Cover Versions of Songs

[aquarius1984]

Right!

I expect to get my butt kicked over this thread but here goes....

Is the original version always the best as I always think?
Cant stand cover by bands who want to make it big.

There are only 4 exceptions though, are there any guys with me?

1.The Pet Shop Boys did " Always on my mind" better than Elvis

2.UB40 also did "Cant help falling in love" better than Elvis too

3.Mc Flys "Dont stop me now" was Just as good as Queens. At least they didnt change the beat or the words and it sounds cool.
That comes from a mega Queen fan....

and finally...

4. I cant decide whether Comfortably Numb is better from Pink Floyd or the Scissor Sisters.

4 1/2. Still cant decide whether "Heaven was best done by Bryan Adams or DJ Sammy LOL.

My ass will be in public display for kicking from 11am today.

Nick

 

[carlstock]

*Smacks Nick’s ass/arse with a drain hose* ;-)

1. Agreed.

2. Agreed.

3. Not heard it.

4. No idea. LOL

4 ½. No idea either. LOL

Now, for Nick’s favourite… Madonna sampling ABBA’s Gimme Gimme Gimme on Hung Up…

Whaddya think of that one, Nick? ;-)

Now I’ll wait for my ass/arse to be kicked… ;-)

 

[aquarius1984]

HOW RUDE!!!!!!

Cheeky!!!!!!
That is the worst song out!

LOL!

Maybe if she washed that damned Leotard she always seems to be wearing these days she may have less fans with pegs on their noses.

LMAO
Nick

 

[carlstock]

LOL @ Nick!

Calm down, Nick!

Send Madge some Persil! ;-)

 

[dascot]

I didn't like McFly's version of "Don't Stop Me Now", it was a bit rubbish and contrived really. I like both versions of "Comfortably Numb", but my favourite current version is the one done by one of the London orchestras - I can't remember which right now.

Also - DJ Sammy should be shot. Or at least banned from releasing records ever again.

 

[maytagbear]

The cover I like least?

Is Elvis's remake of Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog."
Not because Elvis's version is bad, far from it, it just forced Big Mama Thornton's original into undeserved obscurity.

I find most American 50s covers to be morally offensive, as well as musically offensive.
Pat Boone? Give me a break!

The covers I like the most?

Barnaked Ladies' version of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers In A Dangerous Time," and

The Nylons' cover of The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[frigilux]

Other covers I like better than the originals:

1) Summertime Blues by T.Rex
2) Rollin' Dany by The Fall
3) Time After Time (Acoustic Version) by Everything But The Girl

runner up: Ziggy Stardust by Bauhaus

 

[kenwashesmonday]

There's nothing wrong with covering a song as long as you do it your own way. Example: Why Robert John remade The Lion Sleeps Tonight is beyond me, It's so close to the Tokens arrangement, what a waste of vinyl.

aquarius1984 wrote: "2.UB40 also did "Cant help falling in love" better than Elvis too"

Better? It's apples and oranges!

Ken D.

 

[joeekaitis]

I've always liked The Ventures' cover of "Telstar" as much as the lo-fi/hi-concept blend in the original by The Tornadoes, who were the first British group to hit Number 1 on the American Top 40 charts in 1962, two years before, well, you know. . . .

 

[mattywashboy]

I'm a mega Queen fan too Nick, i trust you have been to see We Will Rock You,i don't think anything will ever top that night for me lol.

I like the Candlelight version of Heaven but i don't like the full DJ Sammy version, the way Brian Adams does it is much better.

Matt

 

[aquarius1984]

Matt

sadly not.

Ive never been to a concert yet,

Going on my own is something im not keen on and my friends dont like the music im onto and i dont like theirs..... its bad enough when we go clubbing i have to dance to their shitty dance crap.

so sometimes i totter off to the bottom floor which plays cheese, of the local club and mix in with the crowd.

more often than not someome from work is there anyway so its not too bad.

Id like to say I have a fave Queen song but they are all amazing.

I quite often sing I want to break free whilst washing up.

NO I DONT SING IT WHEN IM HOOVERING!!!! LOL

someone was bound to ask that so thought id nip it in the bud

Nick

 

[jasonl]

NOBODY

Can do ANYTHING better than Elvis. Saying someone did Elvis's song better is blasphemy lol. Of course, most of Elvis's songs are cover songs in the first place. But once the King does it, that's it... Done deal.

Of course, this is solely my Sirius channel 13 inspired opinion.

 

[washertalk]

Joan Jet did much better everything she redid.

I agree that Brian Adams version of Heaven was better as well.

