One measure of the success of a song is the number of cover versions it spawns. A great example is the multi-Grammy-winning Uptown Funk. I didn’t bother getting an exact count, but the iTunes Store shows page after page of remakes (including inexplicable ukulele and violin renditions, and multiple acapella arrangements by college groups) of the song that’s only about eighteen months old.
In every instance, the covers of Uptown Funk are inferior (in my opinion) to the original, but that’s not always true. Although purists might rightfully disagree, I find that remakes of older pop and rock songs are often better than the originals, or at least successful in reinvigorating tunes that have grown tiresome through repetition. In some cases, it’s because of superior talent by the new artist; in others, modern production techniques (or changing tastes) give the cover an edge.
Here’s a list of ten very recognizable songs that I think have benefitted by new treatment. Not every one is necessarily an improvement, but they all breathe new life into the original.
(Note: I was almost through with this post before I discovered the amazing SecondHandSongs website, which is to cover songs what IMDB is to movies. I could have saved a lot of time had I known about it sooner.)
- Love Potion Number 9 by Neil Diamond (original – The Clovers): I have no clue as to why Neil Diamond would want to remake this song three decades after The Searchers made it into a big hit (and their version was a cover of the original 1959 recording). Perhaps it was a favorite from his youth. Regardless, Diamond’s version is a less cartoonish/more adultish rendering.
- Spooky by Atlanta Rhythm Section (original – The Classics IV): This remake has perhaps a bit more logic to it, in that James Cobb was a co-writer, as well as a member of both The Classics IV and the ARS. The redo is almost twice as long as the original, and both share a smooth jazz feel.
- Sunshine of Your Love by Chaz DePaolo (original – Cream): As long as we’re in the smooth jazz neighborhood, this version by American blues guitarist DePaolo ratchets the original version down a few notches without completing ignoring its rock roots. I don’t know who’s doing the singing, but Eric Clapton has nothing on her in the vocals department.
- All About That Bass by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (original – Meghan Trainor): You’d be hard pressed to find a more sophisticated makeover than the one Postmodern Jukebox applies to Trainor’s mega-debut song. Now, trust me when I tell you that I was attracted to this remake before I saw the accompanying video (with the attractive female singers who manage to claim that they’re “no size 2” without bursting into laughter).
- Gentle on My Mind by The Band Perry (original – Glen Campbell): It takes a lot of confidence to remake one of the most successful songs in popular music history, but youngsters that comprise The Band Perry do an admirable job of making it their own while still paying tribute to the original. Wikipedia claims that more than 300 different artists have covered this song, but I’ve not heard one I like better than this. (For some very interesting insight to the history of the original, I highly recommend the documentary film The Wrecking Crew, which profiles the amazing studio musicians that were instrumental to the success of many of the most recognizable songs in American history. Glen Campbell was one of them.)
Eleanor Rigby by Joshua Bell & Frankie Moreno (original – The Beatles): Joshua Bell is likely a familiar name, but Frankie Moreno (not to be confused with Frank Marino, a female impersonator) is probably less so. Moreno was the house act at the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas for a few years; he’s now a touring musician and a staple in venues around Vegas and is one of the most dynamic performers working today. He and Bell team up to enhance the already classical vibes (the original arrangement takes its cue from Vivaldi) of one of the Beatles’ most well-known ballads.
- She’s Not There by Santana (original – The Zombies): The Zombies made this a big hit in 1964, and Santana recycled it into another hit in 1977. The live version of this song is one of the highlights of a Santana concert, if you’re fortunate enough to be present when they play it.
- Gotta Serve Somebody by Tommy Castro (original – Bob Dylan): Dylan won a Grammy for this song in 1980, and it has the added recommendation of really making John Lennon mad for its religious themes. Castro added his bluesy interpretation in 2009.
- Kiss by Señor Coconut (original – Prince): Prince is a musical genius, regardless of what he chooses to call himself, and his version of Kiss is basically flawless. What attracts me to this cover is the Latin flair that Uwe Schmidt (si, el Señor es Deutscher) puts on the song, and you know what a sucker I am for Latin music.
- Good Lovin’ by The Grateful Dead (original – The Olympics): OK, I saw you do that double-take. No, The Young Rascals did not record the original version of this song; they were a year late to the party after The Olympics released it in 1964. The Rascals’ version is the best known, of course, but I’m kinda diggin’ the Dead’s 1978 samba spin. (There’s that Latin beat again.)
Bonus! The Sound of Silence by Disturbed (original – Simon & Garfunkle): I’m late to the party on this one, as I just discovered this version. Sure, it was recorded last year, but the video below has more than 20 million views, so unless some of you are serious Disturbed fans, a lot of folks know about this version. Whether they recognize that the song title isn’t exactly the same as the 1964 original is probably another question, albeit completely irrelevant.
Anyway, this choice deserves a bit more explanation, because it has a really interesting back story. Disturbed is a metal band – not usually my musical cup of tea – and the lead singer, David Draiman, looks and sounds the part, because stereotypes. What I did not know is that he’s Jewish and was for a time in training as a hazan or cantor (a director of liturgical prayer, chants, and songs in a synagogue). In a musical genre that often attracts neo-Nazi skinheads, he’s aggressively pro-Israel and won’t back down when confronted with anti-Semitism.
Draiman’s raw, bordering-on-imperfect voice brings a growling, angst-filled vibe to S&G’s classic that is frankly mesmerizing.