Music Cover songs versus the original track, which ones are better?

[symbolipoint]

Too hard to check or analyze what I hear: Is the timing of that Mission Impossible thing on the guitar correct?

 

[Hornbein]

And now in the bad covers category, Wachtet Auf played on a slide guitar.

I suppose it's a matter of taste, but...I don't like it.



For some reason I like this one on an obsolete synthesizer, though I imagine some will hate it. Go figure. The Korg M-500 SP was rated "Don't bother" by Vintage Synth Explorer.

 

[Hornbein]

Too hard to check or analyze what I hear: Is the timing of that Mission Impossible thing on the guitar correct?

'Tis accurate. Mission Impossible is in 5/4 time. Eighth notes that count 3322 summing to ten.

Mission Impossible producer Barry Crane is well known in bridge circles for having been the biggest jerk. He ended up being murdered.

 

[pinball1970]

Too hard to check or analyze what I hear: Is the timing of that Mission Impossible thing on the guitar correct?

It has that "Id like to be in America" feel about it doesn't it? But America has one extra beat on the "CA" from Ame-ri-CA.

That's compound 6/8 3/4

You could write "MissIon" in 6/8 2/4 on that basis and it would work ok I think.

I would certainly think of it like that if I had to busk it rather than read it.

 

[pinball1970]

Mission Impossible producer Barry Crane is well known in bridge circles for having been the biggest jerk. He ended up being murdered.

That's seems rather heavy for bridge. I know those guys take it seriously but come on!

 

[pinball1970]

C.o @robphy I had to check these guys out. Anyone who tries to cover Yes must be a very good musician, anyone who tried to cover "Close the edge" must be nuts.

 

[Hornbein]

C.o @robphy I had to check these guys out. Anyone who tries to cover Yes must be a very good musician, anyone who tried to cover "Close the edge" must be nuts.

You know the Band Geeks are touring with Jon Anderson singing, right? I'd love to see them.

 

[symbolipoint]

It has that "Id like to be in America" feel about it doesn't it? But America has one extra beat on the "CA" from Ame-ri-CA.

That's compound 6/8 3/4

You could write "MissIon" in 6/8 2/4 on that basis and it would work ok I think.

I would certainly think of it like that if I had to busk it rather than read it.

pinball1970, maybe I'm confused. I go through reciting that phrasing and I find a count of 12. (and the rhythm is recognizable.) But that is likely in-line with what you're trying to say.

 

[pinball1970]

pinball1970, maybe I'm confused. I go through reciting that phrasing and I find a count of 12. (and the rhythm is recognizable.) But that is likely in-line with what you're trying to say.

Yes America is twelve quavers.

I wan to be in A me-ri-CA
1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 1. 2 3
Crotchets are mer ri ca
Mission is ten

Da da da da da da DA. DA

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 1. 2

DA DA are crotchets

 

[Hornbein]

Covers of pop songs by orchestras always used to be stiff. Now all the players have grown up having heard this music their entire lives so they know how it's supposed to sound. Musical notation captures only so much -- it doesn't give you the phrasing.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

About as heavy a groove as thou shalt ever encounter.

A bassist who auditioned for Prince said the main test was playing the same riff over and over. He left then came back a half hour later to check whether they still had the groove.

Nice solo on the by-me-despised Minimoog.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover by Wilson Pickett. His audience seems to be 100% men.



Tina Turner modeled her act on Wilson.

I still like the Cannibal and the Headhunters version. It made a big impression at age ten.

 

[jack action]

Thanks to @fresh_42 with one of his posts, I found something we could call a trifecta:

The original:

​

A cover (maybe more of a translated version but still a very different arrangement):

​

A cover of a cover:

​

And I'm tempted to call this one a cover of a cover of a cover as the first part sounds kind of a parody of the Elvis' version:

​

 

[fresh_42]

Thanks to @fresh_42 with one of his posts, I found something we could call a trifecta:

Definitely the original French version. I don't like Sinatra, and my sister is a hard-core Elvis fan, so I would even vote for him rather than for the untalented Sinatra. The Sex Pistols' version is ridiculous. Even a cover like this ...