 

[scott55405]

Can someone please tell me who the freak is "William Hung". I just got a new phone and was paging through ringtones on the website, and this name kept coming up, and it was pretty much always songs that someone else did previously.

As for the rest, I take it on a case by case basis. Sometimes the original is best, sometimes the redo is better. Still other times, I don't find out until long after the fact that a song I like and thought was original was actually a redo.

Now that I'm approaching my 45th birthday, there are a few songs I can think of that are on at least their THIRD redo in my lifetime. That's kind of surreal.

 

[brettsomers]

what about McArthur Park?

 

[scott55405]

That's a good example. Donna Summer's version FAR surpasses that ghastly original version.

 

[scott55405]

And the Grand Funk version of "Locomotion" is by far my favorite. (Sorry Kylie, that doesn't mean I don't like yours).

I can't think of the exact songs right now, but there's been this duo called "Aly & AJ" that pop up now and then on my Yahoo radio singing some old favorites.

I have not yet heard Paris Hilton's version of "Do you think I'm Sexy." Hmmm.

 

[brettsomers]

William Hung? sounds like a *blue movie* pers... anyway, hes the guy on American Idol who did the infamous horrible tryout performance. i wonder what kind of ringtone would be inspired by him?

 

[aquarius1984]

Paris Hilton has another piece of rubbish out?????

its news like that, that makes me delve deeper into the 80s to keep away from such crap!

Mebbe its time to add some Strawberry Switchblade to my collection.....LOL ;-)

Nick

 

[sparkcymru]

Strawberries

Nick you mean you haven't got Strawberry Switchblade already????? Tut Tut wats wrong with you? missing out on all those great lyrics they did umm la la la la etc etc etc oh them were the days! Oh and those dresses? hmmm.I'm really happy here in wales at the mo as we have a new radio station Swansea Bay radio and it's playing mainly 80's stuff all day long! Hoorah! Bring on Agadoo and the Conga I say!
Steve

 

[aquarius1984]

I can just predict Paris Hiltons next cover

Sam Fox's "touch me'
PMPL

But check this out...... I certainly have been doing LOL

Nick

 

[aquarius1984]

Steve

Found Some!!!! check my link above

 

[aquarius1984]

Strawberry Switchblade

Ive watched it 5 times so far LOL

one of my favourite songs and i cant believe i have found a video of them....

Nick

 

[carlstock]

Strawberry Switchblade?!

Nick,

We need to have a chat about that! I have a secret liking for one of their tracks from 1985!

Carl

 

[Versatronic]

Heaven my ass

I was sitting in a dentist chair today and heard a female singing Heaven with mostly just a piano as accompanyment. It was horrendous. Out of tune. They used a vocoder on her voice and every time she hit a sour note you could hear it modulate her pitch back into key. My God. I was happy to hear the dentist drill drown it out. Just horrible.

Anyway, How Soon Is Now by Love Spit Love. My Boyfriend's Back by the Raveonettes.

 

[Versatronic]

Please tell me that's a cover

That Strawberry Switchblade song is a cover, isn't it? I have a version of that in my CD collection somewhere. A much better version. Tears For Fears or someone? I can't remember.

 

[aquarius1984]

Im not sure now

Versatronic,

It was never Tears for Fears thats for sure.

This website with its wording aboout Since Yesterday implies it was definitely written for them so maybe someone covered it at a later date? glad ive not heard it LOL

Carl - Its a top chooon! Of course I would only have been 7 months old when it came out but the local radio station ("Signal 1" 102.6fm) occasionally plays it once in a blue moon, and thus everytime it comes on the radio gets turned up!

We also have another not too local but local enough radio station Century FM 105.6 fm that on a friday night has a Schooldays slot where only 80s music is played between the hours of 7pm and 1am. I make sure to tune into that sometimes.
In this slot Strawberry Switchblade is weekly requested by someone and played YAY!!!!

and also Century FM insist that for all other broadcast times, everyother song they play is from the 80's!

http://www.tangents.co.uk/tangents/archive/main/switchblade.html

 

[aquarius1984]

The Strawbs

There is one thing missing.....

To fully appreciate the qulity of this song I think you need a 95 Series Hottie with a chrome door and the clear programme dial, on a 40*c Non Colourfast Cotton cycle in the background.

Just to set the scene if you like...

LOL

Nick

 

[peterh770]

Phil Collins doing "Groovy Kind Of Love"
Boy George doing "I Would Give"
Bananarama doing "Venus"

 

[frigilux]

Mike---When you say 'Heaven', do you mean the Psychedelic Furs song? I noticed you referenced Love Spit Love's cover of The Smiths......