Greatest Cover Songs?

[turienzo's lovechild]

although my fave would be Joe Cocker's glorious version of With A Little Help From My Friends.

cocker's done some cracking cover songs

 

[matildaseagull]

Song to the Siren by This Mortal Coil (originally Tim Buckley)

 

[matildaseagull]

It Must be Love by Madness (originally by Labbi Siffre)

 

[Superphil]

This is a great subject, worth a look at this thread, and one or two before it, dealing with the same issues.

Great cover versions of songs - North Stand Chat

There is a comment on the 1st page here, re "quality" cover versions. I think there is some merit in that comment, a lot of covers are done for the sake of it, not really adding anything to the original.
Either that or they are covers of songs that were poor in the first place, but the lazy artist who wants to do a cover because they can't write chooses a poor original, in a bid to make it sound better, and of course to lower the royalities demanded by the original artist. IMO of course.

I also stand by my original comment on that thread, is this about who can come up with the most obscure cover that most people don't know was a cover, or is it about truely great covers?

 

[warsaw]

Has to be Annie Lennox's wonderful version of Neil Young's 'Don't let it bring you down' . Not seen the film but I believe it was in American Beauty?

 

[NMH]

Frijid Pink - House of The Rising Sun

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[NMH]

Then there's the version by Gary Glitter.....been the ruin of many poor boys!

Are they shouting "paedo" at the beginning?

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[Superphil]

Have to say, I have always been a fan of Lulus version of The Man Who Sold the World, better than Bowies original, and also IMO better than the Nirvana version.

Another cover I like, albeit a shit song originally, is Dolly Partons cover of "You Drive Me Crazy"

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[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Johnny Cash - Hurt (Original - Nine Inch Nails)

Cash's version builds exquisitely and with the video, is very moving.

Good call

One of the saddest songs you'll ever hear

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[Uncle Spielberg]

How many more times ?.

Walk On By - The Stranglers

Is the clear winner

7 minute version - White vinyl with Blacak & White album.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Steps - Tragedy

 

[dougdeep]

Didn't we do this last week?

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

A1 - Take on me

 

[NMH]

Hard to believe it ever was a Dylan tune, but The Manfred Mann did the hit version;

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[Barrow Boy]

Great, another chance to post this classic

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[Barrow Boy]

And this classic as well, and look who's on the bill with them!!!

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[chez]

pfffffffffff


1. st etienne- only love can break your heart

2. johnny cash- personal jesus/hurt

3. jeff buckley- hellelujah


all pretty obvious but obvious for a reason- they're CORKING

You listen to Johnny Cash with your avatar Surely you would boycott him!

 

[NMH]

We got to get ourselves back to the garden;

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[John Bumlick]

Then there's the version by Gary Glitter.....

i'd forgotten how talented he was. whatever happened to mr glitter?

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

You listen to Johnny Cash with your avatar Surely you would boycott him!

eh?


(i'm not actually tony yeboah btw)