Musicians covering themselves?
May 19, 2010 7:30 PM Subscribe
I'm interested in examples where musicians have recorded very different versions of their own original material.
Category 1: significantly different demo/alternate version vs. the official release
- The alternate version of Big Star's "Ballad of El Goodo" (released last year on Keep An Eye on the Sky) includes an entirely different verse than the #1 Record version, making the song much more of an explicit draft-resistance anthem.
Category 2: same songwriter, same song, different bands
- Neil Finn recorded "I Walk Away" with Split Enz as their final single, then rerecorded/released it on Crowded House's debut album a few years later.
- Paul Weller recorded "A Solid Bond in Your Heart" as a demo with the Jam and then rerecorded/released it as a single with the Style Council a few years later.
Category 3: same artist revisits old material in new way
- The Church's El Momento Descuidado, an album of new acoustic versions of previously released songs.
- The whole MTV Unplugged series
I'm not as interested in just comparing live vs. studio versions unless there is some mind-blowingly revelatory change in the live version.
Thanks!
Category 1: significantly different demo/alternate version vs. the official release
- The alternate version of Big Star's "Ballad of El Goodo" (released last year on Keep An Eye on the Sky) includes an entirely different verse than the #1 Record version, making the song much more of an explicit draft-resistance anthem.
Category 2: same songwriter, same song, different bands
- Neil Finn recorded "I Walk Away" with Split Enz as their final single, then rerecorded/released it on Crowded House's debut album a few years later.
- Paul Weller recorded "A Solid Bond in Your Heart" as a demo with the Jam and then rerecorded/released it as a single with the Style Council a few years later.
Category 3: same artist revisits old material in new way
- The Church's El Momento Descuidado, an album of new acoustic versions of previously released songs.
- The whole MTV Unplugged series
I'm not as interested in just comparing live vs. studio versions unless there is some mind-blowingly revelatory change in the live version.
Thanks!
There's a demo version of the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" (lyrics here) - available both acoustic and electric on the Tim reissue - which has an enormously different feel (including what most interpret as references to suicide) than the released version.
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 7:40 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 7:40 PM on May 19, 2010
Bowie with John I'm Only Dancing
Original
Revised
Bowie again with The Man Who Sold The World
Original
Revised
posted by merocet at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2010
Original
Revised
Bowie again with The Man Who Sold The World
Original
Revised
posted by merocet at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2010
ball and chain by social distortion, later given the honkytonk treatment by the lead singer, mike ness
good vibrations by the beach boys - not that it's a completely different version - but it's good evidence of how brian wilson would write huge, epic, 15 minute long songs, and then scrap nearly all of it to get to 3ish minutes.
cardigans - hold me - on the "best of" cd there's a mini version of the song that's worlds better than the released version.
ani difranco have both released a sort of retrospective/greatest hits comps with new recordings - they're different enough that i can't listen to them.
posted by nadawi at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2010
good vibrations by the beach boys - not that it's a completely different version - but it's good evidence of how brian wilson would write huge, epic, 15 minute long songs, and then scrap nearly all of it to get to 3ish minutes.
cardigans - hold me - on the "best of" cd there's a mini version of the song that's worlds better than the released version.
ani difranco have both released a sort of retrospective/greatest hits comps with new recordings - they're different enough that i can't listen to them.
posted by nadawi at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2010
Eric Clapton, "Layla" 1 2
Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides Now" 1 2
Eurythmics, "Here Comes the Rain Again" 1 2
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:43 PM on May 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides Now" 1 2
Eurythmics, "Here Comes the Rain Again" 1 2
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:43 PM on May 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
Bob Dylan
Girl from the north country: Freewheelin' version
Girl from the north country: Nashville skyline version
Couldn't be more different.
posted by crapples at 7:47 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Girl from the north country: Freewheelin' version
Girl from the north country: Nashville skyline version
Couldn't be more different.
posted by crapples at 7:47 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Colin Hay. He recorded Down Under, Overkill and Who Can It Be Now with Men At Work. He later rerecorded them acoustically as a solo artist. The acoustic versions are on his album Man @ Work, and they are superb. [iTunes link]
He also rerecorded a lot of his solo work acoustically. Here's an album's worth of it.
