Cover versions....any better than originals.?

[The Freak]

Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was
wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
be better than those of the original artist.It all
started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
Any thoughts on the matter.?
--
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
* Power is the greatest form of Aphrodisiac. (H.Kissinger.) *
********************** THE FREAK ***************************
********************** cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk ***************************

[Rob Shearman Jr.]

Excerpt From: cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak)

: Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was

: wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
: be better than those of the original artist.It all
: started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
: Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
: generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
: Any thoughts on the matter.?

Personally I didn't like her version at all, mainly because I can't stand
the pop-reggae sound she has, but I suppose that's a matter of personal
taste... musically it was very good.

As far as I am concerned, you can't say whether any cover song surpasses
the original... but, you can say they're just as good, in their own right.

Here are some of my favorites (first one from th same album, "Two Rooms")...

Beach Boys - "Crocodile Rock", originally by Elton John
G'n'R - "Live & Let Die", originally by Paul McCartney
Ugly Kid Joe - "Cats in the Cradle", originally by Harry Chapin (?sp?)

-Rob

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The opinions expressed in this article may or may not be based on fact,
fiction, characters or events (real or imaginary), reality, truth, or logic.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| \ _ |_ Robert M. Shearman, Jr. E-Mail: mad...@wam.umd.edu
=-= |_/ / \ | \ University of Maryland "If time is money, then sleep
| \ \_/ |_/ College Park, Maryland is money well spent!" -Me
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[Timothy J. Young]

In article <1993Feb26.0...@wam.umd.edu>

mad...@wam.umd.edu (Rob Shearman Jr.) writes:

> As far as I am concerned, you can't say whether any cover song surpasses
> the original... but, you can say they're just as good, in their own right.

How about these :
Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower"
Faith No More's version of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"
RHCP's version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground"

-Tim Young, Dartmouth College, Class of '96
If Dartmouth had these opinions, things would change fast...
"All of us get lost in the darkness ; dreamers learn to steer by the
stars..." - Rush (NOT Limbaugh!)

[Andrew Fordham]

In article <C30LD...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak) writes:
>
> started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
> Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
> generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
>

As much as I like Kate's original stuff, I thought her Rocket man was
pretty awful.

How about Unchained Melody by U2 (B-side of All I Want Is You). Much
more `feeling' than the Righteous Brothers rather lacklustre rendition.

Has anyone heard the Frazier Chorus version of the Sex Pistol's
Anarchy in the UK. A classic!

Then of course there's Bowie's version of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play.
Some hippy's going to kill me for that one...

Andrew

--
Andrew Fordham (MSc student) | University of Edinburgh
Phone: +44 31 650 4410 | Centre for Cognitive Science
JANET: and...@cogsci.ed.ac.uk | 2 Buccleuch Place
WORLD: andrew%cogsci....@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk| Edinburgh EH8 9LW Scotland

[Frank McPherson]

The Freak (cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk) wrote:

: Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was

: wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
: be better than those of the original artist.It all
: started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
: Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
: generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
: Any thoughts on the matter.?

I like Jimi Hendrix' version of ``All Along the Watchtower'' better than
any of the others I've heard. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's
actually better than the others, though. Calling one song ``better'' than
another song is a subjective thing; calling one version of the same song
better than another is even more subjective.

--
- Frank McPherson
- Internet : fmcp...@vnet.ibm.com
- Phone : (606) 243-4974

[Ray Shea]

In article <C31K4...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:
>
>How about these :
>Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower"
>Faith No More's version of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"
>RHCP's version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground"

Apples and oranges. The point is that you cannot say one is *better* than
the other, because each was created in it's own era, with its own unique
social, economic, racial, political, emotional circumstances. You or I may
like one or the other better, but then again it is *our* own circumstances
and viewpoints that color our perceptions. Personally, I've always liked
Hendrix's version of "Watchtower" better, I think Faith No More's "War Pigs"
is boring, and "Higher Ground" I go either way depending on my mood, although
I think clearly Stevie's version is the more important one in the grand scheme
of late 20th century popular music.

I bet if you asked the Chili Peppers if their versions of "Higher Ground"
or "Africa" or "Subterranean Homesick Blues" were better than the originals,
they'd laugh at you.

--
Ray Shea "People like you make me more of an elitist."
UniSQL, Inc. --Jeff Dauber
unisql!r...@cs.utexas.edu
DoD #0372 -- Team Twinkie -- '88 Hawk NT650

[Jet Girl]

In article <C30LD...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak) writes:

> Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was
> wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
> be better than those of the original artist.It all
> started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
> Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
> generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
> Any thoughts on the matter.?

Yes!!!! Kate Bush's version of "Rocket Man" was God-awful, although her
interpretation of "Candle In The Wind" was even worse. And this coming
from a Kate fan. The best cover version of a Kate Bush song I've heard
would have to be Pat Benatar's "Wuthering Heights"...or indeed anything
by Tori Amos!!!! *GIGGLE*

It is hard to say what the purpose of cover versions is. Perhaps it is
either to pay tribute/respsect to the particular artist or that the group
feel that they can add something to a song. Cases of the latter point
being Husker Du's "Eight Mile High" and Siouxsie and the Banshees superior
cover of "Dear Prudence" - this being perhaps the only time when a cover
of a Beatles tune has added anything to the original. Saying that, Belly's
version of "Trust IN Me" is much better than the Banshees.

Perhaps the best cover version (excluding "Prudence") is Patti Smith's
drastic re-working of "Gloria"....sullen, moody, angry....I defy ANYONE
to name a better cover!!!!

AH!!!!!! Just thought what I can use as my new .signature!!! Ha ha!!!

love Joolz

--
*****************************************************************************
*** xxx currently under xxx JOOLZ THE JET GIRL ***
*** reconstruction cei...@uk.ac.coventry.cck ***
*****************************************************************************

[duane joseph corpis]

Now, I love Joni Mitchell, but CSNY version of "Woodstock" rocks compared to
her original recorded on _Ladies of the Canyon_. But in Joni's defense, her
live renditions of "Woodstock" on _Miles of Aisles_ and _Shadow and Light_ are
FANTASTIC!

Tuck and Patti also do a version of Cyndi Lauper's song "Time after Time" --
but then it doesn't take much to improve on Cyndi Lauper, does it?

Duane Corpis

[in the process of being revised]

Like a bolt from the blue, cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Jet Girl) wrote:

>It is hard to say what the purpose of cover versions is. Perhaps it is
>either to pay tribute/respsect to the particular artist or that the group
>feel that they can add something to a song.

Seems to me that the tribute variety of cover, while sometimes useful
as a pointer to fans (I discovered the Chambers Brothers through the
Ramones, of all places, when the latter covered "Time Has Come Today")
are generally not nearly as interesting as the other sort.

>Cases of the latter point
>being Husker Du's "Eight Mile High" and Siouxsie and the Banshees superior
>cover of "Dear Prudence"

I'm only slightly familiar with the Siouxsie, but the Husker Du is
an excellent example. Where the Byrds give the impression of an
acid trip, Husker Du sound like they're on bad crank or something.
Another one I've always liked is Oingo Boingo's cover of "You Really
Got Me" -- I always thought of the Kinks' version as a straightforward
love/lust song, but OB emphasize the obsessive aspects and make it
downright creepy ("You got me so I don't know what I'm doing...doing...
DOING!!"). Or Sid Vicious' cover of "My Way", which shows just how
punk the song really is.

>Perhaps the best cover version (excluding "Prudence") is Patti Smith's
>drastic re-working of "Gloria"....sullen, moody, angry....I defy ANYONE
>to name a better cover!!!!

That's a tough one, all right. I'll have to think about it.

-- Stewart
--
"Well, then, you that is well now then."
-- Timothy Bowden (tcbo...@clovis.felton.ca.us)
/* uunet!sco!stewarte -or- stew...@sco.COM -or- Stewart Evans */

[Stephen M. Jones]

(The Freak) writes:

song orginal covered by
Wendy beach boys descendents
satisfaction rolling stones devo
are you experie? jimmy hendrix devo
susbstitue the who sex pistols
--
Stephen M. Jones (214)436-4622
s...@sdf.lonestar.org <Cs&E> sdf.system.administrator

[Ed Vorst]

Lovers in a dangerous time - Barenaked Ladies
Won't get fooled again - VH
Smells like teen spirit - Tori Amos
All our tomorrows - Joe Cocker (master of the remake + the only man who
can justifiably remake Beatles songs)
-check out some of the songs on "Two Rooms"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
el conquistador
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
( evo...@umanitoba.ccu.ca )
- "What's a knockout like you
doing in a computer generated
gin joint like this?"
Commander Riker
ST:TNG

[Timothy J. Young]

In article <48...@unisql.UUCP>
r...@unisql.UUCP (Ray Shea) writes:

> I bet if you asked the Chili Peppers if their versions of "Higher Ground"
> or "Africa" or "Subterranean Homesick Blues" were better than the originals,
> they'd laugh at you.

