[Closed] Underrated cover versions

This version of Shakin Stevens` Merry Christmas Everyone is pretty spot on.

I know I will be flamed (I was when I first mentioned it on here) but I love Sound of Silence by Disturbed.

I know I will be flamed

You're damn right you will. And you'd deserve it 🙂

I only came in here to say "not that godawful mangling of Simon & Garfunkel"

Beaten to it, so Chris Cornell's version of Nothing Compares 2 U. Apparently Prince commented positively on it [citation needed]

This doesn't get played very much at all.. And I think it needs more exposure..

David Grey - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Hurt Jonny Cash #inbeforeflashy

London Grammar do heaps of really good covers, their version of Purple Rain is really good. I'm also liking Chromatics cover of I'm on Fire, a Bruce Springsteen song.
All on You Tube but I can't link

I won't link to it, if you're that desperate, you can always seek it out. But I've long thought that Ta'tu version of How Soon Is Now is seriously overdue for some proper re-evaluation as a classic of it's genre. 1. It's alarmingly funny, it's difficult to make a song about about teenage hopelessness sound amusing, but they manage to pull it off, and not least because they sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks 2. it drew out of Morrisey one of his best quotes,

Interviewer: Did you hear t.A.T.u's version of 'How Soon Is Now'?
Morrissey: Yes, it was magnificent. Absolutely. Again, I don't know much about them.
Interviewer: They're the teenage Russian lesbians.
Morrissey: Well, aren't we all?

Take a bow Steven.

3. It's one of "those" songs, and for people of certain age, it's untouchable, and thus deserves solely for that reason alone to be pulled down a notch or two.

Chris Cornell - just listened to it, it's alright

David Gray - good shout, forgot about that

Johnny Cash - we're looking for underrated ones, not exactlyrightlyhighlyrated ones

Off to look for Chromatics...

London Grammar do heaps of really good covers

I was just about to say the same thing, this is my favourite.

So...

Chromatics - again, it's alright
TaTu - I have to say, that's brilliant. Mopey angst turned into teenage anger.

Now for London Grammar...

Beverley Knight - Angels. There's a better (Radio 1?) audio only version, but just wait for the power....

A cover version of a cover version of a track built around samples of another song (Marlena Shaw > Mark Farina > Blueboy > Tame Impala), anyway, Remember Me, the Tame Impala version, which also has more than a sprinkling of Deep Purple's version of Hush going on in there imho:

Walk on By - Stranglers

Hot 8 brass band. Sexual healing.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsDUXo5TcZY

More seriously, I've always thought this version of Love will tear us apart by Suzanna and the Magical Orchestra is very very good.

I'm going to claim that this one qualifies, not necessarily because it's underrated per se, but I think it's underrated as a cover version since most people don't seem to know that it is one.

As with all great cover versions, imho, it makes a different garment from the same cloth.

Soft Cell's version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love:

London Grammar - another 'alright'

I think my 'alright' ones are essentially cos it's someone singing the song (well), but not really putting their stamp on it.

Temperance Movement, Houses of the Holy

This is pretty cool, never really liked it when it came out. Probably because I started the think Van Halen were going a bit soft..

Where have all the good times gone (off Diver Down)

If you can, you need to play loud...

Polyphonic Spree, Lithium.

Most of the tracks on Rage Against the Machine's "Renegades" album are excellent, they very much do their own take, rather than trying to emulate the originals.

Stand-outs for me are their version of Devo's "Beautiful World" and Dylan's "Maggie's Farm"...

I've posted this before, when we've discussed this previously

Paul Anka did an entire album of famous songs. Here's his version of Smells Like Teen Spirit

The entire album is on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/5wHwAljUh2HQloNTOCZg7I?si=Myu6Bw89RvuUIitDdvhI-A

Beverley Knight is hugely underrated generally. She's a truly world class soul singer, and hardly gets the recognition she deserves.

The entire album is on Spotify

And in my CD collection 🙂

How about a bit of Bobby Womack? Hugely underrated Soul impresario and amazeballs guitar player.. (who I'm going through his back catalogue learning all his guitar licks)

Covering Fire and Rain by James Taylor..

Johnny Cash – we’re looking for underrated ones, not exactlyrightlyhighlyrated ones

😎

Continuing the Van Halen theme...

This whole EP

And, the VH cover of Pretty Woman. Full on 80s loonbaggery video here...

As song that probably suffers from there being too many versions out there, but I do like Lou Rawl's version of For What it's Worth. Excellently produced by David Axelrod.

I love the Little Roy reggae covers of the Nirvana album:

Or the Easy All-Stars, Radiodread - Radiohead album covers

This is just about the best cover I can think of:
George Michael - They Won't Go When I Go

This ain't bad either:
The Cinematic Orchestra - Lilac Wine

Also:
Taj Mahal - Johnny Too Bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEdcoaCukH4

EDIT: I suppose GM isn't really under-rated, so ignore that one

The Wolf Alice version of Song to the Siren is beautiful. Given the popularity of both the band and previous covers of the song, the playcount is quite low of YT and Spotify

I like the simplicity of this

Eye of the tiger by the rural Alberta advantage

Or a band a bit similar to the Hot 8 Brass Band above and who are brilliant live, Hackney Colliery Band covering Prodigy:

A few of my favourites:

Where is My Mind - Storm Large. Better than the Pixies.
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies. Better than Lou Reed.
Are You Experienced - Belly. Better than Hendrix.
A Little Respect - Wheatus. Better than Erasure.
Just Like Heaven - The Watson Twins. Better than The Cure.

Great thread. I’m hearing stuff I’ve never come across before. Cheers all.

I know I’m in a minority when it comes to this one, but I kind of like Aimee Mann’s cover of “One” used on the “Magnolia” soundtrack.

