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

[Krakalakachkn]

What Maj said

[Corki]

153: Cover

 

154: Original

 

155: Original

 

156: Original

[Jeannaisais]

Original

Original

Cover

Original

[Corki]

Last few hours left to vote before the next two songs go up!

[Corki]

So, results time!

 

Song 153 was Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've). Our winner was the Buzzcock's original, which defeated the cover by Fine Young Cannibals by 4 votes to 3.

 

Under Pressure was song 154, and Queen and David Bowie cantered to a 7-0 victory over Joss Stone's cover.

 

Next up was Waiting in Vain for song 155. This proved an easy win for Bob Marley's original, as it cruised to a 5-2 win over Annie Lennox.

 

And our final song was number 156, which featured Policy of Truth. This proved an easy win for Depeche Mode, as they beat Dishwalia's cover by 7 votes to 0.

 

Time for the next two songs.

 

I haven't mentioned it in a while, but if you fancy hosting "Original vs. Cover" for a week, please drop me a PM. It will count as an activity via the roll call for points and promotions.

[Corki]

Song 157: Alone

 

Time for Alone, a huge hit for Heart back in the late 1980s. However, their version was a cover of a song by I-Ten, a project group.

 

ORIGINAL: I-Ten

The original song was composed by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It first appeared on Taking a Cold Look by I-Ten in 1983, a pet project of Steinberg and Kelly. The song has proved very popular for artists to cover, including Heart (below), Céline Dion and John Stamos in his role as Gino Minelli for the original soundtrack of the CBS sitcom Dreams in 1984.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjhz6nrDrcE

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Heart

Heart give the original the power ballad treatment. It was released as the second single from their ninth studio album (Bad Animals) in 1987. The song begins with a piano line and subdued vocals from Ann Wilson, only to build up in to a dramatic love song. This was Heart's biggest hit, spending 3 weeks at the top of the US Billboard and reaching number 3 in the UK.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 7th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 158: Born to be Wild

 

Time for some driving music! So just imagine driving down a long straight road, roof down and Born to be Wild on the stereo loud! The original comes from Steppenwolf, with the challenging cover by Kim Wilde.

 

ORIGINAL: Steppenwolf

Born to be Wild was written by Mars Bonfire, who was the brother of the drummer in Steppenwolf. It is sometimes viewed as the first "heavy metal" song, and people point to the "heavy metal thunder" reference in the second verse. Steppenwolf recorded the song in 1967. It was their third single from their début album and their most successful single, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed Born to be Wild at 129 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Kim Wilde

I could have picked any number of rock or metal versions. Instead I have gone for dance/pop version, which I think works really well. Wild burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the new wave classic Kids in America and cracked America in 1987 with her cover version of the Supreme's hit You Keep Me Hangin' On (see song 135). Her cover version of Born to be Wild was released in 2002, and only charted in Germany and Switzerland.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 7th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Basel Gill]

157: Original. I'd never heard of the I-Ten version, and always believed the Heart version was the original. But the first version wowed me here.

158: Original. That cover was pretty bad.

[Krakalakachkn]

Cover

Original

[Jeannaisais]

2xOriginal

[Corki]

157: I do like the original, but prefer the cover.

 

158: Original, by a long way!

[Corki]

There are a few hours to go, so don't forget to vote!

[Corki]

Time to wrap up songs number 157 and 158.

 

Song 157 saw Alone, with the result ending in a 2-2 tie between I-Ten's original and Heart's cover.

 

And in song 158, Born to be Wild was won by Steppenwolf's original, which defeated Kim Wilde's cover by 4 votes to 0.

 

Time now for the next two songs!

[Corki]

Song 159: Summer of '69

 

Summer of '69 is the next song up for the "Original vs. Cover" challenge. The original us by Bryan Adams, and the cover comes from the punk band MxPx.

