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

[Krakalakachkn]

2x original

[Talya]

161. Original

162. Cover...I liked both, but I'm always going for the original, so thought I would go with the cover.

[SingleMort]

Neither are really to my taste but if I had to pick

 

161. Original

162. Cover

[Alanna]

161. Original

162. Cover

[Corki]

161: Original

 

162: Cover

[Corki]

Just a few hours left to get your vote in!

[Adrian44]

161: Original

162: Cover

[Corki]

Time to count the votes!

 

In tie 161, which featured the song These Boots Are Made For Walkin', it was an easy victory for Nancy Sinatra's original, as that beat Jessica Simpson's by 7 votes to 0.

 

And tie 162, where the song was Crazy, there was a 5-2 victory for the cover version by Alanis Morissette, which beat Seal's original.

 

Time for the next two songs!

[Corki]

Song 163: School's Out

 

Our next song is a classic, and one of Alice Cooper's best known hits - School's Out. The cover version comes from female duo Daphne & Celeste.

 

ORIGINAL: Alice Cooper

School's Out was released in 1972 and is from Cooper's 5th album. Inspiration for the song came from the question "what's the greatest three minutes of your life?". Christmas morning was the first; the second "the last three minutes of the last day of school when you're sitting there and it's like a slow fuse burning". The song was Cooper's first major hit single. The single spent 3 weeks at the top of the UK chart, and number 7 in the US Billboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qga5eONXU_4

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Daphne & Celeste

The song has been used regularly in popular culture. There have been several covers, and I have done for the 2000 version by female pop duo Daphne & Celeste. Elements of that song have been retained, although much of the song is "original", in a pop-rap style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2fKm69ZzFg

 

 

Voting ends Monday 18th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Corki]

Song 164: Vienna

 

My next song is Vienna. The original is by new wave band Ultravox, and the competition in the form of the cover is by Clawfinger.

 

ORIGINAL: Ultravox

Taken from Ultravox's fourth album, Vienna spent 4 weeks at number 2 in the UK chart in January 1981 but never made it to number 1. It sold more singles than those that kept it off the top spot, and was the 5th biggest selling single of 1981. It did manage to win the "Single of the Year" at the 1981 Brit Awards. The synthpop ballad is considered Ultravox's signature song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9WdUgn0XkU

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Clawfinger

The Swedish rap metal band Clawfinger covered the Ultravox song on their 2001 album A Whole Lot of Nothing. The group was formed in 1989. It is known for aggressive but melodic music and tackling political and anti-racist themes in their songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3H668EVUj0

 

 

Voting ends Monday 18th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Basel Gill]

163: Original. Cooper rocks. The cover version, I could only stand to watch 54 seconds before my mind completely snapped from the badness of it.

164: Original.

[Corki]

163: Original

 

164: Original

[Corki]

Just a couple of hours left before voting closes! Then we will be in the capable hands of Basel!

[Corki]

Right. Time to wrap the previous round up.

 

And in song 163, it was an easy win for Alice Cooper, as his original of School's Out beat the cover by Daphne & Celeste by 2 votes to 0.

 

And for song 164, which featured Vienna, was won by Ultravox's original, again by 2 votes to 0 over Clawfinger's cover.

 

Time now for Basel's first attempt at "Original vs. Cover".

[Basel Gill]

Song 165: Red Rain

 

 

I like me some progressive rock. "Red Rain" is the opening track on ex-Genesis singer Peter Gabriel's 1986 album So. The song hit #3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock singles chart. Stewart Copeland of The Police did some of the drumming. Gabriel has mentioned in interviews the lyrics refer to a dream he had of swimming while drinking red wine.

 

ORIGINAL: Peter Gabriel

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAecdC3W3Yg

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Queensrÿche

 

Seattle-based progressive metal band Queensrÿche performed the song on their 2007 cover album Take Cover. It was not released as a single. The album was inspired by the band's guitarists having a regular game of "name that guitar riff" during their sound checks. They decided to expand on the concept by making an album full of remakes. Take Cover would enter the Billboard album charts at #173 for one week.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ6hi6-UBzg

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 21st April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Basel Gill]

Song 166: The Rainbow Connection

 

 

This is a song I remember from my days growing up during the Muppets' original heyday. It was written by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for The Muppet Movie and used in its opening credits. There was also a version sung by all the Muppets together at the end of the film. It reached #25 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 and spent seven weeks on the charts. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1979. In 2004, the American Film Institute named it the 74th best movie song of all time.

 

ORIGINAL: Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Willie Nelson

 

The song has been covered many times, mostly in the same light-hearted easy listening style as the original. I chose the Willie Nelson version because the Southern Twang made it a little bit different. According to the song's Wikipedia entry, Nelson is sometimes falsely credited with writing it. It is the title track for his 2001 album Rainbow Connection. The album was nominated for a 2001 Grammy for Country Album of the Year.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deebKNI-dTE&feature=related

 

 

Voting ends Thursday 21st April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Alanna]

Song 165: Cover

Song 166: Original

[Adrian44]

165: Original

166: Cover

[Corki]

165: Cover

 

166: Cover...but just

[Basel Gill]

165: Cover

166: Original

[Basel Gill]

OK, so for Red Rain, the cover by Queensryche won by 3 votes to 1. For The Rainbow Connection, it was a 2-2 tie. I'll be posting the next batch shortly.

[Basel Gill]

Song 167: Tom Sawyer

 

Tom Sawyer is one of the most famous songs by Canadian rockers Rush. It was released as a single in 1981 and would peak at #25 in the UK and #44 in the US. In 2009 US network VH1 named it the 19th greatest hard rock song of all time. Brazilian TV uses the song as the theme to dubbed MacGyver.

 

 

ORIGINAL: Rush

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DFsBcVMDA

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: Deadsy

 

US synth-rock band Deadsy released their version of the song on their album Commencement in 2002. It was not released as a single. The album was poorly received and failed to meet its projected sales goals, which partially led to the band's record label folding shortly after.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUqaVK69qPU

 

 

Voting ends Monday 25th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[Basel Gill]

Song 168: Viva Las Vegas

 

Viva Las Vegas is best remembered today as one of Elvis's most iconic songs. It was originally released in 1964 as a B-side to the single "What'd I Say", both songs being from the film Viva Las Vegas, starring Presley and Ann-Margret. The title song to the film, despite being a B-side, wound up charting separately from "What'd I Say" (which also did well in the charts). Viva Las Vegas would top off at #29 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

 

 

ORIGINAL: Elvis Presley

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuKoqu6kMk

 

 

vs.

 

 

COVER: ZZ Top

 

There have been many covers of this song over the years, in many different styles. I wound up choosing the ZZ Top version, which is one of the most well-known covers of this tune. This version was included on ZZ Top's Greatest Hits compilation in 1992 as a brand-new track. It was released as a single, and peaked at #16 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLUl8xkKSTk

 

 

Voting ends Monday 25th April 2011 at 10pm (GMT)

[SingleMort]

167. Original

168. Original

 

With Rush and Elvis it's sort of no-brainer

[Basel Gill]

167: Original. I love Rush.

168: Cover: I'm not a big Elvis fan, but I do enjoy ZZ Top. Their cover of this song ranks as one of my favorites by them.