Favorite "Cover" Versions of Songs

[tv star collector]

[A "cover" being defined as a remake of a popular song by a different artist]

I have actually found myself liking some song covers as much as (sometimes
even more than) the originals. Some of my favorites include:

Act Naturally - Buck Owens & Ringo Starr (original: Buck Owens; later by The Beatles)
All Shook Up - Billy Joel (original: Elvis Presley)
Along Came Jones - Ray Stevens (original: The Coasters)
Always on My Mind - Elvis Presley (original: Willie Nelson)
Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton (original: Merilee Rush & The Turnabouts)
Back in the U.S.A. - Linda Ronstadt (original: Chuck Berry)
Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt (original: Roy Orbison)
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino (Louis Armstrong recorded it first)
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Bette Midler (original: The Andrews Sisters)
Break It to Me Gently - Juice Newton (original: Brenda Lee)
Chains - The Beatles (original: The Cookies)
Cherish - David Cassidy (original: The Association)
Crazy - LeAnn Rimes (original: Patsy Cline)
Daydream Believer - Anne Murray (original: The Monkees)
Deep Purple - Donny & Marie Osmond (original: Billy Ward & His Dominoes)
Delta Dawn - Tanya Tucker (original: Helen Reddy)
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Johnny Cash (original: Peter, Paul & Mary)
End of the World - Jimmy Dean (original: Skeeter Davis)
Frankie and Johnny - Elvis Presley (original: Brook Benton)
Goodnight My Love - Paula Abdul (original: The McGuire Sisters)
Grow Old with Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter (original: John Lennon)
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - Rod Stewart (original: Ricky Nelson)
I Really Don't Want to Know - Elvis Presley (original: Tommy Edwards)
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston (original: Dolly Parton)
I'll Be There - Mariah Carey (original: The Jackson 5)
If I Had a Hammer - Johnny Cash & June Carter (original: Peter, Paul & Mary)
If I Were a Carpenter - Johnny Cash & June Carter (original: Bobby Darin)
It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin - Jimmy Dean (original: Johnny Tillotson)
It's Only Make Believe - Glen Campbell (original: Conway Twitty)
Layla - Eric Clapton (original: Derek & The Dominos)
Long Tall Sally - The Beatles (original: Little Richard)
Looking Through the Eyes of Love - The Partridge Family (original: Gene Pitney)
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin (his was the 6th version recorded but the only
one to reach the No. 1 position on Billboard's chart; original: Dick Hyman Trio)
Make the World Go Away - Eddy Arnold (original: Timi Yuro)
Mama Sang a Song - Walter Brennan (original: Stan Kenton)
Me and Bobby McGee - Olivia Newton-John (original: Janis Joplin)
Mean Woman Blues - Elvis Presley (original: Roy Orbison)
My Maria - Brooks & Dunn (original: B.W. Stevenson)
My Prayer - Roy Orbison (original: The Platters)
My Way - Elvis Presley (original: Frank Sinatra)
Ooh Baby Baby - Linda Ronstadt (original: The Miracles)
Paper Roses - Marie Osmond (original: Anita Bryant)
Please Mr. Postman - The Beatles (original: The Marvelettes)
Power of Love - Air Supply (original: Joe Simon)
Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles (original: Chuck Berry)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Dean Martin (original: Gene Autry)
Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) - Cher (original: Betty Everett)
Slippin' and Slidin' - John Lennon (original: Little Richard)
Something - Elvis Presley (original: The Beatles)
Spirit in the Sky - d.c. talk (original: Norman Greenbaum)
Stand By Me - John Lennon (original: Ben E. King)
That'll Be the Day - Linda Ronstadt (original: The Crickets)
There Goes My Everything - Elvis Presley (original: Engelbert Humperdinck)
Till There Was You - The Beatles (original: Anita Bryant)
Tracks of My Tears - Linda Ronstadt (original: The Miracles)
Twelfth of Never - Donny Osmond (original: Johnny Mathis)
Twist and Shout - The Beatles (The Isley Brothers)
Unchained Melody - Elvis Presley (original: Les Baxter & His Orchestra)
Unforgettable - Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole (original: Nat King Cole)
We've Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton (original: Bob Seger)
What a Wonderful World - Kenny G. & Louis Armstrong (original: Louis Armstrong)
When a Man Loves a Woman - Michael Bolton (original: Percy Sledge)
When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt (original: The Everly Brothers)
When You Wish Upon a Star - Linda Ronstadt (original: Dion & The Belmonts)
Who's Sorry Now - Marie Osmond (original: Connie Francis)
Wonder of You - Elvis Presley (original: Ray Peterson)
Wonderful World - Herman's Hermits (original: Sam Cooke)
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Elvis Presley (original: Dusty Springfield)
You Don't Know Me - Elvis Presley (original: Jerry Vale; Ray Charles six years later)
You Gave Me a Mountain - Elvis Presley (original: Frankie Laine)
You Light Up My Life - LeAnn Rimes (original: Debby Boone)
You'll Lose a Good Thing - Freddy Fender (original: Barbara Lynn)
You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr (original: Johnny Burnette)
You've Really Got a Hold on Me - The Beatles (original: The Miracles)

