Inspired by the NY Groove thread. Ok, ok, so it's a fairly rare beast but they do exist. Here's some that I consider to be the superior versions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MfVufKs7jw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGbOYIo7SD4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4_4abCWw-w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2uDfATyVEk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0pu3HhnfY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XSo4DV3kPc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-dwSt2p0Gg http://hypem.com/track/477987 These are just "off the top" but if you've got more stick em up. *Digs into bunker preparing for epic hatred from hardcore Beatles fans.*
Easy by Faith No More Hey, why don't you tell us the song names so we don't have to click on the stupid links while we're work just to know what covers you think are better than their originals?
Here you go: Walk On By - Isaac Hayes Otis Redding - Satisfaction (Live) Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats Mobius Band - Digital love ram jam - black betty Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps Duane Allman and Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
anything by "me first and the gimmie gimmies" (I particularly like blowin in the wind album) "Wanted Dead or Alive" (bonjovi orig, terrible band) by The Slackers
Cheers BTW - It's Cake doing Perhaps... @Oli, I'm kind of with you about Soft Cell but totally against you on Mazza Manson (btw the original was by Gloria Jones) As for Easy... it's level pegging for me on that one. I'm just as happy to listen to the Commodores or FNM.
"Heard It Through the Grapevine" has been improved twice from its original hit performance - once by Marvin Gaye (better than Gladys Knight's), and again by Creedance Clearwater Revival (better than Gaye's).
Agrree with CCR cover of HiTTGV. "Blinded by the light" Sprinsteen and redone by Manfred Mann Earth Band. The cover is slightly better but only because of spacy guitar effect and where they sing with 2 singers and slight delay.
The Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann was also a good cover for that tune. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR9eyfYAhT0
Sometimes the original composer does not put out the first, or the hit, version. Then they come along later and do a pretty good - some might say superior - version. Is that a "cover" better than the "original" ? example: "Both Sides Now" - original hit by Judy Collins, later superior (IMHO) version by its composer, Joni Mitchell. But this happens a lot in folk music. Improvement by cover almost defines folk music.
Humm, I hadn't listened to the original for a while, it's better than I remember. Hard to decide on that song, really. But any way, it's very different - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooE6WZldwEA Guns of Brixton is definitely better than the original.
I saw Ben Harper do Sexual Healing. I can't compare 'cos I certainly didn't see Marvin Gaye do it but, if it wasn't better than the original, Gaye would certainly have doffed his cap in recognition.