You're definitely right. I *hate* their version of "Subterranean
Homesick Blues" and their "Fire" as well.

[John Altinbay]

In article <C35F...@ccu.umanitoba.ca> evo...@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Ed Vorst) writes:
>All our tomorrows - Joe Cocker (master of the remake + the only man who
> can justifiably remake Beatles songs)

I remember some great covers of Beatles songs by The Shadows. Juhn was rather
fond of Nilsson's version of every song they ever did (under the title "You
Can't Do That". fever tree did a phenomenal cover of Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out.
Bid Daddy's Sgt. Pepper has many good and inventive covers.

Just off the top of my head...

(iand then there's Emmylou Harris's For No One and Here, There & Everywhere...)

[John Altinbay]

Robert Gordon & Link Wray did a really good version of Springsteen's "Fire".

[Mark Brewster]

Japan "All Tomorrows Parties" orig. Velvet Underground
UZEB "Good Bye, Pork Pie Hat" orig. C. Mingus (not better but anymeans but different and enjoyable)
English Beat "Tears of a Clown" orig. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Japan "I Second That Emotion" orig. " " " " " (again not better but different)
808 State "Sound + Vision" orig David Bowie
Bauhaus "Ziggy Stardust" orig " "
Swans "Love Will Tear Us Apart" orig Joy Division
Power Station "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" orig T.Rex
Robert Palmer "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" orig ?
The Cult "Born To Be Wild" orig Steppenwolf(sp?)
Anthrax "Bring The Noize" orig. Public Enemy!!!!
Run D.M.C. "Walk This Way" orig. Aerosmith
Opus III "I Talk To The Wind" orig King Crimson
10,000 Maniacs "Everyday Is Like Sunday" orig Morrisey/Smiths (I know, I know, he's a god...Hmmph!!)
Bootsauce "Everyone's A Winner" orig Hot Chocolate
The RheoStatics "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fritzgerald" orig Gordon Lightfoot
Miles Davis "Perfect Way" orig Scritti Politti
The SoupDragons "I'm Free" orig The Rolling Stones
Duran Duran "Femme Fatale" orig Lou Reed/Velvet Underground
Chrissy Hynde/UB40 "I Got You Babe" orig by Sonny&Cher

Just a few I remember and enjoy...

Mark B.

[Ken Warkentyne]

Jet Girl:

>>Perhaps the best cover version (excluding "Prudence") is Patti Smith's
>>drastic re-working of "Gloria"....sullen, moody, angry....I defy ANYONE
>>to name a better cover!!!!

Hmm, this is the third discussion in the past month or so that has
prompted me to cite John Cale's version of "Heartbreak Hotel".
Cale creates a sinister, deadend Lonely Street from which there is
no exit.
--
Ken Warkentyne - war...@ltisun.epfl.ch
Laboratoire de Teleinformatique, EPFL, Suisse.

[Anne Strongcloak]

Sarah McLachlan's version of "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" is much more
jubilant and in keeping with the lyrics than Donovan's original. And she
sings better! His original, however, is rather funky, and both can stand
up to each other because they are so different in feel.
(For those of you who are somewhat interested in finding out who this
McLachlan woman is, see my post on "Female Vocalists" somewhere very near
this one.)
--
Aaron G. Stock, Drawer 1735, Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 47374
aar...@yang.earlham.edu ||| IN%"aarons%earlham...@uicvm.uic.edu"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The desire to |"And in this moment, I need to be needed
learn is more | When my self-esteem is sinking, I like to be liked
important than the| In this emptiness and fear, I want to be wanted
ability to learn. |'Cos I love to be loved, I love to be loved" -Peter Gabriel

[Ernst Hoefer]

Just some more:

Song Covery by Orginal by
JUST LIKE HEAVEN DINOSAUR JR. THE CURE
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE LEATHERFACE POLICE
CA PLANE POUR MOI SONIC YOUTH PLASTIC BERTRAND

--
SUBNET: er...@adi.ka.sub.org FIDO: 2:241/7455.16 Compu$erve: 100064,672
!!! Outside Germany, use 10006...@compuserve.com !!!

[Rich Ayres]

Chicken or the egg, I'm not sure, but...

Aztec Camera's Jump works much better than Van Halen's (IMHO). And, if
you have the right version, it cranks up with some (almost) equivalent
guitar at the end...

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Richard R. Ayres
| ay...@mars.mtv.gsc.gte.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Steve W Hill]

Coil's cover of "Tainted Love" easily fits the bill.

Does Ministry's cover of Skinny Puppy's "Smothered Hope" count, with Ogre
doing the vocals and all?

Steve Hill SH...@HARPERVM.BITNET
Data Communications Technician William Rainey Harper College
Information Systems department 1200 W Algonquin Rd Palatine IL
-------"No one in power taking blame."-----Skinny Puppy---------------
"You asked for nothing. That's what I gave you."---Legendary Pink Dots

[Jan Mattsson]

cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Jet Girl) writes:

>feel that they can add something to a song. Cases of the latter point
>being Husker Du's "Eight Mile High" and Siouxsie and the Banshees superior
>cover of "Dear Prudence" - this being perhaps the only time when a cover
>of a Beatles tune has added anything to the original.

Laibach's "Get back" definitely adds something to the original.

--
Jan Mattsson, CS student, Uppsala University, Sweden
ja...@minsk.docs.uu.se

[Mark J. Rinehart]

In article <C31K4...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:

> In article <1993Feb26.0...@wam.umd.edu>
> mad...@wam.umd.edu (Rob Shearman Jr.) writes:
>
> > As far as I am concerned, you can't say whether any cover song surpasses
> > the original... but, you can say they're just as good, in their own right.

I disagree with this statement. Anybody can say that *to them*, any
song or version of a song is better or worse than any other.

> How about these :
> Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower"

And I would put Dave Mason's cover of this song up there too

For my tastes, K D Lang's live cover of Crying (in a tribute to Roy
Orbison), was better than any of the various versions I heard Roy
sing - and Roy is/was one of my very favorite artists.

I like Manfred Mann's cover of Blinded By The Light better than
Bruce's original.

Pat Benatar does a cover of *Just Like Me* that far surpasses the
original by Paul Revere and The Raiders, imo.

Mark

[wlam...@acoma.ucs.indiana.edu]

I'd have to say that 10,00 0 Maniacs' "rockville" impresses me
more than REM's version...and I'm one of the biggest REM fans this side of
Athens.

--
---Chris L (wlam...@acoma.ucs.indiana.edu)---PLEEZ write me,ladies-----
Lady Hoosiers...well, our MEN are doing good, anyway.
*"you can say anything with words."-Robyn Hitchcock
**"Operator, won't you help me place that call?"-Chris Berman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

[Andrew Rogers]

In article <Mar.1.14.16....@aramis.rutgers.edu> rine...@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart) writes:
>> How about these :
>> Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower"
>
>And I would put Dave Mason's cover of this song up there too

I have heard rumors for years that DM played on Hendrix's version; some say
he plays acoustic guitar; some say he played the 12-string slide part.

Evidence in favor:

1) Traffic-mates Steve Winwood and Chris Wood also appeared on
"Electric Ladyland"

2) When I heard DM open for Todd Rundgren in 1972, he played
the slide part note-for-note

3) That sure looks like DM in the boat photo inside the "EL"
cover

Evidence against:

1) SW and CW are credited, but DM isn't (although given his
on-again-off-again membership in Traffic, this might not
prove much)

2) I can play the slide part note-for-note, too

3) Another rumor has it that the person in the boat isn't DM
at all, but instead is Sundowners (opening act on the
infamous Hendrix/Monkees tour) guitarist Eddie Placidi

Evidence against evidence against:

3) Eddie Placidi is the only person I ever heard this rumor from,
and anyway he looks a lot more like Peter Tork

AWR

PS: remember the perennial thread about "I can connect so-and-so to
so-and-so in <n> links"? Well, my garage band opened for the Sundowners,
who had opened for Hendrix (and for the Rolling Stones, on their third
US date)... so you can connect *me* to Hendrix and the Stones in *two*
links! And since latter-day Sundowners drummer Benny Grammatico is the
brother of Foreigner's Lou Gramm, you can connect me to them in two links
too, although I'd prefer that you didn't unless you want to extend that (via
Ian McDonald) to connect me to King Crimson in three. And in a couple of
weeks, you'll be able to connect me to Robert Johnson in three links, too!
Gee, this is fun... too bad my lithium's wearing off...

[Jater & Co.]

In article <WARKENT.93...@ltisun14.epfl.ch>,

war...@ltisun14.epfl.ch (Ken Warkentyne) wrote:
>
> Hmm, this is the third discussion in the past month or so that has
> prompted me to cite John Cale's version of "Heartbreak Hotel".
> Cale creates a sinister, deadend Lonely Street from which there is
> no exit.

or more specifically, the performance of Cale's version as heard by Cale,
Shawn Colvin, Richard Thompson, and Jo-El Sonnier.

let's add another brilliant cover on there: Shawn Colvin's version of
David Byrne's "Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)" surpasses the Talking
Heads' original version.

mlb

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=EmAyAr...@EnDublyouYou.EeDeeYou-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
m l bailey || Zorg: "I don't see the connection
flagrant poseur || between demolition and
northwestern university || writing."
"Ceci n'est pas une .sig." || Betty: "I'm not surprised."
-- Rene Magritte ||

[James Carrier]

In article <93060.01...@HARPERVM.BITNET>, SH...@HARPERVM.BITNET (Steve W H

ill) writes:
>Coil's cover of "Tainted Love" easily fits the bill.
>

>Steve Hill SH...@HARPERVM.BITNET
>Data Communications Technician William Rainey Harper College
>Information Systems department 1200 W Algonquin Rd Palatine IL
>-------"No one in power taking blame."-----Skinny Puppy---------------
>"You asked for nothing. That's what I gave you."---Legendary Pink Dots

what an asshole. soft cell had much more daring and creativity in their
version. just because it was overplayed, it still made more of a difference
than the coil version. this is not to knock the coil version, BTW
--

relatively impressed with
-------------------------
Annabelllllla Lwin

[Jet Girl]

In article <13...@leonard.ed.ac.uk> and...@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Andrew Fordham) writes:
>In article <C30LD...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak) writes:

>Then of course there's Bowie's version of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play.
>Some hippy's going to kill me for that one...
>

All About Eve did an excellent version of "See Emily Play" on both the
September and November tours - it was the best song they did all night-
but lets face it...that wouldnt be difficult now.*SOB* "In The Clouds"
was tragic...

Anyway...other cover versions I like....(thinking cap on...)

Voice of the Beehive - "I Think I Love You"
Pretenders - "Stop Your Sobbing"
"1969" (a much better version than the Mission's or t'Sisters)
Blondie - "Ring Of Fire" ----------
"Out In The Streets" |
"Denis" | So...there maybe a little
Debbie Harry - "Pet Semetary" } bit of bias here...I did
"Liar Liar" | spend 6 hours yesterday
"Black Dog" | watching my Blondie vids...
"Sharp Dressed Man" |
"Waiting For The Man" ---------
All About Eve - "The Witches Promise"
"Silver Song"
Joan Jett - "Cherry Bomb" (yes, I know it WAS a Runaways song, but she did
re-vamp it)
B-25's - "Dont worry" (though Yoko's IS better - gasp! shock! horror!)
Patti Smith - "Gloria"
"Privilege (Set Me Free)"
Birdland - "See No Evil"
Bangles - "September Gurls"
Carpenters -"There's A Kind Of Hush"
Judy Collins - "Both Sides Now"
Throwing Muses - "Jak"
Sandy Denny - "Memphis Tennessee"
most of Linda Rondstadt's stuff...

and far too many more to list...

WORST covers ever (not including Kate's "Rocket Man")

Birdland - "Rock -n- Roll Nigger" ("Patti Smith was a rock-n-roll nigger/
Brian Jones was a rock-n-roll nigger/
Birdland are rock-n-roll niggers"...an
amazing lack of foresight there methinks)
Mission - "Atomic" (how DARE they - okay goths I've got my flame suit on)
Die Cheerleader - "Somebody To Love"
Steeleye Span - "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (sorry, I detest that one")
The Farm - Dont You Want Me

Urgh...my thinking cap is beginning to stop the circulation (those who
say that this wouldnt make any difference can FOAD)

Must dash of to a design meeting anyway...YIKES!!!

love Joolz
--
*****************************************************************************
*** "Jesus died for somebodys sins... JOOLZ THE JET GIRL ***
*** but not mine..." - Patti Smith cei...@uk.ac.coventry.cck ***
*****************************************************************************

[Robert Thurlow]

In <Mar.1.14.16....@aramis.rutgers.edu> rine...@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart) writes:

>For my tastes, K D Lang's live cover of Crying (in a tribute to Roy
>Orbison), was better than any of the various versions I heard Roy
>sing - and Roy is/was one of my very favorite artists.

Don McLean did a very good version, as well. I'm not sure if it
wins, but I'd sure need an A-B comparison to be sure.

>I like Manfred Mann's cover of Blinded By The Light better than
>Bruce's original.

Agreed. Did you ever hear their bloody awful attempt to cover his
"Spirit In The Night"? Ick.

Rob T
--
Rob Thurlow, thu...@convex.com
"The dentist says not to pick your teeth with anything sharp, but
the first thing they do when they sit you down in their chair is
reach for an iron hook." -- Bill Cosby

[Robert Thurlow]

In <1993Mar1.0...@oracle.us.oracle.com> mbre...@ibanez.us.oracle.com (Mark Brewster) writes:

>Japan "All Tomorrows Parties" orig. Velvet Underground

One more cover of the same song: June Tabor and The Oyster band do this
in a Celtic style with a groove that _hurts_. Amazing!

>Run D.M.C. "Walk This Way" orig. Aerosmith

I approve :-)

Some more:

Delbert McClinton "Have A Little Faith In Me" orig. John Hiatt
The Byrds <many songs> orig. Bob Dylan

[A. Jing Hippy]

In article <C30LD...@cck.coventry.ac.uk>, cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak) writes:
|> Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was
|> wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
|> be better than those of the original artist.It all
|> started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
|> Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
|> generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
|> Any thoughts on the matter.?

Rare Earth's version of "Get Ready" has it all over the Temptations'
original, IMO, and I'm a Temptations fan....

+--------------------------------------------------+
|Dave Cochran, Data General Corporation, RTP, NC |
|coc...@dg-rtp.dg.com |
+--------------------------------------------------+
|"You know that feeling you get when you lean back |
| too far in a chair and almost fall over? I feel |
| that way all the time." -Stephen Wright |
+--------------------------------------------------+

[Lars Joensson]

In article <C386w...@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> wlam...@acoma.ucs.indiana.edu writes:
>I'd have to say that 10,00 0 Maniacs' "rockville" impresses me
>more than REM's version...and I'm one of the biggest REM fans this side of
>Athens.

Check out the Fatima Mansions cover of Shiny Happy People :)

Lars

[Gregory Taylor]

Leo Breebart writes:

>My own example of a Beatles cover better than the original would have
>to be Shirley Bassey's version of "Something". It has to do with her
>voice, I believe, because the Beatles' original arrangements are
>arguably 'better' than Bassey's orchestrated muzak, but those vocals,
>oh those vocals...

I think that one of the more regrettable injustices of life in the
sixties is that most people have never heard Shirley Bassey do *anything*
but the theme for "Goldfinger." [not that those treacly arrangements
helped, as Leo points out]. It wasn't until Leo brought her up [and
I think that her version of "Something" *is* pretty wonderful. It
even shows up on the occasional "easy listening playlist" now and then,
leading me to assume that maybe there's a reissue out there...probably
in the UK or Japan....] that I suddenly realized something a little
frightening. Stripped of their respective mannerisms [and they *are*
legion, I know], I'll bet that there's some small part of my wounded
soul that liked Sade *and* Anita Baker because of some buried fragment
of those old Shirley Bassey LPs my dad kept next to the Acker Bilk stuff.
I'd previously been unsure of why Anita had rung the chimes [not the
"Anita in full wail" voice, though]. I'd figured Sade as a horribly
distant cousin of Nina Simone [I know, dx, but this is, unlike Timothy,
just an *opinion*].
--
I could be happy now. From my seat in the airplane/I could imagine the full
enclosures of people/contented and with no needs beyond/private moments
walking the fenceline/before joining the others in the night enclosure
/that is the final shape of countries/G. A. Taylor/Heurikon/608-828-3385

[Jater & Co.]

In article <C386w...@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>,

wlam...@acoma.ucs.indiana.edu wrote:
>
> I'd have to say that 10,00 0 Maniacs' "rockville" impresses me
> more than REM's version...

rilly? i thought it sounded *identical* to the REM version, except natalie
was singing. i can't see how it improved on the original at all.

um, another one that i'm thinking about at the moment: Irish folksinger
Luka Bloom's brilliant cover of LL Cool J's "I Need Love." don't waste
your time with the studio version; except for the fiddle at the end, it's
not very enlightening. but find a live version and you'll see God.

[Steve W Hill]

In article <1993Mar1.2...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu>, jv...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu

(James Carrier) says:
>
>In article <93060.01...@HARPERVM.BITNET>, SH...@HARPERVM.BITNET (Steve WH
>ill) writes:
>>Coil's cover of "Tainted Love" easily fits the bill.
>

>what an asshole. soft cell had much more daring and creativity in their
>version. just because it was overplayed, it still made more of a difference
>than the coil version. this is not to knock the coil version, BTW

Sorry, I'll stop being an asshole now.

And I'll never set my Coil CDs on top of my Soft Cell CDs again. :)

...taking it all in stride...

[Mark Brewster]

Dsau's cover of Joy Division's isolation is very very good.

For you Canucks out there I think Crash Vegas did a cover of Neil Young's Down To The Wire on their
only album so far...Red Earth. Fantastic album, pick it up if you get the chance.

I for one kinda like Age Of Chance's cover of Kiss by Prince of course...
Then there is the Art Of Noise's cover of the same song, a little kitchsy but entertaining...

Then there are the industrial/thrash metal covers that are always good to raise a few eyebrows.
1000 Homo DJs doing Supernaut originally by Black Sabbath
Nine Inch Nails doing Get Down Make Love originally by Queen
Bigod20 doing Like A Prayer by you know who

Cheers...

Mark

[Jeff Dauber]

In article <C35JJ...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:
|> In article <48...@unisql.UUCP>
|> r...@unisql.UUCP (Ray Shea) writes:
|>
|> > I bet if you asked the Chili Peppers if their versions of "Higher Ground"
|> > or "Africa" or "Subterranean Homesick Blues" were better than the originals,
|> > they'd laugh at you.
|>
|> You're definitely right. I *hate* their version of "Subterranean
|> Homesick Blues" and their "Fire" as well.

And therefore, it is sub-music....

;-)

FWA

[Carla Kay Barlow]

Does anyone else feel certain that Bob Dylan should cover Rod Stewart's
disco smash "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" Can't you just hear Bob (Bob's
nose)...
--
ca...@stone.com
--
Carla Kay Barlow --- Stone Design Documentation and Technical Support
General = in...@stone.com Reality = rea...@stone.com

[nick nelson]

thu...@convex.com (Robert Thurlow) writes:

> In <1993Mar1.0...@oracle.us.oracle.com> mbre...@ibanez.us.oracle.com

>
> >Japan "All Tomorrows Parties" orig. Velvet Underground
>
> One more cover of the same song: June Tabor and The Oyster band do this
> in a Celtic style with a groove that _hurts_. Amazing!
>

Kendra Smith of the Dream Syndicate also does this song in German
(Alle Morgens Parties) on a flexi-disc from issue 31 of the Bob.

-----
ni...@midiline.la.ca.us (nick nelson)
MIDILine BBS (midiline.la.ca.us) - Altadena CA - (818)797-3285

[James Carrier]

In article <tzmkrAe...@adi.ka.sub.org>, h...@adi.ka.sub.org (Ernst Hoefer) wri
tes:

>
>Just some more:
>
>Song Covery by Orginal by
>JUST LIKE HEAVEN DINOSAUR JR. THE CURE
>MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE LEATHERFACE POLICE
>CA PLANE POUR MOI SONIC YOUTH PLASTIC BERTRAND

plastic bertrand inferior to sonic youth...

ok buddy. i guess he can't help it, he's into grunge.
--

Fourteen's how I'll ever be, I don't know how long it lasts
But one thing's for sure, Louis Quatorze must hurry to love me

Annabella

[Brett Hanna]

How 'bout Nazareth doing Joni Mitchell's "This Flight Tonight"

Brett

[Ken Warkentyne]

And then there is The Residents "cover" of The Beatles' "Flying".
I loved this at a time when I actively detested anything by
the Beatles for MC (musicall correct) reasons. In their version,
the Residents mock the Fab Four with a fascinating intensity
that sounds like Charles Manson on a bad acid trip. When my Mom
overheard me playing this, she requested that I never do so again
until I moved out.

PS: To all people contributing to this thread, please include some
description of why you prefer the cover or what makes it different.
I and no doubt many others are very interested in knowing!

PPS: In connection with the "bad voices" thread, I just had
the thought that Frank Sinatra covering songs from DOC AT THE
RADAR STATION with an orchestra that swings could actually
be very interesting, in a weird sort of way. But then that's
part of the essence of Beefheart, weirdness. When I look at
the photo on the back cover of this album, I have the impression
that the Magic Band is a group of marginals and idiot-savants who
have wandered away from the home and somehow found themselves in
a recording studio with a strange, unkempt person who hears
voices in his head telling him to make music.

[M.Powell]

How about:

Rage - "Run To You" originally by Bryan Adams

* Mr.MR.Powell, Chemistry Department, * "WAHEY!" *
* University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD * - E. Morecambe *
* ENGLAND * *

[ashwin kabadkar]

In article <C30LD...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Freak) writes:
>
> Following on from a discussion I had with a friend I was
> wondering how many of you have found some cover versions to
> be better than those of the original artist.It all
> started from Rocket Man.I personally thought that the Kate
> Bush version was far superior to Elton Johns,and my thoughts
> generally tended to be agreed on by my coolegues.
> Any thoughts on the matter.?

As many people before me have mentioned, the question
of whether the cover versions are 'better' is just
one's own opinion.

I feel that it mainly depends upon which version you hear first.
If the song itself is very melidious to your ears, there is very
high chance that you will like the first version that you listen to,
whether that is a cover version or the original. Beyond that point if
that first version (that you hear) is heard by you more than a few times
your ears would get accustomed to the 'sound' of the song.
After this, you will probably not like another version of that
same song as much, if that version differs from your idea of the
'perfect' version of the song, namely the first version you heard.

Does that make sense? :)
I made the above analysis based upon incidents where I liked the
cover version a lot more than the original, simply because I had heard
it before the original.

Ashwin

[James Jones]

In article <WARKENT.93...@ltisun14.epfl.ch> war...@ltisun14.epfl.ch (Ken Warkentyne) writes:
>Hmm, this is the third discussion in the past month or so that has
>prompted me to cite John Cale's version of "Heartbreak Hotel".
>Cale creates a sinister, deadend Lonely Street from which there is
>no exit.

I'll have to track that one down--but it will have to go a long way, with
all due respect to Mr. Warkentyne (and to the wondrous Jet Girl), to beat out
Tom Waits's cover of "Heigh Ho" on *Stay Awake*. It, too, paints an
ominous picture. Definitely the job from hell.

James Jones

[Anders Engwall]

rine...@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart)...

>Pat Benatar does a cover of *Just Like Me* that far surpasses the
>original by Paul Revere and The Raiders, imo.

The original version of "Just Like Me" was by The Wilde Knights,
best known for the not-so-subtle "Beaver Patrol" (which can be
found on the great _Pebbles Vol. 1_ comp).

Anyway, speaking of covers, let me just do some patriotic flag-
waving here and mention that our sixties punk legends The Namelosers
did an incredible fuzz-stoked demolition job on "Land Of 1000 Dances"
way back in 1965 (I *think* it appeared on one of the later _Pebbles_
comps -- vol. 20+ or so).

I also prefer The Pretty Things' wild version of "Oh Baby Doll"
to Chuck Berry's rather limp original.

--
Anders Engwall Email: Anders....@eua.ericsson.se
ELLEMTEL Utvecklings AB Voice: +46 8 727 3893
Älvsjö, Sweden Fax: +46 8 727 42 20
"I Costa Rica tål de inte att min rika råkost råkar kosta mer än rostad räkost"

[Anders Engwall]

rog...@calamari.hi.com (Andrew Rogers) writes:

>PS: remember the perennial thread about "I can connect so-and-so to
>so-and-so in <n> links"? Well, my garage band opened for the Sundowners,
>who had opened for Hendrix (and for the Rolling Stones, on their third
>US date)... so you can connect *me* to Hendrix and the Stones in *two*
>links! And since latter-day Sundowners drummer Benny Grammatico is the
>brother of Foreigner's Lou Gramm, you can connect me to them in two links
>too, although I'd prefer that you didn't unless you want to extend that (via
>Ian McDonald) to connect me to King Crimson in three.

I think you're cheating somewhat here, as I don't think "been on the same
bill as" constitutes a valid link. It's the verdict of the jury that
counts tho', so don't give up hope yet.

However, I do believe I can link myself to Charlie Parker in three links.
Here goes: the amateur jazz big band I'm in have on occasions had this local
drummer sitting in -- who has also drummed behind Gunnar Svensson -- who
played piano on Parker's tour over here in 1950. Yep, that's *me* and *Bird*.
In *three* links. Top that!

>Gee, this is fun...

Sure is.

[Mark Allerton]

In article <C32Ix...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> Jet Girl,
cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk writes:
>being Husker Du's "Eight Mile High" and Siouxsie and the Banshees
superior
>cover of "Dear Prudence" - this being perhaps the only time when a cover
>of a Beatles tune has added anything to the original. Saying that,
Belly's

Ummm... how about:
Syreeta Wright's version (with Stevie Wonder) of "She's Leaving Home"
Chaka Khan's version of "We can work it out"
Earth Wind & Fire's version of "Got to get you into my life"

(That last being a *classic* IMHO...)

