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[Closed] Covers which are better than the original song

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This is so subjective, it's impossible for me to say in any of these debates which version of any song is better. But from where I stand, I'll happily accept any cover version as long as it puts a different style on the song.

As example - For me, this one's a bit samey, until the finale when it becomes a billy Bragg version.

And I think this is fabulous

Both on Ruby Trax, an old NME cover versions CD.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:00 am
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Lennon and Maisy Stella, much better than the Lumineers version


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:43 am
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Stranglers - Walk on By


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:56 am
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Dinosaur jr - just like heaven
DOA & Jello Biafra - we gotta get out of this place


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:58 am
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Posted : 09/07/2013 8:09 am
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Also Stranglers and Walk on By - by coincidence, I emailed my sister last night saying exactly that.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 8:39 am
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I have to disagree on Hallelujah - I don't think Leonard's original can be beaten. However, I give you Thea Gilmore's cover of the whole of John Wesley Harding, Cream's 'Born under a bad sign' and if we're looking for a good cover of a Cohen song, Anthony (out of Anthony and the Johnsons) 'If it be your will'. Oh and Jennifer Warnes' 'Joan of Arc'


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 8:52 am
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Posted : 09/07/2013 9:06 am
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Posted : 09/07/2013 9:19 am
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Inexplicably I haven't seen this mentioned yet

Also


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 9:21 am
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Approximately 98,764 times better than that poodle rock crap! ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 9:26 am
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Private Life ... prefer Grace Jones to Prentenders original


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 9:48 am
 DezB
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One of my favourite covers - how a cover should be done. (Not better than the original, but then neither are most of the selections on this thread!)

then there's... (I've never heard the original ๐Ÿ™‚ )


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 9:49 am
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You've got the love by Florence and the machine I originally thought blew the original by Candi Statton out of the water however I now don't think that is the case and prefer the original .

[pedant] what about the original, original, frankie knuckles version, nothing beats that??? {pedant]

err, I prefer all saints under the bridge to the RHCP version. Sorry, IGMC


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 9:57 am
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I love Frank Turner's version of Dancing Queen... It's weird but just by stripping it down to acoustic and voice, and being a little bit whiney, it ends up being a song about... Loss, I guess. Shortness of youth.

Also his District Sleeps Alone Tonight doesn't do anything clever, it just un-ruins the Postal Service version by removing all the ****ery.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 10:15 am
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Rolling Stones doing 'I wanna be your man'


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 10:45 am
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Posted : 09/07/2013 10:47 am
 mt
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birky - Member
Private Life ... prefer Grace Jones to Prentenders original

Pretty much any of the Grace Jones songs are better than the original, even Night Clubbing. You can say that about many Iggy songs.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 10:50 am
 DezB
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[i]You [b]can[/b] say that about many Iggy songs.[/i]

I hope you missed off "[b] 't[/b]" ...


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 10:52 am
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Possibly this one as well.

Not sure if anycovers are actually better, just different.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:11 am
 mt
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Sorry DezB! I did miss the "t". Pleased you knew what I meant though.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:18 am
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I do love a good cover.

How about The Gourds doing Snoop Dogg's "Gin & Juice"

Or Otway's version of "House of the Rising Sun"


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:30 am
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Damn! How could I forget Richard Thompson's 'Oops I did it again'


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:47 am
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Damn! How could I forget Richard Thompson's 'Oops I did it again'


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:47 am
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Faxed Head's [s]California[/s] Coalinga Love.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:48 am
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original aint bad though tbh


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 11:55 am
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not better, but different.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 12:01 pm
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I kind of like James Blake's cover of Joni Mitchell's 'Case of you' and I also like his cover of Feist's 'Limit to your love'.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 12:12 pm
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Everyone needs some Dick Cheese in their life. :mrgreen:


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 12:26 pm
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Anyone covering bob dylan

Forever Young acapella by Audra Mae. One of many...


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 12:30 pm
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Damn, beaten to the Richard Cheese ๐Ÿ˜€ His cover of You Oughta' Know by Alanis Morissette is soooooo much better than the original.

This is haunting...


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 12:57 pm
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I prefer Roxy's cover of Jealous Guy but maybe just cos the video is pretty hilarious


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 1:08 pm
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I Fought the Law.

The Clash version was a revved up version of the Bobby Fuller Four's (very good) original.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 1:18 pm
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I might be biased because I don't really rate The Beatles at all, but Stevie absolutely kills it, obviously.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 1:57 pm
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Posted : 09/07/2013 2:13 pm
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Rocket dog - cake's version of "I will survive" - Yeah baby, the greatest cover in history bar none.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 3:26 pm
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Bit late but Chaka Khan's version of I feel for you is better than the original from Prince.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 3:29 pm
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Always like johnny cash's cover of 'one'

But I hate U2, so anyone else doing it I'm likely to think is an improvement ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 6:11 pm
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New order - turn the heater on

Frankie knuckles - your love

Joy division - sister ray

Echo and the bunnymen - all you need is love


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 6:26 pm
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Jimmy cliffs version of ruby soho, basically the whole of Little Roys Battle For Seattle, Hendrix All Along the Watchtower and RATM version of Renegades of Funk.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 6:37 pm
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Hah, I had no idea that There Is A Light That Never Goes Out was a cover.

De-cluttered

En-bluegrassed


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:15 pm
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For what I'm about to post, I beg your forgiveness, but I lurve this one

[url=

You're welcome!

Dammit - several edits later and I still show my incompetence at posting links. Sigh.


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:16 pm
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Posted : 09/07/2013 7:29 pm
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I love absolutely everything about this


 
Posted : 09/07/2013 7:39 pm
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Posted : 09/07/2013 7:40 pm
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