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August 13, 2020 2:57 pm  #1


When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

One of the hallmarks of rock and roll (especially in the early days) was artists remaking a previous hit done by someone else. In many cases, I like the original best. And sometimes it’s the first version you heard that you prefer the most. But sometimes, in my case at least, the remakes are even better than the first version.
 
Take "Silhouettes," for example. The Rays did it first in 1957. But when Herman’s Hermits remade it in 1965, it was, IMHO, a far superior version. Same thing with “A Wonderful World,” the Sam Cooke Billboard #12. With Peter Noone voicing it, it went to #4. And I like that version much, much better.
 
Similarly, I’d rather hear Cat Stevens do “Another Saturday Night” than the late, great Mr. Cooke.  
 
Then there’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.” Bob Dylan is a legend but if given my druthers, I’d pick the fast-moving Turtles version. Same with Peter, Paul & Mary doing “Blowin’ In The Wind.” Or Stevie Wonder for that matter.
 
Johnny Rivers did a ton of remakes – “Memphis,” “Mountain of Love,” “Under Your Spell Again” and “Rockin’ Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu.”  All of his stuff rated higher with me than the original 45s.
 
Hard to argue that The Beatles vastly improved on Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” or the Marvelettes' “Please Mr. Postman.” (Although the Carpenters almost destroyed it about a decade later!)
 
Oddly, there’s one remake I vastly prefer that’s not even supposed to be a remake at all. The aforementioned Mr. Berry’s “Sweet Little 16” is a song I don’t care for very much. But when Brian Wilson did “Surfin’ USA” with the Beach Boys, it became one of my favorite tunes of theirs – even though it’s exactly the same song!

I'd be curious to know - when it comes to your favorite oldie, which is better: the original or the remake? 

 

August 13, 2020 3:29 pm  #2


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

Jerry Lee Lewis did one helluva fine job with J. P. Richardson's Chantilly Lace

G.

 

August 13, 2020 4:14 pm  #3


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

I know Johnny Mathis' "Misty" is iconic and one of his signature tunes, but the Ray Stevens sped-up countrified version from 1975 is beyond anything I've ever heard. What an incredible remake and it remains one of my favorite songs of all time. 

     Thread Starter
 

August 13, 2020 8:48 pm  #4


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

One of my favourite remakes is Jerry Lee Lewis's version on Chuck Berry's Johnny B Goode recorded in 1973 as part of his London Session. The Killer kills it!!!

 

August 14, 2020 7:28 am  #5


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

I much prefer Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts" over Everly Brothers.

 

August 14, 2020 9:33 am  #6


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

It's me Karen wrote:

I much prefer Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts" over Everly Brothers.

Agreed. The only quibble I have with Nazareth's version is the fact that they changed a line to "Love is like a flame, burns you when it's hot." When is a flame not hot? The original phrase as sung by the Everly's is "Love is like a stove", which is far less romantic but accurate. I also liked the version by Jim Capaldi, who also did his cooking on a stove.
 

Last edited by Roman (August 14, 2020 5:07 pm)

 

August 15, 2020 7:36 am  #7


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

Roman wrote:

It's me Karen wrote:

I much prefer Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts" over Everly Brothers.

Agreed. The only quibble I have with Nazareth's version is the fact that they changed a line to "Love is like a flame, burns you when it's hot." When is a flame not hot? The original phrase as sung by the Everly's is "Love is like a stove", which is far less romantic but accurate. I also liked the version by Jim Capaldi, who also did his cooking on a stove.
 

I never realized the stove lyric.  Seems like they could have come up with a better word for stove.

 

August 15, 2020 9:47 am  #8


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

alangee wrote:

One of my favourite remakes is Jerry Lee Lewis's version on Chuck Berry's Johnny B Goode recorded in 1973 as part of his London Session. The Killer kills it!!!

yes indeed, the killer rocks on!
 

 

August 15, 2020 5:02 pm  #9


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

aflem wrote:

I know Johnny Mathis' "Misty" is iconic and one of his signature tunes, but the Ray Stevens sped-up countrified version from 1975 is beyond anything I've ever heard. What an incredible remake and it remains one of my favorite songs of all time. 

Johnny Mathis' "What Will My Mary Say" is ok but doesn't hold a candle to Jay Black's cover of that song which is more dramatic.

 

August 15, 2020 8:34 pm  #10


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

Little Rich wrote:

aflem wrote:

I know Johnny Mathis' "Misty" is iconic and one of his signature tunes, but the Ray Stevens sped-up countrified version from 1975 is beyond anything I've ever heard. What an incredible remake and it remains one of my favorite songs of all time. 

Johnny Mathis' "What Will My Mary Say" is ok but doesn't hold a candle to Jay Black's cover of that song which is more dramatic.

I love Jay Black's voice. I'd listen to him singing the phone book. (Although it still wouldn't be as good as Cara Mia.) 

Jay & The Americans did a couple of great covers. My favorite is Walking In The Rain, which the Ronettes did around 1964. But Jay & The A's did it much, much better.  

     Thread Starter
 

August 17, 2020 4:44 am  #11


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

It's me Karen wrote:

I much prefer Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts" over Everly Brothers.

well, yes, the classic arena rock version does make for a good tv commercial soundtrack. but if you love rock'n'roll, how could you not prefer joan jett's kickass meat and potatoes version jnstead?

or, if you're into country, it would be hard to argue that gram parsons and emmylou harris certainly equalled if not surpassed the everly's harmony, in  a band, as opposed to a duo, context.

Last edited by gopher (August 17, 2020 5:19 pm)

 

August 17, 2020 7:26 am  #12


Re: When Remakes Are Better Than The Original

It's me Karen wrote:

I never realized the stove lyric.  Seems like they could have come up with a better word for stove.

I didn't either, and I did hear Capaldi's version on at least one station at the same time as Nazareth's ... it was really something to hear two very different remakes that became hits at the same time. I can understand why Nazareth changed the line to make it sound a bit better. But what's also interesting to me is that I never thought of the line as being the kind of statement of the obvious that I did with "thunder only happens when it's raining" -- I think because I liked Love Hurts, in contrast with how I felt about Dreams. 
 

 

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