Sometimes when someone does a remake of a song that brings something new and truely wonderful to it. I am interested in other oppinions on favorite covers.
(mine)
Red Red Wine UB40
(mrfurli)
All Along the Watch Tower** Jimi Hendrix**
(honorable mention)
Mr. Tamberine ManThe Byrds
Having been in the music business, you meant remake & not cover. A cover comes out as soon as possible after the original & is intended to steal sales. But cover is misused so much, your usage may now be accepted. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Elvis -remake of 1927 hit. Dion & Belmonts “That’s My Desire”-1st a hit for Frankie Laine around 1950.
Seasons in the Sun by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (originally by Terry Jacks)
“I am the Walrus” as sung by Peter Stormare in the movie “The Million Dollar Hotel”. So-so movie, fantastich song.
I like the current remake of “Big Yellow Taxi” (by Counting Crows, I think). The original hit single by The Neighborhood was absolutely terrible – ecological awareness at its most sloppy and saccarine. That was a cover, too – Joni Mitchell wrote it and performed a charming and much superior version but didn’t release it as a single. The new version isn’t quite as good as Joni’s but it’s a fine remake.
Everything on Hayseed Dixie’s album, A Hillbilly Tribuite to AC/DC.
I Fought the Law - The Clash
Kids In America - Lagwagon
Science Fiction - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Kim Carnes’ version of Better Davis Eyes (original by Jackie DeShannon).
Urge Overkill’s Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon (original by Neil Diamond)
Foo Fighters’ Baker Street (original by Gerry Rafferty)
Thankyou by Led Zepplin Remade by Coalesce.
Does anybody know of a band that did an album of Led Zepplin re-makes that is really heavy? I thought it might be Coalesce but I can’t find a whole album of covers from them, only two songs.
The Allman Brothers do tons of good ones - Statesboro Blues ( by Blind Willie MacTell) and The Same Thing (by Willie Dixon) are two favorites, but there are a bunch.
All Along the Watchtower is a lock, but let’s not forget Jimi’s version of Hey Joe.
The Clash - Police and Theives (original by Junior Murvin)
The Damned - Jet Boy Jet Girl (original by Elton Motello)
The White Stripes - I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (original by Dusty Springfield)
Talking Heads - Take Me to the River (original by Al Green)
The Soft Boys - Caroline Says (original by Lou Reed)
The Pixies - I’ve Been Waiting for You (original by Neil Young)
Robyn Hitchcock - More Than This (original by Roxy Music)
Robyn Hitchcock - The Ghost in You (original by the Psychedelic Furs)
Johnny Cash - Hurt (original by Nine Inch Nails)
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (original by Leonard Cohen)
The Raincoats - Lola (original by the Kinks)
The White Stripes - Jolene (original by Dolly Parton)
Lydia Lunch and Rowland S. Howard - Some Velvet Morning (original by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood)
This Mortal Coil - You and Your Sister (original by Chris Bell)
and I believe “Girl on a Motorcycle” by the Television Personalities is also a cover.
Manfred Mann: Blinded by the Light
What, you don’t care for A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love or Kiss My Grass? 
This topic really does get re-done every month, doesn’t it?
“Lola” by The Raincoats (Kinks cover).
“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” by St Etienne (a Neil Young cover brilliantly transformed into downbeat dance music).
“Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me” and “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” by TV Personalities (originally by Lee Hazlewood and The Kinks, I think).
“Sand by Lisa Germano” and OP8 (originally Lee & Nancy).
“Keep On Loving You” by The Donnas (hilarious cover of some horrid 1970s soft rock “classic”).
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Leroy Gomez (Animals cover done as a latin disco version, that works superbly)
And practically everything by Johnny Cash.
Speaking of Johnny Cash, his cover of NIN’s “Hurt.” And the video is one of the most depressing things I’ve ever seen.
Gipsy Kings- “Hotel California”
AFI- “Last Caress”
Metallica- Garage, Inc
I know diehard U2 fans (and the bandmates) hate this, but I like Pet Shop Boy’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”. It’s so incredibly campy and silly.
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Someone else knows the Television Personalities? I started a thread on them about a month ago and got no responses! How cool!
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Also really neat, as I also listed “Lola” by the Raincoats.
Devo’s 1980 rendition of Johnny Rivers’ “Secret Agent Man”.
The Rotary Connection’s remake of Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”. This has to be heard to be believed. The song is done in a baroque style and most of it is accompanied by a harpsichord.
Do It Again - Tori Amos.
I’ve been listening to it all this week. I like how smooth and silky it sounds…
of course I forgot to mention its originally by Steely Dan:smack: