song covers better than original

johnn   
26 Jul 16 13:09 
Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" versus Nine Inch Nails.

Leona Lewis' version (yes, Leona Lewis, and I know that sounds ludicrous but I am serious) is even better than both of them. Give it a go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkWo2srE7nY

Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and The Banshees, for me.

Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence [Official Music Video]


bigmo huge thx for post

arrangement is so awesome

Yep xmoneyx. I love it and can't stop playing it.

Surely got to be Without You (Originally recorded by Badfinger) by Harry Nilsson

.... with My Way by Sid Vicious coming 2nd

Johnny cash --hurt

A cover that I really love, and with a great video- is this from Marilyn Manson


Sweet Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7cPgonpbwo

jamesdean
Darius Danesh's xfactor audition cover of Hit me baby one more time, originally by Britney Spears must be up there



Quite possibly the most embarrassing sentence posted anywhere in the entire history of the internet. Hang your head in shame son.

Whoosh, Johnny!


'Superstar' made famous by The Carpenters, originally written and recorded by Delaney and Bonnie.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmmaIGiGBg

The Fall version of Sister Sledge Lost in Music
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https://youtu.be/GuKXYeRCUzI

Sonic Youth version of Carpenters Superstar
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https://youtu.be/iIJi85dw8zE

Delilah - Tom Jones

I preferred the Sensational Alex Harvey Band version.

(Sid Vicious` My way took a while to get mentioned)

I prefer Robert Wyatt's version of 'Biko' to Gabriel's original.

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VEJXBIELRo

The Stranglers - Walk on By

Hey Joe - Hendrix
Blue Hawaii - Elvis

townes van zandt:dead flowers. better than the rollin stones version

Please, please, please… let me get what I want by The Smiths covered by The Dream Academy:
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhdk_44Gmew

Ryan Adams cover of Oasis' Wonderwall. You can't beat the originals of either of these songs but very good covers imho.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inlac4FyhD8

Ryan Adams made a cover album of Taylor Swift's 1989 and he did a damn fine job. It actually made me go and listen to the original and realise that Ms Swift is a pretty good songwriter.

Personal favourite, Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind by Elvis.

Christmas no. 1 in 1987.

Prince Buster - All my loving (Beatles)
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https://youtu.be/SkFG5SoXsVk

Thanks Johnny

Really like Patti Smiths version of Hey Joe here

Robert Wyatt's version of Elvis Costello's 'Shipbuilding'.

Must admit that I thought The Last Shadow Puppets cover of Moonage Daydream at Glasto was very good.

Not saying that it was better than Lord Bowie's, mind!


https://youtu.be/1ZBYBRknmaI

I really liked Elton John's cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds but I'd have to agree with SlippyBlue here by saying that Siouxsie and the Banshees cover of Dear Prudence is up there with the best (and I've maintained this on previous threads of a similar nature)

Gary Shearston - ' I get a kick out of you'

' Kristiana Maria Konchevsky...who was she all those years ago?

Carlos Santana... "Black Magic Woman" ?
Still love Greenies original though !

Kate Bush cover of Rocket Man still miles in front...

How many women have you seen playing a Ukulele?

Kate is always one step ahead

So incredibly beautiful in every way 

https://youtu.be/9b6dO2wouhQ

The Kate Bush cover of Rocket Man lacks the essential humanity of the original, something is lost in the translation, the sadness, loss?
i don`t think she understood it.

Well I love her take on it, and it was voted thee greatest cover of all time by the Observer readers in 07. So plenty of people also love this Reggaefied version. Kate's performance is also impossibly cute

*the

If I Were A Carpenter- Small Faces. Cosmic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngAEbtEAlg

Gloria Gaynor

"Never can say goodbye"

...better than The Jacksons, "Never can say goodbye".

Good one that, kenny lad Marriot is channeling Joe Cocker there, or maybe Roger Chapman?

