Cover versions better than the original.
Posted by: dave marshall on 02 August 2018
I was listening to Fink do "All Cried Out" last night, thinking that I preferred it to Alison Moyet's outstanding original from the '80's.
Fink - Biscuits For Breakfast. Alison Moyet - "Alf"
Pondering whether there were other examples in my library, I also concluded that Cyndi Lauper's "True Colours" and "Time After Time" had been covered beautifully by Eva Cassidy.
Eva Cassidy - Simply Eva. Cyndi Lauper - True Colours - The Best Of.
Obviously, this is all a matter of personal taste, but any suggestions for cover versions which you feel add to, and probably surpass the original? 
Posted on: 30 August 2018 by davidm
Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (made it his own song - what a version)
Disturbed (again) - Land Of Confusion (much darker version of the original, but so much better for me)
Posted on: 30 August 2018 by TOBYJUG
Jack white - Love is blindness. Maybe not quite "even better than the real thing", but he has a bloody well good go at it.
Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Paper Plane
Sympathy For Devil - Skrew*
It's, um, different...
steve
* That's Skrew NOT that bunch of Nazi scum with a similar name I won't even type.
Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Massimo Bertola
Kevin-W posted:
The only example I can think of of a cover of a Beatles' song that's better than the original is Earth Wind & Fire's version of 'Got To Get You Into My Life', in all its finger poppin' glory:
I've thought the same for years, then, heard now from your link, I realized that EW&F's version totally lacks that ineffable psychedelic something that McCartney managed to inject even in that song, and that makes it unique.
Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Bob the Builder
Pete Townsend’s version of Wayland D. Holyfield’s - Til the Rivers all Run Dry.
Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Ghettoyout
YMCA by the Galactic Symposium (originally by the Village People).
From what I can gather, Galactic Symposium formed by mistake in 1979. Some may find their performance amateurish. The mighty John Peel used to play it and was rather taken by it. It's quite rare - I cannot even find it on you tube. However, the link below has it together with their unrecognisable version of Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street.
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/...e-rock-classics.html
Posted on: 02 September 2018 by Ghettoyout
For some reason the link did not paste as anticipated. Here it is again (fingers crossed):
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/...e-rock-classics.html
According to John Peel, their was true joy in their version of YMCA. He did invite them to record a session for his radio programmed but they could not be bothered. Probably something that would have appealed to Mr. Peel.
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by dave marshall
Leon Russell and the Shelter People - It's A Hard Rain Gonna Fall.
Infinitely superior to the Dylan original, (IMHO).
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by Eoink
H
dave marshall posted:
Leon Russell and the Shelter People - It's A Hard Rain Gonna Fall.
Infinitely superior to the Dylan original, (IMHO).
I do like the Leon Russell version, but for me the Dylan version is a desert island disc.
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by sjbabbey
Not really better but funnier
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by Clive B
I had just posted Steve Hillage 'L' on the what are you listening to thread and, to listening to the track Hurdy Gurdy Man, I saw this thread in the recent topics list. Well, I'd suggest that Steve's version is way better than Donovan's original, which sounds rather dull by comparison.
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by dave marshall
Eoink posted:
H
dave marshall posted:
Leon Russell and the Shelter People - It's A Hard Rain Gonna Fall.
Infinitely superior to the Dylan original, (IMHO).
I do like the Leon Russell version, but for me the Dylan version is a desert island disc.
I applaud Mr. Dylan's songwriting strengths, but find his singing a bit Marmite ............. though I do quite enjoy Marmite! 
Posted on: 04 September 2018 by JP
Posted on: 22 September 2018 by Massimo Bertola
Posted on: 22 September 2018 by osprey
25 years ago – Total Balalaika Show
Not perhaps actually better than original however something which might not be possible today…
Posted on: 22 September 2018 by Eoink
osprey posted:
25 years ago – Total Balalaika Show
Not perhaps actually better than original however something which might not be possible today…
I saw them at Cropredy, a quick Google tells me 25 years ago, their quiffs were amazing, as was the energy of their music. Fantastic set, I saw them twice I know, either they played Cropredy twice or I saw them in London, not sure.
