Tainted love -which version is best (least bad)?

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arildno
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"Tainted love"-which version is best (least bad)?

Ed Cobb's classic from the 1960's has been performed by many artists, and it happens to be one of my favourite "light" pop tunes.

So, I'll post the ones I've found on youtube and prefer:

1964-Gloria Jones (original)


1981-Soft Cell (the one I grew up with, and am partial to)


1985-Coil (great version, IMO)


2001-Manson (the one I like the least..)
 
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Soft cell. What can I say? I'm biased.
 
The Gloria Jones original is a fairly new addition to youtube, and it was a pleasant rendering.
Hopefully, the Swans' and The Ramones' versions will be posted as well by someone (I haven't heard those)
 
holy crap, I'm going to make a mix cd with just all these different covers

omg gloria jones all the way; that one is definitely the best
 
Gloria Jones, for sure! I fell in love with this song (and many other Motown-flavored releases) when it was new. I had my little AM radio tuned to Buffalo every night as soon as the sun went down (when the little stations had to shut down and give the big boys the airwaves).
 
I loved Soft Cells version, Blue Oyster Cult did it too.
 
Math Is Hard said:
Is there anyone who hasn't done this song?
I never covered this one, though I must admit to covering a lot of songs by Peter Green (founder of Fleetwood Mac in the mid-60s) and Elmore James, along with more blues giants than I could ever name.
 
Evo said:
Soft Cell for me, that's the one I grew up with also.
Soft Cell's "sonar" blips were were not only intrusive, but wrecked the tone of the original, for me. I'm older, and probably got hooked on the original.
 
Manson. His is the best.
 
I prefer the Soft Cell version for singing along, but I have to admit, the Manson version is really suited to the lyrics...very effective at giving a really creepy feeling. I just don't like the beginning where it's just a crappy remix of the instrumentals from the Soft Cell version.

It's a really interesting contrast from the original to the Manson version.
 
arildno said:
If you wish creepiness, Moonbear, I would advise you to listen to Coil's superslow, industrial version:

Coil:


I quite like that too. Certainly very different.
 
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