Sounds great anyway.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted ( original by Jimmy Ruffin )
The Funk Brothers featuring Joan Osborne is better imv
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBzuNZ9DlnI

It does indeed, crags. Stevie was fantastic.

basically most songs Johnny Cash covered

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8i5NLyXZdc

i wont back down

Leona Lewis - Run
Original ...Snow Patrol .

LOL Rockinron... hope you were taking the p1ss with that one.

Leona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pIieK1KfA8

Snow Patrol.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmK6IEDnvAk

If you think that's taking the piss, clouseau, what do you make of this?

Roger The Butler    26 Jul 16 19:54 
johnn   
26 Jul 16 13:09 
Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" versus Nine Inch Nails.

Leona Lewis' version (yes, Leona Lewis, and I know that sounds ludicrous but I am serious) is even better than both of them. Give it a go:

Tbf, I haven't heard Leona Lewis' version but I seriously doubt whether I need to!

Siouxsie and the Banshees Dear Prudence

blinded by the light covered by Manfred manns earth band

original by bruce springsten

not many better than the boss so to do a cover that is better is amazing. top of my pics for sure

ramones - r a m o n e s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DqXzL226Ok

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

On second thoughts ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyKlvVPpxo8

... close call

omfg mdh... apologies for the acronyms but it is times like that, when real passion and emotion is super-ceded by vacuous singalongs that I no longer despair for mankind's fate and wish I was a penguin.

Van Halen - You Really Got Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB8WHA3WWz0

sex Pistols - something Else

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvd4PM8cBSA

Birdy - People help the People, beautiful cover of a Cherry Ghost song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmLNs6zQIHo

However, I'm disagreeing with Cooperman above. With 'Skinny Love' I think Bon Iver's raw emotion gives it an edge compared to Birdy's version. Great performance from a 14 y.o though!

for comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrMmr1oMPGA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNzCDt2eidg

All those who say Johnny Cash's version of 'Hurt' - Yeah It's understandable, but for me it can't touch the sheer pain and self pitying hopelessness of Reznor's original.

Nice cover of one of my favourite songs

Adele's Million Years Ago
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https://youtu.be/iVxQBshcJoY

Another one... Set Fire To The Rain
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https://youtu.be/N9o64xyjGWA

Set Fire To The Rain - Andrew Muccitelli
.
https://youtu.be/3MzlN2TYZA0

I love the harps in these videos.

I imagine you're not enjoying these Adele songs half as much as I am...just trying to distract myself from apes being shot at

Lovely cover of my favourite Stevie Wonder song

A Place In The Sun
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https://youtu.be/PQChpx0TVFM

Snow - Run    1000x better than Leonna Lewis's nonsense

Stranglers - Walk on by 
Kim Wilde - Leave me hanging on -   better than the Suprmemes version which i find surprising  as i normally always prefer motown originals

snow patrol *  and not the snow that did Informer


A licky boom-boom down

I love Snow Patrol. I quite liked Leonna's cover tho'.

Snow Patrol - Run
.
https://youtu.be/AOBs8dU4Pb8

Oasis I Am The Walrus, better than The Beatles I am The Walrus.

This is their best version, Liam literally screams it out. The original wilts in comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_urcKouwmz0

what the hell was that song all about Hamster ?

Not better but unbelievably superb - Cyndi Lauper performing "Carey" at Joni Mitchell Tribute Concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hfw-NCqpB8

Semolina pilchards climbing up the Eiffel Tower, of course

Another I've posted on many occasions, Perpetuum Jazzile's rendition of Toto's "Africa"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1NvTwNTR5o

That was pretty cool Lee Ho

Mike Flowers Pops version of Wonderwall vs Oasis, a shocking omission imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy1ueZf1WMQ

FEELS LIKE HEAVEN by the Manics...originally by Fiction Factory.

Headmasters whateveritscalled covered by Radiohead , The Smiths tune , wow its on youtube

Song To The Siren (Tim Buckley) cover by This Mortal Coil. Elizabeth Fraser's voice is a wonderful thing imo, just listened to Carolyne's fingers.

