I Feel For You, Chaka Khan’s ’84 hit from the album of the same name. The song was originally on Prince‘s self-titled debut album in ’79. Chaka Khan’s voice, the funky keyboards and the harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder make the cover much better than Prince’s relatively restrained original.
Red Red Wine, made most famous by Brit Reggae band UB40 in the mid-eighties. Their reggae version of the original by Neil Diamond was one of the many cover versions various artists have tried with varying degrees of success. None was as popular as the version by UB40 though. Neil Diamond later gave them a hat-tip by performing their version of the song on tour.
I Will Survive by American Alt-rock band Cake, one of the most underrated bands ever, from their ’96 debut album Fashion Nugget. What makes this song better than Gloria Gaynor‘s awesome original ? Is it John McCrea gruff, surly vocals? The brilliant electric guitar riff? The bass line? The plaintive, wailing trumpet solo? Maybe its all of them…
Pop-Rock group Scissor Sisters did the unthinkable, a dance version of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. It got them a record deal and later became their first single from their self- titled debut album in 2004. Some people like it, some run for the hills screaming “SACRILEGE” with their hands over their ears. Your mileage may vary….
Get the Scissor Sisters Video Here and the MP3 Here.
I’m not posting a link to the Pink Floyd song because if you haven’t heard please go shoot yourself. Shut down your computer first. Do it now.
In 2005 antediluvian pop star Paul Anka did an album of Swing Jazz covers of songs including some truly bizzare stuff like a Jazz version of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘. Kurt Cobain must be spinning in his grave. One of the few songs on the album that didn’t make you want to burn your ears off was his version of Van Halen’s epic 80′s track Jump!. For some reason the lyrics are actually quite well suited to a jazz song and this is the one song from this truly bizarre album where Mr. Anka hasn’t brutally raped the original tune.