Taking Sides: Both famous versions of "I Shot the Sherrif"

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After reading the Johnny Cash "Tear Stained Letter" vs Richard Thompson "Tear Stained Letter" I had to wonder about the original B.Marley and the Wailers version of "I Shot the Sherrif" and how it compared to the bluesier (,flatter?) Clapton version.
Which do yopu prefer and why?
Is there a way for someone to do a cover that leverages the good points of both versions?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapton's version has only one use: when your parents start saying rap is ultra violent you remind them Clapton didn't shoot the deputy and that Johnny Cash shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahahahahahaha....
But, Anthony...he DID shoot the deputy.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

If Clapton weren't so intent on putting out shitty music and shitty covers, maybe his version would be better. that being said, the original makes me cream myself, and i dont even like reggae.

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

If Clapton's version got any less 'bluesy' it would be RED. One of my all-time least favorite covers of any song in the history of music, to be perfectly frank.

The OG version, on the other hand, has the kind of raw dirty rocksteady vibe and evocative delivery that makes you willing to believe on some level that maybe, just possibly, the person singing this song actually did shoot the sheriff.

Bob Marley's original version by fifty bazillion infinity miles.

And...how the hell is sheriff actually spelled anyway?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Eric Crapton.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

EPMD sampled the Clapton version and made it good (can't remember what the track's called, though).

― scott woods (s woods), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Warren G also took Clapton's shit and, well, wrote his name on it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

epmd w/ clapton sample = "strictly business"... great single.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Search: "I Shot My Manager" by Gruppo Sportivo

― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Strictly Business is def. the only good thing to come of Crapton's cover.

Wailers by several thousand country miles.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 17:46 (twenty-two years ago)

At the risk of catching hell from all of my friends (and probably most ILM posters), I'll argue that Clapton managed a brief winning streak. See: Bluesbreakers, Delaney & Bonnie, some Derek, some Cream.

Even so, Wailer's by a country mile.

On the other hand, I think his version of Tosh's "Whatcha Gonna Do?"
is classic. Not better, just really fuckin good.

― Will (will), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

listening a few times to the Clapton version can enhance enormously any subsequent listenings to the Marley version. I find this works a lot where there are two versions of songs. In a different vein, I used to do something similar with two DK versions of 'Holiday in Cambodia' from Fresh Fruit and Give Me Convenience. After listening a few times to the slower, more mature Give Me Convenience version, the original version sounds really edgy and fast.

― jadrenos (jadrenos), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Rob Sheffield's review of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven":
"Kill it before it grows."

(I'll take the Boney M version, myself. Though I like the Gruppo Sportivo mention above, too.) (Actually, I forget if Boney M actually DID "I Shot the Sheriff." But it sure seems like they should have.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

they definitely should have

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

http://engrish.com/music/image/cdcover.jpg

― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)

BOTH famous versions?

Thank your lucky stars I'm not Warren G, or you'd be getting cussed to shreds right now...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i shot omar sharif

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Whut thee? Marley's, by default.

― Francis Watlington, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 22:44 (twenty-two years ago)

never particularly cared for the song, but if had to pick it would def. be Bob's version

― H (Heruy), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

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