# Covers that are better than the original



## Fer (Feb 28, 2016)

Hi folks,
as i writte i am hearing the rendition to Paranoid Android (Radiohead) that Brad Mehldau did lots of years ago. The original song is nice but this cover elevates the original music to a whole new level... thinking in this example i guess that you could say that any well constructed piece of music is like a gem with an infinite inner potential... you writte something, and it sounds good; thats ok, but is what you wrotte the better version of itself? probably nothing of what we writte will be its better version.. (ok; too much philosophy here)... : )
In any case i was wondering if any of you have in mind any example of a cover better than the original?
Cheers,
Fernando.


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## JohnG (Feb 28, 2016)

Sex Pistols: "She's Somethin' Else" and Clash "I fought the law"


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## Rodney Money (Feb 28, 2016)

Johnny Cash's cover of 9 inch nails' Hurt, and Lucky Chops cover of Adele's Hello. Oh, I could post on this topic all day!


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## Pasticcio (Feb 28, 2016)

Clash "Police & Thieves", The Hollies "The Air That I Breathe", Jimi Hexdrix "All Along The Watchtowers"(sorry Dylan), Johnny Cash "Hurt"


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## Rodney Money (Feb 28, 2016)

Jon Cockers' cover of With a Little Help from My Friends, and Guns and Roses Live and Let Die. Both originally from members of the Beatles.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Feb 28, 2016)

Not sure about "better", but there are some really cool interesting cover versions out there ... but can't think of any right now. 

Oh wait, there's one. They have this really fun song in the trailer for the upcoming Dark Souls III game.



Praise the sun!


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## chibear (Feb 28, 2016)

Like Jimmy, don't know if "better" is proper evaluation, but this sent chills up an old man's spine.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=dist...=UTF-8#q=disturbed+the+sound+of+silence+video


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## TimCox (Feb 29, 2016)

I think most of The Beatles' early career covers surpass the originals. Lots of spirit and beautifully recorded! Please, Mr. Postman is velvety goodness


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## Dave Connor (Feb 29, 2016)

Aretha's, Say A Little Prayer is quantum beyond the original.


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## RiffWraith (Feb 29, 2016)




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## Arbee (Feb 29, 2016)

Not sure if this is well known outside of Oz, but Spiderbait's version of Black Betty is one of the best covers I've ever heard:


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## Fer (Feb 29, 2016)

Nice examples!
here is another one, based on Bitter Sweet Symphony from the verve


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## Arbee (Mar 1, 2016)

While on the subject of Oz covers, just have to get AC/DC on the list:



I saw this live in a local pub when the band first formed (OK, I'm old), and it was immediately obvious they were destined for greatness!


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Mar 1, 2016)

RiffWraith said:


>




Love the drum sound on that one.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Mar 1, 2016)

Back in 2000 and dadada my old band got asked by mojo to pick a song from "Revolver" and cover it for their free monthly CD
The problem was all the one's the our band wanted had already been taken so we did this with the last one left available.
We made it into some top 50 Beatles cover compilation.
Not to everyone's taste but hey we took a stab.
Some people get married to it and I had a couple once tell me whoever dies first gets the song played at their funeral.
That was an odd conversation....for what it's worth I still prefer the original.
We got rid of the first two lines of the song for crying out loud!


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## Baron Greuner (Mar 1, 2016)

....


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## KEnK (Mar 1, 2016)

Also want to mention Aretha-
Her version of Respect is sooo much better than Otis Redding's original that he "covered" her version of it.

And I was alive when the Beatles 1st arrived.
I was a kid then but conscious. 
I remember thinking that the radio was just music until a Beatles tune came on,
then it was something else.
James Brown hit me that way too

k


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## ryanstrong (Mar 1, 2016)

"Black Star" by Christopher O'Riley, a Radiohead cover.


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## SymphonicSamples (Mar 2, 2016)

Riff , thanks for the share , absolutely priceless


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## Baron Greuner (Mar 2, 2016)

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## Baron Greuner (Mar 2, 2016)

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## TimCox (Mar 2, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> To understand The Beatles, you had to be part of that scene. Kids don't cut it and it's no good kids trying to tell me what they think of something they have no knowledge of apart from old TV cuts.


