Cover is as good as/better than Original

[Lazylion]

Name a song and artists where the cover version is as good as or better than the original artist's version. I mean songs where the first version was well known. For instance, "Call Me The Breeze" would not be eligible, because JJ Cale's version was not real widely known. On the other hand, "Heard It Through The Grapevine" is perfect. Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and Creedence all had great versions!

Let me get one thing out of the way early - the Byrds did many covers of Bob Dylan tunes, beautifully. They could sing!

Get Ready Smokey Robinson/Rare Earth
Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones/Grand Funk Railroad
Love The One You're With CSNY/Neville Bros.
Tequila The Champs/Larry Carlton (bass-Abe Laboriel)
Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran?/The Who
Not Fade Away Buddy Holly/Grateful Dead

There's plenty more - lay 'em on me!

 

[CetiAlphaVI]

The Beatles - DayTripper / Covered by Cheap Trick
The Doors - Riders on the Storm / Covered by Creed

 

[Unknowndude]

This Night Has Opened My Eyes - The Smiths (cover At the Drive-In)

 

[dhadleyray]

Summer breeze - Seals and Crofft/ Covered by Isley bros.
All along the watchtower - Dylan/ Covered by Jimi Hendrix
Crimson and clover - Tommy and the Shondells/ Covered by Joan Jett

Some older stuff just fer fun!

 

[Kasper007]

Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower covered by Jimi Hendrix... and perhaps U2's version also.

EDIT:Oops sorry this was said already

 

[TL5]

People Get Ready - Chambers Bros/Jeff Beck&Rod Stewart

 

[Michael Eisenman]

"I Fall to Pieces" by Trisha Yearwood and Aaron Neville. I crank it up and get goosebumps every time. It's on the album "Rhythm Country & Blues."

 

[Basshole]

Manfred Mann redoing ANY Springsteen.

 

[TBalls]

A few that instantly come to mind:

Come Together - Beatles/Aerosmith
Taxman - Beatles/SRV
Little Wing - Jimi/SRV
Breadfan - Budgie/Metallica
Hocus Pocus - Focus/Gary Hoey
Stone Cold Crazy - Queen/Metallica
Flaming Telepaths - Blue Oyster Cult/Voodoo Screw Machine (sorry, lame self-promo)

 

[johnvice]

Name a song and artists where the cover version is as good as or better than the original artist's version.

"good as or better" are very subjective.

Personally, I like a cover song that is different from the original. That is, the recording artist is giving a new interpretation of the song.

Vanilla Fudge has done many remakes that are all radically different than the orginal version (and their bass player, Tim Bogert, will make yoru jaw drop with amazement!!!)

 

[Justin V]

Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode (covered by Matthew Good Band)
Boys of Summer - Don Henley (covered by the Ataris)

 

[Pajama_Bottoms]

Why am I seeing Beatles/Aerosmith and Doors/Creed comparisons in a thread about GOOD Covers?

Anyway, my suggestions:

Bowie, "Man Who Sold the World", covered by Nirvana--I like the original and the unplugged Nirvana cover is every bit as good.

Neil Young, "I've Been Waiting for You", covered by both Bowie and the Pixies--The Bowie version is okay, but I think the Pixies version is great--I love Kim's voice on the track, and her singing about waiting for a woman to save her life is more than a little hot...

Isley Bros., "Twist and Shout", covered by the Beatles--The Beatles version is really the definitive version of this song.

The Beatles, "Oh Darling", covered by the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones--Wow, if you haven't heard this, you definitely should. One of my favor covers, with a great jazzy backbeat and a terrific vocal performance by __________ (I can't remember right now, I'm sure someone on the board will know). The original was a classic and this one is too.

I'm sure I could find some more if I could prowl through my harddrive, but that'll have to wait till I'm off work.

 

[DubDubs]

I think Tool's version of Led Zeppelin's No Quarter on the Salival CD is better than the original and the origional is awesome.

 

[cmhgreg]

Any cover song that Government Mule does, but among my favaorites are 30 Days in the Hole (Humble Pie), Don't Step on the Grass, Sam (Steppenwolf) and Mississippi Queen (Mountain).

 

[CetiAlphaVI]

Why am I seeing Beatles/Aerosmith and Doors/Creed comparisons in a thread about GOOD Covers?

I guess I really needed to preface my post with the "I'm not a Creed fan, but. . . ."
The thread starter's challenge was to name a cover better than the original. Creed's cover increased the energy of the song during the instrumental break, which is something quite lacking in the original, IMHO. I don't think we need to like an artist/band or the style to recognize and appreciate when an interpretation is spot on.

 

[msquared]

Just to reiterate (and illustrate) the whole "subjective" thing...

I have this problem where if I hear a cover first and then the original, it's really tough to appreciate the original as much. Without fail I consider the cover to be a better version.

And for this reason, as embarassed as I am to admit it, I prefer Winger's cover of "Purple Haze" to the Hendrix version.

 

[tZer]

G - L - O - R - I - A :: The Doors/Hendrix/ but I belive Van Morrison is the originator...

 

[morf]

all along the watchtower - dylan/hendrix
burning of the midnight lamp - dylan/hendrix
sunshine of your love - cream/earth crisis

 

[Rick_no7]

With A little Help from My Friends Beetles/Joe Cocker
--I like the Joe Cocker version better

Into the Void Black Sabbath/Monster Magnet

Landslide Fleetwood Mac/Smashing Pumpkins

Hurt NIN/Cash

Planet Caravan Black Sabbath/Pantera

I heard it through the grapevine Gladys and the Pips/Marvin Gaye/Credance Clearwater

 

[Shakehandswbeef]

Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder/RHCP
I'm Your Boogieman - KC and the Sunshine Band/Rob Zombie
Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones/Rob Zombie