Excellent stuff! In almost every case, I prefer the acoustic versions, many of which are slowed down and more laid back.
posted by 2oh1 at 7:47 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
He also rerecorded a lot of his solo work acoustically. Here's an album's worth of it.
Excellent stuff! In almost every case, I prefer the acoustic versions, many of which are slowed down and more laid back.
posted by 2oh1 at 7:47 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is kind of in reverse, but Neutral Milk Hotel's "King of Carrot Flowers Part 2" and "April 8th" originally sounded very, very different when Jeff Mangum originally recorded them in his early days as Synthetic Flying Machine.
posted by griphus at 7:49 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by griphus at 7:49 PM on May 19, 2010
Response by poster: Awesome stuff already! Keep 'em coming.
posted by scody at 7:56 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by scody at 7:56 PM on May 19, 2010
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy countrified his old songs on Sings Greatest Palace Music.
posted by saul wright at 8:08 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by saul wright at 8:08 PM on May 19, 2010
Adam Duritz from Counting Crows usually makes pretty significant changes to live versions of his songs. His version of "round here" from their "Live at the 10 Spot" show is very different and pretty awesome in my opinion. Worth checking out.
posted by PFL at 8:09 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by PFL at 8:09 PM on May 19, 2010
Wilco - Outta Mind (Outta Sight) vs. Outta Sight (Outta Mind), both on Being There. (The difference is much more clear on the album versions, too)
posted by Adam_S at 8:11 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by Adam_S at 8:11 PM on May 19, 2010
Cat 1:
Elvis Costello "Blame it on Cain" demo vs. with full band
I think the demo is devastating and a completely different song.
posted by Camofrog at 8:11 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Elvis Costello "Blame it on Cain" demo vs. with full band
I think the demo is devastating and a completely different song.
posted by Camofrog at 8:11 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Utada Hikaru: Distance and Final Distance. Wildly different.
posted by emeiji at 8:13 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by emeiji at 8:13 PM on May 19, 2010
Cat Power recorded a version of 'In This Hole' (from What Would the Community Think) on The Covers Record. The latter version uses just piano and voice, and sounds quite different from the original.
posted by the cat's pyjamas at 8:17 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by the cat's pyjamas at 8:17 PM on May 19, 2010
Probably any band who has done VH1's Storytellers or MTV's Unplugged and put out an album of their performance. I'm thinking specifically of Counting Crows. If you pick up the "Across A Wire" live set, one CD is them rocking out and the other CD is their Storyteller acoustic stuff. Rain King is one of four songs that are on both CDs and the differences in the songs is an interesting contrast.
Adam Duritz, their lead singer is known for pretty much evolving songs, always putting in alt verses or even singing a cover in the middle of a Crows song. Plus they welcome recording at their shows, so there's a ton of their stuff out there. I think I have 8 different versions of one song alone.
posted by NoraCharles at 8:18 PM on May 19, 2010
Adam Duritz, their lead singer is known for pretty much evolving songs, always putting in alt verses or even singing a cover in the middle of a Crows song. Plus they welcome recording at their shows, so there's a ton of their stuff out there. I think I have 8 different versions of one song alone.
posted by NoraCharles at 8:18 PM on May 19, 2010
Chris Difford redid a bunch of old Squeeze songs in an almost twangy country style (with slide guitar) on South East Side Story.
posted by immlass at 8:18 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by immlass at 8:18 PM on May 19, 2010
They aren't that much different, but the Beastie Boys release "Slow and Low" as a single on the 1986 album Licensed to Ill, then remixed it (with Mix Master Mike) and released it as a bonus track on some versions of 1998's Hello Nasty. I really like the 1998 version.
posted by trialex at 8:19 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by trialex at 8:19 PM on May 19, 2010
I listened the other day to the All Songs Considered podcast on the Exile on Main Street reissue. The podcast included a (snippet of a) version of Loving Cup that completely blew my mind.
Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks the alt-version is better than the one that made the album.
posted by lex mercatoria at 8:24 PM on May 19, 2010
Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks the alt-version is better than the one that made the album.
posted by lex mercatoria at 8:24 PM on May 19, 2010
Bob Dylan's Isis from Desire and the live version from 1975.
posted by piratebowling at 8:24 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by piratebowling at 8:24 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Alanis Morissette rerecorded her whole "Jagged Little Pill" as an acoustic album a few years back.
Bruce Springsteen's "Tracks" box set has a few demo versions of songs that are drastically different than the album versions.
posted by whatideserve at 8:27 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Bruce Springsteen's "Tracks" box set has a few demo versions of songs that are drastically different than the album versions.
posted by whatideserve at 8:27 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" is pretty different from how he first recorded it to how he started performing it live, after he heard Hendrix's version.
2nding Bonnie "Prince" Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music. Here's "Gulf Shores": 1995, 2004
Os Mutantes' Tecnicolor LP is a reworking of earlier songs, many in English this time. "Baby": 1968, 1970
Yo La Tengo's "Tom Courtenay": from Electr-O-Pura, from the Camp Yo La Tengo EP
posted by hydrophonic at 8:30 PM on May 19, 2010
2nding Bonnie "Prince" Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music. Here's "Gulf Shores": 1995, 2004
Os Mutantes' Tecnicolor LP is a reworking of earlier songs, many in English this time. "Baby": 1968, 1970
Yo La Tengo's "Tom Courtenay": from Electr-O-Pura, from the Camp Yo La Tengo EP
posted by hydrophonic at 8:30 PM on May 19, 2010
Found this screwing around on Youtube awhile back.
Throwing Muses/"Not Too Soon"/The Real Ramona - 1991. This song, right?
Turns out to be one of their oldest ones. Demo version, 1984. It's really different.
There are two different versions of "Man-size" on P J Harvey's second album, Rid of Me.
Well, there's also the 4-Track Demos record she came out with soon after, bein' all unhappy with Steve Albini's production & stuff.
posted by furiousthought at 8:38 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Throwing Muses/"Not Too Soon"/The Real Ramona - 1991. This song, right?
Turns out to be one of their oldest ones. Demo version, 1984. It's really different.
There are two different versions of "Man-size" on P J Harvey's second album, Rid of Me.
Well, there's also the 4-Track Demos record she came out with soon after, bein' all unhappy with Steve Albini's production & stuff.
posted by furiousthought at 8:38 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you can get your hands on someone with XM radio, listen to Jonathan Schwartz's Sinatra on Sunday (it's at 1pm eastern—it's on public radio here, but because it's also on satellite, you can't stream it online). He often plays multiple records of Sinatra doing the same song in different arrangements. He seemed to do it all the time, taking a song from mournful to peppy to sultry.
Jonathan Schwartz plays lots more than Sinatra (mostly "American Songbook" type stuff, and pre-Beatles pop), and this attention to songs' reinterpretation (by different artists or the same) is one of the main reasons I listen to him.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:47 PM on May 19, 2010
Jonathan Schwartz plays lots more than Sinatra (mostly "American Songbook" type stuff, and pre-Beatles pop), and this attention to songs' reinterpretation (by different artists or the same) is one of the main reasons I listen to him.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:47 PM on May 19, 2010
The Police re-recorded "Don't Stand So Close To Me" for their 1986 greatest hits album.
1980
1986
posted by chrchr at 8:48 PM on May 19, 2010
1980
1986
posted by chrchr at 8:48 PM on May 19, 2010
Neil Young's warped take of his classic "Mr. Soul" on the misunderstood 1982 LP Trans.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:49 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by porn in the woods at 8:49 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Peter Gabriel has recorded Here Comes the Flood three times in the studio, as well as live versions.
