Better or worse Cover songs?

[Ecky Thump]

What cover songs have you heard that you think are better than the original version, and which ones do you find an assault on the eardrums?

Best for me has to be :-
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees
UB40 - Red, Red, Wine

Worst:-
Rolf Harris - Stairway to Heaven (this version is a travesty to the Led Zep version)
Bananarama - Venus

[dondons69]

I prefer most Ub40 covers to originals
i need time to think about best and worse though as i know of many i'll get back to this thread.

[Aidan]

Someone did an excellent Make It With You ( orig. by david Gates ) mid90s. UB40's Red Red Wine is up there, as are Tears of a Clown & Can't Get Used to Losing You , both by the Beat.
Worst ? Anything, really, by Boyzone but my choice would be their mutilation of the Bee Gees' Words, where they left out half of each verse ! Class.

[Van_Whistler]

that's amore by that modern chap. forgot his name. sounded alright to start off with then went stupid in the middle. went down hill after that.

[nogden]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

gotta admit i prefer most originals, but the imediate worst cover song i can think of is brittney spears version of i love rock and roll, and, scissor sistors comfortably numb

[Dark Helmet]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

ummm

best list

spirit in the sky was pretty cool better than the original and must agree dear prudence rocks my socks for a cover. i fought the law by the clash is far far better than the original and also renditions of something else and c'mon every body by Sid Vicous we really amazing improvements

as for total ****

britney takes the p*** and any tune they copied and put a rap bit in the middle too

[pedro]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

There's been a few over the years good and bad. I always like to annoy my kids when they are raving about a song and i bring our the original version, he he. For a start I would go for Roxy Musics Jealous Guy and the Stereophonics Handbags and Gladrags as good and any covers of Queens catalogue as awful.

Radio 1's live room CD is quite good on the covers front. An absolute brilliant p*sstake by the Artic Monkeys of Girls Aloud's Love machine

[Bren41882]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Best: Billy Currington's cover of Lucille

Worst: anything Brittany Spears covered

[tonstu04]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

I always loved Ride Like The Wind by Saxon, but the worst cover song has got to be Sweet Child O' Mine by Sheryl Crow.

[Kiop]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Worst cover song for me has to be 'Stop me if you think you've heard this one before' - Mark Ronson's decimation of a classic Smiths song. Absolutely appaling, and that Daniel Merriweather who sang the lyrics can't sing for treacle; he's proved that with his recent solo career. He also pulls some horrible faces when trying to sing - looks like he is in agony - it's likely the sound of his own voice is making him grimmace.

[sixtyten]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Telegram Sam -Bauhaus

[nessie]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

i like any UB40 cover and

pet shop boys always on my mind,
fine young cannibals with Suspicious Minds and ever fallen in love
alien ant farm smooth criminal
freddie mercury great pretender
live and let die guns n roses

Bad ones would include

madonna american pie
mariah carey against all odds
sheryl crow sweet child o' mine
britney spears my prerogative
hilary duff my generation??? WTF????

britney spears - i love rock and roll - that is just sooo bad i cant believe the record company thought it was ever a good idea????

[chrisredditch]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Best: The Beatles Dear Prudence as covered by Siouxsie & the Banshees

Worst: Soft Cells Say Hello Wave Goodbye as covered by David Gray

[branny]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Best

The Sundays cover of Wild horses originally by the Rolling Stones

worst

Valerie by Ronson and Winehouse originally by the Zutons

[chrisredditch]

Re: Better or worse Cover songs?

Best

worst

Valerie by Ronson and Winehouse originally by the Zutons

Agreed! The Zutons version is far superior