You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Might as well.
Can I start the ball rolling with any cover of "Another girl, another planet" by the Only Ones?
Now I'm a big Stone Temple Pilots fan, but this cover is just horrible. My apologies to anyone listening...
This immediately comes to mind
I like stoner rock.
I like disco.
This is utter shite.
Can I start the ball rolling with any cover of “Another girl, another planet” by the Only Ones?
I'm not sure if I've ever heard anyone cover that. Bad cover versions are an interesting topic though - if you can't do a good cover version of a song then its arguably not a good song in the first place, just a good performance by the original artists.
Led Zeppelin are a good example of that - their songs are pretty uninteresting as songs - if you sat down at the piano to play one theres not really anything to play. But their performances of them are great. The only good covers of their work are really just good impersonations of them.
George Michael’s cover of New Order’s True Faith. He’s sucked the life out of that tune by turning it in to an auto tuned dirge
Led Zeppelin are a good example of that – their songs are pretty uninteresting as songs – if you sat down at the piano to play one theres not really anything to play. But their performances of them are great. The only good covers of their work are really just good impersonations of them.
..... and yet it took Rolf Harris to show us just what a beautiful piece "Stairway to Heaven" really could have been....
Fill your boots 😊
Not sure about some the Wedding Present have done. Their own songs are fantastic so seems strange to bother 🤔
Most covers are shite. But the worst is the BBC one of Lou Reed's Perfect Day - makes me retch, I won't be posting it or listening to any, cos bad music ****s with my ears and makes me very irritated. (Misophonia)
But the worst is the BBC one of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day – makes me retch
Oh god yes. I forgot about that. Dreadful.
There's always All Saint's version of Under The Bridge, normally takes the biscuit by virtue of being a shitty cover of an equally shitty original.
I won't link to it for obvious reasons.
I'll jump straight in with Disturbed - Sounds of Silence. As I said in the other thread, it's like a rock singer won X-Factor, and that was the resultant single for Christmas No 1
Without a doubt puddle of Mudd covering nirvana.
Might as well.
Can I start the ball rolling with any cover of “Another girl, another planet” by the Only Ones?
I quite like the blink 182 cover....
a shitty cover of an equally shitty original.
I quite like the original, if only because it's the only RHCP song that doesn't sound the same as every other RHCP song
I see that Scissor Sisters are still getting under the skin of Pink Floyd fans. BTW it's a way better song than the turgid original...
I see that Scissor Sisters are still getting under the skin of Pink Floyd fans. BTW it’s a way better song than the turgid original…
I've not heard that Scissor Sisters cover before, but I've just listened to it and I concur.
Can I start the ball rolling with any cover of “Another girl, another planet” by the Only Ones?
I misread this and thought you inexplicably didn't appreciate the original version.
But now I've read it properly I agree.
This sometimes veers dangerously close to 'guilty pleasure' territory but has to go in here. The sheer unremitting cheese-fest of the video only adds to it.
I once heard Tina Turner cover Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy. That was pretty bad.
the Scissor Sisters' Comfortably Numb is v good and I think close to what was possibly known at the time as ahem, electro-clash m'lud, see also sugar babes "Freak like me" / are friends electric. Likewise very good. Check Hayseed Dixie's cover of "I don't feel like dancing" for one in the opposite direction to see the SS's inner hillbilly. I'd post the link but this is meant to be awful, not awesome.
But on topic, I imagine this is still a thing though I don't really watch telly with ads these days, but any pop/rock song slowed down and sung by someone drippy and female over an acoustic guitar. John Lewis's. All unremittingly awful.
Oh and I had the misfortune of hearing the Guns 'n' Roses version of Live and Let Die the other day. I'd forgotten just how shitty that is as well. Mostly I think because you just know Axl clearly thought he could do better at the singing parts. No Axl, no you can't; you turgid little prick.
Love both Scissor Sisters and Pink Floyd versions of Comfortably Numb.
Yes well you can add Tina's godawful version of Proud Mary to that
I heard a girl band cover of The Pointer Sisters on the radio the other day. CBA looking it up to post it, but 'that'. It did nothing different to the original (apart from lacking the originality and talent).
Just made me wonder why they'd bother. Well, the £. But why not play the original on the radio? It's great, a timeless disco classic. Just have to hope it inspires some to look up the originals and follow the youtube jukebox to all the good stuff (yeah I love disco, so what)
Walk This Way cover up there ^ is about as bad as music gets! I regretted clicking on it but now at least I have new low point reference. What makes that a probable winner of this thread is how the original was such a groundbreaking monster of a record. Great video too.
any pop/rock song slowed down and sung by ..
... some characterless mainstreamer who thinks multi-note vocal gymnastics make up for their lack of soul.. Those covers. Bleeeurgh. Dinner party schmaltz.
Anyone heard that Robbie Williams album of Swing covers? I was round someone's house and it was on in the background. I started twitching, in the end had to ask "What the **** is this?!" How he had the absolute gall to put his weedy crappy voice to songs by Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis etc I just dunno. But people bought it! Bloke knows how to make money if nothing else. God it makes me cringe to think of it
I hate this thread 😆
OK, Scissor Sisters fans - try this one.
