# Covers of songs that elevate the original by changing tempo, genre, time signature, etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 30, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349 "2025-03-30T17:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/181 "2025-06-30T08:34:59Z")
Here is the original: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iAzagp0PXSk/maxresdefault.jpg "Neal Hefti & his Orchestra and Chorus - Batman Theme (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAzagp0PXSk) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/182 "2025-06-30T08:57:22Z")
I don’t know if this one “elevates” the original, but I do think it’s a nice cover. I never would have guessed Morton Steven’s version could be transformed into a ballad. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JR9jN20RqJ4/hqdefault.jpg "Don Ho - YOU CAN COME WITH ME (Theme from "Hawaii Five-0") + LYRICS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR9jN20RqJ4) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/183 "2025-06-30T09:01:12Z")
Stevens’, not Steven’s. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/184 "2025-07-01T10:10:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Linda Ronstadt had a huge hit covering _Heat Wave_ Speaking of Linda Ronstadt, she also blew the doors off Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” with a slowed-down stripped-down version that showcased her pipes. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/185 "2025-07-01T10:46:53Z")
They don’t get much better than this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/H5SYHcD_CYA/maxresdefault.jpg "Theme from Mission Impossible played by Lalo Schifrin (1995)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5SYHcD_CYA) ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/186 "2025-07-02T00:24:34Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Wb7AHJ9iAPA/maxresdefault.jpg "Batman Theme (Live)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb7AHJ9iAPA) And another Batman version, by the Smithereens. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/187 "2025-07-02T00:30:32Z")
I like this version of _“Sailing”_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4muntY_XaLY/maxresdefault.jpg "Sailing (Cover) - THE FREQUENCY CONSPIRACY") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4muntY_XaLY) ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/188 "2025-07-02T03:46:16Z")
nm 5 characters ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/189 "2025-07-04T01:38:11Z")
… And yet another. I believe all the tunes listed on the album cover have been posted on You Tube. (My favorites are “Batmobile” and “Batcave.”) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cjTdY-P2veQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Batman Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjTdY-P2veQ) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/190 "2025-07-04T01:52:22Z")
Sounds a lot like “Wipe Out” to me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/191 "2025-07-17T04:31:18Z")
[Kim Carnes’ version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlZEdyo6uwY) of “Bette Davis Eyes” is the hit. But the original version was sung by the song’s co-writer, Jackie DeShannon. I recently listened to [DeShannon’s version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAQsOJbs-yo) and it’s astonishing. And not in a good way. DeShannon chose a country-pop arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/192 "2025-07-17T04:44:14Z")
Listening to this cover made me think of the scene at the start of _ **The Glenn Miller Story** _ where Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson are listening to a nightclub singer butcher “Moonlight Serenade” with (IIRC) a rumba beat, much to their dismay. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/193 "2025-07-17T11:46:24Z")
https://www.youtube.com/embed/SQfArLjjfac?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDSQfArLjjfac https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GowRkVai00?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RD8GowRkVai00 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/194 "2025-07-17T11:50:38Z")
I can’t in good faith make the argument that either of those elevates the original, and I don’t even love the original. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349/195 "2025-07-17T19:11:40Z")
Love it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-of-songs-that-elevate-the-original-by-changing-tempo-genre-time-signature-etc/1016349.md?page=9)