great cover songs/remakes
Submitted by taryn on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:28
Tags:
- faith (george michael) - limp bizkit
- killing me softly (roberta flack) - fugees
- when you were mine (prince) - cyndi lauper
- nothing compares 2 U (prince) - sinead o'connor
- smooth criminal (michael jackson) - alien ant farm
- this charming man (smiths) - stars
- hallelujah (leonard cohen) - jeff buckley
- i will survive (gloria gaynor) - cake
- shame (depeche mode) - self
- sweet jane (velvet underground) - cowboy junkies
- dancing queen (ABBA) - moxy fruvous
- blue monday (new order) - orgy
- wild horses (rolling stones) - sundays
- dear prudence (beatles) - siouxsie & the banshees
- helter skelter (beatles) - siouxsie & the banshees
- passenger (iggy pop) - siouxsie & the banshees
- climbing up the walls (radiohead) - sarah slean
- all apologies (nirvana) - sinead o'connor
- smells like teen spirit (nirvana) - tori amos
- angie (rolling stones) - tori amos
Author Comments:
a lot of covers simply suck--and then there's a few that exceed or enhance the original. these are, in my opinion, such songs.
You're right, they usually do suck. One of the worst EVER is Faith Hill's version of "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin. Anyway, may I suggest "Rusty Cage" originally done by Soundgarden and covered by Johnny Cash. Radically different from the original but every bit as good.
Among my favorites is Roger Daltry's cover of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me".
MarkW
the pixies version of Head On and the wedding present's version of Waiting On The Guns and oh...siouxsie doing Dear Prudence is really good.
I liked Frente's version of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle.Also Fiona Apple doing The Beatles Across The Universe.Lets see...hmmm. OK, maybe Sixpence None The Richer doing The Laws There She Goes.One more..I liked The Foo Fighters version of the Eddie Money classic,Baby Hold On To Me.
i don't know a lot of these being mentioned but i'm definitely with you on siouxsie's "dear prudence." also, i think her version of "helter skelter" is pretty amazing. (actually their whole "through the looking glass" album is a bunch of covers, including iggy pop's "passenger.") thanks for reminding me of all this!
Hallelujah - yes, Buckley's is fine, but not as good as his Benjamin Britten cover. And a much better version of the Cohen song was done by John Cale (he often does it live, I believe.)
Smiths cover: Does one count "Hand in Glove" by Sandie Shaw? Ace!
How about Billy Bragg's "New England" by Kirsty McColl
Sinead O'Connor - I agree. See also, of course, "Nothing Compares 2 U" You KNOW she's got soul!
Or Costello/Langer's "Shipbuilding" by Robert Wyatt. Also, Wyatt is the only person who's managed a non-embarassing cover of "Stange Fruit"
Also....Van Halen's "Jump" by Aztec Camera
Neil Young's "Only Love Cab Break Your Heart" by St Etienne
Prince's "Kiss" by The Age of Chance. Also, The Detroit Emerald's "Disco Inferno."
Plus "Into the Groove(y)" by Ciccone Youth
(and apologies for mispelling "Can")
the most fascinating and entertaining cover songs are by "Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies". comprised of the lead players in other punk bands, (NOFX, etc) this band has NO original songs, they doing nothing but covers! they have two FL albums and guest spots on various compilations. one album is all classic songs - 'take me home', 'fire and rain', 'leaving on a jet plane', 'big shot' - in a 1 minute 40 or less. the second album, all show tunes, pales in comparison.
their whole repetoire is definitely worthy of mention here. no cover discussion is complete without these kids!
(okay, my fellow listers who are really observant or have too much free time might recognize this posting of mine from other lists. if you do...shush - don't sell me out!)
has anyone heard smash mouth cover of "i'm a believer"? didn't they do one of "louis, louis" too? or do they just seem like they would... anyone have thoughts on this?
SM's cover of "I'm a Believer" is indeed pretty good. Another that I like but haven't heard for a while is Natalie Merchant's cover of "To Sir, With Love."
Two of my favorites are:
Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Bruce Cockburn) - Barenaked Ladies
Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits) - Indigo Girls
I also like:
Eleanor Rigby (Beatles) - Godhead
White Wedding (Billy Idol) - Doro
Head On (Pixies?) - Jesus and Mary Chain
I'm a little surprised not to have seen it mentioned, and it's a cover of a song I would have once considered sacrilege to try and redo (due largely to its close association with Say Anything ), but what about Jeffrey Gaines' version of In Your Eyes? Also, I do so agree with your inclusion of Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah, though there seem to be some other versions some Listologists prefer (that I have yet to hear); then there's Song to the Siren by This Mortal Coil, a cover of a Tim Buckley song.
i haven't heard the "in your eyes" cover but i'm very intrigued! thanks for letting me know about these... (sorry it took me so long to respond too!)
i'm trying to find a cover of dire straits' "romeo and juliet"that i heard the other day. it's not indigo girls, and the lyrics are the same as the original. male group. please help if you can. thanks.
Somehow I came across an Edwin McCain version of that song recently. perhaps that is what you are looking for....
Some of my favorites:
Everyone's Got Something to Hide (except me and my monkey)-Beatles/Feelies
Sister Ray-Velvet Underground/Joy Division
Black Steel-Public Enemy/Tricky
Strange Little Girl-Stranglers/Tori Amos
Jealous Guy-John Lennon/Roxy Music
Creep-TLC/Afghan Whigs
Maggie's Farm-Bob Dylan/Rage Against the Machine