Covers that you love but you've never heard the original so you hardly consider it a cover and you're not sure if you even want to hear it because the cover is so good

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Hotwire My Heart - Sonic Youth. Never heard Crime's version - but I consider it one of Sonic Youth's best songs.

Amnesty Report - heard Watt & Tom Watson do ths last year.. Can't imagine The Pop Group's version being better.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a vague recollection that we've done this thread... but do it again.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I've muttered on the Van Der Graaf thread that I want to hear the original of "Vision" by Pete Hammill and I still do, but Marc Almond's various takes are so splendid that I think I really want to stick with those in the end.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

it was a long time before i heard Elvis Costello's "Shipbuilding". it's ok, but i would've been much happier to have just listened to the robert wyatt version forever.

― JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I was always mad at The Replacements for putting "Black Diamond" on Let It Be instead of "Temptation Eyes". I didn't like them substituting some goofy cover for a heartfelt original like "Eyes".

So imagine my surprise that afternoon at the barbecue restaurant when I heard the original "Temptation Eyes" on the oldies station....

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The Fall- "Why Are People Grudgeful". But it's a Fall song, so obviously it's brilliant.

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Have never heard Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide', just the Tori Amos cover, which is enough for me.

Very bizarrely, I was actually hugely underwhelmed the first time I heard Marvin Gaye's original 'Trouble Man'; it seems horribly perverse that I prefer the Neneh Cherry cover.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Crime is great! "Hotwire My Heart" is not their best song, tho.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

B-B-BUT, YOU MEAN SMASHING PUMKINS DIDN'T WRITE 'LANDSLIDE'!?!?

― JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

The two Nerves covers on Parallel Lines are the best things on it (Heart of Glass excepted I suppose)

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

'Slip Inside This House' by Primal Scream - originally by 13th floor elevators I think.

― calstars (calstars), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

'only love can break your heart'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

amateurist is wrong -- "hotwire your heart" is one of Crime's best songs. the SY cover is great, but the original is even better. hopefully, someday, Revenant will finally put out the Crime box, which has hung limbo for aeons.
if you can find it, there is a bootleg of all of Crime's singles floating out there called Piss On Your Turntable . . ., put out by Lady Butcher. There's an address for them, but who knows if its still good or even real. It's:

Lady Butcher
1101 Shoreway Rd
San Francisco CA 94133

Like I said, who knows if it's actually valid.

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmm.... shoreway road doesn't reach SF, it does however cut through most of the Peninsula just south of city limits.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bad Girl" by the Detroit Cobras, which is a cover of the Oblivians' "Bad Man" (which I really should have heard by now..)

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i suspected as much -- i mean, if you are bootlegger, why would you put your address on what you were bootlegging? (baby, long time no see!) took me forever to track down that bootleg of the Crime singles -- the bootleg finally just appearing used at a local store.

as for covers being better than the original, check out Outrageous Cherry's version of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love", which is on OC's album of covers, Stereo Action Rent Party on Third Gear.

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

a whole bunch of Led Zeppelin songs

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Medeski Martin and Wood do this Monk song called "Blue Pepper" all the time that's hella awesome and I've still never heard the orig.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

SY doing mudhoney's "touch me i'm sick." and though it isn't preferable to the original, i heard big black's version of kraftwerk's "the model" before i heard the original.

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

There's supposed to be a Crime box?! Do tell. Why didn't you post to the Crime thread, jack?

calstars not knowing the 13th Floor Elevators original of "Slip Inside This House" hurts me in my heart.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

K McCarty doing Daniel Johnston's "Hey Joe."

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 15 August 2003 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

.. And Half Japanese doing Johnston's "Casper the Friendly Ghost"

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 15 August 2003 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

This Mortal Coil to thread.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 15 August 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

And Daniel Johnston doing Half Jap's "Some Things Last A Long Time"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 15 August 2003 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

contortions -- "i can't stand myself" from no new york (james brown)
redd kross -- "pretty please me" (the quick)
motorhead/girlschool -- "please don't touch" (johnny kidd & the pirates)

― jack, Friday, 15 August 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Madness - It Must Be Love
Blondie - Denis
David Bowie - Wild Is The Wind
The Henrys - The One Rose
Laura Cantrell - Two Seconds

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 15 August 2003 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

also Magazine's cover of Sly Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 15 August 2003 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

forgot to add cool covers by the dirtbombs of originals i've never heard, including:

"underdog" (sly stone)
"ode to a black man" (thin lizzy)
"i'm qualified to satisfy you" (barry white)

― jack, Friday, 15 August 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Will Oldham covering Tim McGraw's "Just to See You Smile". I know it's a cover and all, but there's very little chance of me ever taking the time to listen to Tim McGraw. There's also Oldham's cover of David Allan Coe's "In My Mind", which I just haven't been able to find but would listen to.

― Moss Feaster, Friday, 15 August 2003 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Re: Bad Man by the Obvilions...I've never heard the cover, but the original is stunning. You should hear it.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Sunday, 17 August 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

This Mortal Coil to thread.

