Versions of Songs, that I'd rather hear

[kenb]

As an oldies fan, I listen to hits from the 1950's to the late 1970's. Unfortunately, music programmers tend to select one version and not play an equally good version. Two examples:

PLAYED Version... BETTER Version...
Gypsy Woman -1966- Brian Hyland Gypsy Woman -1962- Impressions
Gloria -1966- Shadows of Knight Gloria -1965- Them

Do you have any?

 

[radioman148]

As an oldies fan, I listen to hits from the 1950's to the late 1970's. Unfortunately, music programmers tend to select one version and not play an equally good version. Two examples:

PLAYED Version... BETTER Version...
Gypsy Woman -1966- Brian Hyland Gypsy Woman -1962- Impressions
Gloria -1966- Shadows of Knight Gloria -1965- Them

Do you have any?

Actually I like all four versions of the songs you mentioned. If you were on the West Coast "Gloria" by Them was more popular, but nationally the Shadows of Knight's version was more popular.

A song that's quite interesting to me is "Baby It's You". The Shirelles did the original in 61, but Smith's version IMO was far superior.
It's odd that that was Smith's only hit (basically) while the Shirelles had many hits.

 

[hornet61]

I love "Santa Esmeralda's" version of "g-l-o-r-i-a", equally to the shadows and morrison.
Eric Burdon has paid the ulitimate compliment to Santa Esmeralda by using Their Flamenco version of the intro to "Don't Let Me Be misunderdtood" then reverting back to his original version in his concerts.

Billy Idol's version of Mony,Mony gets a better response on the dance floor than Tommy James version...

most radio staions program both, if they charted high enough, and if they are within their time range, you probably won't hear tommy james and Billy Idol on the same oldies station, but you will hear shadows and morrison.

Gary Lewis and Brian Hyland both did SWAK..
Bobby Vee and the Clover's ...Devil or Angel
Bobby Vinton vs the world ..most of his hits were remakes,they were good ones too..

 

[radioman148]

I like "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Santa Esmeralda very much.

 

[LibertyNT]

The Oldies Station In Dallas plays The "Them" Version Of The Song.

The Smith Version Of Baby It's You is played here as well.
(Great Song too! Gotta Agree with RadioMan)

They also play The Impressions Version of Gypsy Woman, they might also play the Brian Hyland version too.

In Fact KLIF 1190 played the "Them" Version if I remember correctly.
I do know that's the Version on their KLIFF Klassics Album.

Elvis does a pretty good cover of "I Just Can't Help Believing".

 

[deltas69]

stumbled on Santa's version of G L O R I A looking for somehthing else.. great version as is Don't Let Me be Misunderstood..love the flamico intro on the long version..i can go both ways on S O K and them with van morrison..as a rule i tend to like the later versions of covers as from a technical standpoint the record is better produced audio wise..as a rule..such as Billy Idol and Smith..but it's such a subjective point...also depends on if your in a radio format..or a live dance format as to picking versions..two totally different settings, having been in radio for 25 years as well as played as a live musician..what works on the air a lot of times does not work in a live venue..

 

[hornet61]

stumbled on Santa's version of G L O R I A looking for somehthing else.. great version as is Don't Let Me be Misunderstood..love the flamico intro on the long version..i can go both ways on S O K and them with van morrison..as a rule i tend to like the later versions of covers as from a technical standpoint the record is better produced audio wise..as a rule..such as Billy Idol and Smith..but it's such a subjective point...also depends on if your in a radio format..or a live dance format as to picking versions..two totally different settings, having been in radio for 25 years as well as played as a live musician..what works on the air a lot of times does not work in a live venue..

1,000 % agreement.......Live, I also use modern versions of "Locomotion" and "I Think we're alone now", by Kylie Minogue and Tiffany...also Rock-a-billy covers by Robert Gordon, Stray Cats and Shakin' Stevens (England). Especially Rock-a-billy the modern productions are far superior to early versions...an amazing cut is "Matchbox" by Carl Perkins, Duane eddy and The Mavericks .
http://youtu.be/xFpEf_1y_XA

 

[Kurt Toy]

I thought Hyland's version of Gypsy Woman came out in 1970.

 

[firepoint525]

Much prefer the Supremes' version of "You Keep Me Hanging On" over the note-for-note (thus unnecessary) copy version by Kim Wilde. It seemed too obvious to me that Wilde was trying to have a hit, just by covering something that was already familiar to listeners, thus something that radio would play. (Of course, her record company may have put her up to that.)

Also prefer Club Nouveau's "Lean On Me" over Bill Withers' original (although only slightly), although I wish that more stations would let it play into the "Pump It Up" jam session on the end of it.

 

[firepoint525]

I love "Santa Esmeralda's" version of "g-l-o-r-i-a", equally to the shadows and morrison.
Eric Burdon has paid the ulitimate compliment to Santa Esmeralda by using Their Flamenco version of the intro to "Don't Let Me Be misunderdtood" then reverting back to his original version in his concerts.

Is that version on youtube anywhere? I'd love to see that one!

Billy Idol's version of Mony,Mony gets a better response on the dance floor than Tommy James version...

Are you playing the "live" or memorex version of that one? The live version was the one that actually became the hit, although I prefer the studio version, which seems to be the preferred version for airplay now, anyway.