... is funnier!

Here is another song that is of French origin (language-wise, Jacques Brel was a Belgian):



I should have known. Canadians are not really famous for depressive songs.

And I probably have already mentioned this original:



and its only allowed cover:

 

[Hornbein]

I have memorized the first line in Russian. "Riding in a troika with sleigh bells." So I checked to see it was a troika [three horses in a line]. Check. I always thought it was through snow though. Picky picky.

French pop music is unique. Lots of bathetic ego ballads. Not a bone of rock and roll in their bodies.

Possibly the most standard of jazz standards, Autumn Leaves, was originally a French pop song. In 6/8 though. I kind of prefer it that way.

 

[fresh_42]

French pop music is unique. Lots of bathetic ego ballads. Not a bone of rock and roll in their bodies.

That's why I love Europe. French chansons, Scandinavian Hard-Rock, and especially the Finns are crazy! (*) I've seen the Leningrad Cowboys live and one of their songs was "Chinese people <hem, cough, uhmm> so fast." British Pop, Italian Dolce Vita, etc. And we have some serious Jazz festivals here and in Switzerland.

Just travel a bit and you can enjoy a different culture. We even sent this ...



... to the ESC. (The singer, Jane Comerford, is an Australian professor of singing here.) And I cannot tell you how many hours I spent watching my former girlfriend practicing Line Dance!
______
(*) I've seen today on TV that Finns consume more peas than they consume snack bars!

 

[Hornbein]

Just travel a bit and you can enjoy a different culture.

I went through southeast Asia in 2003. It's a lot like Europe : compact and each country quite distinct.

Burma : Western style, great. Eastern style, wild! They don't even have time signatures. Might be most musically talented per capita on Earth.
Laos : They have only two songs. It's a slow minor blues about lost love 90% of the time. The other 10% is brisk with a two note melody.
Cambodia : Music made no impression. Trash everywhere. Beautiful children in a bad situation.
Viet Nam, Thailand : 100% ballads. Viet Nam showed no western influence. I quite like what they do.
Phillipines : World's best power singers. The most famous one -- he has his own TV show -- had a sex change operation.

Today's China is exploding into prosperity. It reminds me of my 1960's youth. What will they come up with?

Nowadays I spend half of my years in the musical paradise that is Tokyo. The other arts are just as good too. Dance is a big deal in Asia, even more so than music. South Korea leads the way in popular dance. Westerners consider this immoral.

 

[Hornbein]

Original Just The Two Of Us.

I long thought this was Boz Scaggs. Not.



I went into a vintage keyboard shop. I thought the synthesizers sucked cheese but the Fender/Rhodes were very nice. They are still made but too expensive, high maintenance, and heavy for popularity. The electronic fake ones are pretty good but always seem to have a certain thinness.

Cover by Muses

 

[Hornbein]

 

[fresh_42]

Here is another song I only knew from the movie ...



... and didn't know it's actually quite old



I prefer the cover in this case.

What I cannot decide between is whether Et Maintenant in its original version from Gilbert Bécaud is better ...



... is better or Elvis's version of What Now My Love ...



I like both versions. It's probably because you can play the song with only two chords, C major and D minor - pure minimalism.

And don't mention this other Crétin again.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig of Oh No



Cover by the Fraternity of Man
Back when the organ was still a rock instrument.

 

[Hornbein]

The orig. Competing for Luxembourgh on Eurovision. Greek singer living in Germany singing in French. They got 4th place.



Cover : Jeff Beck's little-known foray into Muzak. Seriously.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[pinball1970]

untalented Sinatra

I'm shocked!

 

[fresh_42]

I'm shocked!