As a massive Beatles fan who wasn't remotely alive when they were current, I am offended by the idea that I can't understand them


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## Baron Greuner (Mar 2, 2016)

....


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## KEnK (Mar 2, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> 'Fraid that doesn't count.
> 
> That's the equivalent of me listening to Connie Francis and Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson.
> 
> To understand The Beatles, you had to be part of that scene. Kids don't cut it and it's no good kids trying to tell me what they think of something they have no knowledge of apart from old TV cuts.


Hah!
Pretty funny, practically 59 and being refereed to as a kid. I like it.

I do think though that it's possible through studying history to understand the impact of any number of things.
Mozart, Picasso, Hitler... lotsa stuff


k


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## Baron Greuner (Mar 2, 2016)

.....


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## TimCox (Mar 2, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> Your age group is offended if someone accidentally farts in your general direction so therefore that has about as much meaning to me as fairy moon dust.
> You take from music what pleases you, but you don't understand the time and the wherefores anymore than I can understand Bing Crosby in the 1930s and 40s.


I'll acquiesce that to understand the social ramifications of said time periods is one thing, but to understand the impact of the music is entirely different. Yes, I was born in 1986 but I know that a majority of what The Beatles did was completely revolutionary and (in several cases) the first time something had even been done. The same goes for Mahler, Holst, Stravinsky, etc. Maybe offended was the wrong word...bemused maybe? It's the same feeling I get when people assume I don't listen to Pink Floyd because I'm 30


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## Felipe Opazo (Mar 2, 2016)

Earth Wind & Fire's "Got To Get You Into My Life", better than the already good Beatles song


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## handz (Mar 2, 2016)

ANY FREAKING TIME!



Some people may say


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## Yogi108 (Mar 2, 2016)

"This land is your land" version by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. I love the vibe and the horns in that version!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 2, 2016)

Better than Cindy Lauper, dunno about that, but I *love* Miles Davis' "Time After Time."

Annie Lennox' "Medusa" album is all arrangements of other people's songs, and it's fabulous.

Just two that come to mind.


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## KEnK (Mar 2, 2016)

also a vast array of great jazz is based on schmaltzy show tunes


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## Jaap (Mar 2, 2016)

For me it is Hallelujah from Jeff Buckley, damn, what an intensity and hardly ever heard somebody put so much pain and fragility in a song...
And as posted before Hurt from Johnny Cash.


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## Raindog (Mar 2, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> Even Hitler is 5th hand information. You need to be there amongst it too really get it. Oh there's lots I've missed.



In my case it´s 2nd hand information. My mother (as a young girl) was cheering and waving flags when he came visiting her hometown :-(
Some people behave though as if he was 5th hand information.

But musicwise you´re right. That´s why most people aged below 250 can´t really appreciate Mozart or Bach.

Back to topic:


First time I realised that even an Adele song can be kind of interesting.

Regards
Raindog


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## Baron Greuner (Mar 3, 2016)

....


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## Pingu (Mar 3, 2016)

This one has to be heard to the end - the last section is utterly brilliant.


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## Pingu (Mar 3, 2016)

Here's one that isn't


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## Pingu (Mar 3, 2016)

And of course


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## Michael Rajecki (Mar 3, 2016)

Pingu said:


> And of course




Also Lorde's version of Tears for Fears's "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"



Apparently they were great at making songs people did better covers of...


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## Leeward (Mar 10, 2016)

Fer said:


> Nice examples!
> here is another one, based on Bitter Sweet Symphony from the verve




Ooh. That is lovely. Thanks for that!


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## Hans Adamson (Mar 10, 2016)

This 1930's song got a new life in the 60's. I love Otis Redding's version.


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## patrick76 (Mar 10, 2016)

This was a surprising cover that I liked. Who would have thought a singer/songwriter version of Iron Maiden would work for me. Rock n f'in roll i guess.


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## karelpsota (Mar 10, 2016)

Any Madeon remix.

On top of the crazy mixing/producion, he adds so much musicality through new chords and counter melodies.

2:04 is genius!


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