[Vote] Originals vs. Covers - which do you prefer? (Current Vote: Songs 191 and 192)

[Corki]

Originals x2.

[Krakalakachkn]

So, I don't really know when 10 pm GMT is. Am I don't another one or am I done?

[Corki]

That is entirely up to you. I don't have much free time now until Sunday (work, out with Northie tonight and tomorrow).

[Krakalakachkn]

Ok, time for the results!

 

126 - The Original of Stairway to Heaven won handily by 5 - 1.

 

127 was closer, with the original of American Pie winning by 4-2 .

[Corki]

Thanks Krak! I will continue on Monday!

[Corki]

Song 129: Heaven

 

Our next song was first performed in 1979 by Talking Head, with the cover done by Simply Red in the mid-1980s. The song is Heaven.

 

ORIGINAL: Talking Heads

American New Wave band Talking Heads released Heaven on their 1979 album Fear of Music. The song looks at the idea of achievement and purpose through identifying heaven as the perfect victory over human goals. The song goes on to show this heaven as a place where the perfectly best thing happens over and over at exactly the same time in the exactly perfect way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Simply Red

Simply Red recorded their version for their 1985 début album, Picture Book. Simply Red have added more instruments to the song, which gives it a more completed feel. Plus you feel more emotion in Mick Hucknall's vocals.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 17th February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 130: I Love Rock 'n' Roll

 

Time now for a song that has been made famous by its covers. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts made it famous first with her cover version, before Briteny Spears did so in 2002. The original was performed by Arrow.

 

ORIGINAL: Arrows

Arrow recorded their version in 1975. The song was first released as a B-side, but was soon re-recorded and flipped to A-side status on a subsequent pressing of the record. Alan Merrill said he wrote it as "a knee-jerk response to The Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It). The song was not a chart success for Arrow.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

However, for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, it was a huge success. It topped the US Billboard and the Canadian charts, and reached number 4 in the UK on its release in 1982. However, it was not the first time Joan Jett had performed the song, since she covered it in 1979 with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols. The group remade their music video in 1993 as the original was performed in black and white.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 17th February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Talya]

I'll go with Original on 129, I'm not a big fan of Simply Red...

 

But 130 I will go with the Cover, mainly because I grew up with this version...oh the memories...

[Majsju]

129 Original

130 Cover

[Jeannaisais]

129: Cover

130: Original

[Corki]

129: Cover

 

130: Cover

[Krakalakachkn]

129 Original

130 Cover

 

This

[Adrian44]

129. Original

130. Cover

[Corki]

I got in quite late last night after some indoor football with colleagues at work, hence why nothing was done last night. I am just out to get some dinner, but will play catch up tonight. So you have a bit longer to vote if you haven't done so already.

[el Nynaeve]

129: Cover

130: Cover

[Corki]

Right, I have now added up the votes and the results are as follows:

 

In tie 129, the original won narrowly by 4 votes to 3.

 

And in tie 130, covers recorded their first victory in February with an easy 6-1 win.

 

Now, I am getting 4 songs up for "Original vs. Cover" since I missed Thursday last week. This will also include Monday's. The four ties will run until Wednesday instead this week, as I have my mum up for the weekend. Two new songs will be up for the vote on Wednesday.

[Corki]

Song 131: Call Me

 

The next song is Call Me. The original was a huge success for Blondie. Competition in the way of a cover comes from the Australian Tina Arena.

 

ORIGINAL: Blondie

One of Blondie's biggest successes, Call Me was released in 1980, topping both the UK and US charts. Help to compose and record the song was meant to come from Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, but this fell through. Instead, Debbie Harry and Blondie ended up writing the lyrics and melody. The song ranks at #44 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Tina Arena

Call Me has proved a popular song to cover. I have opted for Tina Arena's retro swing version for her 2008 album Songs of Love & Loss II. Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won 6 ARIA Awards, as well as the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist in 1996 and 2000. Also, she has sold approximately 8 million records worldwide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yefNe2F5S-U

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 23rd February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 132: You Really Got Me

 

Time to bring up a cover already featured in "Originals. vs. Covers". We are revisiting song 69, which was You Really Got Me. There, Van Halen's cover beat The Kinks' original by 4 votes to 3. Can Oingo Boingo repeat that for the covers?

 

ORIGINAL: The Kinks

Released in August 1964, You Really Got Me reached number 1 in the UK charts for the Kinks. It also happened to be the group's breakthrough hit, and helped them establish themselves in the USA. It was an early hit song that built around power chords, which later influenced many musicians in rock and roll and heavy metal. Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 82 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and at number 4 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Oingo Boingo

Oingo Boingo covered You Really Got Me for their 1981 album Only a Lad. The American new wave band were formed in 1972, before splitting up in 1995. The group are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. They do seem to pull You Really Got Me apart in places, making it very different to the original.

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 23rd February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 133: There She Goes

 

Time for a popular song that frequently appears on soundtracks for films. The song is There She Goes; the original us by The La's, and the cover comes from Sixpence None The Richer.

 

ORIGINAL: The La's

Initially released and recorded in 1988, There She Goes failed to chart in the UK Top 40, like it did in 1989. However, when remixed and re-released in 1990, it reached a high of 13. It also reached number 49 on the US Billboard, making it the La's biggest success in the US. It is quite a simple song. It gained a reputation that it was an ode to heroin, but this was denied by band members.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Sixpence None The Richer

Quite a few artists have covered the song, including Robbie Williams. I have opted for the version by American rock/pop band Sixpence None The Richer. The group recorded their cover in 1999, and released it as their second single from their self-titled album, Sixpence None the Richer. The song peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard.

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 23rd February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 134: Eternal Flame

 

Song 134 is a hit single for The Bangles, with the cover by the Argentinian band Smitten. The song is Eternal Flame.

 

ORIGINAL: The Bangles

Released in 1989, Eternal Flame was a huge success, topping the charts in 6 different countries. This was the only ballad from their garage=pop album Everything. At the end of 1989, it was the third biggest selling single in the UK. The song was inspired by two eternal flames - the one at Graceland for Elvis Presley and one at a Palm Springs synagogue.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Smitten

One of the biggest covers of this song was the 2001 version by the girl group Atomic Kitten. This version was very similar to the original. Instead, I have opted for a heavier version performed by Smitten, an indie-rock band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The group also covered the song in 2001, as part of their Let Me Be album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq1QjeMqdDU

 

 

Voting ends Wednesday 23rd February 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Majsju]

132 original

134 original

 

133 Not familiar with the song, and if Corki picked a song I'm not familiar with, it is probably too much crap for me to waste my time listening to.

[Krakalakachkn]

Cover

Original

Cover

Original

[Corki]

131 - Original

 

132 - Original

 

133 - Original

 

134 - Original

[Talmanes]

131. I'll have to go Original though I like Nikka Costa's version better.

132. Definitely Original, the Cover was a bit odd.

133. Always liked the Original more. I hear the cover more, but still prefer the original.

134. I'm going to have to vote Original here too. I'm not familiar with this song, but the cover just was not very good at all IMO. Original isn't my style, but was well done.

[el Nynaeve]

131: Original

132: Original

133: Original

134: Original