I don't care who sang it first, that's his/her song!

Are there any cover version of songs that you consider so superior to the original, that you associate the song with that artist instead of the original. Some obvious answers would be Aretha stealing Respect from Otis Redding, after Otis himself had done the same with Try A Little Tenderness [[which was a tin pan alley song). David Ruffin took ownership of Who's Lovin' You from Smokey before little Michael came along and stole it from him.

Here's my list

Message from Maria-David Ruffin [[originally by Joe Simon)
Bye Bye Love- Ray Charles [[Original by The Everly Brothers)
Ain't That Lovin' You [[For More Reasons Than One) -tie between Luther Ingram and 100 Proof aged in Soul [[original by Johnnie Taylor)
I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself-Isaac Hayes[[original by Tommy hunt)
The Masquerade is Over-David Porter [[original by ???)
A House is Not a Home- Luther Vandross [[original by Dionne Warwick)
Wildflower- New Birth [[original by Skylark)
Until it's Time For you to Go-New Birth [[Original by Buffy St. Marie)

When You're Young And In Love - Marvelettes

And as much it irks me to say this

A Love Like Yours Dont Come Knocking Every Day - Ike & Tina Turner

To my eternal shame, I prefer the Moody Blues' cover of "Go Now" to Bessie Banks' original. The song works so much better with a pop rather than a deep soul treatment.

As far as sixties music is concerned I would normally say that the original is always better, but this is the exception that proves the rule.

I also have a fondness for Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" but, though memorable, it doesn't quite beat Gloria Jones.

Gypsy Woman - Brian Hyland

The Thrill is Gone - Brian Hyland

I bet you didnt know Dionne Warrick sung No one in the World first

Nice post,as i sit here pondering your question i'm gonna say no for this reason,yes there have been some awesome covers-since i lost my baby[luther]..cupid[the spinners]are two that come to mind,but for me i always give the nod to the original artist,as great as[a house is not a home]sounds by luther i always go with dionne's version,i have many covers in my collection so i may come across one i prefer over the original but it's gonna be very very rare!

Ok,one comes to mind-the temps cover of mary wells[what love has joined]their version is a killer.

Attachment 12998
1 The Ban-Lons' remake of "Hey Baby!" by Bruce Chanel
2 The Checkers', Five Blue Jays', Five Willows', and Robins' remakes of Vera Lynn's "The White Cliffs of Dover
3 The Checkers' and Del-Vikings' remakes of Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow"
4 The Hide-a-Ways' version of "Can't Help Loving That Girl of Mine" male version of Lena Horne's "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine" show tune from "Porgy and Bess"
5 The Four Tops' remake of "Walk Away Renee" - forget original group as I never listened to any "Pop" stations. Was it The Left Banke?
6 The Marcels' remake of 1920s Pop tune, "Blue Moon". Also better than The Chords' mid '50s first R&B version
7 Marv Johnson's remake of Bobby Parker's "You Got What It Takes"

Surprised no-one has mentioned one of the real biggies - Aretha's version of 'I Say a Little Prayer.' Done originally by Dionne Warwick only a few months previous. Apparently Jerry Wexler was against Aretha doing this cover - and for once he turned out to be wrong.
Also
Marvin Gaye 'Heard it through the grapevine' [[original by Gladys Knight)
Supremes/Four Tops 'I had a dream' [[original by Shorty Long)

"Working My Way Back To You", originally by The Four Seasons, but bettered by The Spinners

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Originally Posted by waynesville

Surprised no-one has mentioned one of the real biggies - Aretha's version of 'I Say a Little Prayer.' Done originally by Dionne Warwick only a few months previous. Apparently Jerry Wexler was against Aretha doing this cover - and for once he turned out to be wrong.
Also
Marvin Gaye 'Heard it through the grapevine' [[original by Gladys Knight)
Supremes/Four Tops 'I had a dream' [[original by Shorty Long)

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Have to agree with "I Say A Little Prayer" Waynesville, especially in The UK where it was a major hit, whereas Dionne's version had only limited success.

