Cover songs that are better than the originals.


There is an active thread about terrible cover songs so I thought I'd start one about cover songs that are better than or have completely eclipsed the originals. I'll start:

Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
n80
Widespread Panic "Lawyers, Guns and Money" (written by Warren Zevon).Gov't Mule "Spanish Moon" (Written by Lowell George & Little Feat).Phish "Cross-eyed & Painless" (Written by Talking Heads).Jerry Garcia Band "Tangled Up In Blue" (Bob Dylan).Vinyl "Summertime" (by George & Ira Gershwin).
OK, I may get some negative feedback for this but here goes...As much as I like S & G's Sound of Silence, the sound from the harp guitar rendition by Jamie Dupuis is haunting. Check it out on Youtube...
I'm not a big fan of Stevie Wonder nor the song Isn't She Lovely, but Livingston Taylor did an incredibly sounding remake on Ink (Chesky Records). He converts it from Motown to a smooth, easy acoustic jazz sound. The sound from his acoustic guitar is to die for.
Here are a couple that come to Mind.
With a little help from My Friends Joe Cocker
I don't need no Doctor Humble Pie
All along The Watch tower Hendrix