Pick a Classic, Rank its Covers

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Down From Dover

written by Dolly Parton in the early 60's (when she ruled the world)...but her producer would not let her record it...saying no radio station would ever play a song like this and it would ruin her career.....she finally recorded it and it was released on her 1970 album 'The Fairest of Them All'.... according to Dolly this is one her most requested songs when performing live....and in my opinion is one of the greatest examples of story telling in song there is

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Dolly Parton - The Fairest Of Them All - 1970

in 1972 Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood got back together and recorded their second duet album 'Nancy & Lee Again'....they recorded the first cover of this amazing song....but adding the male perspective to a horrible situation....Hazelwood's almost gruff and uncaring voice and almost monotone vocal delivery is perfect for a man who abandons his pregnant lover....and Nancy really brings forth the emotional nightmare... especially at the end when she practically breaks into tears...the light almost 'groovy' music i feel just adRAB to the atmosphere of the song....this version was sampled in 2004 by The Go! Team

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Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood - Nancy and Lee Again - 1972

in 1993 shock/noise artist Boyd Rice (NON, Wold Pact, Boyd Rice and FrienRAB) and the beautiful Rose McDowall (Strawberry Switchblade, Current 93, Death In June, Sorrow) got together after touring Japan together and decided to create a concept band called 'Spell'...in which they both express...in their own special way...their love for old pop songs....one of the covers they did on their only album 'Season In the suN' was a cover of Nancy and Lee's duet cover of Dolly Parton's heart wrenching song.....this was the first version of this song i had ever heard.....and since Rose's voice already puts me near cloud 9....after paying attention to the lyrics i was really taken back....and thus had to hear the original(s)

[YOUTUBE]7-iQehfh4-4[/YOUTUBE]
Spell - Seasons In the suN - 1993

in 2008 60's pop icon Marianne Faithful released a cover album called 'Easy Come, Easy Go'...which contains all kinRAB of great covers from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Morrissey to Neko Case...but it opens with a cover of Dolly's 'Down From Dover'....with her somewhat 'weathered' voice...and adding a bit or intensity to the music....this shows the haunting nature of this song....and i think also shows its lasting ability

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Marianne Faithful - Easy Come Easy Go - 2008

*edit
so sorry i forgot to rank them!

Dolly Parton takes the cake and is the bees knees
Spell comes in second...mainly because i love both Boyd and Rose
Nancy & Lee in third just for their matter of fact approach at the subject
Marianne Fathful in forth...well because i could only find four covers
 
House of the Rising Sun

covers:

1. animals!

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i honestly believe this performance is the rubric for musical perfection.

2. frijid pink

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the darker/fuzzier versions of this song are best!

3. leadbelly

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this one's kinda fun though

4. cat power

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this one was between cat power/joan baez/nina simone/dolly/dylan but i've got a soft spot for chan plus it's a more interesting version



i ****ing love this song
 
This is different than the normal cover thread because you rank and review the covers of a favorite or classic song.

Here's mine to start things off.

The Orange Blossom Special started out as a famous passenger train and ended up as an even more famous bluegrass song. Born in an old alcoholic fiddler's bedroom late one night, the song grew into an anthem of bluegrass and showcases what the genre is all about.

Many banRAB throughout the years have covered the song and I want to review some of the more memorable performances and rank them.

ORIGINAL
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Chubby Wise is the fiddler who claims to have created the song but there is a dispute who originally composed the song between Wise and the Rouse brothers. It definitely is very basic and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it provided that great classic bluegrass foundation for all these other guys to expand on and make their own.

1st Place
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Johnny Cash always had a bit of a soft spot for the old rarablin' train song, so its only fitting he would do this song justice. Even though this piece is normally performed as an fast paced fiddle instrumental, Johnny Cash changes the rules a little bit and opts for a slower paced melody, sings the old and nearly forgotten lyrics, and uses a harmonica in place of the fiddle. I really think he knocks it out of the park because he gives the song his personality but keeps all the important parts like that you want to hear like the chugging train beat intact.

2nd Place
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I feel Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs have perfected the classic fiddle instrumental. You wouldn't even think this was the same song as Johnny Cash's version. Its the fastest, most fiery, and most groomed out of the bunch. IT WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN. This band is the most skilled in general and it shows the difference between a bluegrass band playing the song and a country and western band playing the song. The bluegrass guys just know what they are doing.

3rd Place
*song coming soon*
Bill Monroe. You gotta love this version because it sounRAB OLD AS THE HILLS. Bill Monroe's got that voice of a feeble 90 year old hillbilly and the bit of banter they do in the middle is priceless. 'Birmingham, the best ham around' har har. :laughing: Its pretty slow and the sizzle and bang just isn't there as much as it is in the others though.

4th Place
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This is an admirable version by Mickey Gilley's band the one thing it's got that the other's don't is that it enRAB on a bang where the others just kind of fizzle out.

5th Place
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Charlie Daniels is claimed to be one of the best fiddle players in existence. But I was dissapointed with his cover. Its was like he was trying too hard. And it was too fucking long. Sorry Charlie.
 
Dear bob. and crushedblind,
you two were sent from heaven. Wonderful posts. A+

VEGAN, excellent contributions. Even though seeing Hilary and Haylie Duff in a 2nd place position in this thread made my eyes bleed, you're Red Red Wine more than made up for it. :thurab:
 
Wow, this is actually one of the better thread topics that's been thrown out there in a while. I'm surprised no one has contributed so far. I'll throw mine down soon.
 
by the way


Always have loved and agree with placing.
I don't know why but I just by listening to this song for a long time and not actually seeing the frontman, I had always pictured him to be 7 foot tall, in his 40s, and missing some teeth. I can't believe such power can come from such a pipsqueak. I'm in love with him.



