...

To start of, Eva Cassidy's cover of Sting's "fields of gold" gives me goose bumps. Simply amazing (cheesy video, but it's the music that counts...):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paS9MzO_pBo]YouTube - The Sad Songs Channel: Eva Cassidy - Fields Of Gold[/ame]

...and Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Coen's "Hallelujah":
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dwwaS5B_vY]YouTube - Jeff Buckely-Hallelujah[/ame]

H
 
The Offspring's cover of The Damned "Smash It Up"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMq28E-_Thk]YouTube - The Offspring - Smash It Up[/ame]
 
The Who's "Summertime Blues." Eddie Cochran's version was cool, but the Who absolutely redefined the song. I never cared for Blue Cheer's version.

[youtube]IfPUYE6TKRE[/youtube]

[youtube]Vm2Mdma2dXw[/youtube]

[youtube]-kJONgWKFi0[/youtube]
 
The Original: Jesus & Mary Chain - Head On


The Cover: The Pixies - head On
 
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Ice9 said:
Here's one of my fav's
Click to expand...

Stevie Ray Vaughan...i was just about to post this one! Why is it that every musician I like is dead?!? I had to put this one on my big rig (my neighbours hate me allready so I have nothing to loose:p). It's just soooo good!

H
 
However, this version is not bad either:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nePm-L0aa-E]YouTube - Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing[/ame]

H
 
Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan. Dylan's version sucks, IMO.

[youtube]BCwCBh0z3Hs[/youtube]
 
Ice9 said:
Here's one of my fav's
Click to expand...

While it's a spectacular and respectful homage to Jimi's song, I don't think SRV himself would consider his version better than the original. It's actually a lot like Jimi's live performances of Little Wing, he would often improvise and extend it in the same way.

Both versions are very beautiful, I can't say I have a favorite.

[youtube]B91ZZE8hMgs[/youtube]
 
And I hate country music, but the Dixie Chicks' version of "Landslide" is awesome; originally done by Fleetwood Mac.

[youtube]_DkD4kjJwG4[/youtube]
 
I'm a big Johnny Cash fan:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko]YouTube - Johnny Cash-Ring of Fire 1963[/ame]
But Social Distortion really nailed the cover:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i2ESgR0FUM&feature=related]YouTube - Social Distortion - Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash Cover)[/ame]
 
We all know this is the best cover of Little Wing (especially when he hits the out of tune open E in the beginning)...

[youtube]yx5y-Smq1WE[/youtube]
 
I don't know about better, but I like this version of "Hey Ya" originally by Outkast.

[youtube]QZFj_o1n6WE[/youtube]
 
adrock said:
Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan. Dylan's version sucks, IMO.

[youtube]BCwCBh0z3Hs[/youtube]
Click to expand...


You beat me to it. I also like:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrtabKtsvqc&feature=related]YouTube - Dave Matthews Band - Woodstock 99 - All Along the Watchtower[/ame]
 
OK....1 more. Nirvana's "Man Who Sold the World." Original was David Bowie.

[youtube]-nyifOz2IEc[/youtube]

And just as preemptive action, if anyone links John Mayer's version of "Freefallin'" as better than Tom Petty's, they will be stabbed!
 
I like the idea of posting both the original and the cover!

Goddamn (excuse my french), but I can't keep up with playing the covers you guys post! Some I don't even have (yet) and I have a *lot* of CD:s. I don't have the Dave Mathews band recording above (but I sure as hell will buy it).

Just to intriduce you all into the wierd european "eurovision song contest" I'll post these two clips...

the first is The Arc's original version of "The Worrying Kind". The second is the cover (they allways make a cover of last year's winner for next years final). Personally I think the Ark's version is pretty far out (way too far out for anyone to understand) but Maia Hirasawa's out-of-competition cover during next year's final is just insanely good compared to the original. The Ark:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urCLhm_VBsk]YouTube - The Ark - The worrying kind THE MUSIC VIDEO[/ame]

Maia Hirasawa:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5RjkrOWpUs]YouTube - Maia Hirasawa - The worrying kind[/ame]

H
 
...and this is a hillarious cover of The Shadows "apache". First the original:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-rPDwzM9M]YouTube - The Shadows - Apache[/ame]

and then Tommy Seebach's cover. What floats the boat is the costumes, the doped up smiling, the non-existing lip synch and the toy tipi's in the background of the redicilously bad dancers:):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFGzGfym-7Y]YouTube - Apache (Tommy Seebach)[/ame]

H
 
Antonio Forcione "I heard it through the grapewine" instrumental on guitar:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7z84VCgnfc]YouTube - Antonio Forcione 'I HEARD it THROUGH the GRAPEVINE'[/ame]

H
 
Original by The Guess Who. It written between sets at Curling Club here in Kitchener, Ontario. Bachman starting playing the guitar riff to fill a void while Cummings was in Can. When he returned he started ad libbing the lyrics and their largest hit was born.


Cover by Lenny Kravitz
 
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Better than the original, not really, but damn, a valiant effort. Anyone who can take on Robert Plant gets mad props.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOV7kAGt1vs&feature=related]YouTube - Great White - Babe I´m Gonna Leave You (Led Zepplin Cover)[/ame]
 
don't know if it's better, but it's certainly made of awesome...

Painkiller

Judas Priest (original):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Iv_kAjMLk]YouTube - Judas Priest - Painkiller[/ame]

Death (cover):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4]YouTube - Death - Painkiller[/ame]
 
Just about the perfect cover:
[youtube]Ltjbnyvq_SI[/youtube]
 
jds said:
I'm a big Johnny Cash fan:
But Social Distortion really nailed the cover:
Click to expand...

That is an awesome one, although I am not sure if their's is better. Especially when you factor in the version he did at Folsom. And now that I think about it The Reverend Horton Heat did an awesome version of Folsom Prison Blues.
 
i'm slightly biased as i am a Huge me first and the gimme gimmes fan. they pay the rent with covers:





**ducks**
 
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homebrewer_99 said:
That's not an original Zep song. The original is a folk song written in the 50's: My vote is Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version of Springsteen's Blinded by the Light...;)
Click to expand...

Well then it's a double cover, and that makes it twice as good.:eek: The 50's? How old are you?;)
 
InkBird 300

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