Had to look up Run DMC and Aerosmith on youtube.. then onto Public Enemy and Anthrax. Cover that, girls aloud. Haha.
I believe Paul Young did a version of "Love will tear us apart" - which was awful
And so is everyone other cover of it!
Any cover Sophie Ellis Bexter has ever done
Johnny Cash's rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a little painful.
And as mentioned above - the BBC version of Perfect Day was just awful - and they seemed to miss what Lou was really singing about!
And the 2nd and 3rd Band Aid reincarnations ( Band Aid 1 survives because it meant good - even though the lyrics are patronising bollocks)
Any cover Sophie Ellis Bexter has ever done
Fun fact - saw SEB at a festival once, she is genuinely one of the best live acts I've seen
Johnny Cash’s rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a little painful.
Even as an enormo-Cash, and especially Hurt, fanboi, I have to agree. And to be honest, as an enormo-SiandGarf fanboi, I'm not that mad on the original either.
Fun fact - Art Garf is, apparently, a particularly unpleasant individual.
OK, Scissor Sisters fans – try this one.
I'm not mad on it, but I wouldn't call it awful. I actually quite respect what they've done - if you're going to do a cover, do something different with it, make it your own, and yo can't say they've not done that.
There’s always All Saint’s version of Under The Bridge
I quite like it <ducks> but if you were listening to 6Music this morning you may have heard a truly dreadful cover of Walk On By, especially compared with The Stranglers masterpiece.
OK, Scissor Sisters fans – try this one.
A good song can generally take a bit of a kicking, but nope, too much.
Take this Elton:
(an essential listen. Probably coming with me to a desert island.)
I think theres a difference between a cover version that has been recorded and put out for sale as a band/artists own version and an act just doing a live version. The live version might be shit but at least they haven't put that out for sale. See live lounge versions on radio 1 & 2, some of them are good others not so much, but its just what you do on those sessions.
I like the scissor sisters version of comfortably numb more than the original. All saints version of under the bridge really pisses me off though.
This though!!!....
This is a favourite of me and my mate. We have been in tears for hours watching this on repeat
saw SEB at a festival once, she is genuinely one of the best live acts I’ve seen
Wow. I'm sorry to hear that 😛
This though!!!….
that Paul Shane clip is the origin of the Club Style! Here we go:
Or check anything recent by Elton John
God that Sting clip is funny.
This was also linked on there
[url=
n's duff cover of Word Up[/url] .. take something funky and white-middle-aged-dad-rock it. Repulsive. Probably has some fans on STW actually. I didn't make it past wave your 5 fingers in the air. How embarrassing.
Gerri Halliwell covering the Weather Girls It's raining men..... awful 🤮
Forgot about Word Up, agree that's not a good cover. Every1's a Winner, on the other hand, is. So it balances out.
Oh and I had the misfortune of hearing the Guns ‘n’ Roses version of Live and Let Die the other day. I’d forgotten just how shitty that is as well. Mostly I think because you just know Axl clearly thought he could do better at the singing parts. No Axl, no you can’t; you turgid little prick.
You have that the wrong way round, the original was shite, they did the best of a bad job and made it good.
@Boardinbob
Stitches 😂😂😂
Or check anything recent by Elton John
I was going to say. Elton singing his early stuff versus Old Elton singing his earlier stuff is like a terrible club singer cover version of himself.
the original was shite
whaaaa? Best album of the 80s! (seriously.) Either way, you don't argue with a man wearing a flasher mac and a flurescent codpiece
Anyway, more so bad it's probably still bad, but something made me remember the great larry sanders
I love The Hold Steady.
I love Wilco and I'm the Man Who Loves You is one of my favourites from their back catalogue.
But The Hold Steady's cover of I'm the Man Who Loves You completely fails to hold together as a song. I don't know if they just aren't the right band to cover it or if they just needed a lot more rehearsal before playing it live but it's a massive shame.
They genius of Tongo can never be overlooked
Not sure about some the Wedding Present have done. Their own songs are fantastic so seems strange to bother
That version of 'Come up and see' me is Steve Harley's favourite and the TWP version of Falling is sublime.
whaaaa? Best album of the 80s! (seriously.) Either way, you don’t argue with a man wearing a flasher mac and a flurescent codpiece
I was talking about Maccas version of Live and Let Die. What were you talking about? 🤨
The Corrs covering Hendrix's Little Wing
Any cover that Mark Ronson has ever done, especially the cover of Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before by The Smiths.
Johnny Cash’s rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a little painful.
Even as an enormo-Cash, and especially Hurt, fanboi, I have to agree. And to be honest, as an enormo-SiandGarf fanboi, I’m not that mad on the original either.
The original was a miserable dirge that seemed to be everywhere through my childhood. I like a lot of their work but can't stand this song.
Walk On By, especially compared with The Stranglers masterpiece.
