Orginals vs. Covers Part 72
Ironfeet
516 Posts
I???m sure this has been covered here so many bleeping times but I???ve been going back and forth with a friend of mine about this, it started out on fracebroke when I posted up the Mayer Hawthorne cover of I got work to do and he started hating on it, now I???m not saying the Mayer version is better but it is a cool listen too as with the AWB and OG Isley version??? I know dude was just hating like white on white crime though???
Then dude comes back to me with the originals are most of the time better, I got back and said nah I think they???re are better covers out there. Well at least in my record collection the cover versions out way the original version???s, now I???m talking bout that jazz stuff too??? I gave examples of the Johnny Bristol ??? I wouldn???t change a thing vs. Coke Escovedo???s version. Then I posted up the Mark Cappani I belive in miracles orginal vs. the Jackson Sisters version. Though I like all of these versions??? I guess in the end it just comes down to what the person likes??? I just like to talk shite sometimes..
But I figure I would throw this up on the strut to let yall bleeping geniuses??? put in your two cents like 12 jurors about to deliberate! What yall think??? Change my mind please???
Then dude comes back to me with the originals are most of the time better, I got back and said nah I think they???re are better covers out there. Well at least in my record collection the cover versions out way the original version???s, now I???m talking bout that jazz stuff too??? I gave examples of the Johnny Bristol ??? I wouldn???t change a thing vs. Coke Escovedo???s version. Then I posted up the Mark Cappani I belive in miracles orginal vs. the Jackson Sisters version. Though I like all of these versions??? I guess in the end it just comes down to what the person likes??? I just like to talk shite sometimes..
But I figure I would throw this up on the strut to let yall bleeping geniuses??? put in your two cents like 12 jurors about to deliberate! What yall think??? Change my mind please???
Comments
When I was young I was a radical originalist. Covers sucked by definition. And if a white person covered a Black persons song they were ripping them off.
I got over it.
Back when we listened to cassettes I made a 90min tape of Aint No Sunshine.
Just listened to it the other day.
Maybe the original is the best, but I don't even thing you are comparing apples to apples when you compare Withers version to RR Kirk's.
I made a comp with all covers of Wichita Lineman. There is no doubt the Glen Campbell version (which most people know and think of as "the original") is the weakest one!!! The Meters cover totally blows Glen's version out of the water!!
What happens to this conversation when there is no "original" version? How many artists have covered "The Look of Love"?
But are any of those versions actually "the original"? Burt Bacharach released his version of his song, but is that the original?
To me almost any cover of a Dylan song is better than Dylan's version.
Others?
Isaac Hayes... (This could be it's own thread I suppose)
Dave Porter...
Bobby Troup
Don Covay
Dan Penn...
And all the people who wrote for others and knew their limitations as performers; HDH, Bacharach, Sir Mack Rice, Lieber Stoller...
I don't know about that, but their version of Mr. Dream Merchant definately outshined Jerry Butler's.
Flack's Compared To What
Vinton's Sealed with a Kiss
Slim Smith's You Don't Care (Impressions' You'll Want Me Back)
Whats the original?
Swiss Movement was the "hit".
Did McDaniels do a forgettable version that I forgot?
The original is the 1967 recording by Les McCann on 'Les McCann Plays the Hits' on Limelight
Right. Swiss Movement is much better, and I like Roberta and I'm not mad at Sweetwater and didn't Auger do a passable version too?
There's a nice version by Della Reese on Avco as well.
Speaking of which,
The Uniques - 'Gypsy Woman' > The Impressions - 'Gypsy Woman'
Jerry Jones' version is not a huge departure from the Flack version, vocally anyway. Musically, it's delightfully wobbly and wired.
Better reggae versions can be its own thread...these two covers on the Paragons w/ Roslyn Sweat LP kick the originals' asses round the block imo
Thanks for posting this!
Don't want to delve into a debate about what version is better but I really like this version
instrumental jazz covers that are fresh (not talking cover bands):
Weldon Vs. Stanley & Milt
'Sister Sanctified'
Weldon Vs. Herbolzheimer & Hubbard
'Mr.CLean'
love the weldon OG, one of my favourite albums.
Placebo Vs. Marvin Vs. Everyone
'Inner City Blues'
placebo version gives me chills, but also love Reuben Wilson's for the tribe memories.
Gary Bartz vs. Andy Bey
'Celestial Blues' both version slay.
Pharoah Vs. Leon Vs. Norman.
'the creator has a master plan' Leon makes it listenable in 5 minutes but norman's snoozer gives us 'The Real Hip Hop'
Buster Williams Vs. Roy Ayers
'Vibrations'
Young Holts' cover of 'yes we can' is unfuc$witable.
Countless Red Clay Covers, I still like Freddie's.
Monty Alexander's cover of Love & Happiness still a fave.
Gregory James Edition 'Ain't No Sunshine' is maybe my favourite cover of that song but Willis Jackson's gives us one of the illest hip hop breaks..
S.O.U.L. express yourself & Idris' Cover both great
Kynard's cover of 'i got so much trouble on my mind' while not necessarily winning on the original is a nice twist to play
Afrique's cover of 'kissin my love' is a long time fave.
johnny hammond's cover of 'rock steady' is sublime
instrumental jazz covers that are fresh (not talking cover bands):
Weldon Vs. Stanley & Milt
'Sister Sanctified'
Weldon Vs. Herbolzheimer & Hubbard
'Mr.CLean'
love the weldon OG, one of my favourite albums.
Placebo Vs. Marvin Vs. Everyone
'Inner City Blues'
placebo version gives me chills, but also love Reuben Wilson's for the tribe memories.
Gary Bartz vs. Andy Bey
'Celestial Blues' both version slay.
Pharoah Vs. Leon Vs. Norman.
'the creator has a master plan' Leon makes it listenable in 5 minutes but norman's snoozer gives us 'The Real Hip Hop'
Buster Williams Vs. Roy Ayers
'Vibrations'
Young Holts' cover of 'yes we can' is unfuc$witable.
Countless Red Clay Covers, I still like Freddie's.
Monty Alexander's cover of Love & Happiness still a fave.
Gregory James Edition 'Ain't No Sunshine' is maybe my favourite cover of that song but Willis Jackson's gives us one of the illest hip hop breaks..
S.O.U.L. express yourself & Idris' Cover both great
Kynard's cover of 'i got so much trouble on my mind' while not necessarily winning on the original is a nice twist to play
Afrique's cover of 'kissin my love' is a long time fave.
johnny hammond's cover of 'rock steady' is sublime
New Birth had the better version both times, IMO.
Have to respectfully disagree, re: Womack's version. New Birth definitely bested him on "I Can Understand It," but he had so many other brilliant moments that it doesn't matter. He did do a better "Fire & Rain" than James Taylor, but that's not hard to do (not a James Taylor fan).
As far as the other names you mentioned, I'd sooner say it was a matter of pure opinion, although (a) David Porter's solo records are rather undistinguished, (b) I'm not familiar with Bobby Troup (I know who he is, but was never motivated to buy his records, if he has any), and (c) I quite like Dan Penn's records, particularly 1973's Nobody's Fool album.
Did you get the Freedy Johnston version?
Just watched this and it blew my ears off (32 seconds in).
This>Little Richard