Covers that are better than the original ...

[SweetLeftFoot]

I imagine TOD and Lidge will have some input here.

To kick off, I nominate Amy Winehouse's cover of Valerie

[YOUTUBE]7CJzMkvJUno[/YOUTUBE]

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

A) I'm not Scottish.

B) Nae bastard hiz telt me how tae post yon Yu Choob clip like.

C) I could be drunker.

 

[wombles]

I nominate the NMFC club theme song as a much better version of Harry Lauder's 'A Wee Deoch and Doris'.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Tricky and Martine doing Black Steel

(In the absence of guidance O Lidgemaster, you may need to fix this one too)

[YOUTUBE]Wu8LpalUelY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

AHA! All becomes clear now. To celebrate, Mick Thomas at some goddam pinko hippie festival with Wide Open Road.

[YOUTUBE]8nz34RTSJRs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[The Filth Wizard]

I nominate the NMFC club theme song as a much better version of Harry Lauder's 'A Wee Deoch and Doris'.

I don't hand these out often, wombles, but LOL.

Heck, I'll even give you a ROFL.


For mine, and some of these will raise eyebrows, here are some of the best cover versions in my collection:

Elton John- Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds- The Beatles
David Bowie- Friday On My Mind- The Easybeats
Tim Rogers and Tex Perkins- Tonights The Night- Rod Stewart
The Gourds- Ziggy Stardust- David Bowie
Justin Hawkins- This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us- Sparks
The Lightning Seeds- You Showed Me- The Byrds
Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah- Leonard Cohen
Reel Big Fish- Take On Me- A-Ha
William Shatner (with Joe Jackson and Ben Folds)- Common People- Pulp
Pete Yorn- Ever Fallen In Love- The Buzzcocks
Muse- Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths
Johnny Cash- Hurt- Nine Inch Nails
Grant Lee Phillips- Under The Milky Way- The Church
Faith No More- I Started A Joke- The Bee Gees
Elbow- Tear Drop- Massive Attack
David Bowie- Alabama Song- The Doors (though originally used in a Brecht musical
Dexy's Midnight Runners- Jackie Wilson Said- Van Morrison
Bryan Ferry- Positively 4th Street- Bob Dylan
Beck- Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes- The Korgis
Tom Petty- Something In The Air- Thunderclap Newman

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

I agree with some, disagree with some (Elbow doing Teardrop better????) but this one is a gem.

[YOUTUBE]SmVAWKfJ4Go[/YOUTUBE]

 

[RoyalBlue]

Ah. Powderfinger does an extremely sex cover of Love My Way.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

I agree with some, disagree with some (Elbow doing Teardrop better????) but this one is a gem.

And that, my sweet friend, is the beauty of opinion.

I was thinking of baiting TOD but couldn't think of any songs Andrew WK covered from Queen. Wait. I've got it...

Limp Bizkit- Faith (though, arguably, this is a better version)

[youtube]rCSr5MQzplI[/youtube]

 

[Lidge]

Mrs Robinson

Lemonheads > Simon & Garfunkle

Easy

Faith No More > Lionel Ritchie

But credit where credit is due. If the original is by a singer/songwriter - credit should be given a go with the dude who wrote the lyrics in the first place.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Ah. Powderfinger does an extremely sex cover of Love My Way.

Kasey Chambers does a good version of These Days. First thing that came on my Ipod after I heard Heath Ledger was dead. Spooky.

Sadly Da Toob doesn't appear to have it.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Nods to the jackbooted enforcer of artists rights Lidge here.

A very recently out of rehab Nick Cave covering Shane MacGowan's Rainy Night In Soho.

[YOUTUBE]VoLRIXtAuxk[/YOUTUBE]

 

[RoyalBlue]

Kasey Chambers does a good version of These Days. First thing that came on my Ipod after I heard Heath Ledger was dead. Spooky.

Sadly Da Toob doesn't appear to have it.

Yeah Kasey...

No love for True Colours.... arraghhh....

WHile we're on theme, the 'finger does a very faithul and excellent cover of the Warumpi Band's Blackfella/Whitefella.

Excellent for today.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Ah. Powderfinger does an extremely sex cover of Love My Way.

So too, in fact do Live (on the bonus disc for Secret Samadhi). They also put a fairly decent version of Cash's "I Walk The Line" on their greatest hits.

I recall an American Idol contestant was voted off becasue he was exposed as using this version as his own when 'trying' to interpret Cash's version.

That little gay kid on Australian Idol tried a similar stunt last year, choosing RHCP's version of 'Higher Ground' on a '90s theme night and performing an almost precise copy of Stevie Wonders original, a style he was more comfortable. The punk was exposed and booted.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Yeah Kasey...

No love for True Colours.... arraghhh....

WHile we're on theme, the 'finger does a very faithul and excellent cover of the Warumpi Band's Blackfella/Whitefella.

Excellent for today.

If I was going to nominate a song for today, and not even a cover, it would be Paul Kelly's Special Treatment

 

[The Filth Wizard]

If I was going to nominate a song for today, and not even a cover, it would be Paul Kelly's Special Treatment

I would have to go with either of the seminal classics, Micheal Jackson's "Black or White" or the wonderful duet from Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory", a song which I once sung, by myself, at a Maori dominated karaoke night.

Resisted the urge to go with Sir Elton's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word".

