Toronto Passions

Cover songs better than original

mandrill

monkey
Aug 23, 2001
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About Linda RONSTADT, IMHO, she was such an underrated singer with a beautiful voice. Some of her solo albums were terrific. She recorded an album singing all songs in Spanish and although I can't understand the language, the songs were amazing. She recorded a song that goes back to the big band era called WHAT'S NEW originally recorded by the Nelson Riddle and her voice was beautiful. Too bad that she was inflicted with Parkinson's disease and had to retire. I miss her.
Another Linda cover.

 

mandrill

monkey
Aug 23, 2001
83,682
119,738
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Time for a little white Norteno. This is Dwight Yoakam's cover of Warren Zevon's Carmelita with Flaco Jimenez on accordion.

 
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shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
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Toronto
And of course our Canadian content cover by Murray McLaughlin from 1972. I think it's the first version I ever heard.

 

Toronto Passions

Trusted Since 2001!
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With all due respect my colleague there is no matching Joe Cocker's or even the Beatle's version from Woodstock. It looked like he could barely keep his balance and he unleashed one the greatest screams in the history of rock at the 4:57 mark.
I love Ringo‘s version. It’s so “Liverpool bouncy” (whatever that means lol)

Philip
 
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Zoot Allures

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Jan 23, 2017
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Super cool real story


"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", also "Motherless Child", is a traditional spiritual. It dates back to the era of slavery in the United States.


Richie Havens was tasked with an eight-song set at Woodstock, which was a mix of his originals and covers of songs by other artists. As his set neared its end, the next performer was nowhere to be found, which forced him to do encores with Beatles hits such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude”.

With pressures mounting, he began to play an impromptu groove, uttering the word “freedom” as it was the first thing that came to his mind, supplementing the lyrics with a few lines from the traditional song, “Motherless Child” .

According to him (via Songfacts): “When you hear me play that long intro, it’s me stalling. I was thinking, ‘What the hell am I going to sing?’ I think the word ‘freedom’ came out of my mouth because I saw it in front of me. I saw the freedom that we were looking for. And every person was sharing it, and so that word came out.”

I was working Mariposa and taking the staff bus to Barrie and Havens was on the bus so I asked WTF the lyrics meant at 3:20 "I got a telephone in my front yard and I can call it from my heart" he said the lyrics were " i got a telephone deep in my soul and i can call it from my heart"

He was making lyrics up as he sang his freedom song


He performed an exact replica of his woodstock performance at Mariposa


 
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shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
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Super cool real story


"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", also "Motherless Child", is a traditional spiritual. It dates back to the era of slavery in the United States.


Richie Havens was tasked with an eight-song set at Woodstock, which was a mix of his originals and covers of songs by other artists. As his set neared its end, the next performer was nowhere to be found, which forced him to do encores with Beatles hits such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude”.

With pressures mounting, he began to play an impromptu groove, uttering the word “freedom” as it was the first thing that came to his mind, supplementing the lyrics with a few lines from the traditional song, “Motherless Child” .

According to him (via Songfacts): “When you hear me play that long intro, it’s me stalling. I was thinking, ‘What the hell am I going to sing?’ I think the word ‘freedom’ came out of my mouth because I saw it in front of me. I saw the freedom that we were looking for. And every person was sharing it, and so that word came out.”

I was working Mariposa and taking the staff bus to Barrie and Havens was on the bus so I asked WTF the lyrics meant at 3:20 "I got a telephone in my front yard and I can call it from my heart" he said the lyrics were " i got a telephone deep in my soul and i can call it from my heart"

He was making lyrics up on the spot


He performed an exact replica of his woodstock performance at Mariposa


Cool story.
 

K Douglas

Half Man Half Amazing
Jan 5, 2005
29,334
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Room 112
The English Beat's cover of Smokey Robinson's Tears of a Clown

I would have wondered if you had suffered a recent blow to the head but I know your posting history so not surprising. This version is an abomination.
 
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shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
53,921
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Toronto
Here's the big question. Would Marie Antoinette tell us to eat Bread or Cake?

 
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shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
53,921
11,814
113
Toronto
I'm a little partial to the quirkier Cake version even though the vocals aren't as good.

 

mandrill

monkey
Aug 23, 2001
83,682
119,738
113
I would have wondered if you had suffered a recent blow to the head but I know your posting history so not surprising. This version is an abomination.
Different pokes for different folks.
 

opieshuffle

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2004
509
378
63
Super cool real story


"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", also "Motherless Child", is a traditional spiritual. It dates back to the era of slavery in the United States.


Richie Havens was tasked with an eight-song set at Woodstock, which was a mix of his originals and covers of songs by other artists. As his set neared its end, the next performer was nowhere to be found, which forced him to do encores with Beatles hits such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude”.

With pressures mounting, he began to play an impromptu groove, uttering the word “freedom” as it was the first thing that came to his mind, supplementing the lyrics with a few lines from the traditional song, “Motherless Child” .

According to him (via Songfacts): “When you hear me play that long intro, it’s me stalling. I was thinking, ‘What the hell am I going to sing?’ I think the word ‘freedom’ came out of my mouth because I saw it in front of me. I saw the freedom that we were looking for. And every person was sharing it, and so that word came out.”

I was working Mariposa and taking the staff bus to Barrie and Havens was on the bus so I asked WTF the lyrics meant at 3:20 "I got a telephone in my front yard and I can call it from my heart" he said the lyrics were " i got a telephone deep in my soul and i can call it from my heart"

He was making lyrics up on the spot


He performed an exact replica of his woodstock performance at Mariposa



Richie Havens did TONS of amazing covers. Everyone in this thread should go look them all up. His voice and style were so unique!
 

Toronto Passions

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Toronto Passions

Trusted Since 2001!
Supporting Member
I can’t really say which one is better because they both have good qualities, but I’ve always been a fan of Phil Collins harmonizing. He nails it on so many of his songs with multi layers.

Philip

 
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