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

[robphy]

#489

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

BLACK SABBATH - "War Pigs" (1970)

#1834

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

• footnote:
  (Another link from that site) "War Pigs" re-imagined by Dustin Ballard with help from AI
  https://laughingsquid.com/john-denver-black-sabbath-war-pigs/
  ( John Denver sings "War Pigs" (Black Sabbath) - There I Ruined It )

(1972) Van Halen Brothers cover Black Sabbath's War Pigs | 1972 rare Mammoth song ( The Tapes Archive )

- Van Halen Opened for Black Sabbath in 1978
(followup to Ozzy Reminisces About Van Halen & Randy Rhoads Rivalry)



(2007) Cake - War Pigs [fan-made video contest entry]

• Cake - https://www.cakemusic.com/ - - - [ Cake cover of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive ]
• (2013) Cake - NYC - War Pigs (Black Sabbath Cover) Bowery Ballroom - NYC - January 11, 2013
• (2025) CAKE - War Pigs - Louisville KY - 4/21/2025

(2017) Black Sabbath "War Pigs" (Larkin Poe Cover) [search Larkin]


(2017) Dirty Revival - "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath LIVE at Waterfront Blues Fest


(2022) Puddles Pity Party - WAR PIGS (Black Sabbath Cover) [search Puddles]

 

[Hornbein]

A Gibbo SG??

Hey Hendrix play'ed 'em in his bluer moods.

 

[Hornbein]

The orig was The Stones' first hit record.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[robphy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana_(song)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Manilow

(1978) Barry Manilow - Copacabana (Live from The 1978 BBC Special)

---

(2024) Copacabana - Harvard Din & Tonics


(2020) Copacabana - Barry Manilow (Orchestral version) | Arr. Emma Wieriks


(2017) Copacabana re-enacted by Kids
&t=2m00s


(2021) [KWAK DUO] Copacabana (Barry Manilow) - 곽다경 (재즈 트럼펫 / Jazz Trumpet)


(2014) James McAvoy Performs Copacabana w/ Barry Manilow | The Jonathan Ross Show

 

[Hornbein]

jimi lives.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig Use Me



That singing is hard to match, but maybe it can be done.

 

[Hornbein]

The Vengaboys with their monster hit.



(In eastern Asia this dancing would be thought very sloppy.)

Take it away, Romanians.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover by The Byrds

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover by Keith Richards and Nora Jones



Took him 60+ years with an example constantly before him to learn to sing like that. Well, whatever it takes. Better late than never, eh? Congratulations Mr. Richards. I hereby honor you with the title of True Artist. Once bestowed, this can never be rescinded.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Encore! The best version of this song.

 

[jack action]

The Vengaboys with their monster hit.



(In eastern Asia this dancing would be thought very sloppy.)

Take it away, Romanians.

I didn't know that song, but when I read "Shalala Lala", I was thinking about Jersey Girl from Tom Waits, which is so extraordinary with the rich voice of Holly Cole. THIS is how you sing "Shalala lala":

​

Which I already shared a live version of in a previous post:

I love Holly Cole. Her voice just melts my heart every time. She made a lot of covers, here are a few of my favorites:

[...]

Original (Jersey girl):

​

Cover:

​

[...]

 

[Hornbein]

Orig Green Tambourine by the Lemon Pipers



Semi-cover by the Bangles. Many of their songs remind me of something prior. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I kind of like it. I'm sure it's deliberate. That Echoplex thing is a dead giveaway. There are also hints of Say You Love Me, Incense and Peppermint, Raspberry Beret.



I'm listening to the whole Bangles back catalog. I haven't done that for many, many moons. 50 years?

 

[Hornbein]

I didn't know that song, but when I read "Shalala Lala", I was thinking about Jersey Girl from Tom Waits, which is so extraordinary with the rich voice of Holly Cole. THIS is how you sing "Shalala lala":

​

Which I already shared a live version of in a previous post:

One man's shalala is another man's lala sha.

Reminds of Brenda Lee's Fever.

 

[Hornbein]

Here's another good Use Me courtesy Teddy Swims.

 

[Hornbein]

Mary N could never make it as a session man. It would be way too distracting.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig. Pretty nice.



After the Shakalabbits every other cover sounds wrong.

 

[Hornbein]

The Dukes of September - Hey Nineteen (Live)​

Now dat's some groove son.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover. I like those two-beat measures you sometimes got in country music.

 

[Hornbein]

Parrot sings Here Comes The Sun.



Improvising melodically, on pitch and in rhythm. Can't beat that.

 

[pinball1970]

1969 cool.



1980s typical talentless garbage.

 

[KVN]

The composer said (I quote by memory) that he loves all three of them. He has been lucky to have created a song that was sung differently by 3 artists, but all were very good.

I love that songwriter is diplomatic and appreciative. I think Cyndi Lauper and Roy Orbison are best... they both sound steamy and intense and desperate like maybe they really drove all night.

 

[robphy]

#1,865
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana_(song)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Manilow

(1978) Barry Manilow - Copacabana (Live from The 1978 BBC Special)
.
.
.

Copacabana (Lounge Version) | Acoustic Cover by The Distance


Sledge X Cover of Barry Manilow's - CopaCabana


7Minds - Copacabana [Ska Punk]


(Dave Grohl - Foo Fighters Copacabana) Kurstin x Grohl: The Hanukkah Sessions 2021: Night Three

 

[robphy]

(1980) Take Your Whiskey Home
https://www.vhnd.com/women-and-children-first/take-your-whiskey-home/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_Children_First
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen

Van Halen - Take Your Whiskey Home (2015 Remaster)

• (audio) VAN HALEN Take Your Whiskey Home Live 5/1/80 Largo MD
• (audio) Take Your Whiskey Home - Van Halen ( Cherokee Demos ) - Earliest Known Demos 1974
• - Van Halen TAKE YOUR WHISKEY HOME Isolated Guitar Track
  - Alex Van Halen - ISOLATED Drum Track - "Take Your Whiskey Home" off "Women & Children First" (1980)
  - Van Halen - Take Your Whiskey Home (Bass Only) -starts at 43s

- David Lee Roth tells the story behind the "no brown M&Ms" legend

---

Unchained - all female tribute - Take Your Whiskey Home (Van Halen cover) 7/21/2017

- drummer Janna Brunner "Take Your Whiskey Home" covered by Unchained (All Female Van Halen Tribute)


Take Your Whiskey Home (Failed Covers) Pete Spiby



Rounder's Station - Take Your Whiskey Home (Live on The WDVX Blue Plate Special)




Brown M&M's "Take Your Whisky Home (cover)" Van Halen tribute

 

[Hornbein]

 

[pinball1970]

Parrot sings Here Comes The Sun.



Improvising melodically, on pitch and in rhythm. Can't beat that.

The parrot hits the "little darlin" but holds the third and wacks a load of vibrato on that note, the owner notices this and smiles. Even extant, dinosaur descendants love the Beatles.

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Recording very low budget. The drum part is primitive.

Cover by a family band from Atlanta. They are going to be touring eastern Europe (!).



I'm not wild about this cover but you can hear how good the ebass part is.

 

[pinball1970]

Orig



Recording very low budget. The drum part is primitive.

Cover by a family band from Atlanta. They are going to be touring eastern Europe (!).



I'm not wild about this cover but you can hear how good the ebass part is.

I adore that song. I like the band in the woods better than Atlanta, her voice is more similar.