Cover Me: Best cover songs, some better than the original?

[Eric267]

I'm a big fan of the talking heads but when phish used to cover it back in their prime (90-98) they would take it to the next level instrumentally. Voice isn't as clean since it's not studio but this is a pretty good one for sound quality

Dionne Warwick got nothin on Aretha!

 

[neonorchid]

 

[neonorchid]

 

[DanoT]

Joan Osborne with the Funk Brothers, the original Motown studio band who are covering themselves.

 

[VickiK]

I love both the original and this cover:

 

[Dave Petersen]

(That was a short thread. )

This is on my ski music mix.

 

[Dave Petersen]

 

[neonorchid]

 

[Tom K.]

Late to the party (don't know how I missed this thread), but THIS is one of my favorite covers, played by the King of Distortion Guitar!

 

[BTaylor]

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John said, "I was so blown away by the version of 'Yellow Brick Road'. I’ve never heard anyone sing one of my songs like that, ever. I can’t thank you enough for giving your time and blowing my mind with that version because when someone sings your songs they usually copy you and she made it her own. That’s brilliant. It’s a hard song.”

 

[James]

Well today is Sunday.
Natalie Merchant covers Morissey, 1994.

Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders

 

[Living Proof]

Arguably the best cover of my favorite Bob Dylan

KT Tunstall brings some great energy

 

[DanoT]

@Living Proof, I see your KT Tunstall and raise you a Joan Osborne:

 

[Andy Mink]

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John said, "I was so blown away by the version of 'Yellow Brick Road'. I’ve never heard anyone sing one of my songs like that, ever. I can’t thank you enough for giving your time and blowing my mind with that version because when someone sings your songs they usually copy you and she made it her own. That’s brilliant. It’s a hard song.”

 

[Philpug]

@Living Proof, I see your KT Tunstall and raise you a Joan Osborne:

Sorry, @DanoT ..I will take KT's version, it has much more soul, Joan's version feels like she is just going through the motions.

 

[James]

Not exactly a cover, but covering the original music.
Eleanor Rigby instrumental improv
Jerry Garcia Band, 1980 Oswego, NY

A testament to how good the original melody worked with the lyrics/singing style. You hear the notes and hear the words. Then they improvise, eventually it turned into After Midnight. It gets cut off around 5:30 and jumps. . Someone who knows music could explain things better. I heard a better recording of this many years ago and it stuck in the brain.

 

[Scruffy]

Pretty awesome version of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" by Roxy Music

 

[James]

Woodstock
Original written in 1969 by Joni Mitchell
1970 Solo piano.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young. released 1970

Ian (Iain) Matthews, released 1970
#1 in the UK

Scottish band Big Country, 1993

Spin Doctors, 1994

Richard Thompson, solo acoustic, 2000. Joni Mitchell Tribute Concert
Stone Temple Pilots were supposed to do this song but the singer lost his voice. I think Thompson would have played this with Ian Matthews in 1970.

I think that's him on the right.

This was posted in the youtube comments.
--------
+bountybar ...Here's what he said in his interview with Guitar Player:

Guitar Player: When you did “Woodstock” at a Joni Mitchell tribute concert you made it your own. What was that process?
RT: I did it on a half-hour’s notice because the person scheduled to do it dropped out. The only way I could hear to do it that quickly was a DADGAD tuning, turning it into a British traditional modal thing.
---------------

 

[peterm]

Surprised this one didn't get a mention yet: Stevie Ray Vaughan covering Jimi's Little Wing, that's if you can call turning a 2 min song into a 6 min instrumental a cover - a homage perhaps?
Note: doesn't sound great on crappy computer speakers

 

[neonorchid]