Cover versions shouldn't be direct copies of the originals?

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

They keep playing Sam Smith's new version of Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' on Radio 2. What on earth is the point of it? Why did anybody (I think I can guess who) see the need for Sam to go to the trouble of recording and releasing a song that sounds pretty much identical (albeit not as well sung) as the original? Even the instrumentation sounds very much like a direct copy.

Surely a cover version is meant to be a different interpretation of a song, isn't it? At least bring a little something extra or alternative to the table?

Like them or not, I'm thinking of meaningful and well thought-out covers such as:
Cyndi Lauper vs. Roy orbison with 'I Drove All Night'
Dolly Parton vs. Whitney Houston with 'I Will Always Love You'
Dougie MacLean vs. Amy Macdonald with 'Caledonia'.
Prince v.s Sinead O'Connor with 'Nothing Compares To You'

If it's a tribute act/show or local karaoke/soundalike competition, then all well and good; but if it's just a commercially-released song that is available to buy/listen to in exactly the same places as the identical original version??? Is it just me?!

ShinyGiratina - exactly

Charles Aznavour said the same when Elvis Costello covered She for the film Notting Hill. Said it was perfectly nice, but he should have made it his own; as it was they used the identical arrangements as in his original recording, so why not just employ him to do it again?

The best cover version I've heard in years is Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence. Now that's how to improve a song.

To me, the most pointless cover version is Shola Ama's 'You Might Need Somebody'. It is virtually indistinguishable from Randy Crawford's original. Simply Red's rendition of 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' isn't a great deal different from the original by Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes.

I agree OP. my favourite covers are
Jeff Buckley hallelujah
Ramones baby I love you
pet shop boys always on my mind
Johnny cash hurt

however I was watching the one show with Annie Lennox on once and she was explaining that her covers album was not a covers album but an interpretations album and she did sound a bit wanky.

I love ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ - whether Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, or Creedence Clearwater Revival!

YANBU. Off the top of my head, two covers I love are 'If I were a boy' by Jamie T and 'Rent' by Carter USM.

Fucking hate all the breathy shit on tv ads though.

Greatest Hits Radio have Gabrielle's version of Walk on By on their playlist at the moment which is a totally pointless cover. Even the DY accidentally credited it to Dionne Warwick the other week!

The Slits did a good version of 'Heard it through the grapevine'.

*DJ

Ooh the Johnny Cash version of Hurt is really good. The video went so well with it too.

The Stranglers version of Walk on By is awesome

I like The Propellorheads doing Hounds of Love.

The Jam - Heatwave
Gary Numan - On Broadway
Bryan Ferry - jealous Guy
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower

I agree OP. I love a good cover, but it needs to bring something different. The Alien Ant Farm version of Smooth Criminal for instance is superb and better than the original IMO. The Wurzels (Ruby), Hayseed Dixie (Poison), and Me First and the Gimme Gimmies (Sloop John B, Stand by your man - also love this being covered in The Blues Brothers) have some great covers amongst their arsenal. I'm also a huge fan of the Weird Al parody covers.
I agree with a PP that covering the song in a different genre helps.

Some covers I don't mind but I cannot abide Sam Smith on any level. One of my favourite cover songs is Nirvana, The Man Who Sold the World. Bowie was chuffed they did it but less chuffed by the younger generation who told him it was cool he covered a Nirvana song .

OP I guessed you were referring to Sam Smiths cover. I think it's shite.
Imo, the Donna Summer version is off the scale brilliant.

One of the worst I ever heard is Nathan Carter destroying Boys of Summer.

Generally I prefer the originals but I agree with magicstar on Disturbed and also prefer Skid Row's "C'mon and Love Me". Can't stand anything that comes out of Sam Smith - weak vocals

There’s a cover of ‘In The Air Tonight’ doing the rounds atm. It’s almost the same but watered down and there’s a woman singing. I can’t see the point of it. I can’t imagine who’d listen to it having heard the original and thing, Oh, I like this one better.

There’s very few covers I like as much as or more than the originals but my faves are

‘Hounds Of Love’ by Futureheads

‘All Along The Watchtower’ by Jimi Hendrix, naturally

‘Hallelujah’ By Jeff Buckley

My DH refers to covers as 'glorified karaoke'

Weatlife were the worst for this!

I mean Westlife! Stupid autocorrect

Roxy Music version of Jealous Guy is better than the original John Lennon version

I love a good cover, especially when its different. Totally agree about the sound of silence by Disturbed. Great song.

Cant stand a cover that is just a copy. Its just cringey. A lot does depend on the voice. If the cover is by a really good singer, not some mediocre chart act who is popular at the time then its not too bad.

Anybody remember this one?!