[Gregory Taylor]

Doesn't the notion of a cover strike some of you as a little, like,
*odd* in its implication that someone previous to X "owns" a song
or has framed or reframed its "essence" a bit? Interesting, too, that
with nearly nary an exception, the music is vocal. Is that the case
because we don't think of improvised pieces as covers so much as attempts
to fill in some template that is widely recognized? I'm sure not
surprised that any attempt at a list I do winds up telling me before
it tells you that I'm partial to bands I already like redoing songs
I didn't think I liked.

Mathilde Santing's cover of Aztec Camera's "We Could Send Letters."
John Wesley Harding's cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" [the version
that's recorded on one of the singles cannot hold a *candle* to the
live version of same. What a surprise that was.]
YMO's cover of Martin Denny's "Firecracker"
Pete Townsend's cover of "There's a Heartache Following Me"
Yukihiro Takahashi/Bill Nelson's cover of "Helpless"
Omoide Hatoba's cover of the ever-popular "Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die"
Brian Ferry's cover of the Roxy Music tune "Casanova"
Carl Stone's "cover" of Akiko Yano covering Schubert's "Der Lindenboom"
Eno's cover of "You Don't Miss Your Water."
Suzanne Vega's stripped down renditioin of "Stay Awake" from the album
of the same name.
And, to completely ruin my credibility, I thought that the U2 cover of
"Night and Day" from the Cole Porter compilation wasn't bad at all.

And it just occurred to me to inquire about the general concensus about
turning Brian Ferry loose to crossbreed Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put
a Spell on You" with his usual croon....

[Andrew Rogers]

In article <1993Mar4.0...@eua.ericsson.se> eua...@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Engwall) writes:
>>Pat Benatar does a cover of *Just Like Me* that far surpasses the
>>original by Paul Revere and The Raiders, imo.
>
>The original version of "Just Like Me" was by The Wilde Knights,
>best known for the not-so-subtle "Beaver Patrol" (which can be
>found on the great _Pebbles Vol. 1_ comp).

Yes, the Wilde Knights' version is available on one of those "Original
Northwest Punk" comps. According to the liner notes, PR&TR's managers
(T. Dey, R. Hart) liked "Just Like Me" so much that they bought the song
outright from the authors.

Somebody else beat PR&TR to "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone", too... was
it the Rebounds?

>Anyway, speaking of covers, let me just do some patriotic flag-

>waving here and mention that our sixties punk legends The Namelosers...

Yes, I've heard of them although I haven't actually heard them... one more
to check out some day. Problem is, I have so many other money sinks (e.g.,
a house) that I can't just go out and buy every "tape my record collection"
punk comp that comes out in order to get one or two great tracks and a dozen
inept "You Really Got Me" and "Louie Louie" retreads! (Although some people
would contend, and I wouldn't really argue, that the inept retreads embody
the true spirit of garage-band punk much more than the semi-competent
retreads.) In any case, I don't even want to think about how much European
collectors have to pay for this stuff...

One question, though: am I the last American who still gives a damn about
60's garage-band music? It seems that every garage-related posting but mine
originates from Sweden! Not to mention the Finnish posters over in
rec.music.makers.guitar who know a hell of a lot more about Fender guitars
than I do...

Andrew
yes, the same andrew rogers who is credited with research assistance in
the swedish iggy pop bio, "the wild one"

[Ray Shea]

In article <1993Mar4.0...@eua.ericsson.se> eua...@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Engwall) writes:

>However, I do believe I can link myself to Charlie Parker in three links.
>Here goes: the amateur jazz big band I'm in have on occasions had this local
>drummer sitting in -- who has also drummed behind Gunnar Svensson -- who
>played piano on Parker's tour over here in 1950. Yep, that's *me* and *Bird*.
>In *three* links. Top that!

Wow! I can do the same thing, only I can get to Miles Davis, Max Roach and
a hoard of others in 2 links, Bird, Mingus, and a bigger hoard in 3, and
Coltrane in 4 or less.

The trick? I went to high school with Wynton Marsalis. We played in the
same high school band.

Geez, I can get to Jay Leno in, lesse, 3 links! I'm a star!

--
Ray Shea "People like you make me more of an elitist."
UniSQL, Inc. --Jeff Dauber
unisql!r...@cs.utexas.edu
DoD #0372 -- Team Twinkie -- '88 Hawk NT650

[dx]

Andrew Rogers...

> Somebody else beat PR&TR to "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone", too... was
> it the Rebounds?

The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, on "Pebbles presents
Highs in the Mid-60's Volume Two: L.A. '66 Riot on Sunset Strip."

> One question, though: am I the last American who still gives a damn about
> 60's garage-band music? It seems that every garage-related posting but mine
> originates from Sweden!

Hey - I post reviews now and again of garage-related discs. I just recently
posted something about the 2nd version of the Pebbles CD reissues. Maybe I
screwed up the distribution?

-dx
--
--
"You're a total sociopath in your own right!" --David Baggett

[Jet Girl]

In article <C34qL...@sdf.lonestar.org> s...@sdf.lonestar.org (Stephen M. Jones) writes:
>(The Freak) writes:
^^^^^^^^^^^

Hang on!!! This is not the Freak as in hopeless at design Neal here at
the Uni. Who is using his user name?!!! He demands to know!!!

love joolz

--
*****************************************************************************
*** "Jesus died for somebody's sins... JOOLZ THE JET GIRL ***

[Jet Girl]

In article <1993Mar1.0...@oracle.us.oracle.com> mbre...@us.oracle.com writes:
>
>
>Japan "All Tomorrows Parties" orig. Velvet Underground

Hmmmmm -perhaps...although I do think that "Gloria" is still ahead.

If anybody wants me to do a BEST COVER VERSION poll, mail me at the
address below and state your 5 favourite cover versions in order...

Set it out like this:

1 - Eight Mile High Husker Du Byrds

Putting the one who did the original(if known) at the end.

If there is any response I'll post it up in about a month.

[Gregory Taylor]

ma...@nwu.edu (Jater & Co.) writes:
>> Hmm, this is the third discussion in the past month or so that has
>> prompted me to cite John Cale's version of "Heartbreak Hotel".
>> Cale creates a sinister, deadend Lonely Street from which there is
>> no exit.

And this, in turn, reminded me again of one of the nicest experiences of
hearing music on television; While I was living in the Netherlands in
'89-90, Cale put in an appearance on a late-night BBC show called (I
think) "The Late Show" [it's rather similar in tone and form to the
A&E "Revue" programme]. Of course, I stayed up to watch. The performance
was a duo - John on one of those Yamaha eletronic grands, and B.J. Coles
on pedal steel. B.J. was producing these big, dense, ominous textures
of pedal steel driven *just* to the point of distortion, which Cale
put in his usual live piano work and the vocal for Heartbreak Hotel
over the top of that, with the piano submerged "just so." No drums, and
the BBC had the good sense just to run the credits and end after that.
It was *amazing,* and changed the way even that I hear *Cale's* version
of it - lowered the temperature of my apartment on the Nachtegaalstraat
by a good 5 degrees. Pity he never recorded a version of it in that
form.

[Andy Newman]

war...@ltisun14.epfl.ch (Ken Warkentyne) writes:
>And then there is The Residents "cover" of The Beatles' "Flying".
>I loved this at a time when I actively detested anything by
>the Beatles for MC (musicall correct) reasons. In their version,
>the Residents mock the Fab Four with a fascinating intensity
>that sounds like Charles Manson on a bad acid trip. When my Mom
>overheard me playing this, she requested that I never do so again
>until I moved out.

On the subject of covers and the Residents there is always the immortal
album Third Reich and Roll on which the R's cover many famous hits of
the 1960's. I like their "Land of a Thousand Dancers" and the rather
broken sounding version of "Hey Jude". Much better than the originals.

Oh, and for Led Zep freaks there always Gang Green's version of
Living, Loving, Maid.
--
Andy Newman (an...@research.canon.oz.au)

[Frantic Freddy]

I can't quite see the use of this thread. For every cover version,
there are probably lots of people who like the original better,
and lots of people who like the cover better. It also depends heavily
upon if you generally like the original performer better or the one
who did the cover.
This means this thread could go on summing up every cover that's
ever been made, and to almost every post there would probably be
people who don't agree.
What I mean is: what use is this question?

Freddy

[Andreas Walsh]

In <1993Mar4.0...@eua.ericsson.se> eua...@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Engwall) writes:

>The original version of "Just Like Me" was by The Wilde Knights,
>best known for the not-so-subtle "Beaver Patrol"

Wasn't that done by Pop Will Eat Itself?? or wasn that a cover of Wilde
Knights??

Andreas

--
"Squeeze me Macaroni"

Bungle is Buddha

[Paul Michael Lewis]

>How about:
>
>Rage - "Run To You" originally by Bryan Adams

How about:

Pixies - "Head On" originally by Jesus and Mary Chain

Devo - "Satisfaction" by the Stones (I'm going to get flak for this one)

BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
original...

