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

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Ibix said:
Apparently you turn the knob on the radio in Leonard Nimoy's car clockwise for both on and off.
Vulcan design. It's only logical that the user needn't remember such detail.
 
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robphy said:
#489

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Pigs

BLACK SABBATH - "War Pigs" (1970)

(2025) uKanDanZ - WAR PIGS (Official Music Video)

  • https://laughingsquid.com/amharic-war-pigs-sax-guitar/
    A Brash Badass Cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ Sung in Amharic With the Sax Subbing for Guitar
    Lori Dorn

    Ethiopian Crunch band uKanDanZ performed a badass cover of the classic Black Sabbath song “War Pigs” entirely in Amharic, the lingua franca of Ethiopia. The band, which features Asnake Gebreyes on vocals, who sounded a lot like an early Ozzy Osbourne, while saxophonist Lionel Martin did an amazing job subbing his horn for Tommy Iommi‘s guitar parts from the original song.

 
Orig by the MC5.



The singer's melody has a tonal center that is a major third above the band, who are playing in a minor key. I bet they got that from Indian ragas. They were fans of Sun Ra and John Coltrane. Singer Rob Tyner got his stage name from pianist McCoy Tyner, who arguably invented the power chord.

I once defeated ebassist Mike Davis in arm wrestling. His arms are long, a big disadvantage to him.

Cover



I'm amazed that anyone ever covered this very obscure tune, much less did such a good job. She's Iranian-American.
 
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Rob Tyner's afro and gap between his front teeth reminds of Angela Davis. Angela's gap was routinely airbrushed out by newpapers, even when she was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

While we're at it...

Orig Ramblin' Rose



Cover by MC5



A very fun band.

Today I say the MC5 torch has been been picked up by Bandmaid. In both cases the lead guitarist taught the rhythm person how to play.
 
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I usually don't go for highly accurate covers, but this guy sure can sing it.

 
rcgldr said:
Nick Drake - Road (1972)

Josh Turner Guitar cover of Road (2025 - mostly better audio quality)


Josh Turner is great.
Only discovered Nick Drake fairly recently. Some really nice stuff.
 
Hornbein said:
This piece was originally sung by Norah Jones, who is Ravi Shankar's illegitimate daughter with a Texan.



This was a departure for trad jazz label Blue Note. Previously Blue Note had turned down the great Eva Cassidy. When she was dying young of cancer the CEO of Blue Note personally apologized to Eva for having had such a silly policy. "It's all right" said she.

Cover by Gabriella Quevedo


Beautiful, beautiful song and Gabriella has been putting out quality guitar pieces for years, a class song covered by a class act.
 
Hornbein said:
This piece was originally sung by Norah Jones, who is Ravi Shankar's illegitimate daughter with a Texan.



This was a departure for trad jazz label Blue Note. Previously Blue Note had turned down the great Eva Cassidy. When she was dying young of cancer the CEO of Blue Note personally apologized to Eva for having had such a silly policy. "It's all right" said she.

Cover by Gabriella Quevedo


This live version is perfection.

 
It's pretty common for performances to improve over the years. I wish more bands would make live albums in their later years.

It's an advantage in life that musicians have over athletes.

The piano intro on this one is really nice. In the right hands the piano makes the most beautiful music of all.

 
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She's at her best with these country songs.

 
Orig Basket Case by Green Day



Cover -- Avril Lavigne

She sings it like she really means it. Chronic fatigue syndrome, a possibly psychosomatic disorder, later took a big chunk out of her life..



I saw Avril in Taiwan at this time. She was the main guitar player. At the end of the show they left the stage and applause immediately stopped. The audience didn't know they were supposed to demand an encore. Avril sent the hiphop dancers back out to incite applause so the band could return.
 
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Taiwan ! I stayed in Kaohsiung for a few months. Very underrated country. . I can dance that bad
 
morrobay said:
Taiwan ! I stayed in Kaohsiung for a few months. Very underrated country. . I can dance that bad

Dance is dead in the USA. East Asia its a big deal.
 
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Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!! [referred to as a "Japanese tongue twister song"]
https://jpop.fandom.com/wiki/MONO_NO_AWARE

(2019) MONO NO AWARE - Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!! [Official Music Video]






  • (2025) "かむかもしかもにどもかも" cover #かむかもしかもにどもかも #mononoaware #cover #歌ってみた #カバー #早口言葉 @mirimm5612


  • (2025) Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!!" by MONO NO AWARE (Cover by Katerina - @framesoflife9925 )


  • (2025) MONO NO AWARE - Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!! "かむかもしかもにどもかも！" COVER ESPAÑOL LATINO TikTok Viral Song - Dionylis


  • (2024) 【ハク。 Cover企画】MONO NO AWARE "かむかもしかもにどもかも!" - haku.


  • (2025) When MONO NO AWARE called on stage the girl from the cover song#haku #mononoaware #jpop #viralson
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/moBH4Vqf-b0
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvO2sgfgEhk [haku's video]


I think I saw a post of the haku cover... but I couldn't find the post.
 
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Meatloaf covering Gimme Shelter

Meatloaf is OK but those two women are dynamite.

 
Lv Beethoven's Ode To Joy

Orig



Cover.



Most covers play it incorrectly. That note that comes half a beat before the one is too weird for them. They have to play it on the one. I once tried to get some amateurs to sing it the right way. They could not do it.
 
I love Junna. One of the few female drummers who incorporates incredible showmanship in her performances:






​


robphy

Post in thread 'Cover songs versus the original track, which ones are better?'

from the "Music to Lift Your Soul" thread,
(2021)【 JUNNA 】負けないで(MAKENAIDE) / ZARD - Drum Cover - [ JUNNA has done many covers]


(2021) Marty Friedman - 負けないで Makenaide - Official Music Video

See also...
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Hornbein said:
Orig Fatback Beat



Today's (literally) version. For a good time, click on da blue.

More contemporary fatback.



Hallucigenia was a huge worm that lived half a billion years ago. It's appearance is so weird that at first its head was confused with its tail, and its spines were thought to be its legs. Then they thought maybe it was part of some larger animal. More fossils found clarified the issue.

Dennis Chambers first got recognition when he was fourteen or so playing the fatback beat. A passerby in the music business business heard Dennis practicing at home. James Brown tried to hire him but wouldn't supply a tutor for young Dennis so Mom said nix.
 
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Whadda know, the great Patrick Bartley Jr. playing Hallucigenia. The keyboard player burns it up too in a rare appearance.

 
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Original September Gurls



Cover by the Bangles. That harmony is as lush as it ever gets.



Bonus: A case where low quality recording may have improved the sound.