I didn't know it was a cover

Bellycaster

Gary Moore - The Loner. The original was on a Cozy Powell Album, song is written by Max Middleton.



I really like this version as well.

The Loner, I think, sounds like the main melody of the opening theme to Frantic (1988), obviously, the Film came later than the songs, but I'm not suggesting Mr Morricone borrowed from them.

Melody starts around 1:04, but this is also a great piece of Music in it's entirety.

prowla

Gary Moore played on one of the tracks on the album (and some bloke with an Aria Pro II bass).

The follow-up one "Tilt" is really (really) good and has Gary Moore and Jeff Beck on it.

Kebabkid

'R-e-s-p-e-c-t' was originally released by Otis Redding

Bellycaster

Simply Red/Barry White............It's Only Love

Blackjack

Jeff Beck’s. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
written by Stevie Wonder, originally released by Syreeta in 1974 before Jeff released it on Blow By Blow in 1975. 

EricTheWeary

Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds.

Actually they are the original recording artists so it’s not really a cover but they didn’t write the song as I had presumed. It was written for The Pretenders to sing on the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club but Chrissie Hynde passed it on to hubbie Jim Kerr. 

Sporky

Not So Manic Now.

Originally by a nondescript Scottish indie shambles. Dubstar's version was much better. 

Roysterdoyster

Bette Davis Eyes.....always thought the Kim Carnes version was the original until last week. Was written and recorded by Jackie De Shannon in 1974

Hattigol

Not sure if it's been mentioned already but Tainted Love. Staggered when I heard a pre Soft Cell version of that...

The definition of a good cover to me is when you take it and rework it into something different which is good if not better than the original.

mart

Sporky said:

Not So Manic Now.

Originally by a nondescript Scottish indie shambles. Dubstar's version was much better. 

I wonder if the Manic Street Preachers ever thought about covering that after Richie left.

ICBM

Sporky said:

Not So Manic Now.

Originally by a nondescript Scottish indie shambles. Dubstar's version was much better. 

Yorkshire, not Scottish... Brick Supply, from Wakefield. I like both versions .

Sporky

Ah - my mistake.

I wonder why I thought they were Scottish. 

ICBM

Sporky said:

I wonder why I thought they were Scottish. 

Presumably because Scottish indie shambles is a thing .

Sporky

Sounds like a decent enough reason. I'll take it.

Bellycaster

Eminem - "My Name Is"

Was sampled from Labbi Siffre - "I Got The"

The melody starts around 2:31



Another great Factoid about this track is that Chas and Dave were session musicians on it. Chas on Guitar and Dave on Bass.

  



OOPS IGNORE

@Kebabkid did this one 

chrishill901

I think the two that stood out to me when I found out in later life were ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ by Toploader not actually being by Toploader (although that bothers me less now because I associate that song with Jamie Oliver and he ruins everything) and ‘Gangsters Paradise’ by Coolio actually being ‘Past-time Paradise’ by Stevie Wonder. That ruined my 90s childhood.

Also finding out that practically every Led Zeppelin song was a rip off kind of ruined Zep for me.

ICBM

Gangsta’s Paradise isn’t really a cover though, it’s a new song that uses elements of the original - and an all-time classic, which the original wasn't.

I didn’t know the Toploader one but I could never stand them anyway...

EricTheWeary

chrishill901 said:

I think the two that stood out to me when I found out in later life were ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ by Toploader not actually being by Toploader (although that bothers me less now because I associate that song with Jamie Oliver and he ruins everything) and ‘Gangsters Paradise’ by Coolio actually being ‘Past-time Paradise’ by Stevie Wonder. That ruined my 90s childhood.

Also finding out that practically every Led Zeppelin song was a rip off kind of ruined Zep for me.

I didn’t know the Toploader one. 

Gangsters Paradise must be one of the most annoying hit singles of all time so if the royalties are going elsewhere that’s a good thing. 

chrishill901

ICBM said:

Gangsta’s Paradise isn’t really a cover though, it’s a new song that uses elements of the original - and an all-time classic, which the original wasn't.

I didn’t know the Toploader one but I could never stand them anyway...

Quite a few elements though, as in both the music and the chorus lyrics (minus slight tweaks)!!

ICBM

chrishill901 said:

Quite a few elements though, as in both the music and the chorus lyrics (minus slight tweaks)!!

Yes, and it’s right that Stevie Wonder got the credit, but Coolio really wrote a new song around it.

Here’s another similar one -




And this, which probably not as many people would recognise as a partial cover, since the original isn't well-known -