Oh bingo bingo bingo! I remember not wanting to ever hear Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren," lest it diminish the jaw-dropping celestial gobsmackery of This Mortal Coil's velvet touch. Eventually I did hear it, and it sounded like the gurgled death cry of a lumpen, sopping stillborn turkey fetus when compared to Liz Fraser's arch-angelic warble.

Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" sounds like a clogged toilet...er..compared to Sinead's lovely version.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 17 August 2003 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

"When I Was a Baby" ~ New Pornographers. I've never heard the Donner Party version, but I can't imagine that it lives up to this masterpiece.

― Ben Boyer, Sunday, 17 August 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"Eternal Flame" -- Atomic Kitten
"Tide Is High" -- Atomic Kitten

FF! PF!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Almost every cover of Bob Dylan that I know is better than the original. (Except of course G'n'R's Heavens Door and DMB's Watchtower)

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

JP speaks deep truth.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

NO YOU BOTH LIE!

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

XTC's take on "..Watchtower" unleashes a glorious, steaming avalanche of brown all over every other version. So there.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" sounds like a clogged toilet...er..compared to Sinead's lovely version.

Yeah, it does. Although I think the ORIGINAL original version as performed by The Family is excellent. However even it is just shy of the Sinead version.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 17 August 2003 20:20 (twenty-two years ago)

XTC's take on "..Watchtower" unleashes a glorious, steaming avalanche of brown all over every other version. So there.

Alex in NYC and I in perfect harmony shockah.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 17 August 2003 20:22 (twenty-two years ago)

no way man, Dave took that song to a whole nother level

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Sunday, 17 August 2003 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

There is a subcategory I think of Records You Know Were Covers And You Wish They Weren't Because Then Cockfarmers Wouldn't Be Able To Look Smug And Say Yeah But Have You Heard The Original Which Is Cuntish Even If The Original Is Very Good.

i.e. "Tainted Love".

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 17 August 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

haha!

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Sunday, 17 August 2003 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

momus orgasm addict.

― anthony easton (anthony), Monday, 18 August 2003 06:41 (twenty-two years ago)

e.g. - Nuggets (etc.)

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 18 August 2003 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

And Say Yeah But Have You Heard The Original Which Is Cuntish

Why?

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

(I mean, I understand it being cuntish when the only purpose of persuading one to hear the original is just to flex some musical trivia muscle and do a one up. But otherwise...)

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell also falls in the category of Songs You Knew Were Covers But Almost Everyone You Know Has Not Actually Heard The Goddamn Original Song Oddly Enough.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

you're missing the cockfarmer part which is key

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

WEE R ALL COCKFARMERS THO

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

;-)

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

siouxsie and the banshees - dear prudence (beatles)
raincoats - lola (kinks)
jeff buckley - hallelujah (leonard cohen)
ronnie spector - you can't put your arms around a memory (johnny thunders)

The only one of these originals I've heard is "Lola," which is fine with me.

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah the choice of cockfarmer and cuntish is designed to imply that one-upmanship is the aim rather than spreading the musical wisdom.

Or - slightly better but still infuriating - the assumption that anyone who likes (say) "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell can't have heard the original or they'd be mentioning that instead. It's annoying how often I've said "Yeah it's one of my favourite singles" and got in reply not "Have you heard..." but "Oh, you should hear...".

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 18 August 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I much prefer the Damned's take on "Alone Again Or" than the Love original. Call me crazy. Calexico's recent version of same is quite nice too.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 August 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

WEE R ALL COCKFARMERS THO

I said MAMA!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 18 August 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex you crazy

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Monday, 18 August 2003 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

jeff buckley - hallelujah

John Cales version is superior.

Also the Pixies doing Leonard Cohens Can`t Forget is one of my favorite songs.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

John Cale's version is the definitve version. (Buckley's kinda suxxor next to it.)

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Second Primal Scream's Slip Inside This House
Second Madness' It Must Be Love
Second David Bowie's Wild As The Wind

Also: David Bowie's Night Flights

― Tijn, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Luna's cover of Beat Farmers "Indian Summer" and The Reivers cover of Johnston's "Walking the Cow." I did eventually buy the BF disk (cheap used one) and I didn't expect it to approach Luna's and wasn't let down. And I later bought a Johnston disk (not with WtC) and actually liked it more than I thought I would.

Also, a lot of the Roky Erikson tribute disk, tho I do like the 13th Floor Elevators and Erikson solo a bit.

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Beat Farmers = Beat Happening?

Luna's version of that isn't anything special. if you don't like the original you could try the Spectrum version which is wonderful

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Age of Chance - Kiss (name? the Prince song)

but my fave (tho' I eventually heard the original and it's ok, but better is...)

The Minutemen - The Red & The Black

absolutely frightening power... it's alright, it's alright, it's alright....

― Chris P, Wednesday, 20 August 2003 02:59 (twenty-two years ago)

all of saint etienne's covers

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Beat Happening, typing on automatic.

BOC's Red & Black is pretty good, give it a try.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

The 'Mats doing "Another Girl, Another Planet" by the Only Ones. Which also rules.

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Clash's "Police On My Back" is a prime example. I've never heard the original (by Eddie "Electric Ave" Grant), but I can't imagine it's better.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

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