DS Forums

 
 

Cover versions better known than the originals


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 11-12-2016, 23:57
bryemycaz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,010
Guns N' Roses - Live and Let Die (Cover of The Wings/Paul McCartney)

Has the balls and bravado that the original lacked.
I don't think the GNR version is better known. Due to the originals Bond connection.
bryemycaz is online now   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 12-12-2016, 00:32
scrilla
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,642

"Knock On Wood" by Amii Stewart
(Original version by Eddie Floyd)

"Duke Of Earl" by Darts
(Original version by Gene Chandler)

"Tears On My Pillow" by Kylie Minogue
(Original version by Little Anthony and the Imperials)
Maybe in the UK amongst the young generation but I'd be pretty sceptical about those really being better known than the originals, especially in the US where they all originated and where the covers probably mean next to nothing.
scrilla is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 00:47
scrilla
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,642
Bunny Wailer's 'Dreamland' may well be better known than the El Tempos' 'My Dream Island' which it's based on.

I'm sure many would more familiar with Sugar Minott's version of 'Good Thing Going' than Michael Jackson's.

I wonder if Motorhead's 'Motorhead' is better known that Hawkwind's...

Musical Youth's 'Pass the Dutchie' will be better known than the original 'Pass The Koutchie' by The Mighty Diamonds.
scrilla is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 00:56
silentNate
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Council Estate
Posts: 35,536
"Duke Of Earl" by Darts
(Original version by Gene Chandler)
So wrong to suggest any version could beat Gene Chandler! I pity the fool.
silentNate is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 02:52
Makson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 17,388
Sugababes - Too Lost In You
Laura Branigan - Self Control
Makson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 03:17
Jon Ross
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Somewhere extremely creepy
Posts: 3,088
In 1970, the band Rare Bird had their only UK chart hit with a song called "Sympathy", which reached 27.

22 years later, the far better known band Marillion did a version of it which became their 17th Top 40 hit when it went ten places better than the original version.

You're not likely to hear either version on the radio any time though.
Jon Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 08:24
dearmrman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Utopia
Posts: 10,162
I don't think the GNR version is better known. Due to the originals Bond connection.
It's a tough one this, as I am not so sure even with the Bond connection. Certainly I would say the original is better known in the UK, Worldwide I wouldn't be so sure considering how big GNR would have been at the time.
dearmrman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 12:26
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,740
In 1970, the band Rare Bird had their only UK chart hit with a song called "Sympathy", which reached 27.

22 years later, the far better known band Marillion did a version of it which became their 17th Top 40 hit when it went ten places better than the original version.

You're not likely to hear either version on the radio any time though.
i didnt know marillion covered 'sympathy'. in 20 years of pop quizzing ive never heard marillions version, but have heard rare birds excellent original.
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 12:29
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,740
So wrong to suggest any version could beat Gene Chandler! I pity the fool.
.... but its not about which version is best, but which is better known. darts version is certainly better known.
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 12:38
JohnnyForget
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 17,122
So wrong to suggest any version could beat Gene Chandler! I pity the fool.
The OP is asking for "better known" covers not "better" covers!

I personally prefer the Gene Chandler version - a doo-wop classic - but I believe the Darts cover version may be better known, certainly in this country, as it was a hit here and the original was not.
JohnnyForget is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 12:39
digitalspyfan1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 650
There is an amazing cover of Hot Chocolate's classic Brother Louie song. It's by the singer Louie Louie. I don't think the version is online, not on Youtube. The extended 12 inch is amazing too.

It's a pop/dance reworking of the song - the original is more mid-tempo - and it rivals the original! The cover didn't chart in the top 40 so it's not that well known. The cover version is one of my all-time fave songs.
digitalspyfan1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 13:59
peter_s
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: St Helens
Posts: 374
Although not really a cover version as such, I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake contains the main melody from Troika by Prokofiev:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUzJ7fQBtg
peter_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 20:48
Jon Ross
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Somewhere extremely creepy
Posts: 3,088
i didnt know marillion covered 'sympathy'. in 20 years of pop quizzing ive never heard marillions version, but have heard rare birds excellent original.
In that case I might be wrong that the Marillion version is better known, but I assumed it was because they are certainly a better known band and their version charted higher (in the UK at least).

I don't know why they chose to cover that particular song but it was from the period post-Fish when the media had largely lost interest in them and they were desperately trying to get another song on the radio Kayleigh-style to placate EMI.

I do know that it's the only Marillion song among their chart hits which was a cover of a song written by someone else.

I'm a mine of useless information.
Jon Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2016, 22:33
dodrade
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,106
Although not really a cover version as such, I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake contains the main melody from Troika by Prokofiev:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUzJ7fQBtg
By that definition so would be "Party Like a Russian!"

There are some grey areas, "My Way" was mentioned but given the lyrics are completely different to "Comme d'habitude" I think they should be considered separate songs. Songs containing sampled riffs (such as Madonna - Hung Up) are usually sufficiently different not to count as covers. I didn't include "Whiskey in the Jar" by Thin Lizzy either as being a traditional song there was no "original" as such to cover.

I would though count Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews - Baby it's Cold Outside.
dodrade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 00:18
JohnnyForget
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 17,122

There are some grey areas, "My Way" was mentioned but given the lyrics are completely different to "Comme d'habitude" I think they should be considered separate songs.
A direct English language translation of "Comme D'habitude" would be very different from the lyrics (written specifically for Frank Sinatra by Paul Anka) of "My Way", but "My Way" and "Comme D'habitude" have the same melody so, I'm sorry, they are not separate songs.
JohnnyForget is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 01:44
dodrade
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,106
A direct English language translation of "Comme D'habitude" would be very different from the lyrics (written specifically for Frank Sinatra by Paul Anka) of "My Way", but "My Way" and "Comme D'habitude" have the same melody so, I'm sorry, they are not separate songs.
Two different songs can share a melody, "I vow to thee my country" and "World in Union", "God save the Queen" and "My country tis of thee" are well known examples. "The Star Spangled Banner" is set to the tune of an 18th century drinking song.
dodrade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 09:27
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,740
In that case I might be wrong that the Marillion version is better known, but I assumed it was because they are certainly a better known band and their version charted higher (in the UK at least).

I don't know why they chose to cover that particular song but it was from the period post-Fish when the media had largely lost interest in them and they were desperately trying to get another song on the radio Kayleigh-style to placate EMI.

I do know that it's the only Marillion song among their chart hits which was a cover of a song written by someone else.

I'm a mine of useless information.
probably a 'generation thing', its likely that young rock fans of the 80's know marillions version without realising it was a cover. rare bird, are a group for much older people and not many of us know them.

when played at pop quizes its a 'wheat from chaff' type track, as many remember the top ten, or top 20 from early 1970 (march i think) but 'sympathy' is one for those of us with a deeper knowledge of music from that time.

i wouldnt be surprised if more people know marillions version, im just being biased towards a rare track i know of.
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 09:30
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,740
talking about rare bird 'sympathy'.... a very strange co-incidence.

i rediscovered it in around 2003, as it slipped back into my head and i looked it up.

later that evening at a pop quiz i was at, i asked the quizmaster if he knew of 'sympathy', he just looked at me without saying anything...... he went on to play it next round!!!
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 12:24
LaVieEnRose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,516
Two different songs can share a melody, "I vow to thee my country" and "World in Union", "God save the Queen" and "My country tis of thee" are well known examples. "The Star Spangled Banner" is set to the tune of an 18th century drinking song.
At the carol service on Sunday we had to sing 'While Shepherds Watched' to the tune of 'On Ilkley Moor Baht 'At'.
It was ridiculous.
LaVieEnRose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2016, 12:53
Stone Free
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Crystal Palace
Posts: 958
Black Magic Woman (Santana) - Original by Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green's..)
Stone Free is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-12-2016, 19:55
Jon Ross
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Somewhere extremely creepy
Posts: 3,088
probably a 'generation thing', its likely that young rock fans of the 80's know marillions version without realising it was a cover. rare bird, are a group for much older people and not many of us know them.

when played at pop quizes its a 'wheat from chaff' type track, as many remember the top ten, or top 20 from early 1970 (march i think) but 'sympathy' is one for those of us with a deeper knowledge of music from that time.

i wouldnt be surprised if more people know marillions version, im just being biased towards a rare track i know of.
I've spoken to my brother about this (he's a major Marillion fan, hence why I know about this) and he said the reason Marillion did it is because their lead singer, Steve Hogarth, was a BIG fan of the song from way back (like you are, he's a similar age to you from your profile) and always wanted to do a version of it. My brother said Marillion have done different versions of it, there's the heavier version (which became the hit), there's an acoustic version and they've also performed it in concerts.
Jon Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-12-2016, 07:27
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,740
I've spoken to my brother about this (he's a major Marillion fan, hence why I know about this) and he said the reason Marillion did it is because their lead singer, Steve Hogarth, was a BIG fan of the song from way back (like you are, he's a similar age to you from your profile) and always wanted to do a version of it. My brother said Marillion have done different versions of it, there's the heavier version (which became the hit), there's an acoustic version and they've also performed it in concerts.
thats interesting , cheers

yep in 60 next month.
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-12-2016, 09:12
mistygal
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Some Where Only I Know
Posts: 5,678
Personal choice maybe but I love 'Dancing In The Streets' by Jagger and Bowie over Martha And The Vendellas version. It's just funny and typical 80's.
mistygal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-12-2016, 09:13
Blondie X
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Kent but ex Sarf London
Posts: 26,530
Any songs from John Lewis adverts will be better known to the younger generation than the original versions.
Blondie X is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-12-2016, 10:26
Blondie X
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Kent but ex Sarf London
Posts: 26,530
Another Level - Freak Me is better known than the Silk original
Blondie X is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 21:00.