The best cover versions list.

First topic message reminder :

As much as we all like original music, there have been cover versions that are just as good or even better than the original versions. I like listening to interesting takes on orginal songs...especially if in theory it sounds like it would be ridiculous - Johnny Cash doing Nine Inch Nails for instance.

So, have you any favourite cover versions that you'd like to recommend? Here's a few of my personal faves (the original artist is in brackets)

Johnny Cash - Hurt (Nine Inch Nails)
The Deftones - The Chauffeur (Duran Duran)
U2 & Green Day - The Saints Are Coming (The Skids)
U2 - Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith Group)
Smashing Pumpkins - Never Let Me Down (Depeche Mode)
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie)
Villagers - Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen)
Clayhill - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
Placebo - Daddy Cool (Boney M)
The Boy Least Likely To - Faith (George Michael)
The Script - Times Like These (Foo Fighters)

Thomond wrote:Somewhere over the rainbow on the ukelele not sure who it's by.

this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

Thomond wrote:Somewhere over the rainbow on the ukelele not sure who it's by.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWeL181JFIk

Apologies for the duplication, I missed the above post.

Gillan - Living for the City (Stevie Wonder)
Elton John - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (The Beatles)

By Ted from Scrubs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCeQuqMS9Ww

Also a great cover of Hey Ya by him as well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEYcfHoWm2s&feature=related

My favourites would be

Nirvanas cover of Bowies 'Man Who Sold the World'
John Lennons cover of Ben E Kings 'Stand By Me'
The Beatles cover of Chuck Berrys 'Rock n Roll Music'
Radioheads cover of Tom Waits 'True Love Waits'
Oasis cover of Slades 'cum on feel the noize'

Anything by Hayseed Dixie is class, but Bohemian Rhapsody's one of the best

A cover of Teenage Dream,Barbra Streisand,Dynanmite,only girl in the world and forget you by the blanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adqae7A3MHA

Other the the listed ones like Somewhere Over THe Rainbow,

Metallica's Nothing Else Matters by Apocalyptica

Beatles Little Help From My Friends and She Came In Thru The Bathroom Window by Joe Cocker, and Box Top's The Letter also by Cocker

The Dubliners' Whiskey In The Jar by everyone else, Lizzie, Metallica etc

Beatles Twist and Shout from some earlier rock n roller...

Al Green's Take Me To The River by Talking Head

Hendrix' Hey Joe from the LEaves, well and his All Along The Watch Tower too,

Black Magic Woman by Santana was good guitar playing too

Bowie's China Girl from Iggy Pop

And there's a county girl's cover of Stairway To Heaven I heard on thre weekend wish I knew who it was, and wasn't Dolly..

Johnny Cash's version of Depeche Modes Personal Jesus

It probably has been mentioned but Johnny Cash did a great cover of Hurt by the Nine Inch nails.

it has Thomond, but you can mention it as well, still not the most uplifting song ever, but by heck his version hurts more!

Oh, and I lied, just checked when home and it was Dolly Parton's cover of Stairway to Heaven, great violin/banjo playing!!!!

Musically it sounds very much like an English band I know called Show of Hands.

Madness - It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre)
The Commitments - Mr Pitiful (Otis Redding)
Madonna & Massive Attack - I Want You (Marvin Gaye)

Three is a Magic Number by Blind Melon...I think it's a cover at least, but I couldn't tell you the originator of it...

Sodhat - it was originally written for TV show by Bob Dorough but Blind Melon did a cover which became a single.

Newton Faulkner - Teardrop on the fire - Massive Attack
The Chemical Bros - Swastika Eyes - Massive Attack
Rage against the machine - How I Could Just Kill a Man - Cypress Hill
(semi cover) Fat Joe - Whats Love - Tina Turner
RHCP - Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players


Heres a few bad ones too
Soft Cell, Maryln Manson - Tainted Love - Gloria Jones
Leona Lewis - Run - Snow Patrol
Mark Ronson and Amy winehouse - Valarie - The Zutons
Pitbull - Hotel Room (originally Push the feeling on) - The Nightcrawlers

Tip Toes - I thought Swastika Eyes was originally done by Primal Scream - it's on their Exterminator album?

Your 100% right, my bad. I've got the album at home aswell.

Tip - if you want to hear a bad cover version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP_xQxvOYxo

I actually own "No Parlez" on CD as well.

Carrie Underwood - Home Sweet Home (Motley Crue)
Maroon 5 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)
Keith Urban - Romeo's Tune (Don't know who but I know it's a cover)
Jason Segel & Paul Rudd - Limelight (Rush)
Atomic Tom - Don't You Want Me Baby (Human League)

Red House Painters - Shock Me (Kiss)
Bruce Dickinson - All The Young Dudes (Mott The Hoople)
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine (Elkie Brooks)

Manning - Romeo's Tune has been covered by a few people but apparently Steve Forbert was the original

Fiona Apple - Across The Universe (The Beatles)
Manic Street Preachers - Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Andy Williams)
Joey Ramone - Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
Pet Shop Boys - Where The Streets Have No Name/Can't Take My Eyes Off You (U2/Andy Williams)
The Beat - Can't Get Used To Losing You (Andy Williams)
Carter USM - Panic (The Smiths)
Neal Casal - Wishing Well (Terence Trent D'Arby)
Catherine Feeny - I'm On Fire (Bruce Springsteen)
Teddy Thompson - Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House)
Katie Melua - Just Like Heaven (The Cure)

Cari wrote:Tip - if you want to hear a bad cover version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP_xQxvOYxo

I actually own "No Parlez" on CD as well.

