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

[Hornbein]

Van Halen's Why Can't This Be Love? Cover

 

[gleem]

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.

 

[robphy]

MISSIONED SOULS Live - CRAZY TRAIN by Ozzy Osbourne


#530 Crazy Train - (more Crazy Train)
#1539 Missioned Souls - (more Missioned Souls)

 

[jack action]

Jump from Van Halen, without keyboards:

​

 

[morrobay]

 

[fresh_42]

In such circumstances. I like this one, although I'm usually not a fan of contralto.

 

[robphy]

In such circumstances. I like this one, although I'm usually not a fan of contralto.

more from Nene Royal

 

[DennisN]

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

 

[Hornbein]

Drum cover of Led Zep IV

 

[pinball1970]

Drum cover of Led Zep IV

Wow! I will catch up with this one for sure

 

[Hornbein]

Eva Cassidy --Songbird

 

[jack action]

Drum cover of Led Zep IV

What she does at 8:35 and 31:52 is so funny!

 

[symbolipoint]

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

 

[Hornbein]

Cover of David Bowie's Let's Dance.



Eight keyboards! A traditionalist.

 

[pinball1970]

I didn't know he could play!

 

[Hornbein]

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.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[fresh_42]

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



and to stay on topic, a cover of it:

 

[pinball1970]

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!

 

[Hornbein]

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

 

[Hornbein]

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.

 

[Hornbein]

Delbert McClinton



There are many covers by big name women.

 

[Hornbein]

Jerry Lee Lewis covering Bruce Springsteen



Natalie Cole joins in.

 

[Hornbein]

In Japan, Highway Star is a popular van model.

 

[robphy]

More Izzyful : #1,046 Tornado of Souls , #1,050 Cliffs of Dover
More #1,815 Highway Star

 

[robphy]

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 .

 

[pinball1970]

Ian Gillian's song for me but this lady has some pipes.

 

[pinball1970]

The original Ian Gillan.

 

[pinball1970]

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.

 

[robphy]

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

 

[Hornbein]

 

[robphy]

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

---

 

[fresh_42]

 

[Hornbein]

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.

Edit : Sergio Mendez's Never Going To Let You Go has 43 different chords. But it's a ballad. Those tend to have more chords.

 

[robphy]

#1,702

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Countdown_(song) (1986)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe_(band)

many covers (including one-man covers)

(2018) The Final Countdown (Europe) - Les Fo'Plafonds


(2016) The Floppotron: The Final Countdown

(2023) The Final Countdown on FLOPPOTRON 3.0

(2019) The Final Countdown on an Electric Toothbrush (Device Orchestra)


(2015) Final Countdown on Musical Tesla Coils (Bobinas de Tesla) (Fabricio H. Franzoli)


(2016) Final Countdown Live Drum Cover - Nur Amira Syahira (13 years old) - a different version was in the earlier post

---

not-so-Honorable Mention: (2006) worst cover ever! *the final count down* (6M views)

 

[robphy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'll_Wait (1983)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen

VAN HALEN - I'll Wait (Montreal 1984)



Van Halen Didn’t Give Michael McDonald Writing Credit For His Work on 1984 album. (Greg Renoff on The Roundtable with Drew)

---

(2022) Van Halen - I'll Wait Isolated Keys on Oberheim OB-8 Synth - All parts recreated - Inasimplerhyme

Van Halen - I’ll Wait Keyboard Cover on Oberheim OB-8 Synth - all parts recreated

(2012) Jamie Holka - Van Halen (I'll Wait - cover) The Evening Star - Niagara Falls, NY - 11/30/2012 (fingerstyle instrumental)


(2021) Lost Symphony (feat. Mike Golarz, Kevin Bias & Joey Concepcion) | "I'll Wait" (Van Halen cover)


(2004) "I'll Wait" (Van Halen Cover - Jazz Version) | Realistic Orchestra | Live in SF 12.4.04


(2023) Van Halen | I'll Wait | All Guitar - The Retro Guitarist

(see also Van Halen | House of Pain | Guitar Cover | No vocals - The Retro Guitarist [I would have included this is in #2,032 House of Pain.])

---

Honorable mention
- NERD HALEN - I'll Wait
- Electric Aloha - I'll Wait - Van Halen, Acoustic Cover
- Campfire Chord Covers - I'll wait cover - (acoustic with vocals)

 

[Hornbein]

Sina covers Mitch Mitchell

 

[Hornbein]

Eddie van Halen covers The Rolling Stones

 

[Hornbein]

Cover of Delbert McClinton's Two More Bottles Of Wine

 

[difalcojr]

Tedeschi-Trucks cover of Clapton-Whitlock from Derek and the Dominos "Layla"

 

[difalcojr]

like this cover version better, even. Fun to watch hear guitar players this good.