Once on his first solo album in 1976 with full band, and over-the-top arrangement, courtesy of producer Bob Ezrin (FFWD to 4:45 -- two songs combined there)
Again, on Robert Fripp's 1979 album Exposure -- a much pared down piano & ambient take. (the definitive, but was erratically available)
Lastly on Shaking The Tree: 16 Golden Greats Solo piano.
I can't help but editorialize a bit about how much I fucking love this song. :-)
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:52 PM on May 19, 2010
Once on his first solo album in 1976 with full band, and over-the-top arrangement, courtesy of producer Bob Ezrin (FFWD to 4:45 -- two songs combined there)
Again, on Robert Fripp's 1979 album Exposure -- a much pared down piano & ambient take. (the definitive, but was erratically available)
Lastly on Shaking The Tree: 16 Golden Greats Solo piano.
I can't help but editorialize a bit about how much I fucking love this song. :-)
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:52 PM on May 19, 2010
The band Cracker released an album which was nothing but new studio versions of previously released tracks: Greatest Hits Redux. However, the differences are rather minor (usually more instrumental fills).
posted by dhens at 9:07 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by dhens at 9:07 PM on May 19, 2010
Glen Gould's 1955 rendition of Bach's Goldberg Variations versus the 1981 recording, which has a totally different, much slower and more mature, feeling to it.
posted by zachawry at 9:10 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by zachawry at 9:10 PM on May 19, 2010
Cyndi Lauper did an acoustic album of her stuff 22 years later.
Time after Time Acoustic
Original version
posted by cali59 at 9:12 PM on May 19, 2010
Time after Time Acoustic
Original version
posted by cali59 at 9:12 PM on May 19, 2010
Lady Gaga, of all the frickin' people, did a live performance of Telephone (skip to about 3:26) in which not only are many of the lyrics different, but the whole song sounds like a bluesy piano-bar torch song.
posted by KathrynT at 9:36 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by KathrynT at 9:36 PM on May 19, 2010
Eric Clapton again, this time with "After Midnight". He cut an alternate version of the song for a beer commercial (Budweiser?) that was slower and more atmospheric than the well-known AOR version.
The original Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green) songs "Rattlesnake Shake", "Searching for Madge", "Fighting for Madge", and "Underway" from the Then Play On album sounded completely different (and made much more sense) when played as a extended 25 minute version of "Rattlesnake Shake".
Some of the "space rock" songs by early Pink Floyd, such as "Careful With That Ace, Eugene", and "Interstellar Overdrive" have multiple offically-released versions that differ quite a bit from version to version. They even released a version of "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" as "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up" for a film soundtrack (Zabriske Point, I think).
Steve Hackett also released an album of live versions of early Genesis songs such as "Watcher of the Skies" that are different enough from the originals to make them interesting.
posted by sbigelow at 9:39 PM on May 19, 2010
The original Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green) songs "Rattlesnake Shake", "Searching for Madge", "Fighting for Madge", and "Underway" from the Then Play On album sounded completely different (and made much more sense) when played as a extended 25 minute version of "Rattlesnake Shake".
Some of the "space rock" songs by early Pink Floyd, such as "Careful With That Ace, Eugene", and "Interstellar Overdrive" have multiple offically-released versions that differ quite a bit from version to version. They even released a version of "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" as "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up" for a film soundtrack (Zabriske Point, I think).
Steve Hackett also released an album of live versions of early Genesis songs such as "Watcher of the Skies" that are different enough from the originals to make them interesting.
posted by sbigelow at 9:39 PM on May 19, 2010
Joe Jackson's Live 1980/86 features three vastly different versions of "Is She Really Going Out With Him" as well as a highly modified "Steppin' Out".
posted by getAttr at 9:43 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by getAttr at 9:43 PM on May 19, 2010
Lou Reed/Velvet Underground: "Sweet Jane"
1969 Live Version
Rock n Roll Animal Version from 1974
posted by 4ster at 9:57 PM on May 19, 2010
1969 Live Version
Rock n Roll Animal Version from 1974
posted by 4ster at 9:57 PM on May 19, 2010
There are lots of these on the Beatles Anthology CDs, especially Volumes 2 and 3. For instance, "Helter Skelter," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" -- those demos or outtakes are all dramatically different from the final versions.
