SONGS COVERED, AND BETTER or worse THAN THE ORIGINAL (Page 1 of 2)

I'm A Believer - I don't believe the Neil Diamond version was ever released, so not sure this really counts.

Obladi Oblada - Part of the Beatles Surfeit of riches, 'album tracks' like this were given away to other groups to have hits with rather than make them actual Beatles singles. I think the Tremeloes got gifted with 'Here Comes The Sun' about the same time.

Suzi Q - was something of a band staple and was covered alot in th 60s/70s. James Burton did a fine instrumental version on 'The Guitar Sounds Of James Burton' (recorded when a session was booked for Elvis's band Sweet Inspirations et al and then Elvis failed to show).

Hendrix's Wild Thing - Jimi got tired of playing the same old set very quickly so would cover hit songs of the day often with little preparation. His versions were more of a springboard for improvisation but it certainly showcased his huge range as did his 'Sergeant Peppers'.

i think that amy winehouse done a better version of valarie than the zutons also fine young cannibals done a better version of suspicious minds than elvis

problems are only solutions in work clothes

To CYTANIA, and of course all people who answered this topic. Let's see if we find the Neil Diamond (original), I check on Amazon, so it keeps me busy. And SUSPICIOUS MINDS by ELVIS isn't the original (At least the MELODY not written by WILLIE NELSON?). Until now everything goes fine, in the way I like it, a few lists of WRITERS of the Original, followed by COVERS
AND no really a list, my intention was dear fellow chordians that this is a kind of PRO and CONTRA, also to find information about groups, quit popular, like tha_musicman wrote, I mean that we can be surprised by IS THAT THE SONG? As I wrote as comment WITHOUT YOU best cover (maybe in the whole music business, HARRY NILSSON FANTASTIC, rhyming on PLASTIC: Mariah Carey. Why PLASTIC? It is not straight from the heart
Oh another one BOWIE or COBAIN: THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD. I love both, but COBAIN'S version is again a "scream, from deep inside. That's how I see it. I really hope that you can look (like I did), at some of these songs on youtube (where you see Chip Taylor, he really looks like Jon Voight, and Hendrix performing WILD THING.

SouthPaw, are we speaking of THE FADE AWAY, LIKE FADE AWAY by ROLLING STONES??

Oh Yeah, Bauhaus did a cracking version of Ziggy Stardust but better than Bowie?  Hard to say

Jimmy Buffett has done a lot of covers, and while they are usually not "better" than the original, he always brings his distinctive style to them.  Two covers he's done that I particularly like are Hank Williams' 'Hey Good Lookin'' and Stephen Stills' 'Treetop Flyer' and I don't remember whose 'Everybody's Talking' (I know the most famous version of it was done by Harry Nillson but for some reason think that he was doing a cover too).  I did not much care for Jimmy Buffett's cover of James Talyor's 'Mexico' or the aforementioned CSN "Southern Cross." 

I recently put together a mixed CD for myself to use in the car and as I was listening, it occurred to me that it had a LOT of covers on it.  I like covers.  I think my favorite on it is Luther Allison's version of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want."  Incredible.

Nearly everyone has covered "All Along the Watchtower".  There is, of course, the ubiquitous Jimi Hendrix version, but Indigo Girls and Larry McCray have recorded kick-butt versions as well as others I don't recall. 

Covers are constant in Country Music.  In Rock, I think there's an expectation that the recording artist has written the song.  But in Country Music, it's more common that there are performing artists and writers, and they aren't always the same.  For instance, Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy", but it was first recorded by Patsy Cline.  Then later, Willie Nelson did a cover of his own song.  Crazy indeed.  "Sunday Morning Coming Down" was written by Kris Kristofferson, but made famous by Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash as covers.  Kris Kristofferson also wrote and first performed "Me and Bobbie McGee".  He was working as a janitor as a recording studio at the time and had a crush on the receptionist, named Bobbie.  I think he added the McGee to make it work.  Anyway, he wrote it and recorded it.  The infamous version by Janis Joplin is a cover, and for my money far preferential to Kris Kristofferson's original. 

Shawn Colvin did a great cover of The Police's "Every Little Thing You Do is Magic."  She completely turned it into her own vehicle.  I love it when people can do that.  Take a song and perform it, but in their own style.  Just terrific.   The Duhks did a Sting cover on their first album, but I'll be darned if I recall which song.  I prefer their version, even though I liked Sting's version very well. 

So many good songs out there.  It's a shame to hear them performed only one way, or to allow them to become lost once an artist passes. 

- Zurf

UYK, I know a lot of Dylan covers, how many artists covered Blowin' in the wind? It is on a café/bar in New York that he played 2 verses, AND telling people this was NOT a protestsong, but now it is considered as best "protestsong" ever. Who determines this? CRITICS? I believe in critics, but now these days you can hear, find, listen to every song. In stead of throwing with mud and claiming that album X is the worst, and more idiot, THEY know what the lyrics mean. If I write: I was eating an apple o so red, that the maggot in it felt on my head, baby, oh baby what a nice maggot. This is a silly example, and, let's say I play in a famous band or alone, I say the truth, just some words, but critics are busy and get a headache, to analyse the lyrics, to link it with Freud, Jung.
Some covers are fantastic, much better than the original.

I don't remember whose 'Everybody's Talking'

Fred Neill wrote it- don't know that he ever recorded it, though.

Harry Nillson recorded it and the beautiful south covered it. Both excellent as each other I think

also the other harry song, Cant live without you, dreadfully covered by some woman singer.
harry is better on that one

KEn

i would hope after 50 years ther would be an improvment

Harry Nillson did it

Speaking of Joe Cocker (somebody was), his version of Dave Mason's "Feeling Alright" blows away the original. 

- Big D