Best songs not by the original artists

[gherkin]

Doom said we need this thread. I told him to start it, but I'm too impatient. So here it is.

Nirvana, In the Pines (or Where did you Sleep Last Night, as they called it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMm7gxBYSc

Sierra Hull, Mad World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFIQgPAms88 The whole thing is amazing, but just wait til the mandolin solo!

The Beatles, Twist and Shout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RicaUqd9Hg

Cream, Crossroads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYC5BcL7YtQ

The Petersens, Kiss Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ewGJkTtIk

Cyndi Lauper, All Through the Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZONKoKIQ9RY

The Commitments, Dark End of the Street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml88E75iK68

Only half a cover, since I think the lyrics are original to this version. Canned Heat, Going up the Country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eQMA_noRYQ

This one's almost too obvious to mention, but I still have to mention it. Johnny Cash, Hurt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI

And last, this one, which I probably wouldn't have included except that it's a nice tribute to the recently departed Jeff Beck. Beck and Eric Clapton, Moon River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DWqyYW8tOg

[gherkin]

Ooh, forgot. Anthrax, Got the Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbAgCdDu9WI

Anthrax and Public Enemy, Bring the Noise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ3WZaKjHNQ

[gherkin]

Duh. How could I forget. Haley Reinhart and PMJ, Creep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3lF2qEA2cw

[anawim]

There aren't too many songs that I know of that weren't written by the performer. They may not be written by them, I just don't know of too many.

Louie Louie was originally written by Richard Berry, and performed as a hit by The Kingsmen

Tequila was written by Chuck Rio and recorded by The Champs

Jumpin Jack Flash was written by Mick Jagger, but I always liked Leon Russell's cover from the concert for Bangladesh.

Blinded by the Light was written by Bruce Springsteen, but I always liked Manfred Mann's version.

I'm sure there are more, but that's what I know.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

I Write the Songs, Barry Manilow, originally Bruce Johnston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87ES8Bx ... ston-Topic
Shameless, Garth Brooks, originally Billy Joel
Video Killed the Radio Star -- Bruce Wooley co-wrote it, but Trent Horn et al. did it better.
Red Red Wine -- UB40

[Doom]

Tuesday's Gone by Metallica https://youtu.be/dteDKv2FYr0?si=KRYL9sejMvIfrP82

It was a live radio performance with John Popper on harmonica as well as Les Claypool from Primus, Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity, Gary Rossington, and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains

This is acoustic and I think I actually prefer it to the excellent original by Lynyrd Skynyrd

[Doom]

Doom said we need this thread. I told him to start it, but I'm too impatient. So here it is.

I said that right before leaving to go to my doctor's appointment, which took hours because it is my semi-annual comprehensive exam, where they do everything but an EKG!

[gherkin]

Eric Clapton, Layla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs0qeiJyIg

[gherkin]

Tuesday's Gone by Metallica https://youtu.be/dteDKv2FYr0?si=KRYL9sejMvIfrP82

It was a live radio performance with John Popper on harmonica as well as Les Claypool from Primus, Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity, Gary Rossington, and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains

This is acoustic and I think I actually prefer it to the excellent original by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Yep, that was John Popper all right. He's so good.

[Doom]

Eric Clapton, Layla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs0qeiJyIg

What? How is he not the original artist? Don't tell me that you think Derek and the Dominos was an actual band and not just a solo album by Eric Clapton and a few prestigious musicians backing him up.

[Stella]

"Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens. Originally composed as a hymn in 1931 by Eleanor Farjeon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmAOBosGlHY

"Everlasting Love" by U2. Originally recorded by Robert Knight 1967. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=481XQAOA_6s

"Mountain of Love" by Charlie Pride. Originally written and recorded by Harold Dorman in 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQmyWa4bEro

"Forever Young" by Youth Group. Originally https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQi8wEHMm5Y

"What Do You Want Me to Do" by Rod Stewart. Originally recorded by the Waterboys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bB3Qe6Gg0E

[Stella]

The cast of Family Guy singing Cyndi Lauper tunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0GsI2TA_Q

[anawim]

Red Red Wine -- UB40

Never knew this one. You're right, UB40 did it better than Neil.

[gherkin]

Eric Clapton, Layla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs0qeiJyIg

What? How is he not the original artist? Don't tell me that you think Derek and the Dominos was an actual band and not just a solo album by Eric Clapton and a few prestigious musicians backing him up.

It's actually an interesting question. The four of them played as the backing band on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album, and as part of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Three of them served as the backing band on Clapton's first solo record. And then they recorded with mainly just the four of them as Derek and the Dominos. I think the most natural way to think of the latter is as a band that happened to have a particularly famous leader--but a real band, unlike, say Bob Dylan and The Band.

[Essential Sacrifice]

Speaking of Eric Clapton ... my favorite of his is Crossroads, the band Cream, 1968, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE9HvSdcaL4
Cream, consisting of Eric Clapton, lead and vocals, Jack Bruce, bass and Ginger Rogers drums with a heavy jazz influence was the first true Super band

it was originally written by one Robert Johnson in 1936. about a black man hitching a ride in Alabama just at night fall...good luck with that in '36

An interesting side note is he, according to family and friends, could not sing or play guitar {excuse the pun} worth a lick. He disappeared for about 6 months and came back as one of the premiere blues men in all the south. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtDlZdhHRCI

The prevailing assumption was he sold his soul to the Devil at those crossroads for his new found talent ... he died 2 years later under mysterious circumstances from any one of many possibilities including poisoned by a jealous husband to syphilis from a plantation owner. The last 6 words of his song are "and I believe I'm going down" ... perhaps a precursor to his eternity

tremendous song, tremendous talent and legendary story

[Stella]

Came across this cool cover of 'Sweet Child of Mine'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4eo6LS9lto