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

  • Thread starter Thread starter pinball1970
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Track
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around the merits of cover songs compared to their originals, exploring which covers are considered better and which should have been avoided. The subjective nature of evaluating music is emphasized, with opinions varying widely based on personal taste. Notable examples include Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower," which many argue surpasses Bob Dylan's original, and Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt," which evokes deep emotion. Other covers, such as those by Eva Cassidy and the Bare Naked Ladies, are praised for their unique interpretations that enhance the originals. Conversely, some covers are criticized for lacking originality or failing to add anything new, with specific songs mentioned as examples of covers that should have been left alone. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of musical interpretation, the role of the listener in evaluating art, and the complexities of genre classification, particularly in jazz. Overall, the thread highlights the rich landscape of music covers, showcasing both celebrated interpretations and those deemed unnecessary.
  • #2,001
Van Halen's Why Can't This Be Love? Cover

 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
Science news on Phys.org
  • #2,002
Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was largely ignored until Jeff Buckley's rendition was largely ignored until his untimely death.. Cohen took five years to write the lyrics. Buckley's version is not Cohen's but John Cale's a musician and producer who was given all of Cohen's attempts to his final version.

Cohen original


Buckley


You can listen to "Hallelujah's" evolution in Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, Revisionist History. starting at 12:38, although the whole podcast is worth listening to. Gladwell compares Elvis Costello's development of Deportee to Hallelujah's.
 
  • #2,005
 
  • #2,006
In such circumstances. I like this one, although I'm usually not a fan of contralto.


 
  • Like
Likes Astronuc, robphy and Hornbein
  • #2,007
fresh_42 said:
In such circumstances. I like this one, although I'm usually not a fan of contralto.

more from Nene Royal
 
  • #2,008
Really good vocals in this live performance, they are two talented girls:

Guy TIPPED $100 for this PERFORMANCE!! ABBA - S.O.S. | Allie Sherlock cover & Zoe Clarke
 
  • #2,009
Drum cover of Led Zep IV

 
  • Love
  • Like
Likes jack action and fresh_42
  • #2,010
Hornbein said:
Drum cover of Led Zep IV


Wow! I will catch up with this one for sure
 
  • #2,011
Eva Cassidy --Songbird

 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970 and fresh_42
  • #2,012
Hornbein said:
Drum cover of Led Zep IV


What she does at 8:35 and 31:52 is so funny!
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,013
About the video of Sina, the young drummer handling some Led Zepplin songs, the one called "Four Sticks" has a bit of interesting information described in wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Sticks
 
  • #2,014
Cover of David Bowie's Let's Dance.



Eight keyboards! A traditionalist.
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,015
I didn't know he could play!

 
  • #2,016
pinball1970 said:
I didn't know he could play!


Well dang they swing real good. That sounds great! Is that Lenny Pickett on sax?



I think Jeff makes a mistake and covers it up by going into outer space. Good for him,.

As far as famous actors playing instruments here's Jayne Mansfield on piano.

 
  • Informative
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,017
 
  • #2,018
Hornbein said:


Given that surname, I have to mention the godfather of European Jazz:



and to stay on topic, a cover of it:

 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,019
fresh_42 said:
Given that surname, I have to mention the godfather of European Jazz:



and to stay on topic, a cover of it:


Whe he stared the solo I thought he was going to play the whole solo with two fingers like Django!
 
  • #2,020

I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts | Missioned Souls​



 
  • #2,021
Robert Johnson did the orig but this vers is more copied. If there is ever a "best eguitar solo" contest this will get a lot of votes. Jack Bruce's ebass remains unduplicated to this day. He was trained as a classical cello player.



Cover by Char.

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes Astronuc and pinball1970
  • #2,022
Delbert McClinton



There are many covers by big name women.

 
  • #2,023
Jerry Lee Lewis covering Bruce Springsteen



Natalie Cole joins in.

 
Last edited:
  • #2,024


In Japan, Highway Star is a popular van model.
 
