edcayton Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I don't know how many people will have heard of the Arizona Smoke Review, but check out their version of Springsteen's "Factory Song". It is on U tube, but I can't do links. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2011 Vanilla Fudge "You just Keep Me Hanging On" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QuHqjnfpLE&feature=related Best, Pete. Oh, some bonus Humble Pie too.......... I agree about Vanilla Fudge - when it came out in '67 it was HEAVY....... Can't say I was so keen on some of their other stuff - a friend once had "the Beat Goes On" which I found pretty excruciating. Another band comes to mind - The Damned's killer version of Barry Ryan's "Eloise" and their note-perfect rendition of Love's "Alone Again Or". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Just the one from Fudge, Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert went on to other things with Jeff Beck, of course. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Thumper Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 the embedding has stopped working for me from Pete's post onwards for some reason.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exmoordave Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 "Silence is Golden" - For me The Tremeloes' version is far superior to the Four Seasons original. Also, a lot of chat about Bob Dylan on here and deservedly so. Like a previous comment, I am a great fan of his songwriting but less so of his singing. One of the best interpretors of Dylan songa was Rick Nelson during his country-rock phase in the late 60's & early 70's with his Stone Canyon Band. He made an excellent job of songs like "She Belongs to Me" & "Just Like a Woman", but my favourite has to be "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", which is just such a beautiful version. Rick's voice and understated approach suit the mood and makes the most of the beautiful melody. The recording of the piano and subtle ethereal voices help to make this a real classic version. All the best exmoordave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2011 XTC did a VERY "out there" cover of "All along the Watchtower" on their debut album, "White Music", in 1978. Whether or not anyone would judge it an improvement on the original depend on your liking for experimental dub-punk.. - me, I rather like it. The Ataris did a cover of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" a few years back - just revved / punked it up a bit, and namechecked a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac instead of a Deadhead sticker. For that reason it gets my vote, however much I love the original. And I'll add to Rod's vote for the This Mortal Coil version of "Song to the Siren". Liz Fraser's voice is one that haunts.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Heavier and a bit darker than The Stooges' original, which was still a decent garage record, this was the version I heard first and consequently my preferred take. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Good call Dave, and a timely reminder of just how good those early Sisters records were. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2011 There will only ever be one version of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - the one by Carole King. Doesn't this count as a cover version of a song she wrote for somebody else? Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2011 Another band comes to mind - The Damned's note-perfect rendition of Love's "Alone Again Or". Much better than Collexico's awful travesty! (Jeremy Vine likes it - Nuff said) [quote name=exmoordave' timestamp='1311617516' post='449734] "Silence is Golden" - For me The Tremeloes' version is far superior to the Four Seasons original. exmoordave To me it is excruciatingly bad! (I have both versions) However I like their version of Cat Stevens "Here comes my baby" It has an infectious summery feel to it. (again I have both versions) The Searchers "Sweets for my sweet" is an OK job better than their covers of Jackie de Shannon songs but not as good as the Drifters. (Likewise both versions again) An obscure one: I also have "Some other guy" by Ritchie Barrett which I think is better than all the Mersey group covers. If you want to hear original versions look out some of the excellent Ace (UK) collections of US hits and an awful lot of tracks covered in the UK (usually badly) show up. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cornelius Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2011 Pretty confident I can win the thread with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMdWIBciPnM 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted July 25, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2011 Another vote for Johnny Cash's version of Hurt. I also like his version of Personal Jesus. Whiskey in the Jar by Thin Lizzy was a great take on an old Irish trad song. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Rod Stewart's version of Sailing always stood head and shoulders above Gavin Sutherland's original for me. The inlay notes with my CD of "The Very Best of SB & Q" attributes the song to Iain rather than Gavin, but I read somewhere that the song came about when Gavin (or Iain) was trying to play the Mingulay boat song and got the chords wrong. I suspect a lot of hit songs come about that way... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Does the Gompie version of 'Living Next Door to Alice' count as a cover of the original New World version? If so, I greatly prefer it. (Warning, if you're going looking for the Gompie version, - strong language! ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I know it's bit 'poppy' compared to other songs in this thread but I think this is a particularly good cover. Mad World - Gary Jules Got to utterly & totally disagree with you there... that cover made the Tears For Fears Original sound incredibly cheerful and upbeat..!!! In fact Janice Long was supposed to play the Gary Jules version on Radio 2 one night, and swapped it for the original - she couldn't stand the cover either!! My own vote for "Better than the Original" is Roxy Music's version of Jealous Guy... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Seeing as there are quite a few Johnny Cash fans on here, how about his version of a Sting classic? http://youtu.be/PYnGelZ6Rms I find it a bit sad but then it's a sad story, I guess. Very moving though. John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 ", but my favourite has to be "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", which is just such a beautiful version. Rick's voice and understated approach suit the mood and makes the most of the beautiful melody. The recording of the piano and subtle ethereal voices help to make this a real classic version. All the best exmoordave I agree with you best version of "Love minus Zero- No Limit" - believe me I tried too it was a freaking disaster - my ex-wife stole my first run copy of "The Stone Canyon Band" I need a replacement! Also featured future Eagle, Randy Meisner on Bass/Vocals. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I should perhaps mention Marilyn Manson's dirty, nasty cover of 'Personal Jesus'. Not everyone's cup of tea but damn good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumblestripe Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 May be not an "improved" version, but a real different take on a classic, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" done in a ska/reggae/latin style? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eueoQdBXg And I believe I'm right in saying that is the (still) delicious Ms Debbie Harry in the video? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Talking Heads' studio version of Al Green's 'Take me to the River' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXYB-1KTeh4 Much slower than the original (Eno's influence probably) although on Stop Making Sense they speeded it up again and it's nowhere near as effective. The Commitments' version is also very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor Charon Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Doesn't this count as a cover version of a song she wrote for somebody else? Keith That's a question I'll leave to the philosophers. Whether it's a cover version or not, as far as I'm concerned, it's the only one that counts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor Charon Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Whiskey in the Jar by Thin Lizzy was a great take on an old Irish trad song. I know I'm going to be called a heretic, but I prefer the version by The Pogues. Come to think of it, there's quite a few good versions of old folk songs on their albums Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 A great cover of Marvin Gaye's I Heard it Through the Grapevine by FM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPF32LxQATw Xerces Fobe 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I rather like AC/DC's rendition of 'Baby Please Don't Go'. I think their antics on this video got them banned from TV POP shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf9lhev1qwA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sidecar Racer Posted July 26, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 26, 2011 I realy like Springsteens rendition of Born to Run but for me this tops it . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfE2Se4r9w 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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