Just after hearing Johnny Cash’s version of ‘One’ by U2 - fooking superb. I think it’s well better than the original.
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah is another that springs to mind
Covers that Butcher the Original:
Boyzone - Father and Son
Christy Moore - Pair of Brown Eyes/Fairytale of New York
All covers of Fairytale of New York must come into the butchering category.
Agreed on Hallelujah, not sure about Johnny Cash but his version of Hurt I’d have in there.
Loads of songs that haven’t been covered as much as made famous by certain artists. As an example I don’t know if you’d call Christy Moore’s cover of Don’t Forget Your Shovel a cover of a Christie Hennessy song because he was writing it to be sung by other people, it wasn’t just plucked from an obscure album and recorded by Moore.
Same with lots of folk, like Ewan MacColl stuff which I don’t think is really covers.
That acoustic cover of hit me baby one more time(Spears) by mundy or someone.
There’s a cover out at the moment of What a wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) by Katie Melua and Alison something that makes me unusually irate with its shititude.
If a song is written for another person then when the other person sings it you can’t call it a cover. For instance, Bono and The Edge wrote ‘She’s a Mystery to Me’ for Roy Orbison so he didn’t cover it when he sang it. There is no other version of the song to compare it to.
Remember I got that question right in Fats’ table quiz in the Dropping Well. Everyone was astounded. I rarely mention it though.
Fair call on Hurt but I think Cash’s version is overrated. The original isn’t great at all so Cash’s version, while ok in my opinion, is still well better.
Hey Joe and All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. So much better than the originals.
More recent times McFlys cover of Umbrella 
respect- aretha franklin
wonderwall - ryan adams
tainted love- soft cell
Fuck off Flango, you twat!
Mark Ronson’s stuff is pretty good, he brought a new phraze into the music dictionary, “That song has been Ronsonised”.
I stab you in the face you fuck
think it was Travis who had it, and it’s pretty good
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds.
I’ll shoot you in the willy!
Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
You’ve got to stop this obsession with willys there Ben http://www.blackpoolbingo.co.uk/newsletters/weekly/images/smiley-teeth.jpg
A little tension between yourself and Ben there, Flano. Did ye have a fight? You can tell us…
Okay then, I’ll just shoot you in the face so, that part of your body won’t be as hard to miss!
You like getting shot in the face. Boom.
Wild Horses - The Flying Burrito Bros. Has a special place in my heart this song
Hey Juhn, myself and Ben know this is only banter. Yabbadabbadoo.
Weller’s version of Instant Karma! is miles better than the original.
Radioheads version of ‘the thief’ a Can song is excellent and is without a doubt better than the original.
Not a big Johnny Cash fan but agree that his version of Hurt is excellent.
Massive fan of Can Rocko 66 but never heard of that song either by them or Radiohead
I’m intrigued. What respective albums are the songs on?
