Topic: Originals that are better than cover versions

[Timbo's Goals]

The obverse thread is a fabulous thread not least because there are so many glorious covers.

However recently I've been finding many originals that I previously had no knowledge of which for me actually eclipse the versions I had always thought of as being the original version. If you get me drift.

Anyroad, a few examples.

Evie Sands - I Can't Let Go.

Always thought the amazing Hollies hit was an original. But it wasn't. This two minutes of pop genius was.


<a href="https://youtube.com/v/WvfnUEKdv5s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/WvfnUEKdv5s</a>


Jackie De Shannon - When You Walk in the Room

Likewise always thought The great Searchers song was an original but no. It was Jackie's. And boy does she mean what she wrote and sang.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/g9VeE7GABgk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/g9VeE7GABgk</a>


Any others gratefully appreciated

 

[Devon Red]

Blinded By The Light by Bruce Springsteen. Never charted for him, then went to number 1 when covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Their version is more recognised, but Bruce did it better. These days more people realise it's a Bruce original, but I think it qualifies.

[Terry de Niro]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U</a>
Gloria Jones with Tainted Love.
Always thought that Soft Cell's version was the original until I discovered this one.

[Only Me]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U</a>
Gloria Jones with Tainted Love.
Always thought that Soft Cell's version was the original until I discovered this one.

First came across this by accident just after Soft Cell went to number one. When was that, 1980/81?? Can't be arsed Googling.

Great song. Liked Soft Cell's version a lot, but the original is epic.

[Riquende]

Blinded By The Light by Bruce Springsteen. Never charted for him, then went to number 1 when covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Their version is more recognised, but Bruce did it better. These days more people realise it's a Bruce original, but I think it qualifies.

Thanks to the early Napster days of music piracy where you'd be downloading all sorts of dodgy MP3s with whatever titles their owners had given them, I always had this pegged as an ELO song. I don't recall exactly how I found out the truth.

Perhaps there's another thread idea in that - "Songs you assumed for years were by a different artist".

[So… Howard Philips]

The obverse thread is a fabulous thread not least because there are so many glorious covers.

However recently I've been finding many originals that I previously had no knowledge of which for me actually eclipse the versions I had always thought of as being the original version. If you get me drift.

Anyroad, a few examples.

Evie Sands - I Can't Let Go.

Always thought the amazing Hollies hit was an original. But it wasn't. This two minutes of pop genius was.


<a href="https://youtube.com/v/WvfnUEKdv5s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/WvfnUEKdv5s</a>


Jackie De Shannon - When You Walk in the Room

Likewise always thought The great Searchers song was an original but no. It was Jackie's. And boy does she mean what she wrote and sang.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/g9VeE7GABgk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/g9VeE7GABgk</a>


Any others gratefully appreciated

 

Wow - Evie Sands one of the lesser known blue eyed soul singers.

And a great thread.

[ToneLa]

If you think the Boo Radleys or Sixpence None the Richer did the La's There She Goes better, I'm not being your penfriend any more

Also. Tainted Love. Heard the original last week. Wow!

[Drinks Sangria]

If you think the Boo Radleys or Sixpence None the Richer did the La's There She Goes better, I'm not being your penfriend any more

That would be a horrible take. Like when people think Adele wrote and first performed Make you feel my Love.

Jose Gonzalez's Heartbeats, never knew it was done by a Swedish Duo called The Knife. Much better version.

[Crosby Nick]

Never knew that Step On Happy Monday’s was a cover of sorts (minus the twisting my melons man bit!) until fairly recently...

https://youtu.be/fYZAo01p5oM

[ToneLa]

That would be a horrible take. Like when people think Adele wrote and first performed Make you feel my Love.

I fomented this opinion when a "mate" linked me to the both versions on YouTube and, like an idiot, I got to reading the comments

So

YouTube is full of horrible takes. Lesson learned!
-
Mark Ronson's ”Stop Me", makes me wish somebody did

[Timbo's Goals]

Blinded By The Light by Bruce Springsteen. Never charted for him, then went to number 1 when covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Their version is more recognised, but Bruce did it better. These days more people realise it's a Bruce original, but I think it qualifies.

Bugger. That was gonna be my next. Nice one mate.

 

[Riquende]

Never knew that Step On Happy Monday’s was a cover of sorts (minus the twisting my melons man bit!) until fairly recently...

https://youtu.be/fYZAo01p5oM

Wow! How is that not common knowledge?

[Timbo's Goals]

Wow - Evie Sands one of the lesser known blue eyed soul singers.

