Can you think of a song that was better the second time around?

[Eggs4Sale]

I'm wondering, are most songs better by their original singer, or does a second rendition by someone else seem to improve it?

Any examples?

 

[wombat]

I'd have to say Jimi Hendrix doing "All along the Watchtower" was far better than Bob Dylan's original.

 

[debilorrah]

Nope, none are coming to mind right now. Don;t sue me if I post later.

 

[wombat]

I'd never say anyone's better than the orignal when the 'Stones are concerned, but Patti Smith's cover of Gimme Shelter is worth adding to your iPod ... She's got a good cover of Midnight Rider too.

Another good one ... not better than the original, but check out Ricki Lee Jones covering Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys.

... and did you know Heart got their start as a Led Zeppelin cover band?

(Yeah, I have a lot of covers in my iTunes ... drives my wife crazy for some reason though)

Edit: Joan Jett covering "Rebel Rebel" is better than David Bowie, IMO.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I'm going to have to youtube the Patti Smith one.

Gene Pitney ahd a beautiful song called "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart", just hauntingly beautiful. In the video, you can feel him singing it, and you can tell he really is singing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pea9nlJdzMQ&feature=related
But there's a 1989 remake for Brokeback Mountain, and it's done by the guy from Soft Cell, with Gene Pitney as second fiddle. Gene iis great for his four seconds, but the other guy just white breads it and makes me want to

and

because he's ruined a gorgeous song.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I think Dolly Parton's original "I Will Always Love You" is superior to Whitney Houston's.

 

[saddina]

Orgy's blue monday was better than the 1980's one.

I'm fond of the Marilyn Manson remake of This is Halloween from the Nightmare before Christmas.

Disturbed's land of confusion has a nice edge to it.

 

[wombat]

I'm going to have to youtube the Patti Smith one.

This was the only youtube one I found with halfway decent acoustics, most are bootlegs with bad audio ..

Doesn't really do her justice, looks like some sort of euro tv studio audience.

Audio quality on this one's worse, but more of a concert atmosphere:

The version I got off iTunes rocks!​