Original version or cover version?

[JRCarter]

Every now and then, an artist will do a cover of a previous song. There are covers that are better than the original (e.g. Stevie Wonder's cover of "We Can Work It Out", just about every cover Luther did). There are songs that should never be/have been touched by anyone other than the original artists (Mya, Pink, et al should never have been let anywhere near "Lady Marmalade").

So: original or cover?

[jefferson L.O.B. sergeant]

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER- Hendrix stole it for life from Dylan. Cover

RESPECT- Otis Redding is great but Aretha jacked this song completely.Cover

WILDFLOWER- I don't know who made the original but it doesn't matter because they got had, took, hoodwinked out of their song. cover

[Reginald Hudlin]

SUMMER BREEZE - Isley Brothers or Seals and Crofts?

HELLO, IT'S ME -Isley Brothers or Nazz?

TWIST AND SHOUT - Isley Brothers or the Beatles?

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Beatles or Earth, Wind and Fire?

[Vic Vega]

SUMMER BREEZE - Isley Brothers or Seals and Crofts?

HELLO, IT'S ME -Isley Brothers or Nazz?

TWIST AND SHOUT - Isley Brothers or the Beatles?

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Beatles or Earth, Wind and Fire?

The Isleys covered Twist and Shout???

Learn something new every day.

I love EWF's version of  GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE.

I like both versions of Summer Breeze about equally.

Here's some others:

Let's Stay Together: AL Green or Tina Turner?

La Vie en rose: Edith Piaf or Grace Jones?

Try a Little Tenderness: Otis Redding or The Commitments (or Jack Webb )?

McArthur Park: Donna Summer or Richard Harris?

[Hypestyle]

Run DMC's "Walk this Way">>>>> Aerosmith's...

[Curtis Metcalf]

Here's a few off the top of my head:

• Grazin' in the Grass - Hugh Masekela or Friends of Distinction?
  Very different treatments - one funky and authentic, the other a slicker production and more up tempo.
   
• I Say a Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick or Aretha Franklin?
  As nice as the original is, Aretha pretty much owns this one as far as I'm concerned.
   
• I Put a Spell on You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins or Nina Simone?
  Damn, this is a toss up to me. Although it's hard to beat Screamin' Jay for visuals.
   
• Until You Come Back to Me - Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin or Luther Vandross?
  A three-way battle royale between titans.
   
• Creepin' - Stevie Wonder or Luther Vandross?
  Usually Luther snatches a song when he does a cover. This one is a toe-to-toe throwdown.
   
• I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Gladys Knight & the Pips or Marvin Gaye?
  Motown used to do in-house battles for new songs having different groups record them. Then they'd go listen to the records in a head-to-head competition in the board room. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles lost on this record. Marvin's version came out later.

[Battle]

• Emotion - Samantha Sang, Denise Williams/Johnny Mathis or Destiny's Child
  Each version is quite nice but I prefer the Niecy/Mathis duet because it's the first one I've heard. I've grown to love Williams' restraint high pitches over Mathis' effeminate voice.
  
• Take it Off - Spoonie Gee or MC LYTE
  It's rare that a Hip Hop recording artist can add something different to another's song without  butcherin' it and Spoonie Gee's original version is a Hip Hop classic but I think t'was LYTE's confidence who had it covered.
  

Until You Come Back to Me - Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin or Luther Vandross?

Aretha owned this song.

I Say a Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick or Aretha Franklin?

Aretha owns this one, too!

Run DMC's "Walk this Way">>>>> Aerosmith's

This one's hard...!  Aerosmith's is the better 'cause it's so incoherent and the guitar licks are so good alongside the drumline but RUN DMC's version gave it more clarity.

Let's Stay Together: AL Green or Tina Turner?

I'm sorry, but Tina tried... I mean, she really tried to kill it. You can hear the pleading in her inflections wanting to own this song but Mr. Green casually is the rightful owner of this song 'cause he makes making up sound sooo-o-o easy.

McArthur Park: Donna Summer or Richard Harris?

There was a cover of McArthur Park

HELLO, IT'S ME -Isley Brothers or Nazz?

Todd's version was the best, believe it or not because he sounds like a love-sick puppy tugging at the heartstrings which is the how the song should sound.

[JLI Jesse]

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Beatles or Earth, Wind and Fire?

