Worse Song Covers

[Bevan Price]

How are the first and last of these in the worst category, not the best ?

"I'm free" - didn't even know the Stones did a version - the Soup Dragons is the definitive as far as I'm concerned. Perfect, of its time and full of late 80's swagger.

Similarly, "I think we're alone now" - I can't imagine it by anyone else but Tiffany.

Mods, can you remove these posts to the correct thread please !

Sorry, but I disagree. In my opinion, the Soup Dragons were (expletive deleted) !!!! The Stones version was never a "single" which is possibly it is less well known than other songs by them.
And while Tiffany is not bad, in my opinion the original by Tommy James is much better.

 

[Modron]

Sorry, but I disagree. In my opinion, the Soup Dragons were (expletive deleted) !!!! The Stones version was never a "single" which is possibly it is less well known than other songs by them.
And while Tiffany is not bad, in my opinion the original by Tommy James is much better.

Have to say that I prefer the Tommy James original too.

Another to add to the list - Cathy Dennis's awful cover of The Kinks classic 'Waterloo Sunset'.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Blondie - Hanging on the telephone.
Not bad, but the Nerves did it first and did it better.

 

[yorksrob]

Sorry, but I disagree. In my opinion, the Soup Dragons were (expletive deleted) !!!! The Stones version was never a "single" which is possibly it is less well known than other songs by them.
And while Tiffany is not bad, in my opinion the original by Tommy James is much better.

We will have to disagree then !

When I think of the song, the voice isn't Mick's

 

[adrock1976]

Some dreadful ones I can think of here:

Light My Fire by Gareth Grates/Will Young (originally The Doors)
Unchained Melody by Robson & Jerome (original by Jimmy Young, but I prefer The Rightgeous Brothers version)
I Love Rock n Roll by Britney Spears (previously Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
All cover versions done by winning or runners up on X Factor and other "talent" shows.

 

[Cowley]

Some dreadful ones I can think of here:

Light My Fire by Gareth Grates/Will Young (originally The Doors)
Unchained Melody by Robson & Jerome (original by Jimmy Young, but I prefer The Rightgeous Brothers version)
I Love Rock n Roll by Britney Spears (previously Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
All cover versions done by winning or runners up on X Factor and other "talent" shows.

In the words of every single X Factor judge ever...
"You've really nailed it there Adrock"
(I'd rather nail my sensitive areas to a block of cold wood than listen to the various murdered classics turned into the turgid pap put out on that show).

 

[43096]

George Michael did an absolutely horrific cover of New Order’s “True Faith”. The original is a great song, but he made it into such utter dirge it was ear-coveringly bad.

 

[Busaholic]

Some dreadful ones I can think of here:

Light My Fire by Gareth Grates/Will Young (originally The Doors)
Unchained Melody by Robson & Jerome (original by Jimmy Young, but I prefer The Rightgeous Brothers version)
I Love Rock n Roll by Britney Spears (previously Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
All cover versions done by winning or runners up on X Factor and other "talent" shows.

Just like to point out that Unchained Melody was covered by numerous artists from the beginning: Jimmy Young's version certainly wasn't the original. Bobby Hatfield's voice on the Righteous Bros version really brought out the majesty, aided of course by that fatally flawed genius Phil Spector. Roy Orbison, with his truly unique voice, also sang an outstanding version a bit later on.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

George Michael did an absolutely horrific cover of New Order’s “True Faith”. The original is a great song, but he made it into such utter dirge it was ear-coveringly bad.

Though Limp Bizkit did an awful version of George Michael's "Faith", so he got his... unfortunately this karmic cycle of songs being ruined can go no further, as it'd be impossible to make any Limp Bizkit song worse than they already are.

 

[Bevan Price]

Some dreadful ones I can think of here:

Light My Fire by Gareth Grates/Will Young (originally The Doors)
.

Mention of "Light My Fire" reminded me of the awful cover by Jose Feliciano. (And I could never understand why the Feliciano version was a bigger "hit" than The Doors in the UK pap charts.

 

[Modron]

Though Limp Bizkit did an awful version of George Michael's "Faith", so he got his... unfortunately this karmic cycle of songs being ruined can go no further, as it'd be impossible to make any Limp Bizkit song worse than they already are.

One band who got lucky after one 'hit' in 'Break Stuff'.

Much as I liked Status Quo (not so much a fan after Rick's passing) I could not abide their cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop'.

 

[Busaholic]

Mention of "Light My Fire" reminded me of the awful cover by Jose Feliciano. (And I could never understand why the Feliciano version was a bigger "hit" than The Doors in the UK pap charts.

That Feliciano cover literally drove me out of a Youth Hostel in Amsterdam when it got played for the fourth time in one evening: I preferred to sleep under an artic in a lorry park!

 

[overthewater]

 

[gordonthemoron]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned probably the worst cover ever; Love will tear us apart again by Paul Young, original by Joy Division. Absolute tripe

 

[Clip]

This Boy George version of Everything I own is dreadful

 

[Modron]

Fall Out Boy and his cover of 'Ghostbusters'. Cringe!

 

[Typhoon]

Blondie - Hanging on the telephone.
Not bad, but the Nerves did it first and did it better.

Blondie seem to be very good at recording the second best version of a song - as here and 'The Tide is High'. The Paragons is better and Atomic Kitten trailing well behind.

 

[Busaholic]

Blondie seem to be very good at recording the second best version of a song - as here and 'The Tide is High'. The Paragons is better and Atomic Kitten trailing well behind.

Maybe, but the others will never have Debbie Harry!

 

[yorksrob]

Blondie seem to be very good at recording the second best version of a song - as here and 'The Tide is High'. The Paragons is better and Atomic Kitten trailing well behind.

I like her version of Denise Denise - but I think I prefer the original by Randy and the Rainbows.

 

[pieguyrob]

I'm glad someone else doen't like Robson and Jerome's version of Unchained Melody. Their producer or manager or whomever, who told them to release it, ckearly did not like them! Goodness it was awful.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Pinky and Perky's rendition of 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' is pretty dire -

although their version of 'Lets Twist Again' is better than the original

 

[AndyHudds]

Fall Out Boy and his cover of 'Ghostbusters'. Cringe!

Which is offset by their excellent cover of MJ's 'Beat it'.

 

[AndyHudds]

George Michael did an absolutely horrific cover of New Order’s “True Faith”. The original is a great song, but he made it into such utter dirge it was ear-coveringly bad.

And his equally awful cover of David Bowie's 'Wild is the Wind'.

 

[43096]

And his equally awful cover of David Bowie's 'Wild is the Wind'.

I'm certainly not going to do a search on that to find out!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

William Shatner covering Rocket man must be up there

 

[61653 HTAFC]

William Shatner covering Rocket man must be up there

But his version of Pulp's Common People was so bad, it was good.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Nobody can do a good cover of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac but three days grace's "attempt" wins by a country mile. They replace the Bass with Drums yet they're a metal band.