I've always stood by the credo that to do a cover version any justice you have to somehow make it your own, or at least make people realise it's you and not the original. Some say you should stick to sounding as similar to the original as possible but to me, that doesn't show your own identity. As a person who has been performing at Open Mics, doing covers mainly, for almost 15 years I think I've always done things in my own style, whether it be Folk/Fingerstyle versions of Punk classics to sing-along versions of Kylie Minogue and a lot of stuff in between!

What's your take on the subject??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

I actually think the original can become like a cover version. Have you ever got into a song, really got into it and discovered is a cover and when you heard the original you don't really like it?
I think it boils down to which one you heard first and fell in love with.

I remember listening to an original rachmaninoff recording for the first time and thought some modern conductors I previously listened (same symphony) did such a better job that he did

I had a similar thing. I hadn't heard any Black Sabbath except for Paranoid until I heard Speak Of The Devil by Ozzy. I really got into that album then I bought the Black Sabbath back catalogue, I was very disappointed. I like them all now but it took a while and I still love the Speak Of The Devil album

This thread made me think that some Johnny Cash covers of amazing songs are even more expressive and deeper than the originals... what do you think?

I agree that a 'cover' should still be identifiable with the band that's doing the cover i.e. Earth, Wind and Fire covering the Beatles' Got to Get You Into My Life. IMO, that's a perfect cover. It retains from the original all the things that made it cool in the first place, yet it's so obviously E,W&F.

Cash is very inspirational to me, goes to show you don't need fantastic range and perfect singing to convey somethign very powerful!



WOW this one is epic and definitely added a lot to the original version!

Johnny Cash version of Hurt is epic and this version of Creep is incredible, especially if you watch his face as he sings, he is feeling this, especially from 2:35 onwards, you can see his pain!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXlzci1rKNM

Cool topic, Jonesey I kind of look at approaching cover tunes in both of the ways you have described and I don't really have a rule for doing it one way or another. It is more of a gut feeling I guess.
I feel that some songs that I am going to cover need to be played as close to the original as possible in order to pay the proper respect to the artists that originally recorded the song.

On the other hand I believe that a cover tune can be taken to a new level by making it your own, either by simply replacing the solo's entirely with something of your own, expand on the original, or even to completely rearrange the song.
For example in one of the cover bands I played in we would routinely rearrange Pop,Rock and Metal songs into a Reggae style. Crazy Train was a fun song to do in a Reggae style. Some folks would say that's not cool and you are butchering the original while others would love it. It's all subjective I guess. Sometimes we would play those songs in their original versions depending on the situation, crowd etc.

However I decide to cover a song the main thing I try to do is to pay respect to the original as best I can. And before I do cover a song, I will try to learn it first, or at least analyze it the way it was originally written as best I can.

In my view, the one thing that is a constant to playing a cover song is that it should be a tribute in one way or another to the artist's that originally recorded it.

In my opinion the Hendrix version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" was the greatest cover ever written.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyIlDPLDCP0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLV4_xaYynY

And Dylan's famous quote regarding the JH cover ... "Well, it's his tune now".

I agree Here is one of my fave covers ever. it's THE SENTINEL and I gotta say I actually prefer it to the original, which is borderline heresy I know The pipes on the vocalist are astounding.

I think most people even dont know that "The hunt" from Sepultura is a cover of New Model Army song. i personally like more the version from Sepultura.
Petr

All very good points guys!
The reason for starting this discussion was mainly after a chat I had with someone about how we both started playing in Bands when we were younger and that the majority of people start playing covers. One of my first bands was a Covers band but we did used to put our own stamp on the songs by playing them with our own sound. We used to do it to make us sound different from all the other cover bands that were around at the same time as us!!
The same came for me later too. I was in a band that played all original material but every once in a while we'd do a cover of something, but it would still end up sounding like us rather than a true to the original cover.

I agree, its really cool to hear a cover version done with a bit of originality into it. Although I do like to hear a good tribute band as well now and then.
I like what Whitesnake done with bobby blands 'aint no love in the heart of the city' they really made that song their own. I think my favourite at the moment is Ben Pooles version of 'Hey Joe'. I still like the Hendrix version but BP's cover is amazing and the one I listen to more -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL8QJgQf_Ks


It might be a bit long for some folks but its well worth listening to. He plays some wild bends in the solo.