Nirvana had two dramatically different versions of "Polly" -- slow and acoustic on Nevermind; fast and loud on Incesticide. Also, their live version of "Something in the Way" got loud in the chorus, which is totally different from the studio version on Nevermind (all quiet/acoustic). I know you mentioned Unplugged, but I specifically recommend Nirvana's "On a Plain" as a striking contrast -- the original on Nevermind and the version on their Unplugged album. One more Nirvana suggestion: here's your "mind-blowingly revelatory change in the live version"!
Nine Inch Nails has lots of remixes that radically change the original songs. Fixed is a remix of the Broken EP; Further Down the Spiral is a remix of The Downward Spiral album; Closer to God has many remixes of the song "Closer."
The Smashing Pumpkins' single for "Tonight, Tonight" includes an intimate acoustic version of that song; the original version is orchestral and much brisker.
Seal released a greatest hits double album where disc 1 is the original songs, and disc 2 is all acoustic versions of those songs.
Radiohead plays "There There" acoustically.
Lady Gaga plays "Paparazzi" on keyboard alone.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:59 PM on May 19, 2010
Nirvana had two dramatically different versions of "Polly" -- slow and acoustic on Nevermind; fast and loud on Incesticide. Also, their live version of "Something in the Way" got loud in the chorus, which is totally different from the studio version on Nevermind (all quiet/acoustic). I know you mentioned Unplugged, but I specifically recommend Nirvana's "On a Plain" as a striking contrast -- the original on Nevermind and the version on their Unplugged album. One more Nirvana suggestion: here's your "mind-blowingly revelatory change in the live version"!
Nine Inch Nails has lots of remixes that radically change the original songs. Fixed is a remix of the Broken EP; Further Down the Spiral is a remix of The Downward Spiral album; Closer to God has many remixes of the song "Closer."
The Smashing Pumpkins' single for "Tonight, Tonight" includes an intimate acoustic version of that song; the original version is orchestral and much brisker.
Seal released a greatest hits double album where disc 1 is the original songs, and disc 2 is all acoustic versions of those songs.
Radiohead plays "There There" acoustically.
Lady Gaga plays "Paparazzi" on keyboard alone.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:59 PM on May 19, 2010
X has covered several of their songs as their honky-tonk alter ego, The Knitters: Burning House of Love, In This House That I Call Home, The New World, and Love Shack.
posted by chez shoes at 10:01 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by chez shoes at 10:01 PM on May 19, 2010
"Help I'm Alive" by Metric has an album and acoustic version, though both are studio recordings, and the feel of them is could not be more different.
Album | Acoustic
posted by Narrative Priorities at 10:03 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Album | Acoustic
posted by Narrative Priorities at 10:03 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Check out the nine inch nails demo album Purest Feeling.
posted by salvia at 10:13 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by salvia at 10:13 PM on May 19, 2010
Not quite as different as perhaps what you're seeking, as it's her voice, not the song that changed, but Marianne Faithful's early vs later renditions of As Tears Go By are striking.
posted by desuetude at 10:15 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by desuetude at 10:15 PM on May 19, 2010
Current 93 does this a lot. They have made the same songs many times over in their ~30 year history. For example the song Falling Back Into Fields of Rape started out as a long experimental song with little girls saying scary eschatological things. Then it was made by another band, Death In June, with a lot of the same people in it. This version is, well, you have to listen to Death In June, it's just over dramatic. Then Current 93 did it again, making a lullaby version. I don't keep up on these bands anymore so I have no idea if they've done it yet again.
posted by thylacine at 10:17 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by thylacine at 10:17 PM on May 19, 2010
Derek & the Dominoes (which wasn't really a band, as much as it was Eric Clapton and Duane Allman making a record together) "Layla" vs. Eric Clapton's solo "Layla"
posted by brainmouse at 10:21 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by brainmouse at 10:21 PM on May 19, 2010
The Grateful Dead stuff I have involves live changes. They slowed Friend of the Devil from an upbeat bluegrass song (on American Beauty) to a ballad when played live.