How about The Four Tops version of "If I Were A Carpenter" [[initially a big hit for Bobby Darin) or Roberta Flack's version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". Wikipedia has an interesting potted history of "The First Time" ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fi..._Saw_Your_Face

Roger

I understand though I don't necessarily agree with Jai's ideas about
almost always prefering the original...I mean think for instance
about a song like Jimi Hendrix's Hey Joe. Few are the folks that
even remember it was a Billy Roberts cover. Anyway though I've enjoyed quite a few of them, there 3 songs that I believe I've never
heard anyone do better than the original artists:
Just My Imagination-The Temptations
Ooo Child- The Five Stairsteps and
The Love We Had Stays On My Mind-The Dells. I have to admit they
did those songs so well that many people refuse to listen to covers
even when they are good. Not better, but good...

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Originally Posted by robb_k

Attachment 12998
4 The Hide-a-Ways' version of "Can't Help Loving That Girl of Mine" male version of Lena Horne's "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine" show tune from "Porgy and Bess"

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"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" is from SHOW BOAT.

My pick is Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia."

Call Me - Diana Ross [[her version was Grammy nominated)

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Originally Posted by robb_k

Attachment 12998

5 The Four Tops' remake of "Walk Away Renee" - forget original group as I never listened to any "Pop" stations. Was it The Left Banke?
"

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Yes Robb "Walk Away Renee" was by The Left Banke.

To me the first cover coming to my mind is "Worn Out Broken Heart", by Loleatta Holloway. Though I can't say I don't dig Sam Dees [[sacrilege in U.K. !) Loleatta kills it :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J05b5kmp6F8

Four Tops' version of "I Got a Feeling" far outshines Barbara Randolph for me. In fact it is one of my all-time top five Motown songs.

Marvelettes' "Here I Am Baby" is better than Barbara McNair, though I appreciate hers more than I used to.

Both Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Rivers did better version of Tracks of My Tears.

Marvelettes' version of He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' appeals to me more than the Velvelettes' original, but it could be simply because I heard it first.

And since someone mentioned Dionne's version of "No One in the World," I have always thought it was light years ahead of Anita Baker's.

Dionne also did a better job on "Walk Away" than Phyllis Hyman.

Those are the examples that just roll off my tongue at first thought. I have probably made enough enemies with that list for one night!

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Originally Posted by daviddesper

Four Tops' version of "I Got a Feeling" far outshines Barbara Randolph for me. In fact it is one of my all-time top five Motown songs.

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Completely agree david. Not sure why Barbara's version is liked more than The Tops' original. I hate how the tempo is slower and less frantically upbeat! I fell in love with The Tops' version the first time I heard it and thought Barbara's was good but nowhere near as amazing as the original. And, yea, it is one of my favourite Four Tops and Motown songs!! Classic, pure Motown GOLD! :)

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Originally Posted by abfan

I bet you didnt know Dionne Warrick sung No one in the World first

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I did!! She recorded it for one of her mid 80's arista albums shortly before Anita got hold of it. For the record i love both versions!

How about Dionne's fab version of "can't hide love". Four Tops versions of "walk away renee" and "if i were a carpenter" are both superior to the originals. I adore Diana's version of "summertime", and how about Stevie's smoking version of "we can work it out".Donna Summer killed "macarthur park" big time, and i have to agree the Marvelettes version of "young and in love" exceeds the original, and Marvin totally owned "Abraham, Martin and John" and "grapevine". Supremes and Temptations version of "i second that emotion" at least equals Smokeys original, whilst Gladys and the Pips version of "bourgie bourgie" is better than A&S version to these ears. There will surely be many others but that will suffice for now.

Sylvester completely owned Ashford & Simpson's "Over and Over" and arguably Miss LaBelle's "You Are My Friend"; many folks think the latter is a Sylvester original when Patti co-wrote it and did it first!