You should listen to the version by Blood, Sweat, and Tears.  David Clayton Thomas rocks it!

[Reginald Hudlin]

The Isley Brothers DID NOT cover TWIST AND SHOUT.

The Beatles COVERED it.

The Isley Brothers WROTE it.

[Reginald Hudlin]

• Emotion - Samantha Sang, Denise Williams/Johnny Mathis or Destiny's Child
  Each version is quite nice but I prefer the Niecy/Mathis duet because it's the first one I've heard and grown to love Williams' restraint high pitches.
  

I will vote for the Destiny's Child version here...I really love it.[/list]

[Curtis Metcalf]

SUMMER BREEZE - Isley Brothers or Seals and Crofts?
Nod to the Isleys for the guitar solo.

HELLO, IT'S ME -Isley Brothers or Nazz?
Isleys

TWIST AND SHOUT - Isley Brothers or the Beatles?
It's an Isley sweep! They may be one of the underrated great groups of all time.

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Beatles or Earth, Wind and Fire?
EW&F easily. I always found the Beatles version pretty bland. The song has great bones though.

[JLI Jesse]

TWIST AND SHOUT - Isley Brothers or the Beatles?
It's an Isley sweep! They may be one of the underrated great groups of all time.

I think the Beatles spiced this up and made it the version most people think of today.  I like most Isley Bros songs as written but am not always as big a fan of the execution.

[Curtis Metcalf]

The Isley Brothers DID NOT cover TWIST AND SHOUT.

The Beatles COVERED it.

The Isley Brothers WROTE it.

While looking for the two versions online to compare, I discovered the following on Wikipedia:
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles, with John Lennon on the lead vocals, and originally released on their first album Please Please Me.

I always thought it was an Isley Brothers original too. They were the first to have a hit with it.

[Reginald Hudlin]

The Isley Brothers DID NOT cover TWIST AND SHOUT.

The Beatles COVERED it.

The Isley Brothers WROTE it.

While looking for the two versions online to compare, I discovered the following on Wikipedia:
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles, with John Lennon on the lead vocals, and originally released on their first album Please Please Me.

I always thought it was an Isley Brothers original too. They were the first to have a hit with it.

Well, darn!  Glad I won't be saying the wrong thing anymore. 

It's likely that the Beatles heard the Isley version, since that one was the hit.  Anyone know for sure?

[Emperorjones]

I always liked Troop's covers of "All I Do Is Think of You" and "Sweet November". Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U", Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You", Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle", Omar Chandler's "This Must Be Heaven", Ki-Ci's "If You Think You're Lonely Now", LTD's "Love Ballad" (well, I'm not sure if they were the original, George Benson, or someone else), Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All", Aaliyah's "At Your Best (Remix)", most of the Luther and Isley Brothers covers

Thought of some more (not all of these were better than the originals, but many were as good):
En Vogue-"Giving Something He Can Feel"
H-Town-"A Thin Line Between Love and Hate"
Jagged Edge-"All Out of Love"
Mel'issa Morgan-"Do Me Baby"
Jesse and Trina-"Where Is the Love"
After Seven-"Sarah Smile"
Prince-"I Can't Make You Love Me"
Gladys Knight-"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
Keith Sweat-"Just a Touch"
Prophet Jones-"Cry Together"
Pure Soul/O'Jays-"Stairway to Heaven" (Remix)
Xscape-"Am I Dreaming"
Usher/Monica-"Slow Jam"
Silk-"Ebony Eyes"
Al. B. Sure!-"Killin' Me Softly"
Fugees-"Killin' Me Softly"
Lauryn Hill-"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"
Gerald Levert/Mary J. Blige-"That's the Way I Feel About 'Cha"
Guy-"Yearnin' For Your Love"
D'Angelo-"Heaven Must Be Like This", "Cruisin'"
All4One-"I Swear"
Taral Hicks-"Silly"
Mary J. Blige-"Sweet Thing"
R. Kelly-"Hey Love," "Sadie"
Gerald Albright-"This is the for the lover in you"
Donell Jones-"My Cherie Amor"
Eva Cassidy-"Time after Time", "Fields of Gold"
Tevin Campbell-"Strawberry Letter 23"
Whitney Houston-"I'm Every Woman"
Nas/Lauryn Hill-"If I Ruled the World" (not sure if its a cover)
LL Cool J-"Ain't Nobody" (not sure it its a cover)