 

[robphy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_More_Tears (1991)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Osbourne

(1992) Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears (Live)

- OZZY OSBOURNE - "No More Tears" (Official Video)
- ( more Ozzy on PF )

• OZZY OSBOURNE "No More Tears" Zakk Wylde playthrough | RIFFHARD

---

(2015) Tornado - No More Tears (Ozzy Osbourne Cover) live at Parking Toys - (nice vocals and guitar work)


(2013) Kids Cover "No More Tears" by Ozzy / O'Keefe Music Foundation - (great!)

- ( more O'Keefe on PF )

(2023) NO MORE TEARS w/ SOLO Live Acoustic Ozzy Osbourne | Ben Richey cover - (one man band)



(2025) Brass Against - No More Tears (Ozzy Osbourne Cover) [Official Video] - (this rocks! great instruments with Morgan James on vocals, especially the closing vocals!)

- (more Brass Against on PF )

---

honorable mention:
(2025) Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears (cover by Prime Orchestra) [mainly instrumental]
(2020) Deep Voice Guy - No More Tears (Ozzy Osbourne) Full Cover

 

[fresh_42]

 

[robphy]

#1,950
Staying Alive (1977)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stayin'_Alive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (Official Music Video)

• Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive 1989 Live Video

---

move covers

( see also #1,997 )


(2023) Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (Otamatone Cover by NELSONTYC)


(2014) Stayin' Alive - Cereus Bright (Bee Gees Cover)


(2025) Royal Republic - Stayin' Alive (Official Video)

 

[Ibix]

(2015) Final Countdown on Musical Tesla Coils (Bobinas de Tesla) (Fabricio H. Fra

Thunderstruck on Tesla coils (had to be done).

 

[robphy]

(1988) Eleven Blue Egyptians from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_Burn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Becker - (played guitar, bass, and keyboards)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Friedman played a guest solo (both were in Cacaphony )

• (see also my post #11 in the Metal, Rock thread )
• (more Jason Becker on PF)

---

(1988) Cacophony - Eleven Blue Egyptians [Live In Los Angeles '88]
- (Jason Becker is 19 here. Marty Friedman is 25.)



(2018) Drum parts video of Jason Becker's "Eleven Blue Egyptians" ( Atma Anur , the drummer on the album)

Here is my drum parts video of Jason Becker's original composition Eleven Blue Egyptians, featuring the note for note grooves and fills that I played originally on this piece. This is possibly my favourite track on Jason's epic Perpetual Burn album, which also celebrates its 30th anniversary this year! Also on this track is master musician, and blistering guitarist, Marty Friedman. As always I've re-recorded the drums and mixed them over the original recording. Happy 30th anniversary Jason! - Atma Anur

TAB: https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/jason-becker-eleven-blue-egyptians-tab-s29703

---

(2013) Eleven Blue Egyptians cover (Ryan Khan)


(2016) Eleven Blue Egyptians - Jason Becker // Recreation by Devin Mysyk


(2016) Jason Becker - Eleven Blue Egyptians (Concerto for Electric Guitar) Full Cover by Sami Jawahir


(2017) Jason Becker - Eleven Blue Egyptians קאבר - (not the best sound... but credit for playing live)

 

[pinball1970]

Alonya, brilliant voice.



Original

 

[fresh_42]

Alonya, brilliant voice.



Original

I guess I have a few more years on my tacho, as we say here, so I love their reminiscences of the 60s. Here are the covers:

 

[robphy]

(1987) Desert Island from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Metal_Symphony
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacophony_(band)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Friedman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Becker

(Jason is about 20. Marty is about 26.)
(1989) Cacophony - Desert Island [Live in Japan '89] - (I'm not a fan of the vocals here.)

So much obnoxious noise
I wanna spend my life at the beach
I'm gettin' tired of the daily shoutin'
City gets the worst of me.... https://genius.com/Cacophony-desert-island-lyrics

• part of Cacophony 1989 Interview Japan + Desert Island and Black Cat live - Desert Island &t=8m48s

• (1987) studio album version of Desert Island (Cacophony) from Speed Metal Symphony
• Marty Friedman on Songwriting, Cacophony, and Jason Becker

---

(2024) Cacophony - Solo Desert Island ( Cover por Nelson Navarro )


(2022) Desert Island -- Full Band Cover - Franco Lama



The following are far from polished.

• (2010) Desert Island (CACOPHONY Cover) by "G SPOT HEROES" - (tribute band from Chile)
  
  

  @JasonBeckerOfficial
  14 years ago
  You guys are so awesome!
  Jason Becker

• (2016) desert island cover of cacophony by bad apple at verna rock show rock in goa 2016 20 march - (band from India)
  

 

[fresh_42]

T.I.L. That Jackie Lee sang backing vocals on Hendrix's "Hey Joe."

This was after getting all nostalgic reading the three months summer break thread. Jackie Lee sang "White Horses," which all 1960s/70s Brit kids remember.
Anyway she is still going 89.

I found a nice cover: