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Definitive Cover Versions List your nominations! (But before you start spewing out cover versions you prefer to the original, think about if the cover version is the definitive version. It's not necessarily the same thing.) I'll start in with just a few to get the ball rolling...
The Beatles - Twist and Shout Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends "There is two kinds of music, the good, and the bad. I play the good kind."
Louis Armstrong |
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Donny Hathaway's cover of "A Song For You". The original is great but Donny's version is just so smooth. | |
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Marvin - I Heard it through the grapevine Sinead O'Connor - Nothing compares 2 U Run D.M.C. - Walk This Way
Has anyone tried unplugging the United States and plugging it back in? | |
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Quincy Jones - Ai No Corrida Paul Young - Everytime you go away Has anyone tried unplugging the United States and plugging it back in? | |
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Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower Michael Jackson - Come Together |
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Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You | |
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Chaka Khan - I Feel For You Just somewhere in the middle,
Not too good and not too bad. |
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Pince One of Us Now I'm older than movies, Now I'm wiser than dreams, And I know who's there
When silhouettes fall | |
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Stevie Wonder - For Once in My Life Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love for You Whitney Houston - All the Man That I Need Cyndi Lauper - All Through the Night "Whitney was purely and simply one of a kind." ~ Clive Davis | |
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Wilson Picket - Hey Jude Aretha Franklin - Let It Be Bobby Womack - California Dreamin' Donny Hathaway - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin | |
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Some great responses. The truly definitive versions often aren't even widely known to be covers.
I do think The Beatles versions of "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" are the definitive versions. When someone covers those songs, they're covering The Beatles original version, unlike say, Joe Cocker's "A Little Help," whose arrangement was covered more than The Beatles version.
[Edited 7/8/11 8:29am] "There is two kinds of music, the good, and the bad. I play the good kind."
Louis Armstrong |
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Patti Smith turned Van Morrison's "Gloria" inside out. 2012: The Queen Returns | |
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Live and let Die Guns & Roses Respect Aretha Franklin I'm Goin Down Mary J. Blige Superstar/House Not A Home Luther Vandross Aint No Mountain High Enough Diana Ross | |
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I know what you mean. "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin | |
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Sometimes, though, with The Beatles and other bands that came out of that whole scene in the 60s, who were so powerfully influenced by Black American music, when soul artists covered certain of their songs they were able to flesh out a sound and a feel that was latent within them but never fully realised. Kind of like reuniting them with long lost kin or something.I Love Rock 'n' Roll - Joan Jett I Fought The Law - The Clash Song To The Siren - This Mortal Coil | |
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Live and let Die Guns & Roses FWIW, my vote: no yes no yes no "Whitney was purely and simply one of a kind." ~ Clive Davis | |
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Vanessa Williams - Dreamin' Mariah Carey - Open Arms Whitney Houston - All The Man That I Need Aretha Franklin - Respect
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Kim Carnes-More Love
It might have be because that I've heard Kim's version of it so many times over the years, but I definitely prefer it over the original by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. When I heard the original version, something seemed to be missing. Kim seemed to have turned a (near) sow's ear into a silk purse. | |
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Kim Carnes-More Love
It might have been because that I've heard Kim's version of it so many times over the years, but I definitely prefer it over the original by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. When I heard the original version, something seemed to be missing. Kim seemed to have turned a (near) sow's ear into a silk purse. [Edited 7/8/11 16:05pm] | |
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Native New Yorker by Odyssey. It was 1st released by Frankie Valli, but his was just an album track. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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The Jackson 5 - Who' Loving You | |
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Jackson 5-Who's Lovin You Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You
It's very rare that a cover is better or more successful than the original, but that happens to be the case with both of these songs. "And When The Groove Is Dead And Gone, You Know That Love Survives, So We Can Rock Forever" RIP MJ 
"Baby, that was much too fast"...Goodnight dear sweet Prince. I'll love you always | |
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to add another:
Crossroads - Eric Clapton | |
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"It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates |
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Grace Jones - She's Lost Control Grace Jones - Private Life Grace Jones - Walking In The Rain Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
Hell, just about anything Grace Jones has reinterpreted! | |
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AlexdeParis said:
Live and let Die Guns & Roses FWIW, my vote: no yes no yes no Well I was going by personal favorites rather than definitive covers but I'll try it again Blame it on the Boogie The Jacksons Smokin in the Boys Room Motley Crue Whats Love Got To Do With It Tina Turner Suriyaki Taste Of Honey | |
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This Masquerade ~ George Benson Breezin' ~ George Benson White Rabbit ~ George Benson That's All Right ~ Elvis Presley Time After Time ~ Johnnie Taylor Danny Boy ~ Jackie Wilson Daddy's Home ~ Jermaine Jackson You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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Wishing On A Star - Teena Marie I don't want you to think like me. I just want you to think. | |
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Nilsson Schmilson - Without You
Tricky - Black Steel
Gram Parsons - Love Hurts
Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Clapton - After Midnight
Clapton - Cocaine
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Bowie - Let's Spend the Night Together
Coltrane - My favourite Things
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It pretty much is the same thing. | |
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