I know, not a popular point of view. I once read a short comment on this by my favorite author Ephraim Kishon. IIRC it was like this. Two Hollywood producers talked to each other and one said: "I bet I can make a star from anybody that comes around that corner!" He was unlucky. Sinatra came around the corner.

That made me think about it and I haven't found much contradicting this quote. Some "artists" are simply a result of good PR rather than their own talent. The list is long, and nowadays even longer than ever.

 

[Hornbein]

I didn't like him for a long time. Then my Mom had a Sinatra CD and I had to admit he had something. I still don't care for his hit songs.

 

[pinball1970]

I know, not a popular point of view. I once read a short comment on this by my favorite author Ephraim Kishon. IIRC it was like this. Two Hollywood producers talked to each other and one said: "I bet I can make a star from anybody that comes around that corner!" He was unlucky. Sinatra came around the corner.

That made me think about it and I haven't found much contradicting this quote. Some "artists" are simply a result of good PR rather than their own talent. The list is long, and nowadays even longer than ever.

He is bit before my time and I was probably introduced to him via film.

On the Town is still real fun, as is High society.

“It was a very good year” is a great song.

 

[fresh_42]

He is bit before my time and I was probably introduced to him via film.

On the Town is still real fun, as is High society.

“It was a very good year” is a great song.

These different perspectives show one thing: we are all the product of our specific experiences, often in childhood, and socialization. I'm probably an Elvis fan because my sister has been and I heard his music very early in my life. And I mean not only his popular titles. I like his blues songs or some gospels a lot more than I like e.g. Hound Dog.

 

[jack action]

[THREAD HIJACKING]

French pop music is unique. Lots of bathetic ego ballads. Not a bone of rock and roll in their bodies.

To get a rock sound in French - truly coming from the guts - you have to go to the other side of the pond:

• Corbeau - Illégal
• Plume Latraverse - Bobépine
• Marjo - Provocante (singer of Corbeau solo)
• Martin Deschamps - Quand
• Marie-Chantal Toupin - Soirée de fille
• Éric Lapointe - Marie-Stone
• France D'Amour - Vivante

Maybe more of a ballad, but so good:

• Offenbach - Ayoye
• La Chicane - Calvaire

[/THREAD HIJACKING]

 

[fresh_42]

[THREAD HIJACKING]

To get a rock sound in French - truly coming from the guts - you have to go to the other side of the pond:

• Corbeau - Illégal
• Plume Latraverse - Bobépine
• Marjo - Provocante (singer of Corbeau solo)
• Martin Deschamps - Quand
• Marie-Chantal Toupin - Soirée de fille
• Éric Lapointe - Marie-Stone
• France D'Amour - Vivante

Maybe more of a ballad, but so good:

• Offenbach - Ayoye
• La Chicane - Calvaire

[/THREAD HIJACKING]

And they have the Can-Can!

 

[pinball1970]

[THREAD HIJACKING]

To get a rock sound in French - truly coming from the guts - you have to go to the other side of the pond:

• Corbeau - Illégal
• Plume Latraverse - Bobépine
• Marjo - Provocante (singer of Corbeau solo)
• Martin Deschamps - Quand
• Marie-Chantal Toupin - Soirée de fille
• Éric Lapointe - Marie-Stone
• France D'Amour - Vivante

Maybe more of a ballad, but so good:

• Offenbach - Ayoye
• La Chicane - Calvaire

[/THREAD HIJACKING]

Its fine, that's great thing about music. Music is so powerful it rarely exists in isolation.
It is connected to all the things we associate with events.
I thought I was objective enough, smart enough and a good enough musician to find a good piece. Say why it is good technically, recording, sounds, chord progression all that jazz but that is just the nuts and bolts.
What was happening to my brain at the time? Was I growing up? What was happening in my life?
@phinds said it and @fresh_42 the formative years are key and I will add really significant times can define what you like in music.
I think mine just happened earlier 2-11 ISH.

