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?!

Sam Smith's cover is lazy, cheap self-glorification. I'm so cross about it.

Anyone remember when Travis covered Britney's "Baby one more time" in session? That was ace.

Meatloaf covered Martha?????

Just listening now... if you hadn't heard Tom Waits singing it you could like like it, I suppose!

But that reminds me of a story of yesteryear - pub quiz and a music know it all. We were talking about Americana. Know it all mentions 'Ol 55, by The Eagles. No, Tom Waits I counter (favourite singer song writer in the Samphire household). Know it all rushed home, grabs the abum On The Border, rushes back to the pub (yes, that was the kind of thing pedants had to do pre t'interet years). So confident was he he hadn't checked. How crestfallen he looked when he did check, in front of a pub full of quizzers

Futureheads Hounds of Love is excellent Driving home late one night it came oon and DH and I pulled over to listen, we wanted t know who it was. Sort of Elvis Costello on a brilliant, weird day... bloody DJ didn't say! Tokk me ages to find out. Bought the album, love them! Garage raj raj anyone?

some great tracks to check out on here :)
I'm going to be laughing all day at "Sam Smith on any level" 🤣

Annie Lennox - Whiter Shade of pale :)

Paul Weller did a marvellous cover of All Along The Watchtower.

And Ohio.

Both very different to the original, but with much of the same spirit behind it.

@Velveteenfruitbowl wasn’t The Boxer originally sung by Simon and Garfunkel?

Remembered another favourite cover of mine. The late great Chris Cornell's acoustic cover of Billie Jean.

If you are doing a cover,put your own spin on it.Otherwise whats the point.

My favourite covers are

Pentatonix hallelujah
Faith No More Easy
Matellica Turn The Page
Teenage Fanclub Like A Virgin.

Why tho?

Awesome cover here though

@hellsbells99 you’re right, brain fart!

I've never understood the denigration of cover artists. Why shouldn't they sing existing songs.

Nobody is saying they shouldn't. If it's a tribute show or they're singing live - or if it's anybody, famous singer or not, doing it to entertain or have themselves or with their friends - then great. It's just that, when you decide to record and release a song commercially, in so doing, you're saying that this is something new and different (whether the tune and lyrics have never been performed before is irrelevant) and hoping to encourage people to add something new to their collection. Sam Smith's record label would have got in touch with Radio 2 in advance and 'sold' his exciting new single to them, urging them to make it their single of the week, to bring new interest to the listeners.

It's a bit like that kid at school who, immediately after you've told a long joke will insist that "NO, it's meant to go...." and proceeds to relate the entire joke again almost verbatim but with one tiny inconsequential detail changed, because, when they heard it, the farmer was called Geoff instead of Dave - even though the whole funny part revolves around something that the cow and the pigs did.

It's kind of understandable when it's children doing it, but when an adult insists that a song can be improved - and that people should buy it again - just because they want their own name attached to the otherwise identical rendition of it, it's very irritating and not a little self-obsessed.

It would be like sticking an alternative fruit picture on the back of a mobile and squiggling with a Sharpie on the front and then trying to convince everybody to buy your brand new 'Banana oPhone', because it's way better and unlike any phone they've ever seen before.

Then again, in the case of SS, as said artist has tried to insist that a non-standard (for a single individual) third person pronoun should be used when people refer to SS (that's right - when two other people are talking and SS isn't even present), maybe we shouldn't be surprised.

You might like this OP

Thank you, YetAnotherSpartacus - that's wonderful!

That's all so well done, but my favourite part of all is the Vancouver/Quebec bit

I'm old -so it reminded me of the Bronski beat version more than the Donna Summer version... although as DS 14 said - its not as good (when I made him listen to the BB version) so why has he bothered.... fake song..

I dont mind it as love the song ....and has made me inflict more disco on my family....

Arctic Monkeys covers of Girls Aloud's Love Machine and Shirley Bassey's Diamonds are Forever are sensational.

Sam Smith has absoultely mangled I Feel Love. It's a bloody insult to a much missed artist.

OP - The best bit was hearing Eric sing this and then passing two buskers singing ... Hallelujah.

He also does a great Donald Trump number and ode to Ryan Air.

Then again, in the case of SS, as said artist has tried to insist that a non-standard (for a single individual) third person pronoun should be used when people refer to SS (that's right - when two other people are talking and SS isn't even present), maybe we shouldn't be surprised.

I used to be able to tolerate him but due to his utter twatfuckery over recent years I just cannot stand him.

Love that vid YetAnotherSpartacus

I agree OP.

The problem with 'identical' covers is that they are generally more poorly sung than the original making them even more pointless.

My personal gripe is 'pop' covers of songs that remove any soul or feeling from the original (see Alexandra Burke's cover of the brilliant Leonard Cohen for a prime example).

Neil Diamond is an artist who has chosen his covers wisely and made the songs his own. The three best are The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton), Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) and Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell).

I dont mind the covers are a bit samey if the artist covering them has a good voice.
Both Panic! At The Disco,but he has an amazing voice.

I'm old -so it reminded me of the Bronski beat version more than the Donna Summer version. That confused me. Donna Summer was the original, released in 77. Bronski Beat (great version, not that JImy Somerville could be anything other than wondrous) was in 84!