Cover songs that are better than the original

Cafe Society
61

Oh man, how could I forget to mention this one! For anyone who has never heard it, it’s great.

The lyrics are definitely NSFW, and this isn’t an official video, but you must check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCAM3C3dpIA

62

I bet he did not sing that one in Aunt Bea’s presence :smiley:

Still, now that I know this exists, I must hear it. Just one of those things that has got to be done.

63

I’m going to go with Fiona Apple’s rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s Angel. And I love Jimi’s version, so that’s saying something.

64

A little-known group called Glass Moon did Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill”, and made the original sound like a high school garage band.

65

I am sooooo tagging this thread; I adore remakes <if I like them, that is.>

One I like better than the original <Sorry, ABBA!> is The Mad Caddies’ version of S.O.S.
Incoming ska!

66

I think it’s maybe just because I really like Shirley Manson’s voice, but I like the Garbage cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen”. I don’t know that I’d say I like it better, but I like it equally. For comparison’s sake:

Thirteen - Garbage (cover)
Thirteen - Big Star (original)

Though I will say that whoever put together that Garbage video had absolutely no feel for the song and what it’s about.

67

I’ve heard at least ten versions of this song, and I hate them all equally. I’ll be happy when it stops appearing in TV shows and movies on a regular basis.

Anyway…
“The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game” was orginially by The Marvelettes. The Massive Attack & with Tracey Thorn cover done nearly 30 years later is much better.

And people can throw things at me, but I like Toad the Wet Sprocket’s cover of “Hey Bulldog” better than by The Beatles.

Finally, the much more recent “I Think She Knows” done by Kaki King is better than Justin Timberlake’s take.

<hijack> speaking of covers, has anyone ever heard a cover of “The Letter” by The Box Tops with a female vocalist done within the last ten years? I’ve been looking for one, but no luck so far. It seems like the only women who covered it did it decades ago. </hijack>

68

I like the Faces’ version, myself.

69

I take it you mean the Dead’s studio acoustic recording (from Workingman’s Dead). The best live electric renditions are as far beyond that as the Jimi “Watchtower” is from the Dylan original.

Since the Dead have been raised, I’ll point out that their “Not Fade Away” (again, in the best live renditions) is on another planet from the Buddy Holly original (or the Stones’ take). A bigger margin than the Jimi/Dylan, above.

70

Several of my favorites have already been named, but I can still be the first to mention one. :slight_smile: I like the Bauhaus cover of “Ziggy Stardust” better than the David Bowie original. The original always struck me as a song that had the potential to really rock…but didn’t. I don’t know that the Bauhaus version fully lives up to that potential, but IMHO it comes a lot closer. It’s still pretty faithful to the original, it just rocks harder.

David Bowie version (cheesy fan video)
Bauhaus version (somewhat grainy copy of real video)

71

Manfred Mann? That is probably one of the worst covers of all time. Can’t believe anyone would even listen to it.

72

David Johannson’s (sp?) cover of Buttercup (why do i build you up buttercup?)

73

Another vote for Joe Cocker’s version of “The Letter.”

Orgy’s version of “Blue Monday” really whips the buttocks of the original version by New Order. New Order’s version sounds like they were under a heavy dose of barbiturates. Orgy’s version has a much more compelling quality to it.

74

Both the Isley Brothers’ cover of Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” and Al Green’s cover of the Bee Gee’s “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” far exceed the original versions.

75

I once mentioned liking Tatu’s cover of “How Soon is Now?” better than the original Smiths version and was mocked viciously for it. I don’t give a shit, though, it’s a great version and covers of that song usually fail miserably (see versions by Everclear, Quicksand, etc for reference).

76

Hazy Shade of Winter. I like the Bangles better than Simon and Garfunkel.
Whiter Shade of Pale. I like Sarah Brightman better than Procol Harum.
One Night in Bangkok. I like the Louise Robey version better than Murray Head.

77

I’d never heard of them before, but I looked on YouTube and I liked their cover. Not better than the original, but well enough.

78

Love all of the different links to covers that you all keep providing.

Two of my favorite covers-that-beat-the-originals are **Beck’**s version of Diamond Dogs and
Elwood’s version of Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown

79

Ah, but have you heard Type O Negative’s cover of “Summer Breeze”? I love it.

80

The were a female duo from Russia who were coyly marketed as lesbians. Their schtick was making out during every possible photo op and then denying that they really were lesbians. They were somewhat popular in the US about 10 years ago (Christ, I can’t believe it’s been that long), maybe still big in Russia. Most of their songs sucked, but that Smiths cover was good and arguably better than the original.

Also, the red haired one is hot.