A number of songs that were originally Pigpen songs (though not original material) before his death, were brought back and sung by others in the band, including Big Boss Man (Garcia), Good Lovin (Weir), and the downright sacrilegious Weir usage of Lovelight.
Alabama 3 re-recorded many of their hits on an acoustic album called Last Train to Mashville
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach recorded Painted from Memory and someone took the same recordings and released jazz arrangements called The Sweetest Punch
posted by rakish_yet_centered at 10:27 PM on May 19, 2010
A number of songs that were originally Pigpen songs (though not original material) before his death, were brought back and sung by others in the band, including Big Boss Man (Garcia), Good Lovin (Weir), and the downright sacrilegious Weir usage of Lovelight.
Alabama 3 re-recorded many of their hits on an acoustic album called Last Train to Mashville
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach recorded Painted from Memory and someone took the same recordings and released jazz arrangements called The Sweetest Punch
posted by rakish_yet_centered at 10:27 PM on May 19, 2010
Todd Rundgren recorded a lovely record of his hits (ok, a few hits and a few fan favorites) in a legit Bossa Nova style in 1997. I give you With A Twist.
Devo produced Muzak-y versions of a number of songs for their E-Z Listening Disc.
I recommend them both heartily.
(The original version of "Hello It's Me" was recorded by The Nazz in (I think) 1968. Pretty different vibe.)
posted by mintcake! at 10:42 PM on May 19, 2010
Devo produced Muzak-y versions of a number of songs for their E-Z Listening Disc.
I recommend them both heartily.
(The original version of "Hello It's Me" was recorded by The Nazz in (I think) 1968. Pretty different vibe.)
posted by mintcake! at 10:42 PM on May 19, 2010
The original version of Self's "Suzie Q Sailaway" was recorded on toy instruments à la Gizmodgery. (I believe the label really liked the song and wanted a "real" version" for Breakfast With Girls.) You can get the original here.
posted by mintcake! at 11:07 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by mintcake! at 11:07 PM on May 19, 2010
More Yo La Tengo: Fakebook is an album of covers, including their own "Barnaby Hardly Working" and "Did I Tell You" from President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs. (Although the second one isn't much of reworking.)
Also, "Cherry Chapstick" from their album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out and the EP Today is the Day.
posted by hydrophonic at 11:22 PM on May 19, 2010
Also, "Cherry Chapstick" from their album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out and the EP Today is the Day.
posted by hydrophonic at 11:22 PM on May 19, 2010
Ooh - Pet Shop Boys arranged a big band version of "Can You Forgive Her?" on a CD-single. This is such a fun question.
posted by mintcake! at 11:32 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by mintcake! at 11:32 PM on May 19, 2010
Response by poster: oh man, I'm sort of in heaven. I love it all! MOAR PLS
posted by scody at 11:38 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by scody at 11:38 PM on May 19, 2010
For category 3: If you like Christian rock, there's dc talk's Say the Words. Here's the original from 1992's Free at Last and the newer version from 2000's Intermission: The Greatest Hits
posted by sambosambo at 12:14 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by sambosambo at 12:14 AM on May 20, 2010
Moxy Fruvous - King of Spain and later on the album Live Noise, they performed the "Cranky Monarch Version".
posted by plinth at 2:47 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by plinth at 2:47 AM on May 20, 2010
Marillion released an acoustic album called "Less is More" which really changed some songs. Here's Out of This World:
Original
Acoustic
posted by salmacis at 3:34 AM on May 20, 2010
Original
Acoustic
posted by salmacis at 3:34 AM on May 20, 2010
Beck - Jackass
Beck - Burro (Mariachi version, in Spanish)
David Bowie (with Reeves Gabrels) - You've Been Around
Reeves Gabrels (with David Bowie & Gary Oldman) - You've Been Around (By far the better rendition IMO.)