[Dean Winchester]

Angel Of The Morning - Juice Newton
Breathe - Melissa Etheridge
Hurt So Bad - Linda Ronstadt
I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
See Emily Play - David Bowie
Take A Chance On Me - Erasure
When You Were Mine - Cyndi Lauper
You're No Good - Linda Ronstadt

[Nighthawk76]

A few of my favorites:

Eric Clapton- "I Shot the Sheriff"
Cream- "Crossroads"
Guns N' Roses- "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
Nicolette Larson- "Lotta Love"
John Lennon- "Stand By Me"
Kylie Minogue- "The Locomotion"
Van Halen- "You Really Got Me"

[Zoneboy]

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (Original-Jackie DeShannon)

I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (Original-The Arrows)

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin (Original-Roger Miller)

The Running Kind - Radney Foster (Original-Merle Haggard)

Venus - Bananarama (Original-Shocking Blue)

Lotta Love - Nicolette Larson (Original-Neil Young)

Four Strong Winds - Bobby Bare (Original-Ian Tyson)

Shame On the Moon - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Original-Rodney Crowell)

What's Love Got to Do with it - Tina Turner (Original-Bucks Fizz)

Young Love - Sonny James (Original-Tab Hunter)

Family Man - Hall and Oates (Original-Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly)

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack (Original-Ewan MacColl)

I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (Original-Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)

Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack (Original-Lori Lieberman)

War - Edwin Starr (Original-The Temptations)

Alone - Heart (Original-l-Ten)

I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow (0riginal-Captain and Tennille)

Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain and Tennille (Original-Neil Sedaka)

Gloria - Laura Branigan (Original-Umberto Tozzi)

Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann (Original-The Exciters)

Wedding Bell Blues - 5th Dimension (Original-Laura Nyro)

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - 5th Dimension (Original-Cast of Hair)

Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross & the Supremes (Original-Johnny and Jackie)

Brother Louie - Stories (Original-Hot Chocolate)

Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & the Pips (Original-Jim Weatherly)

The Twist - Chubby Checker (Original-Hank Ballard and the Midnighters)

Quarter to Three - Gary U.S. Bonds (Original-Church Street Five)


Don't Leave Me this Way - Thelma Houston (Original-Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes)

The Tide is High - Blondie (Original-The Paragons)

Don't Turn Around - Ace of Base (Original-Tina Turner)

From a Distance - Bette Midler (Original-Nanci Griffith)

(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets (Original-Sonny Dae and the Knights)

Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley (Original-Vaughn Deleath)

The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens (Original-Miriam Makeba)

Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino (Original-Glenn Miller & Gene Autry)

Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers (Original-Todd Duncan)

My Blue Heaven - Fats Domino Original-(Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)


Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) - Deodato (Original-Richard Strauss)

Crying In the Chapel - Elvis Presley (Original-Darrell Glenn)


Sloop John B. - The Beach Boys (Traditional West Indies Folk Song)

I'm Henry VIII I am - Herman's Hermits (Original-Harry Champion)

[sweetdiggity]

The First Cut Is The Deepest has been done by so many artists, but I like Sheryl Crow's cover the best! I like it way more than the original.

