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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
9,510 posts
 

Wow slaw, two songs I haven't heard. So Steve Miller's "Mercury Blues" is a different song the Lindley's? I admit I haven't heard it. I saw The Steve Miller Blues Band (his original band name) in '67, before the first album came out, with Boz Scaggs playing rhythm guitar (a Gibson ES-335) only, not singing.

I'll bet Chilton's "Summertime Blues" is an interesting version, but haven't heard it. So much music, so little time!

slaw's avatar
slaw
20,526 posts
 
@bdp24,

I’d love to know what you think of SM version of "Mercury Blues"?


Ps. I almost thought we were on the verge of our first argument. Haha.
panaseef
4 posts
 
Sheryl Crow - First cut is the deepest
oblgny's avatar
oblgny
845 posts
 
A very big “DITTO” regarding David Lindley’s version of Mercury Blues - just an unabashed freakin’ love letter to rock n’ roll that needs and deserves to be played LOUDLY.  The rest of the album is damn good, too.  

On the “repeat when necessary” list, “Oh Carol” off Get Yer Ya’s Ya’s Out by the Stones. I can never listen to this just once.  Man, dey was good in them days. 

Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow duetting the living heck outta “The Shoop Shoop Song” on SNL - I remember sitting on the couch and being absolutely 
wowed by the performance.  Made me buy more Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow records. 


tony1954's avatar
tony1954
941 posts
 
Very hard to remake Beatles songs, but Joe Cocker's "Help from my friends" is a masterpiece. I have always believed that a cover should add something to the original and Cocker's version turns the song 180 degrees.
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