 

[fresh_42]

If you were looking for perfection, you would end up with Callas.

 

[jack action]

This one is to bring a smile to everyone.

A little backup story first. In the 50's, with the popularity of the radio and the success of rock'n'roll in the US, English songs were eclipsing the French culture in Canada. So, in the 60's, the artists began to translate the popular songs of the time to win back the market. These were done fast and cheap as soon as the hits were coming from the US and the UK. This group, Les Baronets, specialized in covering the Beatles' songs. This is their version of Hold Me Tight.

The anecdotal thing is that the guy on the left is René Angélil, Céline Dion's manager and husband. (You know, before she was even born.)

​

Of course - you don't have to say it - everyone prefers the original.

 

[Hornbein]

Most people won't accept any new music after they reach 25. I used to hang out with an online group of recording engineers. They had stories like "when I mixed 'Billie Jean'" and "Maria Carey hogged the bathroom". None of them liked anything they first encountered after age 25. There were at least a hundred of them : no exceptions. It was impossible to get any of them to like anything that was new. The great majority of my friends and family are the same.

It's easy to guess why. For most people music is a mating thing, and in nature that's over by age 25. Here in Bali you are supposed to get married at age 25 for men, 24 for women. If you miss the boat you are out of luck. Same in Japan. You don't want to be "after Christmas cake" (the 25th). It pressures the young to get married and greatly reduces bewildering excesss of choice.

There are exceptions (if you aren't a recording engineer). Economist and NYT columnist Paul Krugman likes Arcade Fire.

 

[Hornbein]

Of course - you don't have to say it - everyone prefers the original.

Their singing is pretty good but their "dancing" very unskilled. (I live in Asia where dance is much more important as an art than in the West. )

 

[Hornbein]

Orig by Mike Stern.

With Dave Weckl on drums and an incredibly restrained Jaco Pastorius on ebass.



I think Mike is the great jazz composer since 1986 -- who else is there? -- but am not crazy about his screaming lead soloing style. So...

Cover by Tori Slusher.

The opposite. I don't care for the way she plays the head but think the soloing is great. I listen to it over and over, something I very seldom do. She also plays bass and pad drums.

 

[Hornbein]

If you're wondering what is the big deal about Mike Stern, here's Little Shoes. I think ballads are his highest strength.



Cover. The only cover I could find that didn't copy Mike's solo exactly.



Oh, and stern is German for star.

 

[robphy]

(more) Enter Sandman
See also #547 and #542 .

(posted a day ago)

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai - Enter sandman live - Dallas Texas 2024


Joe Satriani was a guitar instructor whose students included Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett.
(More Satriani in this thread ; Steve Vai in this thread )

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

More blues badassery.



It appears she's lost weight. One hundred pounds maybe.

 

[morrobay]

Original

 

[pinball1970]

Original

Elvis did a great version of this.

 

[morrobay]

And she is hard to follow...

 

[pinball1970]

I'm probably an Elvis fan because my sister has been and I heard his music very early in my life.

From my mum I think.

"If I can dream" is still one of my favourite songs of all time.

I think I may have posted it already but Elvis' "Suspicious minds" cover by "the fine young cannibals" is truly truly awful.

 

[pinball1970]

And she is hard to follow...

Not keen on it but this all about covers.

This is what you call minimal. (EDIT: Elvis Version) Double bass, finger click, bongos (played with sticks though? Sounds too staccato for fingers) and his voice with plenty of reverb. I wonder how they did that little triplet sizzle?

 

[morrobay]

 

[pinball1970]

I prefer this one.

 

[fresh_42]

From my mum I think.

"If I can dream" is still one of my favourite songs of all time.

I think I may have posted it already but Elvis' "Suspicious minds" cover by "the fine young cannibals" is truly truly awful.

Thank you for the warning! I'm a big fan of the 7:42 (or so) version of Suspicious Minds.