--

+-| Paul Lewis | People's Temple, Jonestown: WLVR 91.3fm Mon. 11pm-1am |-+
| LET'S CELEBRATE DAVID KORESH in WACO, TEXAS! YAHOOH! | |
| 'The struggle between God and man breaks -Kazantzakis | |
| out in everyone.' | |
| 'No matter how a man alone ain't got no -Hemingway | Renaissance |
| bloody fucking chance.' | Productions |

[Clayton Glad]

Anders Engwall:

>However, I do believe I can link myself to Charlie Parker in three links.

I see ... something like musical Erdos numbers. Well, I used to study
with someone in the old Tonight Show band, making my Severinsen number
2. How's that?

Ray Shea:

>Wow! I can do the same thing, only I can get to Miles Davis, Max Roach and
>a hoard of others in 2 links, Bird, Mingus, and a bigger hoard in 3, and
>Coltrane in 4 or less.

>The trick? I went to high school with Wynton Marsalis. We played in the
>same high school band.

You're being modest Ray. I'll do your bragging for you:

Ray's Sting number is 3.

-- Clay
"People have limited viewpoints of what's rap, a
sonata, jazz, yougurt, paper bags."
-- Henry Threadgill

[Lazlo Nibble]

gl...@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Clayton Glad) writes:

> Ray's Sting number is 3.

p-SHAW. My Billy Ray Cyrus number is *2*.

I think Ray's better off, though.

--
Lazlo (la...@triton.unm.edu)

[ros...@scs.leeds.ac.uk]

How about The Residents: Three Blind Mice?

Cheers,

Ross-c

[Andrew Farmer]

Hah! I can get to Prince or Madonna in 3 links....and that's from
the other side of the Atlantic.

arf

[Norm Gregory]

pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:

>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> original...

How about "Eleanor Rigby" by Ray Charles?

[Leo Breebaart]

gta...@vme.heurikon.com (Gregory Taylor) writes:

> >My own example of a Beatles cover better than the original would have
> >to be Shirley Bassey's version of "Something".
>
> I think that one of the more regrettable injustices of life in the
> sixties is that most people have never heard Shirley Bassey do *anything*
> but the theme for "Goldfinger."

Well, there's 'Diamonds are Forever', of course...

In any case, here in Holland she is known for a little bit (but only a
little bit) more than just 'Goldfinger'. In 1973 'Never never never'
was a minor hit (7 weeks in the charts, top position 15), and in 1979
her disco effort 'This is my Life' reached #4. And then there was of
course that wonderful pastiche of her own style she did with the guys
from Yello...

> I think that her version of 'Something' *is* pretty wonderful. It
> even shows up on the occasional 'easy listening playlist' now and then,
> leading me to assume that maybe there's a reissue out there...

'Something' was also a small hit in Holland (probably the rest of
Europe as well?): #11 in 1970. I always assumed that that was the
reason why that song is still played fairly regularly in oldies and
easy listening programs.

--
Leo Breebaart (leo @ cp.tn.tudelft.nl)

[Leo Breebaart]

fre...@sci.kun.nl (Frantic Freddy) writes:

> I can't quite see the use of this thread. [...] this thread could

> go on summing up every cover that's ever been made, and to almost
> every post there would probably be people who don't agree. What I
> mean is: what use is this question?

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Usenet (in general) and
rec.music.misc (specifically)!

Once you realize that the alternative consists of such riveting
threads as "what I listened to last week", "the best rock band ever",
and "band names with numbers in them", you'll begin to understand that
this cover thread isn't half bad at all. I have already learned a lot
from it, chiefly in terms of hearing about covers I did not know
existed. That's justification enough in my book.

[Leo Breebaart]

gta...@vme.heurikon.com (Gregory Taylor) writes:

> Doesn't the notion of a cover strike some of you as a little, like,
> *odd* in its implication that someone previous to X "owns" a song or
> has framed or reframed its "essence" a bit?

I don't really see what you're getting at, Gregory. Does the oddness
lie with the notion of X "owning" the song, or with Y "reframing its
essence", or both?

Either way, I don't quite see the mystery, frankly.

> Interesting, too, that with nearly nary an exception, the music is
> vocal. Is that the case because we don't think of improvised pieces
> as covers so much as attempts to fill in some template that is
> widely recognized?

Well, the voice is such an important instrument in pop/rock music,
that the chances of *any* given song, cover or not, being a vocal
piece are already overwhelmingly large.

Add to that the mainstream orientation of most of the participants in
threads like these (including myself, I hasten to add), and then I
think it is fairly easy to understand why improvised pieces do not get
mentioned in this thread: we simply don't listen to them.

> And, to completely ruin my credibility, I thought that the U2 cover of
> "Night and Day" from the Cole Porter compilation wasn't bad at all.

Heck, I think it was the best damn song I've heard from U2 in *ages*.
Took me completely by surprise, too: I'm not exactly a U2 fan. This
version is so loaded with tension it sends shivers up my spine each
time I hear it.

> And it just occurred to me to inquire about the general concensus about
> turning Brian Ferry loose to crossbreed Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put
> a Spell on You" with his usual croon....

Don't know about the general consensus, but if I personally never have
to hear that cover again I will still have heard it one time too
often. It's not that it's a slow version of the song -- I can take
that (and didn't Screaming originally sang it as a ballad as well? And
should that matter?). But I've never liked Ferry's singing, and this
one make my skin crawl even more than usual. Yuck.

[Ken Warkentyne]

Frantic Freddy:

>> I can't quite see the use of this thread. [...] this thread could
>> go on summing up every cover that's ever been made, and to almost
>> every post there would probably be people who don't agree. What I
>> mean is: what use is this question?

Steady Leo:

> Once you realize that the alternative consists of such riveting
> threads as "what I listened to last week", "the best rock band ever",
> and "band names with numbers in them", you'll begin to understand that
> this cover thread isn't half bad at all.

Actually all of these threads can contain interesting articles;
It's just a question of whether the poster is willing to go
beyond the facile ease of simply listing names and titles
(lists can be interesting in themselves every once in a while,
but their mass profusion in this group is disheartening).
After a while, you will be able to spot the people who are most
likely to put out interesting stuff and learn to read more by author
and less by subject. I call this the dual of the "kill file" approach:
everything is killed by default and a "live" file is applied to
resurrect subjects and authors whom you think interesting (hey, we can
all be net.gods now).

I won't step out on a limb and propose any names to look for,
colours and tastes and all...
--
Ken Warkentyne - war...@ltisun.epfl.ch
Laboratoire de Teleinformatique, EPFL, Suisse.

[Ken Warkentyne]

I wrote:
> It's just a question of whether the poster is willing to go
> beyond the facile ease of simply listing names and titles

^^^^^^^^^^^
Please excuse and pardon this mistaken error. Uh oh, I feel
another thread coming on.

[K.R.Marshall]

In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
>
>
>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> original...
>

Hmm... I quite liked Phil Collins' version of Tomorrow Never Knows on
Face Value...

Keith.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mummy was an asteroid, Daddy was | Keith Marshall
a small, non-stick kitchen utensil..." | pcx...@unicorn.nott.ac.uk

[Jet Girl]

>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> original...

Yes they have. Siouxsie And The Banshees version of "Dear Prudence" is
one. They added a swirlly, more surreal edge to the original's simplicity.

This is of course IMHO >:-)

Joolz

[Jet Girl]

Well, I love it!!! BTW, does anyone know when Ferry is gonna be doing
some UK dates???

love Joolz

[timothy.j.mizerak]

In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
>

>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> original...

I've always preferred Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", but
I expect to be in the minority on that one.

This probably doesn't count, but on Tears For Fears' "The Seeds of Love"
tour they did a couple of Beatles remakes. Depending on what show you
saw you were treated to "All You Need is Love" or "Let it Be". IMO,
the former was "better than the Beatles". But I'm hardly impartial...
TFF are gods in my book. :) [I'm also a Beatles fan, btw.]

Remakes in general:

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"-- Oleta Adams

[WORST remake award to George Michael for the same song.]

"Don't Leave Me This Way"-- The Communards

"Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys
"Always on My Mind"

"Love is All Around"-- R.E.M.

"Caravan of Love"-- The Housemartins

"Istanbul"-- They Might Be Giants

And most recently,

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"-- R.E.M.

I just heard this one and it is FANTASTIC! I believe it will
be the B-side to "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite".

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| What is it up in the air for? : Timothy Mizerak |
| It's going to fall if it's there for long. : t...@mhnmc.att.com |
| It's over, it's over me. R.E.M. : |

[Timothy J. Young]

In article <1993Mar10.2...@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
mi...@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:

> "Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys

You have GOT to be kidding!

-Tim Young, Dartmouth College, Class of '96
If Dartmouth had these opinions, things would change fast...
"All of us get lost in the darkness ; dreamers learn to steer by the
stars..." - Rush (NOT Limbaugh!)

