OT: Songs where the remake by the same artist was better than the original.

[DJ Spanky]

I heard Layla at the gym this afternoon, and as much as I like the original version (with Clapton doing lead vocals and guitar), I realized that I liked the acoustic version Clapton did a little better. So I was wondering what songs others feel the same about.

Original:


Acoustic:


I have a couple of others I'll post later.

 

[mikershoein]

Foo fighters, acoustic version of "there goes my hero"
Fleetwood Mac- Silver Spring in the 90's
I know there's more but those two come to mind

 

[WhiteBus]

I heard Layla at the gym this afternoon, and as much as I like the original version (with Clapton doing lead vocals and guitar), I realized that I liked the acoustic version Clapton did a little better. So I was wondering what songs others feel the same about.

Original:

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Acoustic:

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I have a couple of others I'll post later.

When I saw the thread title this was the first song that came to my mind!

 

[cRURah]

U2 - Even better than the real thing. The version performed during the Paris concert knocks it out of the park. The original not so much.

 

[Finster Baby]

Guns and Roses, Knocking on Heavens Door.

 

[Source]

Revolution by The Beatles
Do Ya by ELO (Jeff Lynne re-take from his days in The Move)
Sentimental Lady (Bob Welch in Fleetwood Mac and then solo)

 

[Jersey Boys]

This is a layup...

Walk This Way

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

99 Red Balloons cover by 7 Seconds - better than Nena's original

 

[RU848789]

99 Red Balloons cover by 7 Seconds - better than Nena's original

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Good cover, although I think I still like the original better - also, this is off-topic from Spanky's OT original post, which was only about 2nd versions of a song by the original artist.

If it were just best covers, I've always had 2 covers that I thought truly remade and improved on the original: Hendrix's cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and the English Beat's cover of Smokey Robinson's, "Tears of a Clown." I generally don't like covers that are mostly repeats of the original.

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

Also Knights in White Satin - Dickies > Moodie Blues:

Good cover, although I think I still like the original better - also, this is off-topic from Spanky's OT original post, which was only about 2nd versions of a song by the original artist.

If it were just best covers, I've always had 2 covers that I thought truly remade and improved on the original: Hendrix's cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and the English Beat's cover of Smokey Robinson's, "Tears of a Clown." I generally don't like covers that are mostly repeats of the original.

Sorry -misread the OP. Although another of my favorite remakes is Nights in White Satin: Dickies > Moody Blues by far --

 

[RU848789]

I heard Layla at the gym this afternoon, and as much as I like the original version (with Clapton doing lead vocals and guitar), I realized that I liked the acoustic version Clapton did a little better. So I was wondering what songs others feel the same about.

Original:

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Acoustic:

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I have a couple of others I'll post later.

Sorry, couldn't disagree more. The original is one of the greatest tracks from the classic rock era, while the cover sounds like a bad lounge act.

For my money, almost every song on Live Rust is better than the original, especially, Comes A Time, Sugar Mountain, and Like A Hurricane.

 

[RU848789]

Also Knights in White Satin - Dickies > Moodie Blues:


Sorry -misread the OP. Although another of my favorite remakes is Nights in White Satin: Dickies > Moody Blues by far --

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Absolutely love the Dickies (saw them in '85, I think, at the Court Tavern), but I'll take their Banana Splits theme song cover over the Moody Blues cover...

 

[famousbill19]

Born in the USA. Acoustic version is haunting, completely different tone than the more famous version.

 

[rutger80]

I agree with RU848789, but will go a step further and say the acoustic version of Layla is an abomination, compared to the original, with Duane Allman on slide.
Most of the better remakes are live versions, so I'm not sure if it totally fits within the OP's parameters, but the live versions of Cheap Trick's Surrender or I Want You to Want Me FAR outshines the originals.

 

[The Original Rah]

Revolution by The Beatles

Which are you considering the remake? The 45 (faster version) was actually recorded a week or so after the slower LP (The Beatles aka The White Album) version but the LP was released 4 months or so after the 45.

 

[MrsScrew]

Isn't this a thread that @RutgersRaRa shoulf have started??

 

[oldman87]

Not by the same artist but definitely better than Under Pressure.

 

[Source]

Which are you considering the remake? The 45 (faster version) was actually recorded a week or so after the slower LP (The Beatles aka The White Album) version but the LP was released 4 months or so after the 45.

Didn't know that. Just assumed the slower version was the "remake" of the more uptempo version. The story I heard was that the Beatles did the slow version to answer critics about what they were singing in the fast version. Supposedly, the line in the fast version that says "...you can count me out" was followed by a soft "in". When the slow version came out, they absolutely sang, "...you can count me out...... in. But you know it's gonna be all-right!"

