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Cover songs that are better than the originals.

There is an active thread about terrible cover songs so I thought I'd start one about cover songs that are better than or have completely eclipsed the originals. I'll start:

Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
n80
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
@n80, I got to see/hear both The Kinks and The Who live in '68 and '69, and both were really great live. You expect that of The Who, but not necessarily The Kinks. Ray Davies in one of my favorite writers ("Waterloo Sunset" !), and he was also a great performer, very entertaining. Believe it or not, The Kinks were louder than The Who. Ray's Telecaster was piercingly bright, to the point of painfulness.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,439 posts
 
"Mercury Blues "The Steve Miller Band"
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
slaw, is that the David Lindley "Mercury Blues"? Must be killer, 'cause David's is fantastic. Great recorded quality, too.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,439 posts
 
@bdp24,

I’ll check it out right now. I was wondering what to play? You post reads like you’ve never heard Steve Miller’s version?

"El Rayo-X", in which "Mercury Blues is found on, to my ears is mostly a reggae influenced record and is what I consider upbeat.  SQ = excellent!

On my MFSL "Fly Like an Eagle" , "Mercury Blues" is presented in a slinky, bluesy fashion that IMO, serves the lyrics and the song as a whole, much better. After all the song's title is mercury blues.

For me, I much prefer the SM version.


n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
bdp24, I'm very jealous. Also surprised you have any hearing left.

I saw Foreigner in the early 80's. So-so show but painfully loud. Ears rang for 12 full days afterwards. 
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