[Timothy J. Young]

In article <1993Mar10.2...@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
mi...@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:

> In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
> >
> >BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> > original...
>
>
> I've always preferred Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", but
> I expect to be in the minority on that one.

You're joking, right?

By the way, has anybody ever heard William Shatner's version of "Lucy
In The Sky With Diamonds?"

[Brian Ritchie]

Couldn't resist it, I'm afraid...

Yes, ELP, Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator - 2 links. (If I infer the original posting correctly).

(My brother played in a band called Clouds in the late sixties/early seventies, used to
play alongside Yes and ELP at the Marquee, and toured the States once as support for Tull.
He says Yes were rotten at football. Somewhat more recently, but still a while ago, he
produced Jona Lewie.)

---
Brian Ritchie, Informatics Dept., RAL, Chilton, DIDCOT, Oxon, UK
"The ERM isn't some add-on you can ditch at the first sign of trouble"
-- Norman Lamont, July 1992
Tory voters, hang your heads in shame. Better still, just hang yourselves!

[Lazlo Nibble]

Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:

>> "Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys
>
> You have GOT to be kidding!

Why?

--
Lazlo (la...@triton.unm.edu)

[Jeff Dauber]

In article <1nno83...@lynx.unm.edu>, la...@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) writes:
|> Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:
|>
|> >> "Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys
|> >
|> > You have GOT to be kidding!
|>
|> Why?

Because the Pet Shop Boys are "sub-music"?

Have a Dartmouth Day...

FWA

[timothy.j.mizerak]

In article <C3ptF...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:
>In article <1993Mar10.2...@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
>mi...@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:
>
>> >BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
>> > original...
>>
>> I've always preferred Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", but
>> I expect to be in the minority on that one.
>
>You're joking, right?

Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'm not in the minority.

Gosh, Tim, you must think I'm a funny guy. I'm just
joking and kidding all over the place.

>By the way, has anybody ever heard William Shatner's version of "Lucy
>In The Sky With Diamonds?"

Uh, duhhhh, are you serious??? :)

>-Tim Young, Dartmouth College, Class of '96

[timothy.j.mizerak]

Yeah, their stuff *is* pretty deep. Good point. :)

For the record, I do like U2 quite a bit, but never cared much for
"Streets". It was like something was missing. Then I heard the
PSB version and thought that it was a perfect match. I believe
Bono stated in an interview that he thinks PSB did a great job with
it too.

Now, if you want to get yourself in an uproar about something, just
think of that "Pride" remake! Heh heh.

Tim

[C.J. Silverio]

In article <C3ptC...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, Timothy...@dartmouth.edu writes:
| mi...@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:
| | "Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys
| You have GOT to be kidding!

It's a brilliant cover-- a completely savage comment
on U2. And the pairing with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
is quite tasty.

---
C J Silverio c...@sgi.com ce...@well.sf.ca.us

[Mason Jones]

In article <1nno83...@lynx.unm.edu> la...@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) writes:
>Timothy...@dartmouth.edu (Timothy J. Young) writes:
>
>>> "Where the Streets Have No Name"-- Pet Shop Boys
>>
>> You have GOT to be kidding!
>
>Why?

Have you forgotten already, Lazlo? It's sub-music according to
young Timothy here.

Have a Dartmouth Day.

<===============================================================>
Mason Jones, Charnel House Productions, P.O. Box 170277,
San Francisco, CA 94117-0277 Phone/fax (415) 255-8554
ma...@netcom.com
<===============================================================>

[Gregory Taylor]

In article <leo.731584393@draconis> l...@cp.tn.tudelft.nl writes:
>I don't really see what you're getting at, Gregory. Does the oddness
>lie with the notion of X "owning" the song, or with Y "reframing its
>essence", or both?

Yeah. Both - While it's in many cases true that we live in an age
wherein most artists in popular music are ah.... troubadours? ....in
that they're seen primarily as generators of "individual" or "unique"
works that one identifies *with them*, I find it curious that I tend
to see a good cover as one that essentially tears away at an identification
I'm usually entirely comfortable making [that is: if one values the
individual, does a cover work because it isolates the portion of the
work where "interpretation" occurs and make it the focus of our attention?]

Is that a little clearer? No? Sorry.

>Well, the voice is such an important instrument in pop/rock music,
>that the chances of *any* given song, cover or not, being a vocal
>piece are already overwhelmingly large.

But if the question is the "way" that something is re-interpreted,
then I'm just a little surprised that we might not view, say, Barry
Manilow's "Could it be Magic?" as a cover of that old Classical
piano chestnut. Perhaps we might also not consider lots of instrumental
work as "covers" because the vernacular perception of a "tune" for
improvisers might be a kind of "template" which is then filled in by
the soloists who make the performance. Is the Krono Quartet's
transcription of "Spoonful" on their new disc "Short Stories" a "cover"?
How about the version of Strayhorn/Ellington's "Tonk" for two acoustic
pianos that the Double Edge do on their new CRI disc "U.S. Choice?"
If, indeed, the term "cover" is restricted to vocal work, then can
one do such a radical remix and readd job on a tune that it becomes a
"cover" of itself? [i.e. how do covers differ from "versions"?] I want
to say "the same person redoing something makes it a version", but I'm
not sure that I'm willing to go to the wall for this oversimplified
answer [What does one do with the "covers" of Roxy Music material
that Ferry did on "Let's Stick Together", for example?]

>Add to that the mainstream orientation of most of the participants in
>threads like these (including myself, I hasten to add), and then I
>think it is fairly easy to understand why improvised pieces do not get
>mentioned in this thread: we simply don't listen to them.

Oh, Leo - you're being a *trifle* humble here. At least you stray from
the mainstream more than you suggest....

And I think that you and I concur entirely on *both* the U2 "cover"
of Cole Porter *adding* something [tension/threat/obsession?] to
Night and Day, and the Ferry take of Screamin' Jay *subtracting*
something from the tune [content? energy? It's for sure that *if*
Ferry put a spell on someone, he seems to have not arisen from his
divan to do it...too much effort. I hope this isn't a taste of the
N-years-delayed new disc. And I speak here as a Bryan Ferry devotee
of many years' duration [Until it vanished during my move to Wisconsin,
I actually had an original copy of Virginia Plain from their Roxy Days,
pic sleeve and all.
--
I could be happy now. From my seat in the airplane/I could imagine the full
enclosures of people/contented and with no needs beyond/private moments
walking the fenceline/before joining the others in the night enclosure
/that is the final shape of countries/G. A. Taylor/Heurikon/608-828-3385

[Frank Martyn]

In article <C3oon...@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Jet Girl) writes:
>>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
>> original...
>
>Yes they have. Siouxsie And The Banshees version of "Dear Prudence" is
>one. They added a swirlly, more surreal edge to the original's simplicity.
>
>This is of course IMHO >:-)
>
>Joolz
>

Also check out "I Am The Walrus" on the Spooky Tooth album named "Last Puff". It's
better than the original. Does anyone know if this album is available as a CD yet?

Freewheelin' Frank

[john a matthews]

In article <1993Mar11....@erg.sri.com> ma...@erg.sri.com (Mason

[john a matthews]

I think Billy Idol did a kicking cover of the Doors' "L.A. Woman." It
had great guitar and gave it the edge that the doors couldn't give it

jack

[Rosemary from Montreal]

In article <1993Mar10....@cs.nott.ac.uk>, pcx...@unicorn.nott.ac.uk (K.R.Marshall) writes...

>In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
>>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
>> original...
>Hmm... I quite liked Phil Collins' version of Tomorrow Never Knows on
>Face Value...

mustn't forget about Michael Jackson's version of "Come Together", from the
_Moonwalker_ video ...

and since he owns the rights to most of their songs now, he's the one to
grant permission for beatles covers.

more thoughts on cover songs and the Jacksons to come.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're the only one you have to fear,
The doors are open just for you my dear ..."
Marlon Jackson, "Life"

Rosemary Warren rwa...@vax2.concordia.ca
Montreal's Favorite Jacksonmaniac !!!
(celebrating Marlon's 36th birthday)

[Michael P. Colburn]

In article <12MAR199...@vax2.concordia.ca>

rwa...@vax2.concordia.ca (Rosemary from Montreal) writes:

> In article <1993Mar10....@cs.nott.ac.uk>, pcx...@unicorn.nott.ac.uk (K.R.Marshall) writes...
> >In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
> >>BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
> >> original...
> >Hmm... I quite liked Phil Collins' version of Tomorrow Never Knows on
> >Face Value...
>
> mustn't forget about Michael Jackson's version of "Come Together", from the
> _Moonwalker_ video ...

I would imagine someone has already mentioned Aerosmith's cover of
"Come Together" and the numerous versions of "Helter Skelter" (U2, Pat
Benatar, etc). Perhaps these are the very ones that Paul(correct
poster?) was commenting on as not being as good as the originals and
I'd probably agree although IMO, Steve Tyler's vocals lend a nifty
texture to the song.

