# The original was good, but it was the RADICALLY different cover version that was the hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591 "2020-08-20T14:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/161 "2020-09-06T23:38:54Z")
Ok, this one just crossed my mind. Back in the 1980s you may have heard some people talking about the steamy video for the Duran Duran song Girls on Film and wondered what the big deal was when on MTV you saw- [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KCjMZMxNr-0/maxresdefault.jpg "Duran Duran - Girls On Film (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCjMZMxNr-0) In truth that is the ‘Day’ version. The steamy video is in fact the [NSFW ‘Night’ version](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z3opt). It just so happens that I saw the ‘Night’ version first, when I was 14 or so. That ice cube was forever burned in my memory. And it turns out the song is a different mix from the ‘Day’ version as well. I actually like the ‘Night’ mix better. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/162 "2020-09-07T05:05:49Z")
To continue this little hijack, I remember Friday Night Videos breathlessly announcing they were going to be showing a video for a song that was banned by the BBC, implying that they had more guts than the Beeb. My first exposure to Frankie Goes To Hollywood was the [so-called laser beam video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCp2h5jslKY) for “Relax”. Other than singing “come” a lot, I coudn’t figure out why it was banned. About a month later, the locally produced Goodnight LA (hands down the best music video program in history) showed the [original golden showers video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yem_iEHiyJ0). … Oh, I get it now. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/163 "2020-09-07T05:50:21Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > the [original golden showers video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yem_iEHiyJ0). … Oh, I get it now. A strong live action Tom of Finland vibe. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/164 "2020-09-07T20:02:22Z")
More Shocking Blue [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JAvYUFcRnO4/hqdefault.jpg "Shocking Blue - Love Buzz") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAvYUFcRnO4) You may be more familiar with this version [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IkKu3rDl0yw/hqdefault.jpg "Nirvana - Love Buzz") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkKu3rDl0yw) ---
**Author:** ![Caprismall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@Caprismall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprismall)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/165 "2020-09-07T20:48:26Z")
I am currenlty obssessed with the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain’s version of Psycho Killer. Worlds better than the Talking Heads original. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/166 "2020-09-08T10:29:42Z")
Neither of these are hits, but they are radically different covers I like: In light of the convo about Blue Monday - [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cHLbaOLWjpc/maxresdefault.jpg "Orkestra Obsolete play Blue Monday using 1930s instruments - BBC Arts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHLbaOLWjpc) And I don’t know if you can call it a cover if it’s just a reworking by the original songwriter: Mariachi Golden Brown: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zy8Y3R4dXyc/maxresdefault.jpg ""Golden Brown" - Mariachi Mexteca (now known as The Mariachis) feat. Hugh Cornwell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy8Y3R4dXyc) ---
**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:** [September 8, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591/167 "2020-09-08T20:27:06Z")
Since we seem to have drifted from the OP (a radically different cover version being the bigger hit) I’ll add a pair that interest me. I love me some early **Gary Numan** (I linked to **Are “Friends” Electric?** earlier in this thread and here he is with **Me, I disconnect From You** which appeared on album but was never released as a single. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IxF6aFrCw7w/maxresdefault.jpg "Tubeway Army - Me! I Disconnect From You (Replicas - 1979)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxF6aFrCw7w) And here is the **Grace Jones** version which she recorded but never released until it emerged years later on an expanded re-issue version of her **Nightclubbing** album. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbevYRqE5jI) TCMF-2L [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-was-good-but-it-was-the-radically-different-cover-version-that-was-the-hit/918591.md?page=8)