# Spot-on covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482 "2018-12-03T04:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [December 5, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/41 "2018-12-05T17:56:20Z")
> [@Mr.Me](#): > > Oingo Boingo did a pretty good cover of [I Am The Walrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJ55m3kDRM). > [@cochrane](#): > > So did [Styx](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-TQWFqWqsc&app=desktop). So did [Crack The Sky](https://youtu.be/7mSyFPJcCAA) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/42 "2018-12-05T18:42:58Z")
Simple Man Original - [Lynyrd Skynyrd](https://youtu.be/sMmTkKz60W8) Cover - [Shinedown](https://youtu.be/rgFQ6WmxdMs) ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/43 "2018-12-05T20:21:37Z")
In 1969-1970, _The Original Caste_ had a U.S. Top 40 hit with [One Tin Soldier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTBx-hHf4BE). In 1971 _Coven_ also notched their own [Top 40 hit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPNDBEuKCdY) with the song, and I cannot tell the two versions apart. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/44 "2018-12-05T20:50:37Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > In 1969-1970, _The Original Caste_ had a U.S. Top 40 hit with [One Tin Soldier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTBx-hHf4BE). In 1971 _Coven_ also notched their own [Top 40 hit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPNDBEuKCdY) with the song, and I cannot tell the two versions apart. Interesting. Curious that they are so close together; I wonder if people just didn’t notice it was a different band. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/45 "2018-12-05T22:33:41Z")
In the early 1990s, Ugly Kid Joe had a [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQVfKS7ukiE)of Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” that was pretty faithful to the original. Sure, it was in a slightly different key and it was a bit heavier on the percussion, but otherwise it was pretty similar. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/46 "2018-12-05T22:47:00Z")
Somewhat related: In 1971 _Cymarron_ had a U.S. Top 20 hit with the song [Rings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-x9fmXQrE). Three years later, [a similar version by _Lobo_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQZmTyoJ5RY) made it to #43. (Lobo was the stage name for solo singer Roland Kent LaVoie). According to Casey Kasem, the reason Lobo recorded the song is because a lot of his less-informed fans thought he had recorded the original version, and he got annoyed when in concert they kept requesting that he sing “his big hit” _Rings_. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/47 "2018-12-05T23:21:26Z")
the lead singer of Depeche mode has a nice cover of "heroes " out ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/48 "2018-12-05T23:52:10Z")
When David Lee Roth covered Louis Prima’s cover of “Just a Gigolo” and “I Ain’t Got Nobody”, [his arrangement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFV1biHrOBU) was almost identical to [Prima’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkrb4h4weW4). One of the local DJs would cue up both versions, start playing them at the same time, then switch back and forth from one version to the other. They lined up perfectly, from start to finish. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/49 "2018-12-05T23:56:25Z")
[Robert John](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7mDzwYcZiM) released a nearly identical version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in 1972, 11 years after [The Tokens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LBmUwi6mEo) had a hit with it. Of course, these were only two of the many different takes over the years of 1939’s “Mbube” from an African group known as [Solomon Linda & the Evening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrQT4WkbNE). ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/50 "2018-12-06T00:29:54Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > String Cheese Incident does a pretty "spot on rendition of \*\*\*[Sympathy for the Devil\*\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz3P2Z1gvw) That’s a cool version but I don’t think it’s particularly spot-on to the original. I think some of their covers of _This Must be the Place_ are more spot-on. Eg: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kghEAghEP-s&t=60s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kghEAghEP-s&t=60s) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/51 "2018-12-06T00:30:57Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > I like that band. 🆒 NYE Denver? ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/52 "2018-12-06T00:36:15Z")
Echo & The Bunnymen’s cover of “People Are Strange”: [The Lost Boys - Soundtrack - People Are Strange - By Echo & The Bunnymen - - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTviNc52igI) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/53 "2018-12-06T10:27:59Z")
I would mention the song **Stacy’s Mom.** Written and recorded by **Fountains of Wayne** it was (apparently) widely assumed to be by **Bowling For Soup**. So they covered it. The cover sounding (not surprisingly) very similar to the original - although I prefer the cover! For some minor added irony **Fountains of Wayne** were deliberately trying to sound like **The Cars**. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/54 "2018-12-06T11:17:59Z")
An interesting subcategory is sound-alikes by name-alikes, where a sneaky record company releases a version with an artist name very similar to the original. Two cases that I know of: In 1960, **Gary Mills** recorded the original version of _Look For a Star_, which reached #26 in the U.S. However, a rush-release by **Gary Miles** (really James Carson) did even better, reaching #16. In the mid-1990s, **Macarena** by _Los del Rio_ was a huge international hit. And the version by _Los del Mar_ did pretty good too, reaching #71 in the U.S. and #43 in the U.K. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/55 "2018-12-06T23:29:24Z")
[quote=“GESancMan, post:30, topic:825482”] From the OP: > [@](#): > > I’m understanding this to mean how the original and the cover _sound_ compared to each other, not a comparison of how successful they are. Yeah, in my previous post I was agreeing with you. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/56 "2019-03-12T22:07:52Z")
Just came across this [Pearl Jam - Love, Reign O’er Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taIjCV1edZ4) ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/57 "2019-03-13T03:45:06Z")
Can’t touch Leonid & Friends, the best[Chicago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwYV4H9rU6o&list=RDD5XmUnYW5Ks&index=2) cover band in the world. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/58 "2019-03-13T12:06:30Z")
[Kurt Vile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMJ0z_HCllA) does a great job covering “Rollin’ with the Flow”. It was originally made famous as [recorded by Charlie Rich](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQ96MAtGn8) in the `70s. [Vile’s cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMJ0z_HCllA) is a little _fresher_, but still true to the original. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/59 "2019-03-13T12:55:50Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Africa > [Toto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY) > [Weezer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5Dwg5zm2U) > [@Wheelz](#): > > I had heard _so_ much buzz about this before I listened to it, which made it all the more disappointing that there was virtually nothing to distinguish Weezer’s version from the original. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > Heard this the other day. I just don’t see the point. 😕 The amusing thing is, stations\* that wouldn’t play Toto if you bribed them, have put Weezer’s nearly identical cover on heavy rotation. If there’s a point, I suppose that would have to be it: get stations to play music they wouldn’t otherwise play, because the ‘right’ band rather than the wrong one is playing it. \*Yes, DC101, I’m talking about you. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/60 "2019-03-13T15:02:03Z")
This isn’t quite a “spot-on” cover, because you can tell it’s a different singer … but when [George Michael sang “Somebody to Love” with Queen in 1995,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAR8RigqDA) I thought it was as close to being as good as the original as you can get. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482.md?page=4)