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

original song:
Stevie Wonder-Pastime Paradise

Weird al yankovic  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfZLb33uCg   Amish Paradise

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

original song:
Stevie Wonder-Pastime Paradise

____________

all this time  i never realised t'was was a copy

This is a brilliant cover.

Eloise - The Damned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b31L4P7G5j8

Another version of Tim Buckley's - Song To The Siren.

Covered by the Elvis impersonator Jim 'The King' Brown.

Louie Louie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDP7_h4wkgw

UB40's Kingston Town covered by Sarah Collins
.
https://youtu.be/VviULBgKcHM

^ Motörhead

I bet I'm in a minority of one here but Bob Dylan's cover of The Boxer ( Simon and Garfunkel of course ).

saddo's out of his head btw.
Buckley's original is FAR better.

Now now, Salmon Spray. No need to be rude to Saddo. We all have different opinions.

I can't find Bob Dylan's cover of The Boxer on Youtube. Do you have a link? I love that song.

saddo is a good sport imo.
Dylan's The Boxer is on Self Portrait which I imagine is on in its entirety.

Saddo is a good old stick, always has been.

Well that took some finding. Any youtube videos were blocked but I found this

The Boxer
.
https://musicmp3.ru/artist_bob-dylan__album_self-portrait.html

It's very nice, I like it.

Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin

original by Jake Holmes

Thanks for the above. I'd never heard of Jake Holmes but he's quite interesting. Seems to have written complete albums for the Four Seasons,Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte. Didn't realise this was yet another example of LZ playing fast and loose with other people's songs but I have to agree their version is an improvement.

BELLADONNA "Sweet Child O' Mine" (Guns N' Roses cover) VIDEO

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https://68.media.tumblr.com/2cabf95e36ce14dd518cbfd93fcc7d86/tumblr_ocroz3ljm91vs2qvvo1_540.jpg


Now that is very different.

Wonderwall Ryan Adams

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inlac4FyhD8

hey mr.blackbarn man,great call on melanie,superb version,has to be the best,love that little girl lost feel about it

Clayhills cover of the Smiths' Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxM_eVYnDg4

Leslie King -doing a slow soulful version of AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUH_KSKU_LA

Cowboy Junkies cover of VU's Sweet Jane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRFZFmEq9o

All of them preferred by me and Mrs S.

So many examples, but I think this first one is the greatest because the original was fantastic. And yet this cover blows it to smithereens.

Aretha Franklin - R.E.S.P.E.C.T (original by Otis Redding)

Others off the top of my head include

The Monkees - I'm a Believer (original by Neil Diamond)

Cyndi Lauper - I Drove All Night (original Roy Orbison)

When you walk in the room - The Searchers, original Jackie DeShannon.

Cyndi Lauper - I Drove All Night (original Roy Orbison)

That might upset a few.

Bigmo, I saw Cyndi Lauper at the Royal Albert Hall and she absolutely rocked the place singing that song. I'm with you, I much prefer her version. It was an excellent gig, she was brilliant.

Saw her live on Sky and was very impressed, a very talented lady Slippy.

Hello terry mccann - well done for paging up (or down as appropriate). I have had some fun doing the same thing. Glad you liked it.  I remember a dj at a local club saying "another obscure request from blackbarn, and another slow one". He had to play it twice

Arlo Guthrie's version of Lightning Bar Blues deserves a mention.

Cyndi Lauper is massively underrated, prob just can't get away from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (brilliant song by the way).
But she has some voice on her.

I'm a big O, fan btw, so it takes a lot for anyone to do a better version than him, but she managed it.

Sade - Why can't we live together

Original by Timmy Thomas.

Her version live at Montreux is superb.

In the words of Jazz Club...Great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clbqKFM5oQY

Any Rap song that uses classical music to rift off... mozart is crappola. MC dog biscuit is da bomb. he takes Mozart and makes it good.

true Bruv

The Civil Wars - Billie Jean (Michael Jackson Cover)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441mR2zsQbg