Covers of songs that were better than the original?

I can’t believe no one’s mentioned Joe Cocker yet. His remake of With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles) was superb! And after that would be his rendition of The Letter (The Box Tops, I believe)

I also loved Johnny Cash doing Rusty Cage, originally a throwaway cock-rock song done by Soundgarden.

I prefer the Fountains of Wayne version, myself.

You’ve got that completely the wrong way around. Nothing against Art Of Noise, but Tom Jones hasn’t covered anything that he hasn’t inflicted criminal bodily harm on. There should be a law against it.

Prince’s ‘Kiss’ is a nice wedge of funk. Tom Jones’ version is a over-wraught lardy vomit by comparison. But I think I’ve mentioned this before. Come the revolution, Tom Jones is one of the first against the wall.

My own suggestion:
Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s version of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”. I’m not much of a fan of their other stuff, but this version is great.

Judas Priest’s cover of Diamonds and Rust is tons better than Joan Biaz’s. I actaully heard Biaz’s version once and almost didn’t recognise it but I knew I knew it. The funny thing is I saw a band do a cover of the Priest version and they said it was a Priest song!

A friend of mine said that he was at a Phish show where they covered “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Reportedly, the stranger standing next to him said, “Duuuude! This must be some of their new stuff!”

Guh.

I think pretty much every cover of a Dylan song was better than the original. He was a great songwriter, but only a mediocre performer, IMO. The Birds did several covers that were much better than the originals. And the Red Hot Chili Peppers version of Subterranean Homesick Blues kicks ass.

The ** Indigo Girls** cover of Tangled Up In Blue (Dylan) was a lot better, tone and instrument-wise than Dylan’s. Still, I hold a special place in my heart for the original - it has a certain nice simplicity to it.

I like the Corrs (with Bono) cover of Where the Stars Go Blue (Ryan Adams). Don’t get me wrong, the original is beautiful, but I like the cover. Other than that, I haven’t heard a damn thing by the Corrs :p.

Jesus and Mary Chain’s version of Who Do You Love? is sooo much better than George Thoroughgood’s.

I think that (about to get yelled at for this) No Use for a Name’s cover of Fairy Tale of New York is better than The Pogue’s, but that’s just me.

Oh, and They Might Be Giants cover of New York City is also better thanb whoever did the orginal (I don’t know the name, but I heard it once and didn’t like it.)

And I think that most of the covers Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies do are better. ESPECIALLY One Tin Soldier, cause the original is Hell to listen to, but their’s is nice sounding…just ignore the lyrics!

I agree that Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower is far superior to the original. So, to even the odds, I’m going to nominate Stevie Ray Vaughn’s cover of Jimi’s Little Wing which blows the original out of the water.

I liked the Nine Inch Nails cover of “Metal” (Gary Numan) as much as the original. I also like NIN cover of “Get Down, Make Love” more than the original.

Oh and Britney’s cover of “Satisfaction” simply brilliant. :rolleyes:

George Harrison’s cover of Dylan’s “If Not For You”. Nothing wrong with the original, but the Harrison version is one of the great love songs, IMHO.

Gary Jules did a gorgeous, non-80s version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”.

The original was by Bo Diddley…it was covered 100s of times; by the Band, Thorogood, Seger and the J&MC to name a few

Gary Jules did a gorgeous, non-80s version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”.

Not mentioned yet (I think):

Song to the siren - This Mortal Coil (orig Jeff Buckley)
Time - Tori Amos (orig Tom Waits)
Bonnie and Clyde 97 - Tori Amos (orig Eminem)
Suzanne - Peter Gabriel (orig Leonard Cohen)
She’s not there - Santana (orig Zombies)
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (or some Danish outfit)
Jealous guy - Roxy Music (orig John Lennon)

and

The whole As time goes by CD by Bryan Ferry

I’ll probably get flamed for this, but so be it:
I’ve always thoguth the original Righteous brothers version of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” was lethargic, overwrought, and otherwise, pretty much unlistenable.

Hall and Oates’ version ROCKS, though!!!
Chris W

“Gin and Juice” by The Gourds. :smiley:

Iggy Pop did “Shakin’ All Over” on his brilliant Avenue B album. I’ve never heard anyone do it like that before or since. Kind of an old song though, obscure now, but he breathed new life into it.

Allman Brothers Band version of “One Way Out” is a rock version of a blues song by Sonny Boy Williams (Williamson?), so can’t really say it’s better, but it definitely has a bit more toe-tappability.

Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me.” 'nuff said.

Dylan’s “Times They Are A Changin’” performed by Blackmore’s Night (Ritchie Blackmore and Candace Night) definitely beats the original version–like most Dylan covers it seems.

Also, “Folsom Prison Blues” makes for a pretty good punk song (obscure band by the name of Two-Bit Thief).