Cover Versions : love 'em or hate 'em...

[Wedgebeat]

I guess All Along the Watchtower is the most obvious. Blinded By the Light would probably be the second most obvious.
Too bad about that "Revved up like a Deuce" line though. Lol.

 

[runningshoes]

Another great one.

 

[Schmetterling]

I've heard some of the above - 'Diamonds and Rust' of course which I liked better than the original. I didn't know "Built for Comfort" was even a cover so I guess you learn something everyday.

I also have "Baby please don't go" in my collection but nothing at all from Gamma which are a band I seem to have missed although I've always known about them right from the start. I'll make a point of adding a couple of their albums to my wishlist..

 

[Big Ears]

^ You really need to hear Gamma. Davey Pattison also teamed up with Michael Schenker for the Summit covers albums. I'd Love to Save the World is as good as TYA's original 'hit'.

All of Manfred Mann's covers are outstanding, especially by the Earth Band, but even going back to the Manfred Mann group. There are so many and they include his famous version of The Mighty Quinn and many others, some of which tended to be better played live. I wish he had released more official live albums to encompass these - Lane Tietgen's Captain Bobby Stout springs to mind.

Although having a good ear for a song and making it his own, Manfred Mann's own material was also exceptional; it is just that he was not prolific and did not record as many of his own songs as fans would have liked. Many groups include covers as fillers, especially as they run out of ideas. It is understandable, as the pressure of touring, writing, recording and finding inspiration takes over, and MM did succumb towards the later Earth Band studio albums.

One of the Earth Band songs that always made me wonder about the source was Sue Vickers' California on the Watch album. This was a watershed album as Mann lost Mick Rogers and gained Chris Thompson with Dave Flett as his replacements. Every track is spot-on, but California is especially beautiful. It was only recently that I discovered it is not a cover at all, but was written by the wife of Mike Vickers of the original Manfred Mann group (a multi-instrumentalist who gave them their highly distinctive flute sound).

http://www.platform-end.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1476

Besides MM, this lineup has the underrated Mick Rogers on vocals/guitar, the underrated Colin Pattenden on Rickenbacker bass (sadly now lost to rock music), and the legendary Chris Slade (who plays out of his skin) on drums.

Captain Bobby Stout live is definitely one of my favourtie covers:

On the subject of Judus Priest, their cover of Peter Green's Green Manalishi is pretty good live, but I do not like their version of Better by You, Better Than Me, as no-one can touch Spooky Tooth.

 

[Needs More Cowbell]

The Spencer Davis Group's 'I'm A Man" was a great song

But Chicago's version blows it away

 

[Big Ears]

^ It is funny how that track was often left off the Chicago best ofs or greatest hits. It must have been something to do with the songwriting copyright.

 

[Needs More Cowbell]

I would vote Jimi Hendrix's cover of Dylan's All Along The Watchtower as the all-time greatest cover song

This would be my 2nd place vote

Santana and their cover of the Fleetwood Mac tune Black Magic Woman

 

[Schmetterling]

Yeah I remember that version of Black Magic Woman from a long time ago.

Must've been about 1978/79 ish..?

Brings back memories....

 

[DJ Spanky]

This just occurred to me - what a jam:

 

[joe]

Hey Joe - Deep Purple/Shades Of Deep Purple(1968)
Tobacco Road - Spooky Tooth/It's All About...(1968)
Who Do You Love? - Juicy Lucy/Juicy Lucy(1969)