BowAndArrowMan

Ewan MacColl: 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. This time I'm going to compare Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's original version and The Pogues' cover version of the song, Dirty Old Town . Dirty Old Town  song was written by Ewan MacColl in 1949. The song is about Salford, an industrial town and now a city neighbouring Manchester. This is the second time I've picked on Ewan MacColl in this series, clearly I don't like folk songs. Featuring his wife Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl recorded a version of the song he wrote. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's Dirty Old Town : However, it was The Dubliners' cover version of Dirty Old Town , released in 1968, that the song gained prominence. The Dubliners were a popular Irish folk band. I've never been into Irish folk music or even Irish music generally. It's the mysticism and the romanticism that rub me up the wrong way. The Du...

Lamont Dozier: 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. This time I'm going to compare Lamont Dozier's original version and Odyssey's cover version of the song, Going Back to My Roots . Lamont Dozier wrote and recorded the Going Back to My Roots song in 1977. The song is about the African roots of many black Americans. The American singer was one-third of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production team responsible for many Motown hit songs. Lamont Dozier's Going Back to My Roots : Before going to Odyssey's cover version, I want to mention Richie Havens' 1980 cover of the Going Back to my Roots song. Richie Havens was primarily a folk musician, though he fused soul music and, in this cover's case, a bit of disco music into his musical repertoire. Richie Havens was the opening act of the infamous Woodstock festival held in 1969. Richie Havens' Going Back to My Ro...

Joy Division: Here's my next post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Joy Division's original version and Nouvelle Vague's cover version of the song, Love Will Tear Us Apart . Love Will Tear Us Apart , released in 1980, was Manchester-based Joy Division's breakthrough single. The song is about Ian Curtis', Joy Division's singer's, marital difficulties and his struggle with epilepsy. He committed suicide just before the band was due to tour America. The single was released a month after his death. In 2002, New Musical Express named Love Will Tear Us Apart as the greatest single ever; and in 2004, 2010 and 2021, Rolling Stone listed the song as one of the 500 greatest songs ever. After Ian Curtis' death, Joy Division became New Order and took a slightly different musical direction, post-punk fused with disco. Perfect in my book! Joy Division's Love W...

Little Willie John: 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. This time I'm going to compare Little Willie John's original version and The Cramps' cover version of the song, Fever . Written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, Fever was first recorded by Little Willie John, an American R 'n' B singer, for his debut album in 1956. When the song was released as a single, it became a hit in America. Little Willie John's Fever : There's a stellar cast of musical artists who have covered the Fever song. Elvis Presley, Helen Shapiro, James Brown, Rita Coolidge, Suzi Quatro, Boney M., Sylvester, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Michael Bubl é, Beyonc é  and Dua Lipa have all covered the song, and many of them had hits with their cover versions of the song. But Peggy Lee's 1958 rendition is often held up to be the song's signature cover. So out of fairness, I'm uploading her co...

John Lennon: 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. This time I'm going to compare John Lennon's original version and Roxy Music's cover version of the song, Jealous Guy . Jealous Guy was written by John Lennon; the song was not initially released as a single but appeared on his Imagine album released in 1971. John Lennon said that the song was about his possessiveness of his wife, Yoko Ono, but a few music critics have suggested the song was also about his jealousy of Paul McCartney who was idolised more than John Lennon during The Beatles' years. John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band's Jealous Guy (not John Lennon's original version): Following John Lennon's murder outside his New York home on 8 December 1980, Roxy Music added a cover of his Jealous Guy song to their set while touring Germany. The band later recorded the song and released it as a single in February 1981....

Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl: 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. This time I'm going to compare Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger's original version and Roberta Flack's cover version of the song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face . In 1957 the British folk singer Ewan McColl wrote the The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face song for (and probably about) Peggy Seeger, an American folk singer. They were lovers at the time; they did go onto marry. Peggy Seeger sang the song when they both performed in folk clubs around Britain. Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face : Though the song was written by Ewan MacColl and performed live by Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger, I believe the song was first recorded by The Kingston Trio, an American folk group, for their 1962 album, New Frontier . I'm uploading both The Kingston Trio's version and Ewan MacColl with P...

Eddie Floyd: Here is my fifth post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Eddie Floyd's original version and Amii Stewart's cover version of the song, Knock on Wood . Knock on Wood was a hit song for Eddie Floyd in 1966. The single was released by Stax Records, an American soul music record company. Eddie Floyd's Knock on Wood : In 1979 Amii Stewart, an American soul and disco singer, had a massive hit with her cover of Knock on Wood . Her song is widely regarded as one of the classic disco songs of its time, the late 1970s/early 1980s, the heyday of disco. Amii Stewart's Knock on Wood : As a diehard disco man, I'm obviously going to like Amii Stewart's disco version more than Eddie Floyd's soul version. I can dance to Amii Stewart's cover version whereas I can only listen and maybe tap my foot to Eddie Floyd's original version. Many artists have covere...

Aerosmith: Here is my fourth post in the series in which I'll argue that the cover is better than the original version of the song. This time I'm going to compare Aerosmith's original version and Run-D.M.C cover version of the song, Walk This Way . Released in 1975 (and re-released in 1976) and co-written by Steve Tyler and Joe Perry, Walk This Way was a hit single for the American rock band, Aerosmith. Aerosmith's Walk This Way : Though not a rocker, Aerosmith's Walk This Way is one of my favourite rock songs along with Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer , Ram Jam's Black Betty and Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town . However, I prefer Dun-D.M.C.'s hip hop cover of Aerosmith's song over the original. Run-D.M.C. ft Aerosmith's Walk This Way : While and perhaps because Run-D.M.C.'s cover features Aerosmith, their version keeps and even accentuates the brilliant guitar riff of the original song and their New York rap vocals give the s...

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 versi...

Simon & Garfunkel: Following my blog post,  https://bowandarrowman. blogspot.com/2024/05/original- versus-cover-part-one-hotel. html , comparing the Eagles' and Alabama 3's versions of Hotel California , 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 (at least in my opinion). Second up in this original vs cover series is The Sound of Silence . Originally titled The Sounds of Silence and released initially in 1964 as an acoustic song to little fanfare, an electric remixed version of Simon & Garfunkel's song was released a year later in 1965. The song then soon became a big hit in many countries. Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence - don't you just love the recording crackle?!: Now I like Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence song even if they are a bit folky for me. But nearly forty years later I came across a cover version of the song which I loved and which I t...

Eagles: I'm going to do a small series of short posts - I promise it'll be small and I promise there'll be short - comparing an original song with a cover version which the cover is better than the original in my opinion. Obviously this series will be all about opinion. And my opinion is no better (nor worse) than anyone else's opinion. With the exception of covers played live, especially by tribute acts, a cover is only better than the original version if it is markedly different in my opinion. And it's a brave act that covers an original that was a big hit. For two those reasons alone, I'm discounting Bauhaus' cover of T. Rex's Telegram Sam , The Stranglers' cover of Dionne Warwick's Walk on By , Doctor and the Medics cover of Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky , Damian Marley's cover of his father's Bob Marley and the Wailers' Exodus and Toploader's cover of Boffalongo's Dancing in the Moonlight . I'm also exclud...