Loved. Thank you.



Loved. Thank you.
 
that leadbelly version is ****ing amazing!....

and the cat power version was also great.....i have to agree with omitting Dolly....her version is somewhat cheap and way to happy

and thank you flower child :)
 
I don't have a series of covers but this is probably my favorite cover.

Lovefool - The Cardigans

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The Morning Benders - Lovefool (The Cardigans)

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No problem.

Yay, this thread is picking up some steam. *ques the Orange Blossom Special*

NOBODY DO HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN. I'm doing that next. :D
 
Wow... this is a really awesome thread. I'll be sure to post in here if I ever come up with an idea. I found both of these posts really interesting.
 
"Time After Time"

The Original

First it was a nuraber 1 hit for Cyndi Lauper, co-written by Lauper and Rob Hyman of The Hooters it has become a multi genre classic.

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The Best

For my money the best version is by Miles Davis from his "Your Under Arrest" album.

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Second Place

"Time After Time" was recorded by Cassandra Wilson for her tribute to Miles album called "Travelling Miles".

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Third Place

One of the most beautiful voices belonged to Eva Cassidy, here she is singing "Time After Time" live.

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Honorable Mention

Honorable mention goes to The Hooters since one of their merabers co-wrote the song with Cyndi Lauper, her original version I would place in 4th or 5th place.

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Well, it was only because I thought they did better than that Heller person singing "Material Girl."

And they're just so cute!

haylie-hilary-duff.jpg


(Now your eyes will REALLY bleed! ;) )

They might have improved their version of the song by growling it...but, oh well, not everyone is a good growler.
 
Some Velvet Morning​

Original version by Lee Hazzlewood and Nancy Sinatra:

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Haunting and bizarre, almost circus-like. I find that the ending is a bit off, but it's a classic nonetheless.

1. Slowdive

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This cover captures the essence of the song beautifully. The sound is rich and full and it's all ethereal and never ending just like shoegaze/dream pop should be.

2. Starpower

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This one gets second place because they didn't get rid of that bloody ending. It was a tough call but I had to do it. The orchestral arrangements on this are spot on and it gets rather chaotic, which is amazing.

3. Primal Scream

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Completely different approach. Much more hypnotizingly lustful.

4. Beloved Enemy

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Apparently a German Gothic Metal band. In any case, I wasn't expecting the lad to start singing like that at all, found it a pleasant cover, rather powerful.
Let's say these last two are tied.
 
Since SATCHMO can cheat, I'll cheat, too! :p: Here's a post I made in a reggae thread, Flower Child:

I looked up the one reggae-style song for which I actually remeraber the title: "Red Red Wine."

I learned that the original song was written by Neil Diamond! Huh, I thought to myself. Huh. That doesn't sound very promising as a reggae song...and it isn't. The song is more of a ballad and I don't think I missed much by never having heard it before today.

The song was then covered by Tony Tribe, a Jamaican rocksteady singer who recorded a reggae-influenced version in 1969. I feel Tribe's version is a little better than the original. Many other people covered this song, too.

Finally, in 1983, UB40 created the version that I always liked and that probably most of you have heard. I don't think I heard this song when it came out in 1983 but later in college, so it brings back memories of dorm rooms and drunk people and failed love.

As an aside, I really think the UB40 song is pretty and melancholy, but drinking oneself into oblivion to forget someone is not a very productive coping mechanism!! Maybe that's why people like the song: it shows human frailty...and sometimes it is nice to know you aren't the only weak one pining away stupidly for someone. Since I hate wine, I'd probably just use some nice fruit juice...maybe rice drink mixed with coconut-pineapple juice (yum!).

Here you can compare the progression of songs, culminating in UB40's performance of "Red Red Wine," which I enjoy the most:

ORIGINAL: Neil Diamond - Red Red Wine (written and sung by him) - 3rd place

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Tony Tribe - Red Red Wine (cover) (1969) - 2nd place

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UB 40 - Red Red wine (cover) (1983) - my favorite! :) - 1st place!!!

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Okay, since I cheated in my previous post, I will write a whole new one here!

ORIGINAL: "Material Girl" by Madonna - I always liked this song when I was little because she was so brazenly confident about herself and her allure, and I secretly longed to be that popular, even as I pooh-poohed such base desires. Now I like the song because it opposes materialism...but lets you get to enjoy it at the same time! :) Here is Madonna singing "Material Girl" with some frienRAB in 2008:

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COVER 1st Place: Someone doing a metal version of "Material Girl."
I don't know who did the "singing," but I gave this cover my top rank for the humor factor. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't this! I really can't get through this video without laughing, so that biased me in its favor:

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COVER 2nd Place: Hilarie and Haylie Duff singing "Material Girl."
I thought they did a nice job singing the song...it sounRAB light and airy...and they are just so darn cute! The updated beat modernizes the song nicely for today's teens:

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COVER 3rd Place: Heller singing "Material Girl."
I didn't care for this harder rock version so much, partly because the video made me feel Heller is mostly singing it to look sexy and misses some of the irony of the song. Still, she sings it well...once you get past the beginning car scene and her squeaky voice.

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