I'm decades past caring about The Violent Femmes , but , this has GOT to be the better of the two , tho' he sounds like he's taking it seriously.....
 
Glenn Barton said:

I like the cover better for sure on this one.

Dead Boy said:

Violent Femmes - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

I haven't heard the whole of the original, but I'm pretty sure this cover beats it.

I like the cover better for sure on this one.

Dead Boy said:

Violent Femmes - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

I haven't heard the whole of the original, but I'm pretty sure this cover beats it.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN JR. HIGH , EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW SANTANA WAS GOING TO PLAY AT SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS , PRETTY MUCH AN IMPOSSIBILITY AT THE TIME , BUT , IT TURNED OUT TO BE SANTA ESMERELDA.

 ERIC BURDON SAID HE MET NINA SIMONE , AND SHE SAID "SO YOU ARE THE WHITE TRASH MOTHERFUCKER WHO WENT AND TOOK MY SONG ! (AS IF SHE WROTE IT.)", AND HE REPLIED , "YEAH , AND BECAUSE OF THAT , YOU'VE GOT ALL OF EUROPE WAITING TO SEE YOU. IF YOU OWN UP TO THE SONGS YOU TOOK FROM ANGOLA (PRISON) , I'LL OWN UP TO TAKING THAT SONG FROM YOU!". AFTER THAT , HE SAID , SHE LOST THE ATTITUDE , AND THEY WERE FRIENDLY.       IT WAS STILL AT A TIME WHEN GETTING COVER SONGSOUT WAS OFTEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR OWN CAREER.....YOU COULD STILL HAVE TWO , THREE , MAYBE EVEN MORE  VERSIONS OF THE SAME SONG HIT THE CHARTS.
T ersicore said:

"Please don´t let me be Misunderstood" is the song i like less by Nina Simone, i guess. 
but comparing the two covers by the Animals and the one by Santa Esmeralda, i would dare to say, although i´m not a Disco fan, i like the Santa Esmeralda a bit more.

Yeah! Unbelievable and inexplicable!!! Jon Moss had rather stay by Adam and the Ants!! :D

Dead Boy said:

But the drummer was ex-the Damned! :/

:D
 
Tersicore said:

Oh, yag! Culture Club were just disgusting! ;)

"Please don´t let me be Misunderstood" is the song i like less by Nina Simone, i guess. 
but comparing the two covers by the Animals and the one by Santa Esmeralda, i would dare to say, although i´m not a Disco fan, i like the Santa Esmeralda a bit more.

But the drummer was ex-the Damned! :/

:D
 
Tersicore said:

Oh, yag! Culture Club were just disgusting! ;)

"Mad World" is a pretty melodic, soupy song but still good, somehow...
just not sure which version is better. Preferences out there?

I think the Doors in "Backdoor man" beats the Howlin´Wolf´s original

Cash literally smashed with "Hurt" the original Nine Inch Nails 
and with "I see a Darkness" the original by Bonnie Prince Billy

Oh, yag! Culture Club were just disgusting! ;)

Dead Boy said:

Violent Femmes - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

I haven't heard the whole of the original, but I'm pretty sure this cover beats it.

Violent Femmes - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

I haven't heard the whole of the original, but I'm pretty sure this cover beats it.

That´s right Nero!
thanx! what a awesome song!

Covers of covers of covers....'Blank Generation' was 'inspired' by 'Beat Generation', a novelty song written by Rod McKuen and sung by Bob McFadden from 1959. I first heard it on a Las Vegas Grind LP but it took me a while to make the connection. Check it out!

 
Tersicore said:

"Run through the Jungle" is just such a fantastic song!! The Original, wow!!
Is hard to say which cover is best... like a lot the 8 Eyed Spy´s and Cramps´s but the one  i´ve been listening most is from Gun Club, i guess. I simply love it!

Shit! I´m not sure if i ever realized before, that the "Stray Cat Strut" was the cover of  Blank Generation! Shame on me! Anyway, i love the first album by Stray Cats!! Killer!!

John Battles said:

Richard Hell does CCR? Who'da thunk it? I like Lydia Lunch's version of "Run Through The Jungle".  I used to like The Stray Cats' cover version of "Blank Generation",when it came out. They called it "Stray Cat Strut".

i COULD SEE THE CRAMPS DOING "JUNGLE"....We are all faltering , somehow , in our musical memories. I'm sure I saw some great bands , some that became well - known , but , beats me who they were.
 