  • Like
  • Informative
Likes robphy and pinball1970
  • #2,026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicken_(music)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pee_Wee_Ellis


(1968) (Alfred Ellis) James Brown (1968) FIRST RECORDING [THE CHICKEN] (JGC History)

info: https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/rep/chicken,-the

(2012) Pee Wee Ellis Assembly - The Chicken





(1985) Jaco Pastorius, Kenwood Dennard & John Scofield - The Chicken - Live 1985

see also (2009) Jaco Pastorius-"The Chicken"

(1991) Maceo Parker - Chicken

(2014) Aaron Spears, "The Chicken" (Cover) - Zildjian Berklee Performance Center Concert


(2013) The Chicken (Pee Wee Ellis) - Abraham Laboriel (bass), Jimmy Branly (drums), Otmaro Ruiz (keyboards) and Allen Hinds (guitar) (Shepherd University - Cornel School of Contemporary Music)


(2017) The Chicken - Matteo Mancuso - Riccardo Oliva - Salvatore Lima

More #780 Matteo Mancuso .
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,027
Ian Gillian's song for me but this lady has some pipes.

 
  • #2,028
The original Ian Gillan.

 
  • #2,029
Over 2000 posts so I may have posted this previously.

Ray Davies wrote this but never officially released it.

The arrangement is just perfect, the tune, her voice, those minor 9ths, that horn line. Beautiful.

 
  • Like
  • Love
Likes jack action and robphy
  • #2,030
pinball1970 said:
Over 2000 posts so I may have posted this previously.

Ray Davies wrote this but never officially released it.

The arrangement is just perfect, the tune, her voice, those minor 9ths, that horn line. Beautiful.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Go_to_Sleep (May 24 1965)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Davies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Go_to_Sleep
The Kinks never formally recorded the song. Band biographer Johnny Rogan considers the lack of a Kinks recording strange, since the material they recorded around the same time was "obviously inferior".[ Davies's demo remained unreleased until April 1998, when it appeared as a bonus track on the CD remaster of Kinda Kinks. Sanctuary Records later included it on the 2014 box set The Kinks Anthology 1964–1971.

Here's the demo version

The Kinks - I Go to Sleep (Demo Version) (Official Audio)



(1965) I Go To Sleep - Peggy Lee


(1967) Marion Maerz - I Go To Sleep (1967) - Beat-Club


(2009) Sia - I Go To Sleep (The Pretenders) | Live in Sydney | Moshcam
 
  • Love
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,031
 
  • Like
  • Care
Likes pinball1970, robphy and jack action
  • #2,032
House of Pain (1984 album version, 1976/77 demo version for Gene Simmons)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(Van_Halen_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen


(1984) Van Halen - House of Pain (2015 Remaster)


(1984) Van Halen - Full Concert - Monsters Of Rock Donington 1984
&t=21m50s for "House of Pain"


more Van Halen


(2024) Brown M&M's "House of Pain (cover)" Van Halen tribute

more Brown M&Ms



(1976) Van Halen - House Of Pain [1976 Demo Version] (Remastered 2020)



(2025) GENE SIMMONS "HOUSE OF PAIN" VAN HALEN COVER 4K Paramount Theater Huntington NY May 9, 2025
&t=2m10s for the start of the song



 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,033
 
  • Haha
Likes pinball1970
  • #2,034
Stella By Starlight

Orig



Riyoko Takagi
I attended this gig but my seat was so bad that after one tune I got my money back and left.



I wish they would still make jazz versions of popular songs. Trane and Miles did it. Maybe the problem is that in the USA today's popular songs are too simple and unmelodic to jazzify. But out of that myriad of tunes there are some with jazz potential. How about Natalie Imbruglia's Torn or Radiohead's Creep. I say that USA jazz musicians are too snobby to do that.

It's different in Japan. The government makes a hit song by having it be the theme song for a TV show. This is so prized that a TV show will have both an opening and ending theme for a total of two. Such theme songs are a lot more complicated than US pop/rap and are frequently jazzified. It helps that jazz is more popular in Japan than in the USA. I sometimes look for pop tunes with the most chords. So far the champ is Black Rock Shooter with an awesome 32 different chords.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top