Cover versions that are better than the originals....

dindude

This may be sacrilege but I think this version of Little Wing I prefer to the original, I certainly listen to it more. Has to be some of the best guitar playing on the planet.

 https://youtu.be/4-JV5K0C--w

mli3

dindude said:

This may be sacrilege but I think this version of Little Wing I prefer to the original, I certainly listen to it more. Has to be some of the best guitar playing on the planet.

SRV's version is also amazing

Zoolooter

IMO he nails this.

KKJale

Frankly uncool '60s Brit poppers knock out ace cover of song by painfully hip American cult combo.

Rocker

I prefer the Monkee’s version of “I’m a believer “ to the Neil Diamond original. I never claimed to be normal........

ICBM

Rocker said:

I prefer the Monkee’s version of “I’m a believer “ to the Neil Diamond original. I never claimed to be normal........

I also prefer the Monkees one, so you're not alone . I had thought they recorded it first, and hence it was really the 'original', although it appears that Diamond actually did, but didn't release it until afterwards.

lasermonkey

KKJale said:

Frankly uncool '60s Brit poppers knock out ace cover of song by painfully hip American cult combo.

Better than the original? Really?
Wow.

Octafish

Grace Jones version of Private Life, so much more edge than the original, bit hard to compete with Sly and Robbie when it comes to stepping beats..

EricTheWeary

I can’t remember if I mentioned this one earlier or just meant to. I wonder if Chrissie Hynde prefers it, if you’ve written a reggae song to have Sly and Robbie cover it is a pretty big complement.

Octafish said:

Grace Jones version of Private Life, so much more edge than the original, bit hard to compete with Sly and Robbie when it comes to stepping beats..

In a similar vein I wonder if Sting was chuffed with this:

https://youtu.be/w1ku3x6KZ2c

TheMarlin

Ballroom Blitz.  The Damned. 

https://youtu.be/dJRGBWZLzSo

MattW

Janes Addiction - Rock and Roll (Velvet Underground)

https://youtu.be/YJymBdD_cng

Octafish

EricTheWeary said:

In a similar vein I wonder if Sting was chuffed with this:

https://youtu.be/w1ku3x6KZ2c

Wow, that's great, not heard that before!

viz

Not quite a cover, it’s an amazing group of musicians playing an old standard, but ... just check this out. Everything from the singing, the passion, the emotion, the orchestration, the performances, the trumpeters’ vibrato, George’s timing, the restraint of the pianist, the song itself, just the artistry of the whole thing - wow. 

https://youtu.be/x_cZjgThPks

EricTheWeary

Octafish said:

EricTheWeary said:

In a similar vein I wonder if Sting was chuffed with this:

https://youtu.be/w1ku3x6KZ2c

Wow, that's great, not heard that before!

It was a reasonably sized hit at the time, there's a very long remix as well. Although it doesn't deviate a lot from the original I prefer the Sheila Hilton one to listen to. 

Octafish

EricTheWeary said:

Octafish said:

EricTheWeary said:

In a similar vein I wonder if Sting was chuffed with this:

https://youtu.be/w1ku3x6KZ2c

Wow, that's great, not heard that before!

It was a reasonably sized hit at the time, there's a very long remix as well. Although it doesn't deviate a lot from the original I prefer the Sheila Hilton one to listen to. 

Ah, I was only 5 when this came out, mind you the Police were one of the first bands I got into around 81/82. Stewart Copeland was outsanding drummer, but Sheila Hilton version has the better vocals and bass playing.

Rocker

There is no doubt in my mind that the original guitar intro played by Slash on the Guns N Roses song 'Sweet child o mine' is much better than the interpretation I heard being played in a music shop in Dublin recently. I genuinely felt sympathy for the shop assistants....