I heard the Dionne Warwick version recently and said out loud, 'God, I love this song', to which my wife gave me a look and said that it's an odd song for me to love. I quickly pointed out that The Stranglers' version is the best cover ever and Dionne can bask in the reflected glory of that. 😀
Ah, the Corrs. They're so...... beautiful
Any cover that Mark Ronson has ever done
Good point. I'd erased him from my mind. (didn't he [s]do[/s] dare a [i]Radiohead[/i] cover once??)
Two more to add in:
Brian Ferry - Sympathy for the Devil
Rod Stewart - Street Fighting Man
- Madonna's version of American Pie
- Miley Cyrus' cover of Smells like Teen Spirit.
I'm not linking either.
This cover is so cringeworthy, the RHCP version was a major reason why I bought Blood Sugar Sex Magik all those years ago.
Missed it being mentioned already due to lack of pictures, took reading the whole thread quickly two times to finally spot it... I'll go back under my sleepy rock. 😆
Keep up fella...
So bad it's been mentioned twice. I didn't actually mind All Saints last time I heard it. Probably cos pretty gurlz
Biffy Clyro are massive Weezer fans. One of the first times I saw them, was supporting Weezer and they spent the entire day geeking out about it. But when they decided to cover one of their songs, this happened...
Apparently it's about 50% another song that they'd have written and then discarded as being a bit shit, then they just sort of ruined Buddy Holly over the top of it. But it's a proper released studio recording and everything
You have that the wrong way round
It still amazes me that people think that G'n'R are in any way a good band. Proof enough I suppose that millions of people can in fact, be wrong after all.
Anything song Elle Goulding covers! Modern disease of covering a song by taking all the joy out of a song and being all whispery.
This also goes for the bloke playing songs at King's x Station yesterday, desperately wished I had a rifle while waiting for a delayed train!
It still amazes me that people think that G’n’R are in any way a good band.
Probably not half as much as it does me that folk still sycophantically lap up the shite Macca has been producing for years. At least GnR fans can admit Axl is a ****ing tosser.
George Michael’s cover of New Order’s True Faith. He’s sucked the life out of that tune by turning it in to an auto tuned dirge
It is as if the Great Man phoned that in from the pub. Any trauma about that was quickly remedied with this. George was an effing 'ledge.
As for terrible covers I'm torn between this and this absolute jobby.
Probably not half as much as it does me that folk still sycophantically lap up the shite Macca has been producing for years. At least GnR fans can admit Axl is a **** tosser.
I'm not sure being a tosser or otherwise has any bearing on the quality of music an artist produces.
Most covers are shite.
Not true, because there are an awful lot of great songs that most people don’t realise are covers.
My choice of a really shit cover is Madonna’s version of ‘American Pie’. She’s never done anything that I consider worth listening to anyway, but that version is excruciatingly bad.
saw SEB once
Thought she was OK, but then she was the lead singer with theaudience, who made the mistake of thinking that a bunch of boring looking blokes didn’t need everyone looking at a cute girl at the front, and got ride of her. What are theaudience doing with themselves these days, I wonder?
It still amazes me that people think that G’n’R are in any way a good band. Proof enough I suppose that millions of people can in fact, be wrong after all.
G’n’R are a horrid MOR dadrock monstrosity; while the band are good musicians, Axl’s strangled caterwauling sets my teeth on edge, they’re just unlistenable.
This is the biggest pile of shite!
@nickc forgot to add 😉
@squirrelking, no need, this is daft thread to say daft things, all taken in the spirit they were meant.
This is the biggest pile of shite!
Keep up fella.
Not true
It's true cos its my opinion and you can't change it. Duh
there are an awful lot of great songs that most people don’t realise are covers.
Cos they are shite.
Not heard it this year thankfully. Jess Glynne's gratingly awful cover of "This Christmas"
I’m not sure being a tosser or otherwise has any bearing on the quality of music an artist produces.
Well obviously not because if it did then Macca would actually deserve the plaudits.
G’n’R are a horrid MOR dadrock
Maybe today but back then, definitely not. Anyway, you're all just salty cos Axl is a better piano player.
G’n’R are a horrid MOR dadrock
Maybe today but back then, definitely not. Anyway, you’re all just salty cos Axl is a better piano player.
They totally were. 🙂
but any pop/rock song slowed down and sung by someone drippy and female over an acoustic guitar. John Lewis’s. All unremittingly awful.
Well as some of the above show, it can also be done by blokes. I would generalise from this, basic tactic for doing an attention seeking cover version - if it is fast, do a drippy piano/guitar ballad version, if it already is one of them, do a punk version. Punk versions at least have the merit of keeping you awake and must be more fun to actually do. Trigger alert: involves both Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris content
The live version might be shit but at least they haven’t put that out for sale.
Indeed
Ever Fallen in Love as covered by the fine young cannibals is about as bad a cover there is. Take a song that's full of energy and youth and remove all the energy and try to croon it badly. No forgiveness for that.