# Odd and interesting remakes and remixes of songs you were pleasantly surprised by. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909 "2005-09-22T17:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/1 "2005-09-22T17:04:07Z")
Now, I know that there is already a lot of songs about odd remixes of songs. However, I am looking for examples of people sharing their love for said remakes, not just shock. For example, I just stumbled across [this CD](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005KIZZ/qid=1127409215/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl15/102-2900966-1159306?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) , which includes a remake of **Nik Kershaw** ’s (Hi, **Anastasaeon**!) song, “The Riddle” It doesn’t sound all that different, but still, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that anyone remembered it, all the same. Well, any other examples? ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/2 "2005-09-22T18:37:55Z")
I think the best remake of the last couple of years is big Bill Shatner covering Pulps “Common People”. And whomever brought in Joe Jackson is a production god in my book. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/3 "2005-09-22T18:41:08Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > I think the best remake of the last couple of years is big Bill Shatner covering Pulps “Common People”. And whomever brought in Joe Jackson is a production god in my book. > Love it! That would be Ben Folds, who is a musical genius. That song is one of the best covers of all time, and Shatner’s entire album, \*Has Been \* (entirely produced by Folds, who also performs on it), was one of the best releases of 2004. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/4 "2005-09-22T18:52:12Z")
Surprisingly good are Paul Anka’s covers of rock songs. :eek: I’ve heard, on the radio, his covers of both Van Halen’s “Jump” and Soundgarden’s(?) “Blackhole Sun” and after a brief “WTF?” moment, I found them to be quite fun. He has a CD full of such covers, and I’ll probably pick it up as part of my next Amazon order. ---
**Author:** ![Innuendo\_Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Innuendo\_Hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innuendo_Hunter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/5 "2005-09-22T18:54:17Z")
I much prefer the remixed/remastered versions (AKA De-Spector-Fied) of McCartney’s _The Long and Winding Road_, Lennon’s _Across The Universe_, and Harrison’s _I Me Mine_ on the **Let It Be… Naked** album, to the original versions. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/6 "2005-09-22T19:38:22Z")
Purists may string me up but I really enjoy Wyclef Jean’s cover of Pink Floyd’'s _Wish You Were Here_. Of course I enjoy a lot of his covers. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/7 "2005-09-22T20:27:05Z")
Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Completely reinvents this brainless, hedonistic '70s hymn into a wistful ballad. Effin brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Shibumi\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Shibumi\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shibumi_II)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/8 "2005-09-22T20:56:27Z")
two great examples that i can think of would be Kansas’s remake of the Beatle’s All the Lonely People, and this really good remake of Iron Man by the Cardigans ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/9 "2005-09-22T21:27:10Z")
I recently heard a cover of the classic **Velvet Underground** song “Candy Says” done by the experimental Japanese electronic group, **Satanicpornocultshop** (the track is called “Anorexia Gas Balloon”). It starts out like a typical super-glitchy, spazzy, sliced-and-diced soundclash, and then a japanese girl starts singing a heartbreaking version of “Candy Says” overtop of it in her delicate, lilting voice. The effect is jaw-dropping if you know and love the original. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/10 "2005-09-22T22:21:15Z")
> [@Mooch](#): > > Purists may string me up but I really enjoy Wyclef Jean’s cover of Pink Floyd’'s _Wish You Were Here_. > > Of course I enjoy a lot of his covers. I liked his cover of “Fortunate Son” from the \*Manchurian Candidate \* reamke. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/11 "2005-09-22T22:35:35Z")
Kronos Quartet do so very interesting Hendrix rearrangements. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/12 "2005-09-23T04:39:23Z")
Talking of Ben Folds, his remake of Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit” is fascinating in a morbid sort of way. Other favorites include the fabulous William Shatner’s “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and the Scala Choir singing the Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself.” No, really. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/13 "2005-09-23T04:56:29Z")
