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Post by AGD on Mar 18, 2021 3:52:00 GMT -5
Apologies if there's a thread for this already: let me know if there is. Anyhoo...
Hurt - Johnny Cash Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band All Along The Watchtower - Hendrix With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker I Can Hear Music - Beach Boys Downtown Train - Rod Stewart Hound Dog - Elvis Presley Close To You - Carpenters (yes, it's a cover !)
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Post by jk on Mar 18, 2021 5:56:01 GMT -5
Apologies if there's a thread for this already: let me know if there is. Anyhoo...
Hurt - Johnny Cash Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band All Along The Watchtower - Hendrix With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker I Can Hear Music - Beach Boys Downtown Train - Rod Stewart Hound Dog - Elvis Presley Close To You - Carpenters (yes, it's a cover !)
Good call! I know there's one across the road but not over here, to the best of my knowledge. Agreed on the emboldened five. To which I'd like to add (at tremendous risk to life and limb) Wilson Pickett's stunning version of "Hey Jude". Give me the Wicked Pickett's wild shrieks (to say nothing of what else is going down in the tag) over Paul's self-indulgent ad-libbing any day.
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Post by AGD on Mar 18, 2021 6:19:13 GMT -5
Still recall my first listen to Bruce's original of "Blinded...". I was working on the general (and usually valid) principle that any given cover is inferior to the original. Er... errr... not invariably.
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Post by sneakypete77 on Mar 18, 2021 8:24:22 GMT -5
Walk Away Renee - The Four Tops
The original by The Left Banke is good, but it was just aching for the Motown treatment
Different Drum, a Mike Nesmith song originally recorded by The Greenbriar Boys in 1966 and eventually by Nesmith himself in 1972, but sandwiched in between is surely the definitive version, produced by Nick Venet and featuring that voice, sadly now lost to us:
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Post by Ham Burgerstand on Mar 18, 2021 10:17:59 GMT -5
Those are all good choices. Here are some more that immediately come to mind:
The Beatles – "Twist and Shout" Marvin Gaye – "Yesterday" Stevie Wonder – "We Can Work It Out" Vanilla Fudge – "You Keep Me Hanging On" Joe Cocker – "Feelin' Alright"
CSNY – "Woodstock" Aretha Franklin – "Respect" Elvis Costello – "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding"
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Post by 86mookie on Mar 18, 2021 20:37:39 GMT -5
Money Changes Everything -- Cyndi Lauper The Promise -- Sturgill Simpson
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Post by jk on Apr 5, 2021 15:40:11 GMT -5
Described here as being by The Damned, this cover of Elton Motello's "Jet Boy, Jet Girl" is actually the work of their bassist Captain Sensible with a Dutch band called the Softies, as explained in these two YouTube comments: "[Marcelo Araújo] Although this song has been appeared in some Damned compilation it was recorded by Captain Sensible and the Softies. "[Jay Insult] Thank you for posting this! It's important to point these things out! I believe the Captain's version was recorded during the Damned's first breakup after the second LP. Since then, the band has played it in many live sets, but have never made a studio recording of it. The studio recording (this one) was from a 7" single the Captain did with the Softies as a backing band. The confusion comes from this version appearing on Damned collection records (usually with 'Captain Sensible & the Softies' in extremely small type in the liner notes)." I must confess I prefer this version to the original. And then there's Plastic Bertrand's soundalike "Ça Plane Pour Moi" to contend with. See the link for the whole messy story: popcultureexperiment.com/2016/08/08/cover-songs-uncovered-jet-boy-jet-girlca-plane-pour-moi/
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 5, 2021 19:56:06 GMT -5
I have a couple that come to mind:
Linda Ronstadt - Heat Wave
Chicago - I’m A Man
Beach Boys - Hushabye & I’m So Young
All are not necessarily better, but they are at least as good as the originals. Also, I have to agree with Walk Away Renee, The Four Tops version just has that little extra something lacking in the original; Levi Stubbs. 😀
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Post by Moon Dawg on Apr 5, 2021 22:11:13 GMT -5
Odd, I heard Bruce's "Blinded" earlier today and was struck by how much I prefer it to the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version. Manfred Mann made some fine records in various configurations, but their take on "Blinded by the Light"....no thanks. Hamfisted and overdone.
Vanilla Fudge are 100 miles behind The Supremes. Ditto Chicago's "I’m A Man" in regards to The Spencer Davis Group version.
Agree re Elvis, Aretha, Joe Cocker, Hendrix, and The Beach Boys.
Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" is a B&W western next to Jimi's technicolor explosion...both quite good.
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 5, 2021 22:38:23 GMT -5
Odd, I heard Bruce's "Blinded" earlier today and was struck by how much I prefer it to the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version. Manfred Mann made some fine records in various configurations, but their take on "Blinded by the Light"....no thanks. Hamfisted and overdone. Vanilla Fudge are 100 miles behind The Supremes. Ditto Chicago's "I’m A Man" in regards to The Spencer Davis Group version. Agree re Elvis, Aretha, Joe Cocker, Hendrix, and The Beach Boys. Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" is a B&W western next to Jimi's technicolor explosion...both quite good. I think a lot depends on what versions you hear first. I heard Chicago’s I’m A Man years before I heard the original. I heard Hendrix long before Dylan and prefer that one, as well.
