OT Cover Versions

[roger_ramjet]

To continue from the pre existing music topic, what are people's views on cover versions?

I tend to have a very negative outlook on them, in that they either represent someone trying to improve on an already good piece of music by changing it around: which usually results in a less acceptable version, or someone trying to "sing it the same": in which case why bother?

I think there are a few examples of where the interpretative version of the cover work - eg UB40's version of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine", Hendrix's "All along the Watchtower", The Byrds "Mr Tambourine Man" and so on but by and large there is rarely an improvement to my mind. Is this because one is so familiar with an original song, that any attempt to do it differently seems intuitively inferior?

I suspect that people will like the version that they first take to heart above other versions, and if they first experience the song as a cover they may prefer it to the original. I guess this is maybe the case with a lot of the early Stones work, which most of us children of the 60's thought were original but in reality were very much not.

Perhaps my view is coloured by endless dreadful covers of decent music by talent show competitors, charity records or reality show crap which seem to be released simply to make money and add no artistic originality?

[roger_ramjet]

Example:

I love this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP9AF6DCu4

My thoughts on this cannot be printed in a family forum

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

Yet others will disagree - quite probably based on which one you heard first?

Various (younger) friends and colleagues of mine were introduced to the latter via its use in a TV advert, and were startled to hear the original which they all then said they preferred.

[Andy_Faber]

Its a massively subjective subject (?), my own opinion is that on balance over the years I have preferred songs in the form I've first heard them (that's NOT quite the same as being 'the original version').

Exceptions? Van Halen's 'You Really Got Me', Otis' 'My Girl', James Carr's 'To Love somebody', Mott the Hoople's 'All The Young Dudes'

My last band used to do 'Valerie' both ways, the amy winehouse version in the first set sung by our femme singer and the Zutons' way second set sqwarked by me. Most people thought the Zutons' version was the cover! Belting song to sing by the way

[mistaram]

Roger that Charlene Soria version is terrible insult to a great song I'm not a big fan of covers its very rare they improve the original One cover I do like is Sinad O'Connor's " Nothing comperes to you " Even Prince said he preferred it to his own

[Andy_Faber]

Here's an example of a great song just being done differently. No claims for better or worse. Makes me smile, especially as two of the band look like Gooch and Gatting and another looks like my uncle Phil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdAyO1_0noM

[roger_ramjet]

Its a massively subjective subject (?), my own opinion is that on balance over the years I have preferred songs in the form I've first heard them (that's NOT quite the same as being 'the original version').

Exceptions? Van Halen's 'You Really Got Me', Otis' 'My Girl', James Carr's 'To Love somebody', Mott the Hoople's 'All The Young Dudes'

My last band used to do 'Valerie' both ways, the amy winehouse version in the first set sung by our femme singer and the Zutons' way second set sqwarked by me. Most people thought the Zutons' version was the cover! Belting song to sing by the way

Interesting that you mention "All the Young Dudes" but that is an example of one of the songs that was covered extremely well by the Stone Temple Pilots (feat Chester Bennington), in the "sing it the same" mode. Mind you it helps if you substitute Slash and Duff McKagan for Mick Ralphs and Pete Watts

[AdiSalisbury]

Some are good, some aren't! Didn't do Elvis any harm did it?

[Andy_Faber]

Interesting that you mention "All the Young Dudes" but that is an example of one of the songs that was covered extremely well by the Stone Temple Pilots (feat Chester Bennington), in the "sing it the same" mode. Mind you it helps if you substitute Slash and Duff McKagan for Mick Ralphs and Pete Watts

Sorry, I'll take the best of Mick (currently recovering from a stroke) and Pete RIP any day

[mistaram]

Andy IronHorse been around forever they do bluegrass covers of popular albums like Metallica Guns and roses earlier this year they did Nirvana can't say I like them much But Rocket man is such a great song any version of it is passable

[Manofpride]

Dave Bowies Heros covered by Lemmy and Dave Bowies Man who sold the world covered by Nirvana (unplugged).