Great Cover Versions

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I like both Muse's and Nina Simone's versions of Feeling Good. The former is a bit rockier with an interesting vocal, the latter is simplistic and oozes soul.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I like both Muse's and Nina Simone's versions of Feeling Good. The former is a bit rockier with an interesting vocal, the latter is simplistic and oozes soul.

Simple, maybe, but Nina Simone was never 'simplistic'. Perhaps one of the most complex, difficult and brilliant women in the history of popular music - most of her covers are superb too, come to think of it - her version of George Harrison's 'Here Comes the Sun' for example. From that period I also like a lot of Eric Burdon's very earnest totally unsubtle versions, with his second SF-based incarnation of the Animals - his version of 'Paint it Black' is just way over the top in a great way, as is his take on 'River Deep, Mountain High' which just ends up as a hymn of lust to Tina Turner, and Cash's 'Ring of Fire'...

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Sorry - simplistic in its arrangement, rather than its final sound (does that make sense??)

 

[Over The Hill]

Changed me mind - Mike Flowers and the Pots, Wonderwall. Class in a kind of pipe and slippers way..

I was going to suggest that one!

I watched it on youtube and had a chuckle. Certainly was the better version.

It was Mike Flowers Pops BTW which was a play on the old Music For Pleasure record label and logo.

Once you have heard it you just have to go
"da-da da-da DAHH" when you hear the original.

 

[Bodhbh]

Nirvana's cover of Leadbelly's 'Where did you sleep last night' from the MTV Unplugged album rips my guts out every time I hear it.

Jaques Brel stuff keeps coming up - Scott Walker's 'Jackie' does it for me too.

Agree, really like all of Nirvana's covers and just the choices tbh - Molly's Lips, Love Buzz, The Money Will Roll Right In, etc.

There's an hilarious version of "Where Did You Sleep..." by a guy called Blowfly, "Who Did I Eat...". An R&B singer and songwriter since the 60s, he's made a career on the side doing sick cover versions for 30 odd years, they wouldn't be so funny if he didn't have a great voice.

Of the top of me head, really like Tom Jones's version of "Chills and Fever", Del Shannon is best known for Runaway, but he released an album of Hank Williams covers in the mid-60s stands up to any other Hank Williams covers I've heard, great album.

 

[User482]

Eleanor Rigby by Stanley Jordan.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Mark Kozelek from Red House Painters also recorded a whole album of AC/DC covers called What's Next To The Moon which makes them sound like lost Nick Drake songs.

It's a nice idea, and I was tempted enough to buy the whole album on Itunes as soon as I read this, but what he's actually managed to do is take all the fun out of the songs and turn them into a series of bog standard MOR songs. I bow to no one in my admiration of early AC/DC (or Nick Drake, for that matter) but these versions don't really do it for me.

 

[Wolf04]

Neil Young's Powderfinger as performed by the Cowboy Junkies. A good cover should always bring something new to the song and this does in spades.

 

[Lardyboy]

Neil Young's Powderfinger as performed by the Cowboy Junkies. A good cover should always bring something new to the song and this does in spades.

They do an excellent cover of Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" on the Trinity Sessions album, which is a cover song fest in itself.

 

[Dayvo]

Manfred Mann and the Earth Band's Blinded by the Light, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Born To Run, both songs by Bruce Springsteen.

Tom Jones and The Cardigans' Burning Down The House by Talking Heads.

 

[Wolf04]

They do an excellent cover of Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" on the Trinity Sessions album, which is a cover song fest in itself.

Yes probably the ultimate covers band, not to dismiss their own material. Another great one is their version of Sweet Jane.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Rather clever.. not a classic, but well done. This version of REM's "End of The World"

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Along the same lines, George Bush singing U2's classic "Sunday, Bloody Sunday".

 

[trj977]

Try Jacqui Naylors superb cover of Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime".

Very brave choice as, in my opinion, the original is one of the best songs ever made.
I know very little about her but there are some interesting covers on her "Color Five" album. She is certainly not shy on taking on a "big" song.

http://www.jacquinaylor.com/music.html

 

[Bodhbh]

Along the same lines, George Bush singing U2's classic "Sunday, Bloody Sunday".

One of the Youtube blocked at work brigade here, but if it's what I think it is, there's also a pretty funny version of Blair doing "Should I Stay or Should I go" up there.

And a band called Graveworm do a black metal cover of "Loosing My Religion" which is great.