That was shocking.

I do like the covers of disturbed down with the sickness thats in the remake of dawn of the dead and another version of BawitaBa that somebody did

Great thread, i've read most of them but not all so apologies if there's duplication:

Oasis and Stereophonics - I'm only sleeping (The Beatles)
Muse - Feeling Good (Nina Simone)
Manic Street Preachers - Bright Eyes (Art Garfunkle)
Aslan - Wish you were here (Pink Floyd)
The Beatles - Roll over Bethoven (Chuck Berry?)
Metalica - Whiskey in the Jar (Thin Lizzy via the Dubliners)

Matchbox 20 - Better be Home Soon (Crowded House)

I can't be bothered reading through the entire list right now to see if this has been mentioned but the first one that springs to mind whenever I'm asked about cover versions is All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix.

His version far surpasses the Bob Dylan version.

Hands down my favourite cover of a song ever.

U2 did a good version of it as well Celtic.

U2 can rot in hell for all I care

Bono is one of the most sanctimonious idiots on the face of this planet.

Celtic Warrior wrote:U2 can rot in hell for all I care

Bono is one of the most sanctimonious idiots on the face of this planet.

Agreed.

Celtic Warrior wrote:U2 can rot in hell for all I care

Bono is one of the most sanctimonious idiots on the face of this planet.

Well you're entitled to your opinion.

I like U2, and Bono.

I don't care how much he goes on about the charity stuff he does, and how preachy he gets about it - it might be a bit vulgar and self-promotional, but at least he's doing it.

And he's one of the best front-men in music. An icon.

Can we keep this on topic please? I'm not fussed who likes what. I was just making a suggestion which Celtic seemed to take rather strongly the wrong way.

Anyway. Cover versions....

Some of U2's earlier stuff is fantastic, they just went off the boil with the fame as most bands do once they no longer relate to modern life for the working class.

But as Cari said...

Aretha Franklin's version of Respect has to be up there.

Hero - she didn't do the original? I know Otis did a version as well.

I Just Don't Know What to do With Myself - The White Stripes (Dusty Springfield)

Electric Demon wrote:I like U2, and Bono.

I don't care how much he goes on about the charity stuff he does, and how preachy he gets about it - it might be a bit vulgar and self-promotional, but at least he's doing it.

And he's one of the best front-men in music. An icon.

The man has no grounds to preach at anyone about all of the damage we are doing to the planet and that we should all be giving to charities left, right and centre. He paid £1,000 to fly his favourite hat, first class, to a charity gig.

That is why I say he is one of the most sanctimonious idiots ever.

I have no problem with people publicising charities...but they should really think about what they are doing before they become extreme hypocrites.

Sorry for the off topic rant...but I'm justifying my response.

I just don't like Bono or U2...so their cover version will not work for me.

That's fine Celtic you only had to say "I wouldn't like [the song I'd suggested] because I'm not keen on U2" I just thought your response was a bit...angry for this thread that's all.

Billie Jean - Chris Cornell (Michael Jackson)

Bono is a bit smug. I like U2 and their music but Bono can be a bit annoying at times. I think I remember him giving out about Irish celebrities not paying a high enough rate of tax while he is registered in Monaco. Also,many people didn't think U2 would succeed but fair play to them.

Cari wrote:Hero - she didn't do the original? I know Otis did a version as well.

Otis did the original in 65, Aretha covered it in 67.

HERO - ah! very close together. That's like Dark End of the Street - Percy Sledge's version is far superior to the original by James Carr.

Hotel California - Alabama 3 (Eagles)

Pretty much every song on the soundtrack of the commitments.

I cannot decide if the following is either genius or dancing on his grave.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1aEo4SkOWg

Hero - I can't see the guy (obviously), but I don't know if he's kind of like a Mike Flowers Pops tribute or being serious...I'd file that under "hmmmm.....interesting".

Mickado - The Commitments is a great soundtrack, but my only complaint (and I'm stretched to find one) is that the tempo on their version of Mr Pitiful is a little too fast. Can't beat teh Otis one of that.

I actually quite liked that.

Bizarrely, I was listening to a Nirvana cover version this morning on youtube - They Might be Giants doing Smells Like Teen Spirit

Oh I heard this on a film last night. Lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yht4Anc4Vdk

That was excellent Cari.

This is a brilliant cover version too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmnDXRJ7btE

Originally by Magnetic Fields.

God Gave Rock 'n' Roll To You II - KISS

As used in the film Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Rufus Wainwright - Across The Universe (The Beatles)