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Post by jk on Apr 6, 2021 4:29:27 GMT -5
I have a couple that come to mind: Linda Ronstadt - Heat Wave Chicago - I’m A Man Beach Boys - Hushabye & I’m So Young All are not necessarily better, but they are at least as good as the originals. Also, I have to agree with Walk Away Renee, The Four Tops version just has that little extra something lacking in the original; Levi Stubbs. 😀 I'd say in the Boys' case, they are definitely better! Usually I'm a stickler for the original but Brian takes these to another level.
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Post by jk on Apr 12, 2021 8:31:19 GMT -5
Strange I never thought of this one sooner. "Am I Normal?", a question I occasionally ask myself (and wisely refrain from answering), began life in the 1980 version by Eye to Eye. In 1983 it was covered by David (first name Virginia), who takes it to another level of offbeatness. (See the link below for a description.) This is in fact the extended version on the B-side as uploaded by the mighty PigFluSneeza. (Maybe PFS's A-side was buggered.) I love this track! meaninglessinsights.blogspot.com/2014/03/lost-80s-gems-1-am-i-normal-david.html
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Post by jk on Apr 19, 2021 16:57:20 GMT -5
Yesterday I learned that the original version of "Bend Me, Shape Me" was not by The American Breed but by The Outsiders, as a 1966 album track. I was underwhelmed by it (I much prefer their sobfest "Girl In Love" from the same year) -- which is very handy as it means I can post two (in my book) equally great cover versions by The American Breed (1967) and the UK band Amen Corner (1968) in this fine thread, in that order. They have the brass in common but that's about all. Interestingly, TAB's version has a single upward trumpet "smear" in their passage preceding the verse and AC have two in theirs.
If the Breed's version sounds slinky to these ears, Amen Corner's sounds positively sassy. I love 'em both.
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Post by nts1drums on Apr 19, 2021 17:25:13 GMT -5
I shall declare that The Beach Boys version of cotton fields (the one that Al remade, although the Brian version is great too).
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philip
Grommet
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Post by philip on Apr 20, 2021 11:02:21 GMT -5
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philip
Grommet
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Post by philip on Apr 20, 2021 11:05:23 GMT -5
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peerke
Grommet
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Post by peerke on Apr 24, 2021 1:23:15 GMT -5
Here's a cover that I like especially:
Merry Clayton is the singer that duets with Mick jagger on 'Gimme Shelter'.
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Post by jk on Apr 24, 2021 7:47:57 GMT -5
Here's a cover that I like especially:
Merry Clayton is the singer that duets with Mick jagger on 'Gimme Shelter'.
Nice! She also sang backup on Neil Young's self-titled debut: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Young_(album)
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peerke
Grommet
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Post by peerke on Apr 26, 2021 0:06:40 GMT -5
Two by the great Johnny Cash. Hurt by Nine Inch Nails is already mentioned, but I also like his version of Nick Cave song more than the original:
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Post by jk on Apr 29, 2021 7:13:20 GMT -5
Those are all good choices. Here are some more that immediately come to mind:
The Beatles – "Twist and Shout" Marvin Gaye – "Yesterday" Stevie Wonder – "We Can Work It Out" Vanilla Fudge – "You Keep Me Hanging On" Joe Cocker – "Feelin' Alright"
CSNY – "Woodstock" Aretha Franklin – "Respect" Elvis Costello – "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding"
I'd like to take that a step further and suggest that the UK rendition by Matthews Southern Comfort tops them both! Their "Woodstock" reverts to Joni's original minor key, whereas CSNY's blues-fuelled version includes major chords on the tonic (I'm not complaining, mind -- it's a cool version too). I just love Gordon Huntley's pedal steel solo! songsfromsodeep.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/woodstock-matthews-southern-comfort/
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Post by jk on Apr 30, 2021 6:10:49 GMT -5
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Post by jk on May 8, 2021 15:58:01 GMT -5
I was familiar with The Isley Brothers' version of "Summer Breeze" long (read: 47 years) before hearing the 1972 original by Seals & Crofts. It's always the one you hear first. Not just that, it was one of the last songs I heard before moving to NL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_%2B_3
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Post by nts1drums on May 8, 2021 19:55:35 GMT -5
I had a listen to the original, but to me nothing can beat how Harry Nilsson & The Wrecking Crew pulled this off!
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B.E.
Kahuna
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Post by B.E. on May 8, 2021 22:23:52 GMT -5
Huh, the original was produced by Nick Venet.
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chewy
Dude/Dudette
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Post by chewy on May 8, 2021 23:52:43 GMT -5
Absoutely Peggy Sue and School Days, espically Peggy sue for absolute sure
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