 

ORIGINAL: Bryan Adams

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams released his single Summer of '69 in June 1985. The up-tempo rock song was well received by critics, but its charting wasn't as strong. In the US, it reached number 5, with various chartings in Europe; however, it only reached number 42 in the UK. That has been its highest UK charting, despite a few other appearances in the charts.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: MxPx

MyPx are an American punk rock band, who have released 8 studio albums. Despite the strong Christian faith of their members and their lyrics, the group prefer not to see themselves as a Christian band. I have been unable to determine when they recorded their version, but it has a punkier feel to it than the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl6gnGXX1bI

 

 

Voting ends Monday 11th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 160: Here Comes The Rain Again

 

The next song is Here Comes The Rain Again, originally performed by the Eurythmics. Many groups have covered the song, but I have opted for the version by The Crüxshadows.

 

ORIGINAL: Eurythmics

The British duo released Here Comes The Rain Again as their third UK single from the album Touch in January 1984 (it was the first single released in the US), peaking at number 8 and 4 in the UK and US respectively. It is musically similar to other Eurythmics songs, with melancholy lyrics draw a comparison between the painful and tragic feelings of unrequited love.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: The Crüxshadows

The Crüxshadows, an American alternative synth pop group, recorded their cover version in 1998 for their EP Until the Voices Fade.... This EP was released as a lead up to 1999 album The Mystery of the Whisper. The majority of the group's music is based on Greek and Egyptian Mythology. Since forming in 1992, the group has gone through multiple changes of personal.

 

 

Voting ends Monday 11th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Krakalakachkn]

2x Original

[Basel Gill]

159: Original

160: Cover

[Mongoose]

159: Original

160: Original (I like the cover, Cruxshadows reminds me of Bahaus, but not quite enough to edge out the original)

[Talya]

Both Original....

[Corki]

Two more votes for Originals.

 

There are a couple of hours left to vote!

[Corki]

Results time!

 

In tie 159, which featured Summer of '69 as the song, was won by Bryan Adams, as he cruised to a 5-0 win over the punk band MxPx.

 

And in tie 160, the Eurythmics' original of Here Comes The Rain Again beat The Crüxshadows' cover by 4 votes to 1.

 

Time for the next two songs!

[Corki]

Song 161: These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

 

Time to head back the 1960s for Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walkin', and a fast forward to the 21st century for the cover version by Jessica Simpson.

 

ORIGINAL: Nancy Sinatra

Written by Lee Hazlewood, Nancy Sinatra released her version of These Boots Are Made For Walkin' in February 1966. It topped both the UK and US charts. Hazlewood encouraged Sinatra to sing the song as if she were a sixteen-year-old girl giving the brush-off to a forty-year-old man.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Jessica Simpson

The song has proved to be popular for artists to cover, and comes in many different genres. With additional lyrics, Jessica Simpson recorded her country-pop version for the 2005 soundtrack to the film The Dukes of Hazzard. Overall, it was a successful song, charting at number 2 in Australia, number 4 in the UK and 14 on the US Billboard. The music video drew some controversy because of its sexual imagery.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 14th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 162: Crazy

 

Our next song is Crazy. The original was performed by Seal, and the cover version by Alanis Morissette.

 

ORIGINAL: Seal

English soul artist Seal released Crazy in 1990. It was his début single and remains one of his biggest hits to date. It reached number 2 in the UK charts, as well as scoring a host of top 10 hits across the world, including Australia and the US. The song's signature is a keyboard mantra that continually swells and swirls, driven by bass-heavy beats and wah-wah pedal guitars.

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Alanis Morissette

Crazy has been a popular song to cover. Alanis Morissette, the Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress, covered Crazy in 2005. Morissette gives the song more of a rock feel, and the whose version was recorded on her 2005 album The Collection.

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 14th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Basel Gill]

161: Original. The Nacy Sinatra version is iconic, I found myself underwhelmed by the cover.

162: Cover. This song works surprisingly well with a rock version, and the cover has a good backbeat going.

[Jeannaisais]

161: Original

162: Original