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Cover Versions Of Songs ?

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Chipchopper | 09:37 Fri 19th Sep 2014 | Music
34 Answers
I've heard some awful versions at times, that I think are no way paying a tribute to the original and are in my opinion, just a pip off of the original.
It's a shame, I think that the cover often replaces the original when played on the radio and sometimes even some of the lyrics have been changed. Are they allowed to do that to someone else's song ?

Do the originators receive two lots of royalties ? and do they have to approve of the cover, assuming they are still living, or maybe the record company that own the rights ?
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I think it has to be approved and the original still gets a % of royalties. Like in adverts, they can't use music without permission.

I remember an interview with Moby and he said he'd sold his soul to adverts as it's a guaranteed income....

The best cover, imo, is Nirvana.....the man who sold the world.....
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Ah, Yes ummmm,
The Bowie number also covered by lulu.
At least there are some good exceptions!
The worst cover....Cat Stevens...Father & Son...covered by Boyzone. They ruined a brilliant song.
You don't need permission to cover a song, but you do have to pay to use it. some coves are infinitely better than the original and some are horrendous- just depends on your taste really.
what about this as a dire cover version? He even made a public apology aferwards....;)

x x
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSwQX0Z5mHo
As with everything in music - opinions of cover versions are as subjective as they are various.

They range from the sublime - Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends, to the awesomly horrible - anything by Westlife or Boyzone.

The song writers obtain a varying amount of royalties depending on the small print in their publishing contracts - none-writers of songs in bands receive performance rights only for songs, so nothing from covers.

Approval once again depends on rights ownership.

A good example was Neil Aspinall who oversaw the use of all The Beatles' music for which they owned copyright. He would not sanction the use of Beatles music in any adverts, or allow their inclusion in any compilations.

Since his death in 2008, use of Beatles music in adverts hs commenced, and increases year on year - his successors obviously do not share his sense of purity.

Similar minefields are encountered with the noble art of sampling - a most famous example being The Verve, who sampled a section of the orchestral recording of The Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want without permission.

Mick and Keef might have let it go, but since the rights were owned by the notoriously litigious Alan Klein, he sued them, and they receive no royalties at all for their biggest hit.
I like Dylan,but this lady has covered many of his songs and in my opion made a better job of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnPlCdMl_D8
I never liked Coolio's reworking of Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise.
I agree with paddywak + hc, + although I'm aware this isn't strictly answering the OP, I believe no discussion about cover versions can be complete without a reference to the hatchet job that was W. Houston's version of Dolly P's beautiful I Will Always Love You

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My favourite cover version is Ziggy Marley's Redemption Song. Involving The Chieftains was genius
hc4361 - "I never liked Coolio's reworking of Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise."

Coincidence - it was playing on the radio in the sandwich shop while my lunch was being made today.

I entirely agree - taking a proven successful song and mumbling some nonsense in a 'tough' voice over the top does not make you a musician.
Bathsheba - "I agree with paddywak + hc, + although I'm aware this isn't strictly answering the OP, I believe no discussion about cover versions can be complete without a reference to the hatchet job that was W. Houston's version of Dolly P's beautiful I Will Always Love You"

Indeed - or the heart-rending Linda Ronstadt version.

Whitless Useless's version was all foghorn and no soul, and why did she feel the need to sing the praises of an internet search engine?

"I will always love Yahoo ..." what's that all about!!
@ Andy.... //"I will always love Yahoo ..." //

Lol!! Love that! :-)

x x
I liked the original of this but I like this even better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCJh4a5iAqw
The very first record i ever bought was a cover version of The Beatle's 'I Feel Fine' as i couldn't afford the original - i was about 10 or 11 at the time. The cover version was on the 'Embassy' label which, i believe, dealt solely in cover versions. Anyone else remember them.
Yep Ken...I remember The Beatles.........;)

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Ken, I remember the Top of the Pops albums sold in Woolworths which were all hastily recorded cover versions of current hits.
seriously though, I hope this link helps.....
http://www.woolworthsmuseum.co.uk/1960s-newmusic.htm
hc4361; them's the ones, Embassy label sold at Woollies

Bathsheba; very droll and ta for the link
The cover version I hate that much I don't even like to talk about was of one of Dylan's greatest songs,to put it politely it was f******G atrocious,I'm sure any fan of Dylan will know the one I mean.

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