The concept of cover versions is nothing new in the music world - even Elvis adapted a number of his biggest hits from previously recorded works by lesser-known artists. And yet every so often, an artist produces a cover that completely surpasses the original, either musically or thematically. Here are the 10 best, chosen not purely on merit, but rather due to their originality in reworking already great songs:
10. William Shatner - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
Originally by: The Beatles.
Star Trek fan or otherwise, it's hard to dislike the surreal precision with which William Shatner delivers the lyrics to some of the greatest songs ever written. As a result, his version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds comes across as far more bizarre and spaced out than The Beatles could ever make it sound. Try to watch the video without at least smiling - it just goes to show how absurd the pseudo-mystical poeticism of the original really was.
9. Imelda May - Tainted Love
Originally by: Soft Cell.
Imelda May sounds something like Amy Winehouse on steroids - all the soul and accomplished vocals, but played at a furious rockabilly tempo. Her cover of Soft Cell's '80s goth-pop classic transforms it from a depressing break-up tune to the war-cry of a devilish femme fatale, who couldn't care less about the man she has just left - she's simply moving onto her next kill.
8. Earth, Wind and Fire: Got to Get You Into My Life.
Originally by: The Beatles.
This funktastic effort by the spectacularly flamboyant Earth, Wind and Fire probably takes home the prize for the best ever Beatles cover. It picks up on the bouncy rhythm and catchy melody of the original and takes the tune to a stratospheric level, turning what was once a well-written pop song into a spectacular soul rendition. Although Paul McCartney deserves a lot of the credit for having produced such an inherently infectious song in the first place.
7. Evelyn Evelyn: Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Originally by: Joy Division.
A bit of background is necessary for this one - Evelyn Evelyn are supposedly a duo consisting of conjoined twins, singing and playing a variety of cabaret pieces in harmony. In reality, of course, they aren't - for a start, the two musicians are different genders. It does mean, however, that the song becomes a truly dark piece of humour, since if either of the twins falls in love, they will literally have to tear themselves apart. Also, it is undeniably a truly heartfelt performance of what is already a bleak eulogy for lost love.
6. Rammstein: Stripped.
Originally by: Depeche Mode.
This is a classic example of a song being rendered completely unrecognisable from its original form. Depeche Mode's slightly creepy ballad of desire becomes, in the hands of East Germany's teutonic metal lunatics, a crushing criticism on media control and post-communist confusion in their homeland, Till Lindermann's Wagnerian vocals taking it to operatic proportions. The video digs up another era of Germany's past, sampling Leni Riefentstahl's film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
5. The White Stripes: Death Letter.
Originally by: Son House.
It's debatable whether this actually counts as a cover, as the majority of Son House's work is now considered standard blues canon, but The White Stripes undeniably make this Depression-era tale of death and isolation their own. When performed live, Jack White showcases his slide playing at its best, battering the life of what is essentially an acoustic guitar and producing more sound than any one person should rightfully be able to. It's not a lament, it's a display of defiant anger directed at the cruelty of life.
4. Leon Russell: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.
Originally by: Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan is unquestionably one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, if not the very best. But when performing as a solo artist, he failed to match this with musical ability. As a result, much of his early work is pretty hard listening, with turgid guitar rhythms countered only by Dylan's often flat vocals. Enter Leon Russell: rock's archetypal southern gentleman may look like Gandalf, but he injects a much-needed boost into A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, transforming it from a dirge into a righteous, soulful anthem on imminent nuclear warfare.
3. The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Higher Ground.
Originally by: Stevie Wonder.
There is little that hasn't already been said about both of the artists involved here. Stevie Wonder's plea for reason was in itself a technically impressive piece of music, showcasing his ear for electronic manipulation as well as complex rhythmic structures. The Chili Peppers had a solid enough foundation to work on, then, but certainly made the piece their own, from Flea's jaw-dropping introductory bassline to the en-masse chorus vocals to the furious thrash ending. Much like the above entry, it's a protest song given the kick it deserves thanks to the creative input of a musically superior artist.
2. Rodrigo y Garbiela: Stairway to Heaven.
Originally by: Led Zeppelin.
This cover is impressive not only on a musical basis, but also due to the fact that it's of one of the songs that literally every guitarist in the world can play. The virtuoso Mexican duo make it their own by starting out with a kind of classical cadenza, before moving onto free jazz and finishing off with aggressive rock. It's an entirely original reworking of a tune that has been done to death - and the fact that it has avoided coming under fire from Led Zeppelin fans (traditionally some of the most humourless people on the internet) is testament to its universal appeal.
1. Faith No More: Easy.
Originally by: Lionel Richie.
Mike Patton has covered a frankly ludicrous range of songs in his various incarnations, most of which have been performed only once, during live shows. It's generally agreed this habit was borne of a narcissistic desire to prove his ability to sing anything, which would be pretty objectionable were it not for the fact that he actually does have that ability. Easy was recorded as a single by Faith No More in 1993, during the period when they were beginning to leave the trail of being just another alternative rock group. What makes it brilliant is that it's not all that different to the original, and yet it's different enough that what was once a nicely-written easy listening tune becomes a world-weary declaration of resignation. Patton's voice soars effortlessly above the piano line, and by the time the guitar solo kicks in, the listener is left in no doubt that they have done the song justice. When covering a song called Easy, it makes sense that to do it well, you shouldn't be trying too hard.
TJGreenwood.
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