One song that comes to mind that although it too, may not be actually
better than the original is Vanilla Fudge's cover of the Supreme's "You
Keep Me Hanging On". I used to have this on cassette and would
frequently listen to it on long trips...a real dash slapper (also good
for dash keyboard playing)! Definitely an interesting interpretation,
in my opinion.

Another oldie but goodie cover was done by the Chicago-esque band
Lighthouse. They did a version of the Byrds "Eight Miles High" on
their live album which is very interesting especially with their horn
section. Unfortunately, my memory is rather foggy on this one as I've
not heard this particular tune for probably 10-15 years. Does anyone
know if this live album is still available?

I also enjoy Stevie Ray's rendition of Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile, a
Slight Return". Although fairly true to the original, Stevie's styling
always gives me goose bumps.

As to whether any cover versions are actually better than the
originals, I would submit that it's pretty much a matter of personal
taste and as to what one looks for in the interpretation. I usually
prefer covers that have a different interpretation of the song, but I
also enjoy and respect artists who offer faithful renditions (perhaps
done out of respect for the original?). An example of a cover I would
consider 'weak' would be Joan Jett's cover of Tommy James' "Crimson and
Clover" (and I don't mean to offend any of Joan's fans...this is just
my opinion). I know she is a fan of James' work (as is Billy Idol),
but I personally don't think she did the song justice. Anyway, just my
2/100ths of a dollar...

Mike Colburn =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dartmouth-Hitchcock "Pulu-see-ba-goomba" -- Gilligan
Medical Center =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756 :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)

[A. Jing Hippy]

mi...@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:
| In article <1993Mar5.1...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> pm...@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Paul Michael Lewis) writes:
| >
| >BTW: No one has ever covered a Beatles song and done it better than the
| > original...
|
| I've always preferred Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", but
| I expect to be in the minority on that one.

Speaking of being in the minority, I like David Bowie's rendition of
"Across the Universe" better than the Beatles'.

+--------------------------------------------------+
|Dave Cochran, Data General Corporation, RTP, NC |
|coc...@dg-rtp.dg.com |
+--------------------------------------------------+
|"I stayed up all night playing poker with a Tarot |
| deck. I got a full house and four people died." |
| -Stephen Wright |
+--------------------------------------------------+

[Jeff Spirer]

Michael....@dartmouth.edu (Michael P. Colburn) writes:

> One song that comes to mind that although it too, may not be actually
> better than the original is Vanilla Fudge's cover of the Supreme's "You
> Keep Me Hanging On". I used to have this on cassette and would
> frequently listen to it on long trips...a real dash slapper (also good
> for dash keyboard playing)! Definitely an interesting interpretation,

I love this too, but mostly as a joke. It's too bad they took themselves so seriously when they were recording it.

Jeff

[Andrew Rogers]

In article <1o2qj...@jethro.Corp.Sun.COM> jsp...@spider.Corp.Sun.COM writes:
>> One song that comes to mind that although it too, may not be actually
>> better than the original is Vanilla Fudge's cover of the Supreme's "You

>> Keep Me Hanging On"...

>
>I love this too, but mostly as a joke. It's too bad they took themselves
>so seriously when they were recording it.

Naaah, I *love* how seriously they plod through this, not to mention
"Eleanor Rigby" and "Bang Bang" - it's too bad they took themselves so
seriously on their later albums, though!

Their first album is: a) a regular laff riot; b) a textbook for aspiring
bassists (including AWR when he was 15); and c) a seminal influence on the
fledgling Deep Purple and Yes (no kidding - members of both bands have
admitted as much).

Unfortunately, VF failed to understand that they were basically a
better-than-average bar band with a marketable gimmick; instead, they
thought they were a world-class group with something new and important to
say. If their own tunes had been anywhere near as good as those they
covered, they might have lived up to their own delusions; the problem was
that the standard VF treatment - the fussy, self-aggrandizing over-
arrangements and mock-soul vocals - merely sounded tedious when applied
to their own weak songs.

Speaking of taking themselves too seriously, though, did anyone catch VF
doing "Shotgun" on the recent Smothers Brothers re-runs? Bassist Tim
Bogert sang lead on that one, and emoted every syllable of Jr. Walker's
nonsense dance tune like a dozen Michael Boltons on nitrous oxide! Far out,
maaaannnn...

AWR
old fart at play

[Paul Michael Lewis]

>I would imagine someone has already mentioned Aerosmith's cover of
>"Come Together" and the numerous versions of "Helter Skelter" (U2, Pat
>Benatar, etc). Perhaps these are the very ones that Paul(correct
>poster?) was commenting on as not being as good as the originals and
>I'd probably agree although IMO, Steve Tyler's vocals lend a nifty
>texture to the song.

I thought the Aerosmith version was interesting. A decent cover of 'Helter
Skelter'. I heard their version of 'Come Together', but don't remember what I
thought of it... but as I said, I'll take the Beatles.

--

+-| Paul Lewis | People's Temple, Jonestown: WLVR 91.3fm Mon. 11pm-1am |-+
| 'Who's gonna destroy the Babylonians?' -David Koresh | |
| 'God has shot himself. Now a top floor -Blixa Bargeld | |
| can be renovated.' | Renaissance |
| 'The struggle between God and man breaks -Kazantzakis | Productions |
| out in everyone.' | |

[Richard Caley]

In article <C3sxJ...@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, Michael P. Colburn (mpc) writes:

mpc> I would imagine someone has already mentioned Aerosmith's cover of
mpc> "Come Together" and the numerous versions of "Helter Skelter" (U2, Pat
mpc> Benatar, etc).

Aerosmith can be relied upon to produce bland music, U2 and Pat
Benetar specialise in bad covers.

On the other hand the Banshees' version of Helter Skelter is definitly
worth a listen.

The Pistols cover of God Save the Queen is definitly better than the
original :-).

--
r...@cogsci.ed.ac.uk _O_
|<

[Aaron Humphrey]

I guess my favourite cover version would have to be This Mortal Coil's cover
of the Talking Heads' "Drugs". I didn't even know they were the same song for
several years, until my brother pointed it out to me. They were just so
different in sound...the Talking Heads one(from "Fear of Music")being so spare,
and the This Mortal Coil one(from "Filigree & Shadow")being really funky...

--
---Alfvaen(1920 Books, 1082 Albums, And Counting)
"I believe there comes a time when everything just falls in line." --Pat Benatar
Current Album--The Housemartins:The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
Current Read--Sean Russell:Gatherer of Clouds

[Robert MacDowell]

I once heard a song called "Voices Carry" by a Boston band that was NOT
'til Tuesday. Never got the name or anything, wish I had.

Also I don't know if it counts, but Elvis Hitler deftly merged Purple Haze
and the Green Acres theme song into a piece called "Green Haze". It is
hysterical!

-Bob

[George Robbins]

In article <1993Feb27.0...@sco.com> stew...@sco.COM (in the process of being revised) writes:
>
> Like a bolt from the blue, cei...@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Jet Girl) wrote:
>
> >It is hard to say what the purpose of cover versions is. Perhaps it is
> >either to pay tribute/respsect to the particular artist or that the group
...
> DOING!!"). Or Sid Vicious' cover of "My Way", which shows just how
> punk the song really is.
>
> >Perhaps the best cover version (excluding "Prudence") is Patti Smith's
> >drastic re-working of "Gloria"....sullen, moody, angry....I defy ANYONE
> >to name a better cover!!!!
>
> That's a tough one, all right. I'll have to think about it.

How about Fudge Tunnel's cover of "Sunshine of Your Love"? 8-) A serious
case of the devil cutting loose in your stereo.

The other common reason is to take a popular but aged song and apply
current production, energy or dance tempos on it. Sometimes this works
and other times the result is an abortion or a momentary club hit.

Another is that most rock musicians/groups start out playing "covers"
and then move on to original material. Some of the covers are favorites
with the band and/or fans or get used as fillers in live performances and
sometimes pop up years later on recordings...

--
George Robbins - now working for, work: to be avoided at all costs...
but no way officially representing: uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department domain: g...@cbmvax.commodore.com

[Dave Walker]

Robert MacDowell (bob...@netcom.com) wrote:
: I once heard a song called "Voices Carry" by a Boston band that was NOT

: 'til Tuesday. Never got the name or anything, wish I had.

Not 100% certain on this one (let's say 75% for sake of argument), but
I believe the band that covered "Voices Carry" was Gang Green.

| Dave Walker, Detroit Art Services (DAS) |
| "I don't read, I just guess" |
| marm...@msen.com -Happy Mondays, "Wrote For Luck" |

[JEREMY CRAIG MARKMAN]

I'd say that Santana's cover of Fleetwood Mac's Black Magic Women is much
better than the original...