What's your favourite cover version of a song that's way better than the original.

ICBM

idiotwind said:

With both Watchtower and Tambourine Man, I just think of the original and cover as being two completely different songs. Both are perfect in their own ways.

Agreed, especially about Tambourine Man - the Byrds version is a perfect pop record, the Dylan version is pure poetic genius.

Speaking of Dylan covers that are arguably better than the original, this is my favourite... it sounds almost like an Ennio Morricone western theme.

Gassage

Word Up- Gun

LastMantra

John Frusciante - song to a siren. 

Litterick

Bic Runga again, this time with Strawpeople

CaseOfAce

I'll get burnt at the stake here - but Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet.
Really. It's become fashionable to hate this but people forget just how massive this cover was.

The original Troggs version is a charming '60 ditty.

The Wet's version is a precision engineered Radio 2 / housewife friendly radio unit shifter that spent 15 weeks at number 1 selling 120,000 copies a week. The band got so sick of it they withdrew it from sale.

Commercialism wins out over art..? well.. of course...but someone in the recording studio new what they were doing that day...

Don't feel sorry for Reg Presley - royalties funded his UFO research for years!

The Wet's guitarist is no slouch on guitar either... very tasty player.

thecolourbox

I am a fan boy but I always loved the White Stripes cover versions of stuff as they often seemed to me to find the rawest energy from the original and blow it up

Moe_Zambeek

I struggle to think of any that are vastly better…but this is a song I love that I didn’t think could be covered, I don’t think this version is better I just think it’s great: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, covered by Sean Rowe.

https://youtu.be/CrGOs1a1lOk

Philly_Q

OK, I know this is heresy.... I'm not saying it's way better than the original, it's actually a pretty faithful cover but I just love the energy of it.  I like his vocals too.

Don't Believe A Word, covered by Andy Taylor, ex-Duran Duran.  It's from an album he did in 1990, all covers (including, unfortunately, Mustang Sally - so I must have heard it there before I saw The Commitments...):

drofluf

Siobhan Miller’s version of “One Too Many Mornings”  is pretty sublime.

Not necessarily better but certainly different is The Flaming Lips’ version of “I Can’t Get You Out of My Head”

TheBigDipper

Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Slits 

No, really. It's great. It was on a cheapo compilationLP of covers by punk/new wave bands called “We Do Em Our Way”. 

mudslide73

TheBigDipper said:

Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Slits 

No, really. It's great. It was on a cheapo compilationLP of covers by punk/new wave bands called “We Do Em Our Way”. 

Whilst not better than Marvin's version I very much like the CCR cover of this.

Shrews

Twist and Shout - The Beatles, way better than the Top Notes or Isley Brothers versions.

But I also prefer the Chubby Checker and The Fat Boys version of The Twist, so I'm probably not much of a judge.

And Only You by The Flying Pickets. 

EricTheWeary

TheBigDipper said:

Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Slits 

No, really. It's great. It was on a cheapo compilationLP of covers by punk/new wave bands called “We Do Em Our Way”. 

I like it but I think you’d have your work cut out convincing a lot of people! 

It’s a bonus track on reissues of Cut and jars a little bit with the rest of the album. 

ICBM

Also this...



And in contrast, this.

pedroC60

Money by the Flying Lizards

JMS96

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats.

viz

Sinead O’Connor’s version of Queen of Denmark by that fellow I forget the name of. He’s good too, mind. 

https://youtu.be/C2K-t-h2sJI

Blueingreen

TheBigDipper said:

Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Slits 

No, really. It's great. It was on a cheapo compilationLP of covers by punk/new wave bands called “We Do Em Our Way”. 

Arguably (*) the Marvin Gaye version is a cover (and better than the original).  Gladys Knight and the Pips version was released first, and was a massive hit.  Marvin's version was released as an album track and only released as a single when the album track started to get radio play. 

(*) I say arguably because the release history is convoluted. Gaye's version was recorded before Knight's, even though released later.  But his wasn't the first recording - it was recorded by the Miracles first.  So whether you go by release date or recording date Gaye isn't the first.

On the other hand the arrangement on Knight's version is very different from (and inferior to) Gaye's version.  Gaye's version largely follows the Miracles version, but improves it in a number of ways (better sung, better tempo etc).

scrumhalf

SAHB's version of "Next" is better than the original.

thecolourbox

I always enjoy this cover version more than the original, despite me being a Bob Dylan fan and definitely not a Kesha fan...