And a great thread.

Cheers HP. Just seems an obvious reverse extension of the other thread. As for Evie  - yeah. Delicious. Was knocked for six when I came across it. Had always felt the song was The Hollies finest out of their amazing pop catalogue but Evie’s original is just sublime pop.

[Tricia Dingle]

Didn't know the Toploader song was a cover until fairly recently!

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5JqPxmYhlo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5JqPxmYhlo</a>

[Crosby Nick]

Wow! How is that not common knowledge?

Maybe I’m just an ignoramus!

The Mondays version was the only one I’d heard for about 20 years so I had no reason to think it was a cover.

[Timbo's Goals]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NSehtaY6k1U</a>
Gloria Jones with Tainted Love.
Always thought that Soft Cell's version was the original until I discovered this one.

Fantastic pick Terry lad. Does this slot into the Northern Soul genre?

[Sangria]

Anyone heard of Io Che Non Vivo Senza Te by Pino Donaggio?

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/N3W7qlMZTXY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/N3W7qlMZTXY</a>

Dusty Springfield was present at the time, and loved the song so much that she got a couple of her mates to knock out some English lyrics "because my Italian isn't too good" (sic).

[Timbo's Goals]

Never knew that Step On Happy Monday’s was a cover of sorts (minus the twisting my melons man bit!) until fairly recently...

https://youtu.be/fYZAo01p5oM

Oh yeah. Remember it well. Also brings back memories of “tasty“ debates with my lad and his mates about Happy Monday’s and all the other Manc shite - as I used to term them.

 

[rob1966]

Never knew that Step On Happy Monday’s was a cover of sorts (minus the twisting my melons man bit!) until fairly recently...

https://youtu.be/fYZAo01p5oM

Bastard, beat me to it.

Wow! How is that not common knowledge?

I'd never heard it until I watched the The Serpent on BBC

[Crosby Nick]

Bastard, beat me to it.

I'd never heard it until I watched the The Serpent on BBC

I remember you sharing it on the thread now you mention it!

Timbo - I can well imagine you turning your nose up at all things Madchester.

[Elmo!]

Maybe I’m just an ignoramus!

The Mondays version was the only one I’d heard for about 20 years so I had no reason to think it was a cover.

I'm pretty sure I only found out it was a cover when someone posted it in the other thread recently.

EDIT: should have read the whole thread 

[Timbo's Goals]

Timbo - I can well imagine you turning your nose up at all things Madchester.

Ha ha. Just a bit!!

 

[rob1966]

I'm pretty sure I only found out it was a cover when someone posted it in the other thread recently.

EDIT: should have read the whole thread 

The original by John Kongos was released in 1971 and even though I'll have heard it on the radio back then, it never registered with me, he wasn't that successful an artist and I wasn't a fan of the Mondays, bands like Guns N Roses, Metallica, Megadeth and then Grunge was what I was listening to/into back then, so paid no attention to them other hearing them on the radio, so it totally passed me by.

[Riquende]

Maybe I’m just an ignoramus!

The Mondays version was the only one I’d heard for about 20 years so I had no reason to think it was a cover.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I knew and more people should, I was saying that the original probably should have been more popular and widely known than it seems to be.

[Hazell]

Jose Gonzalez's Heartbeats, never knew it was done by a Swedish Duo called The Knife. Much better version.

Which one? I head Jose Gonzalez's version first and like it but much prefer the original.

[Terry de Niro]

Fantastic pick Terry lad. Does this slot into the Northern Soul genre?

Could do, mate.
Just sounds like very early Motown to me.

*Edit* Just read her wikipedia page and she eventually became a writer for Motown and mentions the Northen Soul link... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Jones

[liversaint]

Fantastic pick Terry lad. Does this slot into the Northern Soul genre?

Looking at some Soft Cell stuff recently, Dave Ball said he picked it up for them due to its Northern Soul origins. Incidentally, he’s from Chester and Marc Almond is from Southport.

[rob1966]

Looking at some Soft Cell stuff recently, Dave Ball said he picked it up for them due to its Northern Soul origins. Incidentally, he’s from Chester and Marc Almond is from Southport.

Not far from where I used to live, he grew up in Birkdale. Saw him at a Rewind festival in 2018, he can sing.

Anyway, loads think Tina Turner did the original of Proud Mary, original is far far better

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XfyEpmQM7bw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XfyEpmQM7bw</a>

[elbow]

Looking at some Soft Cell stuff recently, Dave Ball said he picked it up for them due to its Northern Soul origins. Incidentally, he’s from Chester and Marc Almond is from Southport.

