Original songs but the cover version is the better known one.

[Blue in Munich]

Frankie's Born to run is far better than the boss version ,Johnson at least can sing

That belongs in the Laughter the best medicine thread.

 

[srixon 1]

Dolly Parton - I will always love you.

Whitney Houston

Linda Ronstadt

Linda gets my vote

 

[Tongo]

Heard Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' on the radio over the weekend. Brilliant but brutal version. After the song finished the DJ said 'you feel like you've got to take a moment after that' which was the perfect response.

The video is heartbreaking but mesmerising.

 

[greenone]

Jeff Buckley Hallelujah


The white stripes version of Jolene is good too very different to the original.

 

[SaintHacker]

Heard Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' on the radio over the weekend. Brilliant but brutal version. After the song finished the DJ said 'you feel like you've got to take a moment after that' which was the perfect response.

The video is heartbreaking but mesmerising.

Theres a vocal coach who does youtube reaction videos (the charismatic voice, very very pwetty lady, but thats not why i watch?). She has a vid of this and she is in pieces watching it.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Sailing........Sutherland Brothers/Rod Stewart.

Rocky Road to Dublin.......ancient original but The Chieftans featuring the Rolling Stones version is stunning with a couple of Satisfaction rifts in the middle.

Moon River is a triple original bettered by Jonny Mathis then bettered by Andy Williams.

 

[nickjdavis]

Marvin Gaye's Heard It Through the Grapevine.....possibly the best known version, but not the original....in fact, Gaye's version was the third version to be recorded (second to be released as a single).

Gladys Knight and the Pips original up-tempo release was a huge hit in its own right....but totally overshadowed by Gaye's more soulful offering.

 

[Foxholer]

Jeff Buckley Hallelujah
...

Sorry. Wimpy compared to this version - by the original!

 

[Foxholer]

As a twist on Doon's reworked/covers thread, how about one for songs where there's a better known version, but there's also the original, which is better?

As a starter I give you the better known version;

And here's the original;

I definitely prefer the Jackson Browne version - if not the actual original recording!
Here's him performing it at Glastonbury, with a star-studded, if modest, backing band including the phenomenal Bassist (Leland Sklar) and the incomparable multi-talented David Lindley on Slide!

And for an update on who's the longer lasting...Here's a 2018 version of his classic, worn faces, bushier facial hair and all. Though without Lindley.

 

[Springveldt]

More from Frankie :-

Or The Boss

Wasn't even aware Frankie did a cover version of this.

Frankie's Born to run is far better than the boss version ,Johnson at least can sing

Is that some sort of wind up?

Back to my pre-teens days, I only found out a couple of months ago this was actually a cover version.

Also, I'd imagine this version is better known than the original.

 

[Orikoru]

Heard Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' on the radio over the weekend. Brilliant but brutal version. After the song finished the DJ said 'you feel like you've got to take a moment after that' which was the perfect response.

The video is heartbreaking but mesmerising.

I might be in the minority, but I always loved the original Nine Inch Nails song and felt Cash just reduced it to a simple acoustic strum-and-sing number. I could never understand why people rave about that cover. Maybe it's a generational thing. It's not as if the original is devoid of emotion, far from it!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It's perhaps a close run thing for some - but I just love the feeling John Martyn gives to his original of May You Never over Eric Clapton's better known and superb cover. John Martyn - so underrated - God bless him...

 

[Voyager EMH]

Unchained Melody was written for a film in 1955.

Same year, 1955, there were 4 different versions in the UK charts at the same time. Never happened again with one song.

Ten years later the most famous recording was made by the Righteous Brothers.

 

[Orikoru]

Unchained Melody was written for a film in 1955.



Same year, 1955, there were 4 different versions in the UK charts at the same time. Never happened again with one song.

Ten years later the most famous recording was made by the Righteous Brothers.

Surely you mean Robson & Jerome?

 

[Rlburnside]

I

Wasn't even aware Frankie did a cover version of this.

Is that some sort of wind up?

Back to my pre-teens days, I only found out a couple of months ago this was actually a cover version.

Also, I'd imagine this version is better known than the original.

I never heard any Nirvana songs before this video was shown on tv years ago but I thought they were brilliant and loved every song they done, the cover of Leadbellys In the Pines was also on that video.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'll add a somewhat controversial one...the original recorded by the honey-voiced Patti Page. And as cool and laid back as the 'cover' by Groove Armada is - I rather like the complete original - my goodness those girls of the 50s and early 60s could wrap their lips round words very beautifully and sexily indeed.

 

[Robster59]

Also, I'd imagine this version is better known than the original.

You forgot

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Have I got this thread wrong - I thought it was about the original version being thought (in opinion of the poster) better than the much more well known cover version?