Although the original was the commercial success, I am especially fond of Eddie Kendrick's version of Time In A Bottle by Jim Croce...
Eddie's version is so delicate and pure...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Hb-yJpXlE

Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude

Supremes & Four Tops - "IF", originally by Bread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Q2Cd10Z8c

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

Completely agree david. Not sure why Barbara's version is liked more than The Tops' original. I hate how the tempo is slower and less frantically upbeat! I fell in love with The Tops' version the first time I heard it and thought Barbara's was good but nowhere near as amazing as the original. And, yea, it is one of my favourite Four Tops and Motown songs!! Classic, pure Motown GOLD! :)

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Hmmmm ... have to disagree ... personally I prefer the Barbara Randolph version, and seeing as she recorded it over a year after the version by The Four Tops I don't think it fits into this thread, which is about versions that are better than "the original".

Sorry for being a bit "picky" folks [[and I do like The Tops' version) but for any doubters about which came first please refer to the "Don't Forget The Motor City" website .... :)

http://www.dftmc.info/titles/ti-04.htm

Roger

Donny Hathaway "A Song For You" became the standard of Leon Russell song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeHiio1sTTI

This country song "Misty Blue" was originally written for Brenda Lee but turned it down and then recorded by Wilma Burgess. Joe Simon had charted with his R&B version but most know it by Dorothy Moore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hQZbLR5e9Q

"The Thrill Is Gone" was recorded in 1951 by Roy Hawkins but in 1969 BB King stole it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oica5jG7FpU

Al Green version of the Bee Gees "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" is legendary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgAFcvIw8J4

Curtis Mayfield was right when he let Gladys cover his song "The Makings Of You" for the Claudine soundtrack. She made it her own:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oCEvpMKGjE

Lowell Fulson charted with "Tramp" first but Otis Redding and Carla Thomas took it to another level with their interplay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKlCA0-Arks

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

I did!! She recorded it for one of her mid 80's arista albums shortly before Anita got hold of it. For the record i love both versions!

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I for one, had no idea. I always thought it was written for if not by her.

Speaking of Anita, she recently had "Angel" swiped from her by Lalah Hathaway [[Donny's daughter). I guess it runs in the family.

"Does Your Mama Know About Me?" - Sharon Redd, Charlotte Crossley and Ula Hedwig [[The Harlettes)

https://youtu.be/gPY7QHjWds0

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Originally Posted by roger

Hmmmm ... have to disagree ... personally I prefer the Barbara Randolph version, and seeing as she recorded it over a year after the version by The Four Tops I don't think it fits into this thread, which is about versions that are better than "the original".

Sorry for being a bit "picky" folks [[and I do like The Tops' version) but for any doubters about which came first please refer to the "Don't Forget The Motor City" website .... :)

http://www.dftmc.info/titles/ti-04.htm

Roger

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Haa... no worries, roger. You are quite right, Barbara's version is the cover and The Four Tops' is the original. Personally I feel the original is better than the cover but for you it is vice versa, so that fits nicely into the thread ;)

Actually, can I ask, why do you prefer Barbara's version?

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Originally Posted by Luciano

This country song "Misty Blue" was originally written for Brenda Lee but turned it down and then recorded by Wilma Burgess. Joe Simon had charted with his R&B version but most know it by Dorothy Moore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hQZbLR5e9Q

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Dorothy did have the greatest version. That record is still very listenable today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luciano

"The Thrill Is Gone" was recorded in 1951 by Roy Hawkins but in 1969 BB King stole it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oica5jG7FpU

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There is no other version than B.B. King's! LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jboy88

I for one, had no idea. I always thought it was written for if not by her.

Speaking of Anita, she recently had "Angel" swiped from her by Lalah Hathaway [[Donny's daughter). I guess it runs in the family.

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I like Anita's original better.

Main Ingredient's - "I'm So Proud" is just a bit smoother than the Impressions' original.

The Supremes' & The Temptations" jazz version of "Try It Baby" is far better than Marvin's original, bland, too-laid-back version.

I also prefer The Ronettes' remake of "I Can Hear Music" to the original. I love the Beach Boys' version, but Ronnie's version on Philles just blows me away.