# The best covers you ever heard **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708 "2001-08-10T01:59:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/61 "2001-08-16T05:05:32Z")
Jeff Healey’s whole ‘Cover to Cover’ album (CD)!!! VERY good shit. 'Specially the Beatle’s stuff. No I take back - it’s the blues stuff. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/62 "2001-08-16T08:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > **The Beatles- “Money (That’s What I Want)”** (Orig. by ?) > > **The Beatles- “Twist and Shout”** (Oig. by ?) > > \*\* Money = Barrett Strong Twist and Shout = The Top Notes (though it was the Isley Brothers’ version that was a hit and that the Beatles probably knew first) ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/63 "2001-08-16T08:24:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\ ***Tom Petty- “Needles and Pins”** (Orig. by The Searchers) > \*\* Forgot about this one – Jackie DeShannon did the original version (much as love the Searchers, gotta give credit where it’s due). ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/64 "2001-08-16T08:27:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psychogumby \* > \*\*some EXCELLENT cover versions: > > “Tainted Love” - The Living End (Soft Cell) > \*\* The original version of “Tainted Love” was recorded by Gloria Jones – it was a late sixties R&B dance number. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/65 "2001-08-16T08:45:39Z")
I’ll see if I can come up with some that I haven’t nominated the last couple of times this topic’s come around: “Til the End of the Day”, Big Star (original by The Kinks) “Brand New Cadillac”, The Clash (Vince Taylor & His Playboys) “Mood Indigo”, The Jody Grind (come on, do I have to do this one?) “Bertha Lou”, Tav Falco and Panther Burns (Clint Miller) “Glad All Over”, The Rezillos (Dave Clark Five) “Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache”, Robert Gordon and Link Wray (Warren Smith) “In My Own Time”, The Three O’Clock (The Bee Gees) And a few I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before: “B-A-B-Y”, Rachel Sweet (Carla Thomas) “(What’s So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”, Elvis Costello (Brinsley Schwarz) And my all-time favorite cover: “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby”, Kirsty MacColl (The Smiths) ---
**Author:** ![SteveinSpain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@SteveinSpain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveinSpain)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/66 "2001-08-16T09:47:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGrenze \* > \*\*I like _Los fabulosos Cadillacs_ cover of the Beatles’ song “Strawberry Fields Forever”. > > Ok, so almost nobody knows of what band I’m talking about, but the cover was good. \*\* From Argentina. Check out “Matador” which they did in 1994. Vaya marcha. ---
**Author:** ![uberDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f04885/32.png) [@uberDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uberDave)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/67 "2001-08-16T13:17:54Z")
Didn’t see anyone mention my favorite. **Take Me to the River** by Talking Heads (orginally done by Al Green as a R&B). Too cool. Dave ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/68 "2001-08-16T16:30:31Z")
Yeah, I like SRV’s “Little Wing” much better than the original, but (and I can’t say exactly why, maybe just because it’s SRV) I still prefer his version of “Voodoo Chile” to Hendrix’s. Also, I disagree with whoever disagreed with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s cover of “Heard it through the grapevine”. I like it better. And I can’t believe I forgot to mention Dweezil Zappa doing “Hit me baby one more time” (formerly Britney Spears). I LOVE it. And Type O Negative doing “Summer Breeze”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/69 "2001-08-16T17:13:08Z")
String Cheese Incident’s versions of “Take Five” and “Footsteps” ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/70 "2001-08-16T18:08:51Z")
[hijack] **SteveinSpain** …WOW! Finally someone knows the band I was talking about. Of course I know their song Matador. They were going to be on concert here last week, but the baterist got a fractured leg and it was canceled. GRRR…[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![kneekettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5e925/32.png) [@kneekettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kneekettle)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/71 "2001-08-16T19:03:44Z")
I like: Moxy Fruvous (Great Canadian Band): The BeeGees’ “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” Barenaked Ladies: “Fight the Power”, “Material Girl”, and “When Doves Cry” They Might Be Giants: “Mr. Tambourine Man” Garth Brooks: Kiss’ “Hard Luck Woman” and not really a cover, technically, but System of a Down do something great with the theme to “Legend of Zelda” that you all have to hear. Kneekettle ---
**Author:** ![sdarr2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@sdarr2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdarr2002)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/72 "2001-08-17T05:16:34Z")
if the best cover isn’t johnny winters “highway 61”, then it has to be big daddy’s " sgt peppers lonely hearts club band" ---
**Author:** ![schplebordnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@schplebordnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schplebordnik)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/73 "2001-08-17T05:46:38Z")
Most of the Specials tunes were covers, but their two most amazing were: Molly’s Farm (ska version of Dylan); Guns of Navarrone (sped-up cover of Skatellite’s cover of old movie tune). ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/74 "2001-08-17T19:01:10Z")
Tom Waits’ version of “Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho” from the Disney “Stay Awake” album of covers. Goes from a happy Dwarf song to a creepy dirge. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![psychogumby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@psychogumby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychogumby)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/75 "2001-08-17T22:12:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rackensack \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by psychogumby \* > > \*\*some EXCELLENT cover versions: > > > > “Tainted Love” - The Living End (Soft Cell) > > \*\* > > The original version of “Tainted Love” was recorded by Gloria Jones – it was a late sixties R&B dance number. \*\* Oh right. That kinda passed me by, in the late 60’s I wasn’t even a sperm swimming around in my father’s nads at that stage … that, and the Soft Cell version is the one that EVERYBODY knows. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![psychogumby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@psychogumby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychogumby)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/76 "2001-08-17T22:13:41Z")
Oh yeah … forgot a really unbelivably cool one … Faith No More’s cover of the theme to ‘Midnight Cowboy’. There, I said it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/77 "2001-08-18T03:07:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sdarr2002 \* > if the best cover isn’t johnny winters “highway 61”, then it has to be big daddy’s " sgt peppers lonely hearts club band" Good lord, someone else here knows about Big Daddy? ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/78 "2001-08-18T20:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kneekettle \* > \*\* > and not really a cover, technically, but System of a Down do something great with the theme to “Legend of Zelda” that you all have to hear. > Kneekettle \*\* You ain’t lyin’! It’s great because they made up lyrics to it, and Serj sang it. Serj singing anything is just automatically great. I nominate Annie Lennox’s version of “No More I Love Yous” off her Medusa CD. I don’t remember who sang it originally, but hers is super good. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/79 "2001-08-19T01:18:29Z")
I might be wrong, but I seem to recall hearing that although, of course, Bob Dylan wrote Mr Tambourine Man the Byrds recorded it, or released it before Dylan. If that is the case (The Byrds released it first) would that make Dylan’s release the cover? Oh, and I generally prefer anyone’s cover of any Woody Guthrie song. The Library of Congress recordings just aren’t that good. ---
**Author:** ![ity2525](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/22d042/32.png) [@ity2525](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ity2525)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708/80 "2001-08-19T01:26:25Z")
“I Will Survive,” originally recorded by Gloria Gaynor. Off of Fashion Nugget. A great record of a great song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-covers-you-ever-heard/75708.md?page=5)