Tersicore said:

Upppssss!!!
Why i thought the Cramps did cover this song?? Shit!, no idea!   (Ok..maybe just smoked too much back then...or getting old lately?). They didn´t!  ;D  but Gun Club did, for sure!!! In Miami, and how!!!  

Yeah, 8 eyed spy were special!! but missed Rudi and Lydia together, somehow....


John Battles said:

THAT WAS KIND OF A JOKE , BECAUSE "STRAY CAT STRUT" DOES SOUND LIKE IT WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM " BLANK GENERATION". DID GUN CLUB DO "RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE " , TOO? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE CRAMPS DOING IT.....LUX WAS A BIG CCR FAN  , THOUGH. EIGHT EYED SPY (W/LYDIA LUNCH) DID SOME COOL COVERS , LIKE "LIGHTNING'S GIRL" (NANCY SINATRA) , MAINTAINING MY COOL (SONICS) , DIDDY WAH DIDDY (CAPT. BEEFHEART'S VERSION.) , TOO. YOU KNOW , RUDI BRIEFLY PLAYED IN A MORE BLUESEY BAND CALLED THE DEVIL DOGS WITH LYDIA.  I THINK THEY ONLY DID A EUROPEAN TOUR. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANY RECORDINGS TURNING UP.

Upppssss!!!
Why i thought the Cramps did cover this song?? Shit!, no idea!   (Ok..maybe just smoked too much back then...or getting old lately?). They didn´t!  ;D  but Gun Club did, for sure!!! In Miami, and how!!!  

Yeah, 8 eyed spy were special!! but missed Rudi and Lydia together, somehow....


John Battles said:

THAT WAS KIND OF A JOKE , BECAUSE "STRAY CAT STRUT" DOES SOUND LIKE IT WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM " BLANK GENERATION". DID GUN CLUB DO "RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE " , TOO? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE CRAMPS DOING IT.....LUX WAS A BIG CCR FAN  , THOUGH. EIGHT EYED SPY (W/LYDIA LUNCH) DID SOME COOL COVERS , LIKE "LIGHTNING'S GIRL" (NANCY SINATRA) , MAINTAINING MY COOL (SONICS) , DIDDY WAH DIDDY (CAPT. BEEFHEART'S VERSION.) , TOO. YOU KNOW , RUDI BRIEFLY PLAYED IN A MORE BLUESEY BAND CALLED THE DEVIL DOGS WITH LYDIA.  I THINK THEY ONLY DID A EUROPEAN TOUR. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANY RECORDINGS TURNING UP.

Ha ha ha ha..."More Than a Feeling"....Back when everybody was doing "Feel Like Making Love " by Bad Co. (DON'T KNOW WHY.) , I saw the Lunachicks cover it , changing the words to "I would wrap you....in toilet paper.....flush you down , down , down the drain....Feel like makin'...DUNNUNT - DAH ! DUNNUNT - DAH ! DUNNUNT DAH !!!!".
 
ash said:

Zen Guerrilla's version of The Seeker....

Lunachicks - more than a feeling

...just sayin'

THAT WAS KIND OF A JOKE , BECAUSE "STRAY CAT STRUT" DOES SOUND LIKE IT WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM " BLANK GENERATION". DID GUN CLUB DO "RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE " , TOO? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE CRAMPS DOING IT.....LUX WAS A BIG CCR FAN  , THOUGH. EIGHT EYED SPY (W/LYDIA LUNCH) DID SOME COOL COVERS , LIKE "LIGHTNING'S GIRL" (NANCY SINATRA) , MAINTAINING MY COOL (SONICS) , DIDDY WAH DIDDY (CAPT. BEEFHEART'S VERSION.) , TOO. YOU KNOW , RUDI BRIEFLY PLAYED IN A MORE BLUESEY BAND CALLED THE DEVIL DOGS WITH LYDIA.  I THINK THEY ONLY DID A EUROPEAN TOUR. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANY RECORDINGS TURNING UP.

ACTUALLY , THE STRAY CATS ALSO GOT "CRAWL UP AND DIE" FROM "PLEASE GIVE ME SOMETHING.....THE CRAMPS WERE OFTEN ACCUSED OF LIFTING THE RHYTHM PART  FROM THAT SONG TO GET "DRUG TRAIN" / "TWIST AND SHOUT", BUT THE STRAY CATS EVEN TOOK THE MELODY....IT ALL DREW ATTENTION TO THE ORIGINAL.

"Run through the Jungle" is just such a fantastic song!! The Original, wow!!
Is hard to say which cover is best... like a lot the 8 Eyed Spy´s and Cramps´s but the one  i´ve been listening most is from Gun Club, i guess. I simply love it!