[Zebra 3]

Originally Posted by sweetdiggity

The First Cut Is The Deepest has been done by so many artists, but I like Sheryl Crow's cover the best! I like it way more than the original.

For me the definitive version is Rod Stewart's. YouTube

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Zebra 3

For me the definitive version is Rod Stewart's.

Agreed although I have never heard Cat Steven's original.

[coffield3]

you are always on my mind-erasure.
Killing me softly-the fugees.

[tv star collector]

Originally Posted by Blair's Number #1 Fan

A few of my favorites:

Eric Clapton- "I Shot the Sheriff"
Cream- "Crossroads"
Guns N' Roses- "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
Nicolette Larson- "Lotta Love"
John Lennon- "Stand By Me"
Kylie Minogue- "The Locomotion"
Van Halen- "You Really Got Me"

Actually, Eric Clapton did record the original version of "I Shot the Sheriff." Did someone else cover that song?

[tv star collector]

ZoneboyThe Twist - Chubby Checker (Original-Hank Ballard and the Midnighters)

Chubby Checker released his version of "The Twist" first (Aug. 8, 1960); Hank
Ballard's version was released on Aug. 29, 1960.

"Unchained Melody" was first released by Les Baxter & His Orchestra in 1955.

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by tv star collector

ZoneboyThe Twist - Chubby Checker (Original-Hank Ballard and the Midnighters)

Chubby Checker released his version of "The Twist" first (Aug. 8, 1960); Hank
Ballard's version was released on Aug. 29, 1960.

Actually the twist was recorded in 1958, but not released, then a year later was released by Hank Ballard in 1959' as the B-side to "Teardrops On Your Letter" so, Chubby Checker's version was indeed a cover!

[Mikado]

That'll be the Day, It's so easy -Linda Rhondstat (Buddy Holly)
Oh Boy!- Stray Cats (Buddy Holly)
True love ways - Peter & Gordon (Buddy Holly)
Not Fade away - Rolling Stones (Buddy Holly)
I fought the law - Bobby Fuller Four (the Crickets; after Buddys death)
Little Darling* - The Diamonds (the Gladiolas)
Suzy is a Headbanger* - Shonen Knife (The Ramones)
Sedated* - Shonen Knife (The Ramones)
Mountain of Love - Johnny Rivers (Harold Dorrman)

*= Songs where i prefer the remake to the original

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by tv star collector

Actually, Eric Clapton did record the original version of "I Shot the Sheriff." Did someone else cover that song?

Eric Clapton covered it, Bob Marley recorded the original. Other Clapton covers I like:

After Midnight (Original-JJ Cale)
Before You Accuse Me (Original-Bo Diddley)
Cocaine (Original-JJ Cale)
Tulsa Time (Original-Don Williams)

[catlover79]

I love a lot of the covers Linda Ronstadt did better than the originals, like "Hurt So Bad", "You're No Good", "Blue Bayou", "Back in the USA", "Heat Wave", etc. I'll also choose Sheena Easton's version of "Just One Smile" over Gene Pitney's (though he was an awesome artist). I also prefer Van Halen's versions of "You Really Got Me" and "Pretty Woman" to the originals.

[Nighthawk76]

Originally Posted by tv star collector

Actually, Eric Clapton did record the original version of "I Shot the Sheriff." Did someone else cover that song?

Actually, it was originally done by Bob Marley and Clapton did a cover of it in 1974.