Funny you should mention that. There’s a DJ down here in Melbourne, Vince Peach who’s originally from Southport. He’s been doing a Northern Soul night and radio show for donkeys years, I heard him play the original Tainted Love one night.

I wonder if Soft Cell heard him play it back in the day?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Peach

[liversaint]

Not far from where I used to live, he grew up in Birkdale. Saw him at a Rewind festival in 2018, he can sing.

Anyway, loads think Tina Turner did the original of Proud Mary, original is far far better

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XfyEpmQM7bw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XfyEpmQM7bw</a>

Seen him a couple of times, most recently at the Lytham Festival, he’s brilliant.

Funny you should mention that. There’s a DJ down here in Melbourne, Vince Peach who’s originally from Southport. He’s been doing a Northern Soul night and radio show for donkeys years, I heard him play the original Tainted Love one night.

I wonder if Soft Cell heard him play it back in the day?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Peach

Bet they’re  good nights. Think he heard in clubs originally and took it from there.

[Pistolero]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/HL6PcEC8Hzk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/HL6PcEC8Hzk</a>

[LanceLink!!!!!]

Be Thankful for What You Got

Original by William DeVaughn - 1974

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/ketlijNfeHw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/ketlijNfeHw</a>

Cover by Massive Attack - 1991

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/um06u9Zg8ww" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/um06u9Zg8ww</a>

[Kenny's Jacket]

Never knew that Step On Happy Monday’s was a cover of sorts (minus the twisting my melons man bit!) until fairly recently...

https://youtu.be/fYZAo01p5oM

jeses christ   - how did you find out?

[Elmo!]

Be Thankful for What You Got

Original by William DeVaughn - 1974

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/ketlijNfeHw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/ketlijNfeHw</a>

Cover by Massive Attack - 1991

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/um06u9Zg8ww" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/um06u9Zg8ww</a>

Ah that's a really good shout. The MA version is good but the original is brilliant.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Pump up the volume was originally performed by the James Nance Quartet in 1948 just after World War 2. Leaning back towards the memories and the times of the years leading up to the end of the conflict. The keyboards were naturally arranged on Hammond and played effervescently by Nance. Fadon Boys on Guitar, Sid Bellamy on Drums and Clam on Bass. They created a background sound in an inventive new arrangement. Originally it went to be a 4-4-3-4-2-4 bar structure, it moved to provide a harmonic departure from the A section and moved into the bridge which resolved mixing atonally across a 4-4-4-4-3-4-3-2-1-4-2 jazz structure with a crossover into an asyncronatic blues pattern and terminating with a memorable Reggae/Country structure with yet another crossover into early punk.

Nice.

[19th Nervous Title]

Blinded By The Light by Bruce Springsteen. Never charted for him, then went to number 1 when covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Their version is more recognised, but Bruce did it better. These days more people realise it's a Bruce original, but I think it qualifies.

But he's hardly done Because The Night since Patti Smith owned it.

[19th Nervous Title]

Or The Pointer Sisters claimed Fire.

[rob1966]

But he's hardly done Because The Night since Patti Smith owned it.

I only recently found out on Planet Rock that he originally did Because the Night and I didn't know until this thread he wrote Blinded by the light.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

Be Thankful for What You Got

Original by William DeVaughn - 1974

Cover by Massive Attack - 1991

I remember the original video for Be Thankful getting shown on one of the minor MTV channels late at night and being a somewhat 'transformational' moment for the adolescent me 

Man Next Door is another one from Massive Attack that was a cover


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/xKzG53ZuH5I" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/xKzG53ZuH5I</a>

The Paragons also did the original version of Tide Is High

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/SQXqkiKXiHc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/SQXqkiKXiHc</a>


One final contribution which is slightly backwards - Mickey Newbury wrote "Just dropped in (to see what condition my condition was in)" whose best known recording was by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. He subsequently released his own version of the song which for me at least is the definitive version. So bizarrely he ended up covering his own song . Not sure if that goes in this thread or the other covers one.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/jYQW0NOyZpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/jYQW0NOyZpc</a>

[Timbo's Goals]

I guess this is mainly associated with Rod the Plod but I was fortunate enough to come across the Crazy Horse debut album when it first came out back in the day as the MNE said they were similar to The Band and immediately fell in love with Danny Whitten's superb melancholic offering

I Don't Want To Talk About It



<a href="https://youtube.com/v/AR3Al4hPKYs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/AR3Al4hPKYs</a>