Heard Siouxsie and the Banshees version of Dear Prudence on 6 Music on the way to work this morning. I'm a big admirer of the Beatles, but I think Siouxsie Sioux and her mob trumped the original with their haunting take on it.
Which prompted me to think about other covers that surpass the original. Arrived at work soon after so didn't get very far, but these were the four that immediately sprang to mind, at least in my opinion: -
Comments
Ah great - another feckin' forum bug.
Bob's tip: Don't bother trying to use bullet points people.
I'll try again: -
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
Oh FFS.
Right - must be the Greater than, and Less than characters.
This is going well isn't it?
Try again for a final time: -
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails less than Johnny Cash
War Pigs - Black Sabbath less than Faith No More
Dear Prudence - Beatles less than Siouxsie and the Banshees
Tainted Love - Gloria Jones less than Soft Cell
What else...?
Heard that exact same song on 6 music myself this morning Bob. We love a bit of Siouxsie in our house.
How about the Sid Vicious version of My Way?
Oh hang on. Can't edit
Sid Vicious greater than Frank Sinatra
Step On - Happy Mondays' version better than John Kongos' original
All Along The Watchtower - Jim Hendrix greater than Bob Dylan
Nightwish's version of Phantom of the Opera - superior in every way to anyone else's version.
All Along the Watchtower Jimmi Hendrix - Even Bob Dylan prefered that to his own version.
(Haven't been able to edit for days)
The Rolf Harris version of Stairway to Heaven.
Baby I love You better than the Ronettes
Needles and Pins better than the Searchers
both by the Ramones
robert Wyatt greater than elvis costellos..but not sure which can be called the cover as EC wrote it but it was actually written for Wyatt to sing
Blondies One Way or Another ...... less than ...... One Direction's version.
let me try something. <
This may seem like sacrilege but I grew up being familiar with Phil Collins' version of the Beatle track Tomorrow Never Knows, long before I heard the original. These days I'm not sure quite sure which way it goes, although there's no denying Phil's a much better drummer (or was in his day) than Ringo.
No arguments here though; David Bowie is one of my favourite artists of all time but again, I grew up with the Bauhaus cover of Ziggy Stardust. I think it's got a bit more oomph.
Also:
PJ Harvey - Highway 61 Revisited (Bob Dylan)
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
Meg Baird - Friends (Mark Almond.. having just discovered the original, that's good as well but Meg Baird's voice is just... )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxjOkanX5w
sorry Phil.....so many to choose from for Halleluhah but these guys are my favourite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqt20hTlTO8
I think the Johnny Cash version of "Hurt" is the only one that really exceeded the original.
Much as I love Nightwish I still don't much like their version of Phantom of the Opera, Tarja gets a bit screechy towards the end.
Viva Las Vegas, Dead Kennedys version better than Elvis (and ZZ top)
Turn the heater on, New Orders go better than Keith Hudson
Agree with OP about Siouxsie's version of Dear Prudence, and also with Sussex, but then all Ramones songs invariably sound good. Pistols version of 'Something else'?
(Sorry Screampillar!!!)
Oh yeah someone mentioned My Way by Sid Vicious, better than anyone eles's ever because he actually did it his way!!!
Quite a lot of Joan Baez's versions of Bob Dylan songs, in my opinion. But I think that's more evidence of Dylan being a great songwriter than the original versions being less good.
Ha ha Dustin. I was thinking of putting DKs Viva Las Vegas too.
Screamy - better than Alexandra Burke's version, I'll give you that.
How about whole album covers? I'm not sure this is better than the original, but Easy All-Stars' Dub Side of the Moon is amazingly well done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttzwW7pIVIw
Whitesnake - Ain't no love in the heart of the city
KISS - Hold your head up
I like the Marilyn Manson cover of Tainted Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVHITKnBnRY
Test: <
Grendel - I suppose I don't like the song that much really to be honest, so it's irredeemable, even by Nightwish
Esther Phillips - Home is where the hatred is (Gil Scott-Heron)
Money by Flying Lizards better than Bradley Barrett(and The Beatles)
One band who have never made a better cover version is cover version band Nouvelle Vogue. Their music should never be played outside of an elevator.
Valerie (prefer Amy Winehouse's to the Zuton's track but not everyone will agree)
Nothing compared to You (Sinead OC over Prince who sounds way too squeaky in his version)
I was just reading the thread and was going to post Nothing Compares To You as well.
Cake's version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive was good
Metallica's version of Stone Cold Crazy (just) beats the original.
I prefer Cyndi Lauper's When You Were Mine to Prince's version too. Perhaps Prince should write the songs and let other people sing all the time. Less Elton John and more Bernie Taupin eh squiggle?