Shit! I´m not sure if i ever realized before, that the "Stray Cat Strut" was the cover of  Blank Generation! Shame on me! Anyway, i love the first album by Stray Cats!! Killer!!

John Battles said:

Richard Hell does CCR? Who'da thunk it? I like Lydia Lunch's version of "Run Through The Jungle".  I used to like The Stray Cats' cover version of "Blank Generation",when it came out. They called it "Stray Cat Strut".

Richard Hell does CCR? Who'da thunk it? I like Lydia Lunch's version of "Run Through The Jungle".  I used to like The Stray Cats' cover version of "Blank Generation",when it came out. They called it "Stray Cat Strut".

Seattle's Steel Wool do a great cover of CCR's Pagan Baby.

Zen Guerrilla's version of The Seeker....

Lunachicks - more than a feeling

...just sayin'

HA HA , THE FEEDERZ  ,"HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW" - THAT'S JUST WRONG. SO WRONG , IT'S RIGHT .

OF COURSE , THE DICTATORS DID A GREAT "SLOW DEATH" , TOO. I LIKED HOW THEY PUT "I JUST WANNA HAVE SOMETHING TO DO" AND "NEXT BIG THING" TOGTHER....A GENIUS OF A NO - BRAINER.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVY - I'M NOT YOUR STEPPIN' PIRAHNA - ABOUT AS LEFT OF CENTER AS IT GETS.

MACC LADS - FAT BASTARD (BLOCKBUSTER , THE SWEET.). ABOUT AS  WRONG AS IT GETS.

Feederz - Have You Ever Been Mellow

Dictators - I Got You Babe and California Sun (better than the Ramones cover too!)

Minor threat - Steppin' Stone (even though I love Monkees/ Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart)

That Slayer cover is pretty rad

NO  , JAMES LOWE WOULD NOT HAVE PUT HIS VOCAL SKILLS UP AGAINST HOWLIN' WOLF....BUT , HE'S A HOWLIN' MOTHERFUCKER , JUST THE SAME!

Tersicore said:

The Electric Prunes´s version is indeed fantastic!!
But whether does beat the original or not... not sure..
not on vocals, i would say. (love that howl so much!;)

But i´ll spend you a beer anyway!! :)

John Battles said:

I RETRACT THAT NON - FACT....The Electric Prunes did a great version of "Smokestack Lightning".....on the "Live , Stockholm '67 album" , with a great turnaround , and would'nt you know , James Lowe's timely advice to an audience already, no doubt,  smoking their brains out , " IF YOU CAN'T DRINK.....THEN YOU OUGHT TO SMOKE.".....
 
John Battles said:

i THINK YOU'LL WIN THAT BET. I HEARD "SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING" BY THE YARDBIRDS , FIRST , THINKING THAT IT SOUNDED A LOT LIKE "PRIMITIVE" BY THE CRAMPS" , NOT YET AWARE OF HOWLIN' WOLF'S ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE FORMER , AND THE GROUPIES' ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE LATTER.....I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF ANY OTHER VERSIONS OF "SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING" , OFFHAND ........ IN THE STATES , THE CHESS RECORDS CATALOGUE WAS OUT OF PRINT UNTIL 1984 , AND , EVEN THEN , THE OBVIOUS STUFF LIKE CHUCK , BO , WOLF AND MUDDY WAS SLOW IN ARRIVING.
 
Tersicore said:

Well, since most of us grown up with R´n´R, Rock, Punk and so on, i guess is not too difficult to find more appealing versions of some old Jazz, Folk or old R´n´B songs. 
We may have heard in most cases the cover earlier than the original one,  
or maybe never heard the original at all. 

Personally i´d be more curious about comparing songs which were both, original and cover, quasi contemporary, or from not so extremely different musical genre.
What do you think?

BUT: I´ll spend a beer to anyone who comes with a better version of the original "Smokestack Lightning" by Howling´Wolf! ;)

Totally agree!!

and coincidentally you also instanced one cover which beat the original, for my taste!!
As a kid i first heard the original which was great, of course!
But later as a teen, this cover by Devo just blew me away!

The Fnords said:

Ah, covers; do it different or better is the guide, I believe. 

Devo - Satisfaction. Different.

D.

If true, nevertheless, cool song! :)

D. A. Anguiano said:

The Hex Dispensers covered a song I wrote called 'I'm a Ghost' and killed it. It's better than the original by miles. :)

/tootsownhorn