The dark truth behind music industry is that often it doesn’t matter how good your song is. What matters is how far your label is willing to push it. But sometimes a song also needs that extra flavor to become a proper masterpiece: a tweak in production, a different perspective or simply a different era to let the lyrics speak to the audience on a whole new level. Here are 10 examples of songs that became massive after being resurrected by another performer.
Natalie Imbruglia – "Torn"
Originally by Ednaswap
“Torn” was written by LA-based rock band Ednaswap and their version is a by-the-numbers punchy mid-90s female-fronted rock number. Listening to both takes makes it pretty obvious why Imbruglia’s single went on to nab a Grammy nomination (and why the original faded into obscurity). The Australian singer’s cover stripped the song off its angry guitars and let the heartbreaking lyrics shine. Imbruglia’s fragile delivery upped the drama factor to the maximum and that’s how we ended up with one of the most iconic breakup songs on the '90s.
Whitney Houston – "I Will Always Love You"
Originally by Dolly Parton
Dedicated to her mentor Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton’s 1973 single was a powerful melancholic country ballad. But it was Whitney Houston who really owned the number when she recorded the song for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard in 1992 and showered it with her elaborate vocal tricks. Both versions are hauntingly beautiful, but we have to give it to Whitney: she belted the hell out of this one.
Soft Cell – "Tainted Love"
Originally by Gloria Jones
Yes, this '80s staple is actually a cover of a 1964 song by Californian singer Gloria Jones. The Mark Almond-fronted new wave band slowed the tune down a bit and added that iconic synth line that was later sampled by Rihanna’s team as the basis for her smash “SOS.” Now that’s an impressive lifespan for a song!
Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse – "Valerie"
Originally by The Zutons
What’s interesting here isn’t that Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse's 2007 song is a cover, but that the original version is hardly old — it was recorded in 2006 by the indie rockers The Zutons and not at all in the '60s like one might have thought. The original sounds nothing like its Motown-flavored and much more well-received cover version, but still has enough punch to make you feel total glee for that enigmatic Valerie girl.
Madonna – "Ray of Light"
Originally by Curtiss Maldoon
Once again proving her sonic flexibility and rich knowledge of music, Madonna dug deep into the '70s folk music to get her hands on English duo Curtiss Maldoon’s 1971 acoustic song “Sepheryn (Ray of Light),” which she turned into her own euphoric dance number. Apparently there’s a 10-minute-long original version of Madonna’s song collecting dust somewhere inside the label’s vault, and we need it in our lives ASAP.
Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Originally by Robert Hazard
Another '80s go-to track on our list that owes at least half of its glory to the '70s. American singer Robert Hazard wrote and released the song in 1979, and four years later Cyndi Lauper turned it upside down and turned it into every hen’s party staple. And probably for the better — we’re much more okay with an actual woman singing about girls having fun than a guy.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "I Love Rock N Roll"
Originally by The Arrows
We sincerely hope that you know that Britney didn’t come up with this one. But do you know that Joan Jett didn’t either? The original was recorded by English rockers The Arrows back in 1975. Joan Jett loved the tune and decided to make her own version in 1981, eventually turning it into a megahit. The overall clap-and-rock feel of the song remained intact, but Jett did morph the song into an anthem to a 17-year-old boy (as opposed to The Arrows’ ode to jukebox-loving teenage girl). And The Arrows also didn’t possess anything as cool as Joan’s iconic red jumpsuit.
Britney Spears – "My Prerogative"
Originally by Bobby Brown
Okay, now it’s clear Legendary Miss Britney Spears didn’t exactly come up with the lines about putting another dime in the jukebox. But what about this often forgotten but rather bold single from 2004 that serves as the promotional tool for Britney’s first Greatest Hits compilation? Yes, it’s a cover, too: of Bobby Brown’s 1988 single. Brown’s song was aimed at the people who criticized his New Edition exit, while Britney’s cut was aimed at everyone doubting the power of her union with K-Fed. Oh well…
Sheryl Crow – "Sweet Child O’ Mine"
Originally by Guns N’Roses
Talk about making a song your own. Sheryl Crow’s 1999 cover sounds like a completely different song than Guns N’Roses 1987 surprisingly mellow hit. The band actually gave more than its blessing to Crow — they participated in the creation of the cover. So it basically makes it the original’s younger sister.
Sinead O’Connor – "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Originally by The Family
Prince had many hits and many side-projects, but “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the song he wrote for The Family (the band he overlooked in mid-80s), failed to gain much attention. Five years later Irish singer Sinead O’Connor gave the ballad a second life… And what a life that was!
Want to see more lists? Check out our Everybody Loves a List! page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2nIwlih
No comments:
Post a Comment