And some stations that play(ed) the Tommy James version actually play(ed) the long version! That was cool, too! 8)

 

[TheFonz]

stumbled on Santa's version of G L O R I A looking for somehthing else.. great version as is Don't Let Me be Misunderstood..love the flamico intro on the long version..i can go both ways on S O K and them with van morrison..as a rule i tend to like the later versions of covers as from a technical standpoint the record is better produced audio wise..as a rule..such as Billy Idol and Smith..but it's such a subjective point...also depends on if your in a radio format..or a live dance format as to picking versions..two totally different settings, having been in radio for 25 years as well as played as a live musician..what works on the air a lot of times does not work in a live venue..

1,000 % agreement.......Live, I also use modern versions of "Locomotion" and "I Think we're alone now", by Kylie Minogue and Tiffany...also Rock-a-billy covers by Robert Gordon, Stray Cats and Shakin' Stevens (England). Especially Rock-a-billy the modern productions are far superior to early versions...an amazing cut is "Matchbox" by Carl Perkins, Duane eddy and The Mavericks .
http://youtu.be/xFpEf_1y_XA

Interesting topic. If this discussion was on the '50s/'60s board I think most posters would prefer original versions. Seems that on this board they prefer the covers. That probably has something do do with recording quality. Maybe younger listeners' ears are trained for stereo and the pristine sound of CDs. They hear those old mono recordings as rough and raw.

 

[hornet61]

The live version (Mony, Mony) has explicit lyrics that most crowds love to sing along with, I got away with that at over 21 clubs....with a mixed crowd I stuck with the studio version, the studio version was a b-side (which I started playing immediatley at a local club)to an ep titled "Don't Stop (If memory serves me), the studio version became a standard after the live version shot up to number 1.

For radio, I prefer the original vs the 80's covers.....for club play I'll go with the cleaner version.

 

[deltas69]

ten years makes a big difference in recording technique and quality, the equipment,engineers,arrangements etc all became better as time moved along..having heard 99% of all of these when the originals were out..i prefer the covers most of the time because of the better studio quality most have, even songs i detest, as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, sound better to me on the Robert John version compared to the original...I know that's someones favorite tune...sorry...can't stand it..

 

[radioman148]

I have to say in most cases I prefer the original, but there are some where the cover is superior like the one I mentioned by Smith. (Never understood why they didn't have more hits.)
Back to topic, even though I mostly prefer originals I perfectly understand why the remakes are much more accepted at live shows.

 

[deltas69]

the music era that grabbed me started about '63 with "Dead Man's Curve"..First rock song i recall.I just didn't get into the doowop and pre 63 sounds..every generation has "their" music so it will always be subjective...the covers that i think are absolutely awful are the ones country artists in the 60's70's covered...for awhile a lot of top 40 hits got covered on the country charts by artists who could just not sing period..much less cover a rock tune..i'm sure country fans could care less as they love those artists no matter what they tried to sing..on a side note shopping around for more tunes to add to my internet station play list i found covers by BANANARAMA on a forgotten Supremes song , Nathan Jones, and of all thing.. Long Train Running..surprised that I like them very much..

 

[hornet61]

the music era that grabbed me started about '63 with "Dead Man's Curve"..First rock song i recall.I just didn't get into the doowop and pre 63 sounds..every generation has "their" music so it will always be subjective...the covers that i think are absolutely awful are the ones country artists in the 60's70's covered...for awhile a lot of top 40 hits got covered on the country charts by artists who could just not sing period..much less cover a rock tune..i'm sure country fans could care less as they love those artists no matter what they tried to sing..on a side note shopping around for more tunes to add to my internet station play list i found covers by BANANARAMA on a forgotten Supremes song , Nathan Jones, and of all thing.. Long Train Running..surprised that I like them very much..

bananarama - venus

 

[radioman148]

the music era that grabbed me started about '63 with "Dead Man's Curve"..First rock song i recall.I just didn't get into the doowop and pre 63 sounds..every generation has "their" music so it will always be subjective...the covers that i think are absolutely awful are the ones country artists in the 60's70's covered...for awhile a lot of top 40 hits got covered on the country charts by artists who could just not sing period..much less cover a rock tune..i'm sure country fans could care less as they love those artists no matter what they tried to sing..on a side note shopping around for more tunes to add to my internet station play list i found covers by BANANARAMA on a forgotten Supremes song , Nathan Jones, and of all thing.. Long Train Running..surprised that I like them very much..

bananarama - venus

I'll take Shocking Blue's version. Much better guitar & vocals. Better arranged too.

 

[hornet61]

beach boys did an LP "15 big ones" of which included 8 or 9 covers...in the 80's they also did a nice version "California Dreamin'" with leads by al jardin....i don't mean theses are better than the originals, just nice covers.

 

[deltas69]

I was aware of the Venus cover..but nothing else by Bananarama..found the others searching around on you tube..always amazed how many videos there are of old rock acts there..where do people find these ?? apparently there were videos being made long before M/TV..guess I would have to lean more to the original on Venus...

 

[radioman148]

beach boys did an LP "15 big ones" of which included 8 or 9 covers...in the 80's they also did a nice version "California Dreamin'" with leads by al jardin....i don't mean theses are better than the originals, just nice covers.

Beach Boys do some nice covers. Live I've seen them perform "California Dreamin"--pretty good. Their version of "Rock & Roll Music" is also good.
Have you ever heard the Beach Boys version of "I Was Made To Love Her?" I'm not saying it's better than Stevie Wonder's, but it is good.