Cover versions - completely different to original ?

[Mattk]

I recently discovered Blue Monday by Flunk which is a complete re-working of the original and everyone knows Mad World by Gary Jules but can anyone recommend any others.I understand that 99.9% of covers are awful but when reworked can become classics in their own right.

[gary baldy]

Robert Wyatt (wheelchair bound ex Soft machine warbler) has done a couple of 'interesting' cover versions.
His cover of I'm a Believer by the Monkees is great but his most bizzare was a cover of At Last i Am Free by disco funkateers Chic! Genius.
Also compare the two versions of The First Time i Ever Saw Your Face. The original by Kirstie's dad Ewan MacColl and the famous one by Roberta Flack.
Like wise compare Donna Summer and Richard Harris's versions of MacArthur Park and Donna Summer and Vangelis's versions of State of Independence.

[joy division]

Generally I hate covers versions & usually find my fave track has been utterly desecrated when somebody else covers it!
However, there are some exceptions to this.

First couple of tracks that spring to mind are Carter USM�s cover of Sugarcubes �Hit�.
Bjork�s vocals sound uninspiring and deadpan compared to Carters version which is more emotive fiery & angst ridden.

Also Carter did a great cover of Inspiral Carpets �This is how it feels�.

Even Carter�s shampoo cover �trouble� was impressive!

Anybody else ?

[joy division]

How could I forget �.Siouxsie & the Banshees cover of �Passenger � �.utter classic!!!

[robbo82]

Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is sublime.

[gary baldy]

And who can forget Neds Atomic Dustbin's version of Ive Been To Paradise (But Ive Never Been To Me) or the Butthole Surfers completely bonkers version of The Hurdy Gurdy Man!

And seeing Leonard Cohen's name reminds me that Nina Simone did a great version of Suzanne.

Noticing joy divsions name there reminded me of Paul Young 's version of Love Will tear Us Apart!
Aaaaaaah!
And PJ Proby's come to that!
Ah the pain !!!!

[Goldspot]

Completely agree with Gary baldy on the Robert wyatt / Monkees cover , It's not often you find a cover that is at least comparable with the original.

My favorites tend to be the ones that are complete reworkings of songs in different styles. Hence i am not keen on UB40's cover versions but admire the Dickies versions of songs like , Paranoid , Sound of Silence and Banana Splits.

[Goldspot]

The Clash - I fought the law , So good that i forget that it is a cover version!

Some food for thought answers above, I will check out some , Carter and Butthole surfers versions sound interesting

[alfiebrady]

'Walk On By' by The Stranglers - even if you love the Diahann Carroll version!

'Brand New Cadillac' by The Clash

'Brand New Cadillac' by The Purple Helmets

'White Horses' (theme from the TV series!) by Real Macabre

[Priesty]

About 25 minutes after the China Drum album called Goosefair ends, there is a punky cover verion of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, possible the greatest cover version ever, but nobody has ever heard of China Drum apart from me so it doesn't really matter.

[whattheheck]

Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes & R.E.M all do a better version of Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan".

Prefer Manfred Manns Earth Band's "Blinded By The Light" to Springsteens original, and I still like hearing Jose Feliciano's (Not the awful Will Young) "Light My Fire". I wouldn't say I actually prefered it to the Doors original, I just like it !

[gary baldy]

Jose feliciano's version of California Dreaming is ace aswell!

[joy division]

Hey Priesty China Drums finest hour = Sleazeball!!!

Gary baldy, have you heard the Cures version of �love will tear us apart�?
As much as I love the Cure, they murdered it!!

Some really interesting answers coming up here.

[Azziur]

Here's a few

<UL dir=ltr>

Run DMC - Walk this way

Paul Young - Wherever i lay my hat

Marvin Gaye - I heard it through the grapevine

Peter Tosh - Don't look back

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats

Stevie Wonder - Blowing in the wind

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Michael Jackson - Come together

Rod Stewart - Sailing

Phil Collins - Groovy kind of love

Joss Stone - Fell in love with a boy

[Diskobox]

johnny cash - mercy seat. very excellent.