 

[LC-88]

Rammstein - Sonne. Studio version is great, but live version typically better.

 

[Myrtleknight]

Usually not into music threads but this is easy. Sweet dreams Marilyn Manson.

 

[DontTedonMe]

Two off Van Halen Diver Down come to mind: Where have all the good times gone and (oh) Pretty Woman

 

[czxqa]

Walk on 4th Wild Side- Lou Reed. There's a live version that's ten times better than the plodding studio version.
Cheap Trick Live at Budokan as already mentioned, and Fleetwood Mac has a live performance of Tusk with the USC marching band that's fantastic.

 

[wheezer]

Didn't know that. Just assumed the slower version was the "remake" of the more uptempo version. The story I heard was that the Beatles did the slow version to answer critics about what they were singing in the fast version. Supposedly, the line in the fast version that says "...you can count me out" was followed by a soft "in". When the slow version came out, they absolutely sang, "...you can count me out...... in. But you know it's gonna be all-right!"

-----
I also remember that the British critics thought the fast recording of this song was just not a good song, or up to what they expected out of the Beatles at that time.... So this is why I thought the Beatles followed up with the slow version, but that part might be incorrect.

 

[brodo]

...
Cheap Trick Live at Budokan as already mentioned, ...

I don't know why but I had always assumed that Budokan was the name of a Japanese city where the concert occurred. But it's actually the name of the venue in Tokyo.

 

[wheezer]

Blinded by the light by Manfred Man..... I remember that somebody here thought this was this worst song ever, but I do think it is better than Bruce's version, which seems to go nowhere.

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

REM - Radio Free Europe: 1983 version > 1981 version

1983:


1981:

 

[RICOelectric]

Independence Day......Just done recently on The River Tour.

 

[RUHouston]

Nutshell by Alice In Chains.

 

[RU4Real]

"Spooky". Originally recorded by Dennis Yost and the Classics 4, re-recorded by the Atlanta Rhythm Section (which is the Classics 4 without Dennis Yost).

 

[Jersey Boys]

Many on this thread missed the intention of the OP. It's a remake of a song done by the artist who initially wrote or recorded it. So as an example, Jimi doing Watchtower doesn't count.

Proceed.

 

[CERU00]

Pretty much any remake of a Bob Dylan song. See Eddie Veddar's version of Masters of War.

 

[RUJohnny99]

if we're going with "songs that are better as live versions than studio versions" I nominate Bruce's entire catalog.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Yep, live versions do count.

Although you could probably nominate any song off of Frampton Comes Alive.

And I agree with those who were talking about Revolution by the Beatles - I always thought the slow, doo-wop version was later than the more popular version.

Okay, here's another one - live version of Old Time Rock And Roll by Bob Seger off of the Nine Tonight live album - I love the guitar entry to this version:

 

[DJ Spanky]

This is a layup...

Walk This Way

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Ya know, I was kind of in between on this one - I think both versions stand very well on their own. But you can't beat the video with Run DMC/Aerosmith. Too bad they couldn't afford to bring the whole band out for the video, instead of Perry and Tyler.

 

[RU848789]

Many on this thread missed the intention of the OP. It's a remake of a song done by the artist who initially wrote or recorded it. So as an example, Jimi doing Watchtower doesn't count.

Proceed.

Reread my post - I was the one who noted people missed the intention of the thread and made it clear I was going outside that intent when I mentioned covers not by the original artist, like Hendrix's cover of Watchtower.

 

[Source]

Don't know if this qualifies, but this is an alternate take of Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys. The latter, more familiar, version is far superior although this version is interesting:

 

[Jersey Boys]

Ya know, I was kind of in between on this one - I think both versions stand very well on their own. But you can't beat the video with Run DMC/Aerosmith. Too bad they couldn't afford to bring the whole band out for the video, instead of Perry and Tyler.

That remake both helped relaunch Aerosmith as a top tier American powerhouse while being one of the first major bridges between old school urban Hip Hop and classic hard rock. (Though I'm more partial to PE and Anthrax). No other remake of a band's own song has had that kind of cultural impact.

 

[Vejai]

I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash's version of Hurt by NIN. Although the original is good too.

 

[NickKnight 1]

Neil Sadaka, Breaking up is hard to do. He made the second one slower,
instead of the first upbeat one.
Beatles Revolution , they also slowed down the second version.
Paul Mc Carthy took Let it be and returned it to the originally
intended Let It be, (acoustic) that Phil Spector screwed up.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

Springsteen's Henry Boy....... eventually became Rosalita