West Jamaica!

I'm now sat here listening to a lot of Beverley Knight. Brilliant.

Take this for example, and not only for Mr ByGod Hecan'thalfplaythetrumpet:

Hackney colliery band covering Africa, Under the Bridge and No Diggity, are ace too.

+1 for Paul Anka

Polyphonic spree musy have a nirvna thing, saw them doing smells like teen spirit too.
Can never remember the amazing ones from here but a list I need to get back to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Version#Volume_Six_(2010)

My favourite version of an old folk record which Cash and Dylan and many others have covered to:

Devos deconstruction of Satisfaction

I’m now sat here listening to a lot of Beverley Knight

I think Beverley Knight has been underrated by the general populous for many years. The audio version I alluded to played at proper volume really pulls the emotional strings its so powerful.

Liking this at the mo:

What, no votes for Robbie Williams 😀

Slade have done some amazing covers.

for example

Imelda May version of Tainted Love

Slightly shoutier Marilyn Manson version

Wonderfully haunting version of In The End, by Us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU1JraEVsgc

uptown funk covered by against the current

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGdOvbZxTU

hackney colliery band -Africa

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

black betty by spiderbait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckPfk3Lu8PU

and, err, this (well i like it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj6bjkHgeS0

oh, and this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2m3YxzsMAQ

Devos deconstructed Satisfaction
Miss You by The Concretes
Ciccone Youth doing Into The Groove

I really like this cover of Dancing in the Dark

Come up and See me (Make me smile) by the Weddoes

or Live and Let Die by GnR

Here's a couple (I'm not going to attempt to embed a link it never works for me):
Associates doing John I'm only Dancing (originally unsanctioned by Bowie but later approved I believe) and....
Aztec Cameras version of Jump

This is a quite different version to the original - stick with it, or FFWD to 3:10 for the big noise guitars

Wedding Present covering Back for Good by Take That

In fact there was great NME triple disc of 40* classic number ones covered by various artists that is worth seeking out, most if not all are on youtube.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Trax

Where do you go to my Lovely covered by Welfare Heroine is a dubbed up masterpiece; Billy Bragg does disco is also great,

* actually 39 iirc but Vic Reeves' "cover version" of Vienna was allowed in for its sheer interpretative quality even though Vienna only made #2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8cixXyuT68

Brother Rays version of Wichita lineman

and as for Tainted Love - Marc Almond's big band cover of his own song is not bad, but Say Hello Wave Goodbye is glorious (dahhling) even if his voice can't quite hit the tops like before.

(I'm taking that back..... he was pitch perfect that night)

Beverley Knight is hugely underrated generally. She’s a truly world class soul singer, and hardly gets the recognition she deserves.

plus several hundred...

Bobby Womack? Hugely underrated Soul impresario

not in the soul world where he's a bit of a god

not in the soul world where he’s a bit of a god

Is he? By golly, so he is.🤷‍♂️

Wonder Wall by Mike Flowers was so good it was pretty much the end of Oasis.

Back on topic..

Sade, quite simply the awesome Sade.. covered Why Can’t We Live Together, a song by Timmy Thomas..

It is, spectacular... if you can, please play it as loud as your ears will allow... and listen for the space between the notes..

Brother Rays version of Wichita lineman

whereas other versions might be good I don't think anything can top Glen.

I like Terranova's cover of the Au Pair's song 'Headache (for Michelle)'

Idles definitely made this their own (song from Dirty Dancing)

But my fave cover is Big Black's Cheap Trick cover. Filthy guitar sound..
https://youtu.be/XF3zzFHItgk

Are they underrated? Dunno!

only joking...

and live :

I've always loved this;

Radiohead - Nobody Does it Better

Johnny Was- Stiff Little Fingers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=129_PiWVZdg

Wicked game - Ursine Vulpine ft Annaca

Just seen this in the YouTube comments:

Random Guy
10 months ago
I can’t stop listening to this masterpiece. It’s so soothing, so magical, so emotional, so soft, yet so powerful, so good that it gave me chills the thousands of times that I’ve heard this amazing creation. I am addicted to this song, and I always will be. This is, no doubt, one of the best songs I’ve ever heard in my 15 years of living, and it will always be one of the best songs ever.

😂

Brother Rays version of Wichita lineman

whereas other versions might be good I don’t think anything can top Glen.

This one really works for me despite being an instrumental. I love the increasing broken guitar tones.

Friends of Dean Martinez - Wichita lineman

Snatch - Another Brick in the Wall

Thanks to those who put Little Roy and Hackney Colliery Band on my radar

How about a Star Trek/Hendrix crossover?
All Along the Watchtower by Spirit.

Halestorm have done 3 EPs of covers called ReAnimate, 1.0, 2.0. and 3.0.

Their cover of Skid Row's Slave To The Grind is better than the original.

\m/ \m/

Steel Panther cover Backstreet Boys

whereas other versions might be good I don’t think anything can top Glen.

100% agree.

OP needs the Bangles link. A pal posted the other day that Susanna Hoffs is 60😮.

And a couple of takes on Alone Again Or.

some of my favorites already above - Johnny Cash/Hurt, Bangles/Hazy Shade, Suzanna and the magic orchestra

Stevie's cover of We can Work it Out

Great Bowie Covers -
Seu Jorge's whole album from the Life Aquatic but this in particular. Something rather lovely about a song you know so well sung in a foreign language

or Frida (from Abba)'s version

Stereo Total - Heroes. Properly lo-fi
https://youtu.be/T3BEJDXq9Zk

John Cale cover of LCD Soundsystems All My Friends I love as much as the original

Hot Chip cover Vampire Weekend