 

[Wild Kangaroo]

Faith No More > Easy - Lionel Richie.
Metallica> Whiskey in a Jar - Thin Lizzy
Metallica>Turn the Page- Bob Seger
Guns N Roses> Knocking on Heavens Door- Bob Dylan
The Wrights> Evie- Stevie Wright

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Back on topic ... and with added rootability factor ... No Doubt with Its My Life.

[YOUTUBE]sQfcJwgPLCU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Faith No More > Easy - Lionel Richie. Yes
Metallica> Whiskey in a Jar - Thin Lizzy No way
Metallica>Turn the Page- Bob Seger Nup
Guns N Roses> Knocking on Heavens Door- Bob Dylan Are you kidding?
The Wrights> Evie- Stevie Wright This is crazy talk

Beauty of opinion, I know, but jaysus

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Continuing the rootable cover version vibe- albeit in this case she'd want you to do her on the altar of a south Dublin chapel while a nun looked on and frigged herself with a copy of the Koran - Sinead with Nothing Compares 2 U. With Polish subtitles! A commentary on modern Ireland and that.

[YOUTUBE]6FK_K92w1F4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Better than the original and one of my guilty secrets... in fact, all guilty secrets.

The Communards- Don't Leave Me This Way

[youtube]yNFH0uReWEQ[/youtube]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood- Born To Run

[youtube]BTStMImOtuU[/youtube]

Scissor Sisters- Comfortably Numb

[youtube]ONr5fl-0liQ[/youtube]

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Here is a list I found of the top 50 cover versions, compiled by the UK's Daily Telegraph

1. ‘All Along the Watchtower’ Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968
2. ‘You Were Always on My Mind’ Pet Shop Boys, 1987
3. ‘My Way’ Sid Vicious, 1979
4. ‘Hallelujah’ Jeff Buckley, 1993
5. ‘Respect’ - Aretha Franklin, 1967
6. ‘Tainted Love’ Soft Cell, 1981
7. ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ The Byrds, 1965
8. ‘Twist and Shout’ The Beatles, 1963
9. ‘Comfortably Numb’ Scissor Sisters, 2004
10. ‘Mr Bojangles’ Nina Simone, 1971
11. ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ Roberta Flack, 1971
12. ‘One’ Johnny Cash, 2002
13. ‘My Favourite Things’ John Coltrane, 1960
14. ‘Rocket Man’ Kate Bush, 1991
15. ‘Wild Horses’ The Flying Burrito Bros, 1971
16. ‘Billie Jean’Shinehead, 1984
17. ‘Mad World’Gary Jules, 2003
18. ‘Just Can't Get Enough’ Nouvelle Vague, 2004
19. ‘Sweet Jane’ Cowboy Junkies, 1988
20. ‘Police and Thieves’ The Clash, 1977
21. ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ St Etienne, 1990
22. ‘(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction’ Devo, 1978
23. ‘Caravan of Love’ Housemartins, 1986
24. ‘Why Can't We Live Together’ Sade, 1985
25. ‘Wonderwall’ Ryan Adams, 2004
26. ‘I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself’ The White Stripes, 2003
27. ‘Summertime Blues’ The Who, 1968
28. ‘Jealous Guy’ Roxy Music, 1981
29. ‘Black Steel’ Tricky, 1995
30. ‘I'm A Believer’Robert Wyatt, 1974
31. ‘Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word’ Mary J Blige, 2004
32. ‘Chimes of Freedom’ Youssou N'dour, 1994
33. ‘Money (That's What I Want)’ The Flying Lizards, 1980
34. ‘Fell In Love With A Boy’ Joss Stone, 2003
35. ‘Gloria’ Patti Smith, 1975
36. ‘Dear Prudence’ Siouxsie & the Banshees, 1983
37. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ John Cale, 1975
38. ‘Wichita Lineman’ Dennis Brown, 1970
39. ‘Ms Jackson’ The Vines, 2002
40. ‘I Fought The Law’ The Clash, 1979
41. ‘Hazy Shade Of Winter’ The Bangles, 1987
42. ‘It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City’ David Bowie, 1975
43. ‘Jolene One Dove’ 1993
44. ‘Oops I Did it Again’ Richard Thompson, 2003
45. ‘Rock el Casbah’ Rachid Taha, 2004
46. The Robots’ Señor Coconut & His Orchestra, 2000
47. ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)’ The Wedding Present, 1990
48. ‘Step On’ Happy Mondays, 1991
49. ‘Going Back to My Roots’ Richie Havens, 1980
50. ‘Don't Leave Me This Way’ The Communards, 1986

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Sexiest cover version video of all time:

The White Stripes- I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

[youtube]zS5fkPFUskQ[/youtube]

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

The best White Stripes cover. Sadlt lacking Kate Moss, but would realy go there after Pete Doherty and her had spent a few years on the glass trombone?

[YOUTUBE]zskw3mCQFL4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Some of the ones I've mentioned:

Pete Yorn- Ever Fallen In Love (only clip I could find was this attached to a weird manga video, oddly not the footage of Shrek 2 it assisted)

[youtube]Y-3jkvfWjUc[/youtube]

Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah

[youtube]AratTMGrHaQ[/youtube]

David Bowie- Alabama Song

[youtube]Aa44xQOdHMI[/youtube]