"In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song." - Wikipedia

Of course, this is biased, but two great covers were those that I had elected to my SETLIST edition of THE CLASH: "I Fought the Law"* and "Police on My Back"**

But as well one I found the other day. The late CLASH frontman Joe Strummer's cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" that was released after Strummer's death.

"I Fought the Law"

"Police on My Back"

Joe Strummer - "Redemption Song"

But are other great "Cover" songs?

*=Covered several times, originally recorded by Sonny Crocket
**=Originally recorded by The Equals

Thanks for the definition

And of course thinking *only* Clash-related songs are The Best would be considered biased.

At least you got that right.

But to answer the question, I'd have to think about it more...


...are other great "Cover" songs, what? Mr. Awkward "Writer".

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World
Nirvana - Oh Me (although the original song by the Meat Puppets is wayyyy better)
Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Cat Power - Moonshiner
Cat Power - Wild is the Wind

One of the best cover versions i have heard recently is punk bands Social Distortion's version of Johhny Cash classic "Ring of Fire".
Excellent!

"The Thrill Is Gone" - B.B. King (Roy Hawkins)
"All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)
"Hey Joe" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Billy Roberts)
"I Fought the Law" - The Clash (The Crickets)
"Teardrops" - Jose Gonzales (Massive Attack)
"Needles and Pins" - The Ramones (The Searchers)
"My Way" - Sid Vicious (Frank Sinatra/Paul Anka)
"Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)" - The Doors (Kurt Weill)
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" - Nirvana (Leadbelly/old folk)
"The Man Who Sold the World" - Nirvana (David Bowie)
"Oh, Me" - Nirvana (Meat Puppets)
"Lake of Fire" - Nirvana (Meat Puppets)
"Plateau" - Nirvana (Meat Puppets)
"Here She Comes Now" - Nirvana (The Velvet Underground)
"Planet Caravan" - Pantera (Black Sabbath)
"Paranoid" - Megadeth (Black Sabbath)
"Cocaine" - Eric Clapton (J.J. Cale)
"Fire" - The Red Hot Chili Peppers (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
"Ain't It Fun" - Guns N Roses (The Dead Boys)
"Knockin' On Heavens Door" - Guns N Roses (Bob Dylan)
"Louie Louie" - The Kingsmen (Richard Berry)
"Little Wing" - Derek & The Dominos (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Bold As Love" - John Mayer (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Respect" - Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding)
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Stevie Ray Vaughan (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Because the Night" - Patti Smith (Bruce Springsteen)
"You Shook Me" - Led Zeppelin (Muddy Waters)

More to come when I remember them.

I dislike covers.Come up with your own 100% original compositions.

"Just Like a Woman" - Bob Dylan, cover by Richie Havens

I like "Knocking On Heaven's Door" covered by GNR, as DV stated.

Also:

"Darling Nikki" is a great Prince remake redone by Foo Fighters
"Cum On Feel the Noize" - Quiet Riot orig. by Slade
"Trapped" - Springsteen covering Jimmy Cliff
"You Shook Me" Led Zeppelin covering Willie Dixon, Jeff Beck, and countless others

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash - originally by Nine Inch Nails
"Put Your Hand On Your Heart" by José González - originally by Kylie Minogue

Both of the above make my heart swell.

EDIT: Oh, and because it was infinitely better than the (actually decent) original, I loved Calvin Harris's rendition of Natasha Bedingfield's "I Wanna Have Your Babies", which he performed on Radio 1's Live Lounge a few months ago over here.

Why this hostility? Besides, I listed Clash covers because those were such covers I knew off the top of my head, and I had YouTube clips for.

Besides, "But what are other great "Cover" Songs?" You happy now? You think of me like a clown, to AMUSE you?

Haven't heard Harris' version, but people keep nagging me to hear it, saying how good it is. Because of you Capo, I might check it out.

John Lennon-Stand by me
Elvis-Thats Alright Mama
Guns and Roses-Knockin on heavans door..
Beatles-Please Mr Postman

"My Back Pages"--The Byrds (Dylan)
"Johnny B. Goode"--Jimi Hendrix (Chuck Berry)
"All Along the Watchtower--Jimi Hendrix (Dylan)
"It Ain't Me Babe"--Turtles (Dylan)
"That's My Desire"--Channels (Frankie Laine)

While I do enjoy and appreciate the cynicism (and, I assure you, I'm completely serious when I say that), covers can be fun. Cover bands, on the other hand, are pointless entities. But, if you're in a band that already has a handful of originals, what's wrong with taking a pre-existing song and then tweaking it a bit? Of course, that's what has to be done. I wouldn't recommend trying to completely recreate a recording, which is absolutely impossible in regards to recreating the exact same energy that makes the song great to begin with. Find your own energy and use the chemistry among your band-mates to apply to the song, and make it your own. I think the best compliment you could receive in critique to a cover is "this doesn't sound like the original." It's just a shame that people are so dense that they manage to convince themselves that that's an insult.