Gotta give mad props to Richard Cheese’s cover of “Down With the Sickness” Definitely one of his better covers (he’s got some really good covers and some really bad covers) Also, I’m fond of Me First and The Gimme Gimmes’ cover of the Hava Nagila song (think of the song that allways plays in movies when Jewish people are having parties), but this is diminished somewhat by the fact that the very next song on the CD is them singing a version of Hava Nagila to the tune of “Feliz Navidad”. _twitch_ ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/14 "2005-09-23T05:44:32Z")
**Cat Power** covering **Oasis’** _Wonderwall_. Was never a big fan of the song, but she made it her own. **Iron and Wine** covering **The Postal Service’s** _Such Great Heights_ on the soundtrack for _Garden State_. Loved the song to begin with and wasn’t sure it would translate well to I&W’s style, but if anything, he made it better. DJ’s **Tiesto** and **Skribbles** each for their remixes of **Delerium’s** _Silence_. IMO, about as perfect a song as there can be, proven by its malleability. **Modest Mouse** and **Califone** covering **Slayer’s** _South of Heaven_. I was surprised to even know people were covering Slayer, but it was surprisingly good. Almost any cover **Type O Negative** does. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/15 "2005-09-23T06:16:38Z")
Joss Stones cover of the White Stripes “Fell in love with a Girl” (boy) if you have heard the original the cover is kinda shocking. Agent Orange does a nice cover of Dead Kenedy’s “Police Truck” The Sundays cover of the Stones “Wild horses” was amazing Cakes “I Will Survive” (gloria Ganer?) Outfrakinstanding Massive Attack does an awesome remix of Garbages “Milk” Nirvanas cover of “The Man Who Sold the World” is without a doubt my favorite Nirvana Song. David Bowie did the original The Sonics did several covers all were great. Tom Waits does an awesome version of “Somewhere” from West Side Story Monkey Mafia remixed Prodigy’s “Minefields” and I love it…and I hate prodigy the Chili Peppers cover of Stevie Wonders “Higher Ground” is funktacular SoundGardens covers of Cheech and Chongs “Earache My Eye” and Spinal Taps “Big Bottom” are worth the trouble of tracking them down. Elvis’s Cover of “Blue Suede Shoes” was kinda popular…Carl Perkins incase you were wondering Melt Banana does possibly the strangest cover of “Surfin USA” I have ever come across There is an accoustic version of Dirty Vegas’s “Days go By” that is amazing, Lauren Hills Duet/Remix of Bob Marleys “Turn your Lights Down Low” always blows me away. theres a couple for ya…I kinda collect covers. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/16 "2005-09-23T06:52:21Z")
Johnny Cash took Trent Reznor’s **Hurt** and made it his own. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/17 "2005-09-23T14:23:37Z")
I can’t remember which hard rock band did it (Sevendust? One of those sorts of bands), but there’s a cover of Britney Spear’s Toxic done grunge style which is surprisingly good. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/18 "2005-09-23T15:10:22Z")
I sort of like Scissor Sister’s cover of **Comfortably Numb** ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/19 "2005-09-23T15:42:49Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > …The Chili Peppers cover of Stevie Wonders “Higher Ground” is funktacular They also covered “Love Roller Coaster” on the Beavis and Butthead soundtrack. Also very, very funktacular. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909/20 "2005-09-23T15:50:59Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > They also covered “Love Roller Coaster” on the Beavis and Butthead soundtrack. Also very, very funktacular. Agreed. My other fav covers include: Lots of stuff by **Me First and the Gimme Gimmes** , especially the entire _Are a Drag_ album (all show tunes) and _One Tin Soldier_ (they took quite possibly the crappiest song in existance and made it fun to listen to.) **Guser** doing…well…again, almost anything. I have a live version of them doing _Like a Prayer_ and it’s phenemenol. And there cover of _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ they did at a concert at my school was awesome. The drummer (who CANNOT sing) was the lead vocalist. 😃 **No Use for a Name’s** version of _Fairy Tale of New York_ is vastly superior to the original (which, IIRC, is done by **The Pogues**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-and-interesting-remakes-and-remixes-of-songs-you-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/322909.md?page=2)