Personally I would put "Open Arms" by Mariah Carey on a tape--it's my favorite remake of hers, although it's a cover of a lame Journey song and not her cover of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones." I love the vocal arrangements on "Open Arms" and how she made the song more gospel-sounding that it already was.

Almost any song ever covered by Nina Simome, particulary Edith Piaf's, "No Me Quittez Pas".

Isaac Hayes's "Walk on By"
Johnny Cash's "Hurt"

Ministry's version of "Lay Lady Lay"

Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy's (sort-of) version of the Dead Kennedy's California Uber Alles.

Can I have two? Right now at least: M. Ward - "Let's Dance" (David Bowie) and The Mountain Goats - "The Boys Are Back In Town"/"Ignition (Remix)" (Thin Lizzy/R. Kelly)

cap'n jazz's cover of a-ha's take on me is the business. also, gouge away covered by the promise ring is great.

i direct you here

http://quarterwit.blogspot.com/2005/02/covers.html

although i bet the links expired

i think death cab for cuties cover of All Is Full of Love by Bjork is a masterpiece... dare I say better than the origional.

"Just My Imagination" by Pat Kelly

http://www.skaville.de/

"Let's Dance" by David Bowie, covered by M. Ward (on "Transfiguration of Vincent"), is good.

Puffy's cover of Zep's "Kashmir", "Come With Me," might qualify as a worst cover.

I actually think I'm gonna have a radio show devoted to covers sometime starting in Februrary--shameless plug, check out 104.7 KOXY.

Anyway--I would recommend:

The Pictures - "Milkshake" (done up as a alt-country/rockabilly rave-up)

Cat Power - "Wonderwall"

The Counting Crows - "Six Different Ways" (I don't particularly like Counting Crows, but they do an even better version than the Cure)

Nouvelle Vague - "Guns of Brixton"

Ted Leo - "Since U Been Gone/Maps"

Tricky - "Black Steel" (not exactly a cover, I guess, but still awesome)

And any covers by Iron & Wine (especially "All Tomorrow's Parties") and Rogue Wave (like "On A Plain" and "Every Day").

sergio mendes - waters of march

Forgive me for stating the obvious (with a bit of the obscure, mostly slow, too):

The Who- Young Man Blues
John Coltrane- My Favorite Things
Otis Redding- Chain Gang
Julie Driscoll- Light My Fire
Morrissey- Moon River
Sly & The Family Stone- Que Sera Sera
Gram Parsons- Wild Horses (not technically a cover, since the Stones wrote it for him, but...)
Junior Parker- Taxman
The Cardigans- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Nina Simone- I Loves You Porgy
The Clash- Police & Thieves
Jimi Hendrix- The Star Spangled Banner
The Meters- Wichita Lineman
Sugar Minott- Loving Jah (Loving You)
The Doors- Alabama Song
The Intruders?- Rainy Days & Mondays
Elvis Costello- Gloomy Sunday
Stevie Wonder- Bridge Over Troubled Water (was this even released?)

Rap cover: Necro(!) doing pitch perfect LL on "I Need Drugs"

Worst cover(s): Pat Boone, the original misappropriator, attempting to neuter songs by Little Richard, Fats Domino, etc. Michael Bolton for doing the same... But the absolute worst that comes to mind is Robert Stigwood's Sgt. Pepper movie sdtk. With the exception of Earth Wind & Fire's glorious oasis, Got to Get You Into My Life, what the fuck was the point? Yaaargh!

PS: Anybody know who did the rockabilly version of Soft Cell's Tainted Love in the early 80s?

Luther vandross- A house is not a home (every cover he ever did basically!)
Donny Hathaway - For all we know
Intro - Ribbon in the sky
Fugees - Killing Me softly
Def Squad - Rapper's Delight
Marvin Gaye - National Anthem

I really like Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal"...its not _that_ much of a departure from the original but i think i just like the more frenzied way in which they perform the song...it seems to fit the lyrics better..

I'm a big cover head so I can write for ages . Here are some of my faves

Sergio mendes 'sittin on the dock of the bay"

Lyn collins "aint no sunshine"

Issac hayes "look of love"

Patato y totico "mas que nada"

Charles earland "I was made to love her" (really any cover of this)

Jose feliciano "sunny" "light my fire" "california dreamin"

Marlena shaw "california soul"

George benson's abbey road lp

Cal tjader "mama guela" "la murga"

Coltrane "favourite things" which someone said but I have to second

Monty alexander "love and happiness"

Randy crawford "give me the night"

Mongo santamaira "cold sweat"

Ok let me stop now .. Paz

I'm a big cover head so I can write for ages . Here are some of my faves

Sergio mendes 'sittin on the dock of the bay"

Lyn collins "aint no sunshine"

Issac hayes "look of love"

Patato y totico "mas que nada"

Charles earland "I was made to love her" (really any cover of this)

Jose feliciano "sunny" "light my fire" "california dreamin"

Marlena shaw "california soul"

George benson's abbey road lp

Cal tjader "mama guela" "la murga"

Coltrane "favourite things" which someone said but I have to second

Monty alexander "love and happiness"

Randy crawford "give me the night"

Mongo santamaira "cold sweat"

Ok let me stop now .. Paz

awww, I love wilson pickett's 'hey jude'. my dad used to play it for me when i was little and i'd stand on his feet and he'd me dance around the living room.

i actually thought that was the original until i was 9 or 10. :)

thanks for the memory, jay.

oh, love cover versions...

Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of your love
Esso Trinidad Steel Band - I want you back (steel drums cover versions rule!)
and two on the reggae tip...
Junior Murvin - Give me your love
Jimmy London -I'm your puppet

cheers!

take me to the mardi gras - bob james
let it be - spanky wilson
auld lang syne - jimi hendrix
hey jude - overton berry trio
light my fire - shirley bassey
monty alexander - love and happiness
hang on, sloopy - ramsey lewis
in time - maceo parker
i want you back - bobby shad & the bad men
whole lotta love - ike & tina turner
a little help from my friends - joe cocker
eternity - chaka khan

Chocolate Genius - Ain't That Peculiar
Singing Sweet - When I See You Smile
Massive Attack - Man Next Door
Meshell Ndegeocello - Who Is He And What Is He To You
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2U
Cibo Matto - The Candyman
Sybil - Don't Make Me Over
Bjork - Like Someone In Love
Snoop Dogg - Lodi Dodi

also, Gil Evans Orchestra covering Jimmy Hendrix-- Howard Johnson's tuba solo version of Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" perhaps?
love,
mom

interesting that this is a post on covers and someone asked about a rock-a-billy cover of "Soft Cell's Tainted Love".
When that is a cover of Gloria Jones.

I have to say I like the Marilyn Manson version as well.

for new covers I like the spin the Rebirth did on The Mighty Ryeder's �Evil Vibrations�, and the way they referenced the De La Soul that sampled it.

YO-anything covered by PHISH HA!

Easy All-Stars covered the entire Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd.

i'd have to say that there is no bad version of 'people make the world go round'

ive been collecting for the last 3 years different covers of that song, i may be up at about 28 different ones.

you cant go wrong with any of them really.

-rich

I am a radio DJ in Japan. If any of you know of any good covers made this year let me know asap.
I would appreciate it

best cover songs?

"I'll be there" by Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz give the popular Jackson 5 a symphonic and sensual outbringing of the song.

She also makes "without you" interesting, catchy and addictive.

As well, Mariah makes Open Arms a beautiful, gospelic and original-seeming ballad, which it wasn't according to Journeys initial version of it.

of all of michael buble's cover songs,
"fever" is a soft, jazzy and sexy rendition of Willie Little John's famous classic
he gives his cover songs an upbeat, hip and always sexy sound.

the song "It's My Life" by No Doubt is redone very well as a catchy hit that still keeps Talk Talk's 80s tone]

The beautiful one-hit wonder Atomic Kitten give "Eternal Flame" more poplike, hip and original.

Personally nothing can beat Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to heaven", it is a beautiful song. Know matter how old it gets it will always be the best!

regarding stairway to heaven, led zeppelin is the only band that can do their song well. i like several of their versions but no one else's, save one. the london philharmonic orchestra (i think?) made a good recording of it.

here are a few for the list that come to mind
yes - america
rush - the seeker
goo goo dolls - give a little bit
rolling stones - everybody needs somebody to love(live at a concert once; it's on live licks)
eagles - seven bridges road

and there are lots of awful covers out there, but only one is worth mentioning. necro's "cover" of light my fire is absolutely... indescribable. if there was a word that whose definition is me committing a very painful suicide, that's what i would use to describe this song.

Does anyone know who did the cover of "Light my Fire" by the Doors, in I'm guessing the 70's? It was very soulful and the beat was sampled by De La Soul in " A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays". That is all I know. Some cool covers:

Bowie - Across the Universe
Willis - Word Up
Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki
John Mayer - Kid A
Deep Purple - Hey Joe

RE: Light My Fire. Nevermind, I tracked it down. It was by Young-Holt Unlimited.

Jose Feliciano's absolutely.... the 1974
"Golden Lady"

but also his: Sunny, Light My Fire, Lay Lady lay and Purple Haze

i know this is pretty recent, but what about the cover for "down with the sickness" that was played in the remake of "Dawn of the Dead?"

does anybody know what that relatively new rap song is that has a beat in the background that is from the Jimmy Hendrix song "Hey Joe". For those of you who are pretty up to date on rap/hip hop please take a minute to listen to the Jimmy Hendrix song Hey Joe so you can identify that beat. It is a pretty popular song.

All of Jeff Buckley Live at Sin'e and Grace album.

This is RACKING my brain ... I was listening to Soul Asylum's "Somebody To Shove" ... and I know there was another original. I can't figure it out. Does anyone know?

Did anyone see John Mayer either on Leno or Conan O'brian where he did a Hendrix cover song? I want 2 know how 2 get that song.