I like Joe Cocker's cover of The Beatles "With A Little Help From My Friends."

Then again, maybe it's because I loved The Wonder Years...

Is it just me, or does he cover a hell of a lot of Beatles songs?

Alright, well, I can think of two off the top of my head. But it wouldn't surprise me to find that he has done more.

Whats wrong with covers? Half of Johnny Cash's career is covers.

Frank Sinatra is probably 99.9% covers. Some covers are better then the original.

[/quote]
Cover bands, on the other hand, are pointless entities. [/quote]

I disagree. Your live festival band that plays anything is kind of bad since they are usually not that good. However I was unable to see the Grateful Dead live being that I was way to young. But cover bands like Dark Star Orchestra allow me to hear what a live GD concert was like. if you are not familiar with Dark Star they learn every note of a GD concert and basically replay the concert live. At the end of teh concert they will announce what city and year they just played.

Hayseed Dixie is the best cover band ever..I can tell you that.

You like them DMC?

Exactly. Music is a legacy to be enjoyed and built upon. Why rule out the possibility that someone down the road can improve on what we already know and love?

Cover bands, on the other hand, are pointless entities. [/quote]

I disagree. Your live festival band that plays anything is kind of bad since they are usually not that good. However I was unable to see the Grateful Dead live being that I was way to young. But cover bands like Dark Star Orchestra allow me to hear what a live GD concert was like. if you are not familiar with Dark Star they learn every note of a GD concert and basically replay the concert live. At the end of teh concert they will announce what city and year they just played. [/quote]

Plus, Tribute bands...its people usually who are devotees of that act's catalogue, and they usually show it in their performances.

As for cover bands...hey, some people gotta work a living.

Nah..i stand by what i said earlier.How can you be proud to become famous by doing a cover?Even if you make it "better".You didn't write the song,it's not your soul's invention.

I have (and love) Kiss My Grass (KISS songs) and A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC

...and on top of it, as much as I like rock, I also like bluegrass, so a perfect mesh

So a doctor can't be proud of curing someone's disease simply because he, personally, didn't come up with the cure?? Well... that leaves about 99.99% of doctors wasting their time apparently.

I'd be proud.

I think music is a bit different Don JG.
All i'm saying is, i consider music,the language of the soul.
That being said,live your own music,not someone else's.
God with all the bullshit so called musicians make these days,some originality would be a breath of fresh air.

Billy Idol made "Mony Mony" bigger than Tommy James & the Shondells..... at least I think so...... Does that make Billy Idol less of an artist? I don't think so... but he also had plenty of his own -- and his BEST songs were probably with Generation X, a band no one's heard of...! But that doesn't mean he's unoriginal -- it just (usually) means they simply 1) like the song, and/OR 2) think they can make some money off it..... good for them, IMHO!

I've seen them live!
Great show!

I think covers are great, especially at a live concert. Heart, who I was never particularly fond of, used to cover Zepp's "Rock & Roll" in concert regularly. Zeppelin used to do a medley of old blues songs and incorporate Elvis into "Whole Lotta Love" during its live performances. Springsteen, for years, played a great medley of songs "Devil with a Blue Dress/Jenny Take a Ride/CC Rider/Good Golly Miss Molly," and "Twist & Shout."

One of the best covers that I forgot in an earlier post is "People Get Ready" by Rod Stewart & Jeff Beck. The original artist escapes me at the moment.

Many of Elvis' early hits were covers.

So I guess there is no art in putting your emotion into another song like many singers do. B.B. King didn't write "The Thrill is Gone" but it is not only better then the original but one of the best songs ever. He transferred his emotions perfectly in the song.

We all do it to an extent. We all listen to music that resonates to our feelings and sometimes we sing it or keep playing it over in our head. The difference is some make an art out of it. Not to say all covers are great. I personally have more respect for those who write their own material but I don't shit on them if they don't. Otherwise why listen to Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, or Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson is another example. In Off the Wall he really put himself in the song "She's Out of My Life."