ORIGINAL VERSUS COVER: PART THREE, VALERIE

The Zutons:


Two blog posts, https://bowandarrowman.blogspot.com/2024/05/original-versus-cover-part-one-hotel.html and https://bowandarrowman.blogspot.com/2024/05/original-versus-cover-part-two-sound-of.html compared the original and cover versions of Hotel California and The Sound of Silence respectively. Here is my next post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. Obviously these posts are just my opinions.

Third up in this original vs cover series is Valerie. The Zutons are an English indie band from Liverpool. They took their name from Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band's guitarist, Zoot Horn Rollo - weird?! Below is The Zutons' original version of Valerie.

The Zutons' Valerie:

The Zutons' version is good but Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse did a cover that made the song special. I'm interested in how that song was chosen to be covered and presumably bettered. Here's the cover version, the clip is quite contrived but that's Mark Ronson for you! The clip takes a while to get going.

Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse's Valerie:

Mark Ronson is a British DJ/producer/musician, who is now based in America. He's won eight Grammy awards. And as well as being the producer of Amy Winehouse's best-selling classic Back to Black album, he co-wrote the Shallow song performed by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in the A Star is Born film and he was the man behind the Uptown Funk song performed by (or should I say featuring?) Bruno Mars. Fittingly, Mark Ronson teamed up with The Zutons to perform the Valerie song at the Glastonbury Festival in 2008.

Amy Winehouse had a great voice, very soul. Unfortunately she died when only 27 years old - her life was marked by alcohol, drugs and a coercive man (not Mark Ronson, I hasten to add) - see the Back to Black film released earlier this year.

Which version of  Valerie do you like best, The Zutons' or Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse's?

The next one I'm going to do I think may rankle Joy, who I suspect is a diehard rocker, but I hope she will take a walk this way!

PS. Again I hope Americans can play the video clips.

Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse:


Comments

  1. JoyMay 24, 2024 at 12:37 AM

    This one is a tie for me as I Loved both versions. Mark Ronson is such a talented man and Uptown Funk along with Bruno Mars is a favourite of mine. Especially to dance to. Yes I am a die hard rocker and if you are doing a cover for Aerosmith's Walk This Way, I am pumped to hear which cover you choose for it. Run DMC's maybe?....lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. JNMay 24, 2024 at 2:50 AM

    I liked Amy's sound better than the original.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debbi (Enigma)May 25, 2024 at 4:45 AM

    I gotta go with JN on this one, Amy Winehouse for the win. She had so much feeling in her voice. When she sang with Tony Bennett (not Valerie) I literally swooned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bow and Arrow ManMay 25, 2024 at 4:59 AM

      Amy Winehouse had a great voice. Her last album, 'Back to Black', is a classic.

      Delete

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