posted by usonian at 4:48 AM on May 20, 2010
Beck - Burro (Mariachi version, in Spanish)
David Bowie (with Reeves Gabrels) - You've Been Around
Reeves Gabrels (with David Bowie & Gary Oldman) - You've Been Around (By far the better rendition IMO.)
posted by usonian at 4:48 AM on May 20, 2010
There's the two versions of the Beatles' "Revolution"...the screaming rocker version that was released as a single, and the laid-back version on the White Album.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:50 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by Thorzdad at 4:50 AM on May 20, 2010
Oh - and Queen's live version of We Will Rock You on the Live Killers album is pretty different from the studio version on News of the World.
posted by usonian at 4:52 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by usonian at 4:52 AM on May 20, 2010
The Great Society, fronted by Grace Slick, did the original versions of both White Rabbit and Somebody to Love, in the pre-Jefferson Airplane days.
Perhaps the most prominent example of what you are looking for is the Beatles's Revolution vs. Revolution 1. Don't know which was recorded first.
And Neil Young's deliberate contrast of styles in My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) and Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black), from Rust Never Sleeps.
posted by yclipse at 5:02 AM on May 20, 2010
Perhaps the most prominent example of what you are looking for is the Beatles's Revolution vs. Revolution 1. Don't know which was recorded first.
And Neil Young's deliberate contrast of styles in My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) and Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black), from Rust Never Sleeps.
posted by yclipse at 5:02 AM on May 20, 2010
For the singles collection Galore the Cure rerecorded acoustic versions of their singles. It was pretty underwhelming.
Neil Young's Hey hey, my my
Nick Cave's Best of includes a live CD with a very different version of "Weeping Song" (and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Blixa taking Kylie Minogue's part)
thylacine: Current 93 - Falling Back into Fields of Rape also shows up very different on the Island LP. They recorded a cover of Strawberry Switchblade's Since Yesterday and on a live album Rose (from SS) does Since Yesterday solo with an acoustic guitar. The album Black Ships Ate the Sky has about 12 different versions of the same song.
If you poke through the discographies of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, you'll find several examples of this (typically a mellower Nico song being redone quite rocky with Lou Reed singing, or the demo of a Nico-song being originally a rocky-Lou-song). Le Bataclan is a real must-have CD if you like VU and this sort of thing. Live Lou albums occasionally have a virtually unrecognizable Velvet-song.
Woven Hand recorded a soundtrack for a modern dance production, and released an album based on that (Blush Music) that includes radically reworked versions of material from their first album.
Swans did this sort of thing too many times to pull out specific examples. Like "I Crawled" on a very early pre-Jarboe EP showing up on their final live CD with Jarboe on vocals.
posted by K.P. at 5:20 AM on May 20, 2010
Neil Young's Hey hey, my my
Nick Cave's Best of includes a live CD with a very different version of "Weeping Song" (and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Blixa taking Kylie Minogue's part)
thylacine: Current 93 - Falling Back into Fields of Rape also shows up very different on the Island LP. They recorded a cover of Strawberry Switchblade's Since Yesterday and on a live album Rose (from SS) does Since Yesterday solo with an acoustic guitar. The album Black Ships Ate the Sky has about 12 different versions of the same song.
If you poke through the discographies of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, you'll find several examples of this (typically a mellower Nico song being redone quite rocky with Lou Reed singing, or the demo of a Nico-song being originally a rocky-Lou-song). Le Bataclan is a real must-have CD if you like VU and this sort of thing. Live Lou albums occasionally have a virtually unrecognizable Velvet-song.
Woven Hand recorded a soundtrack for a modern dance production, and released an album based on that (Blush Music) that includes radically reworked versions of material from their first album.
Swans did this sort of thing too many times to pull out specific examples. Like "I Crawled" on a very early pre-Jarboe EP showing up on their final live CD with Jarboe on vocals.
posted by K.P. at 5:20 AM on May 20, 2010
Andrew Bird re-works a lot of his stuff until it turns into completely different music - and he often does this re-working in live shows. It's pretty cool to see how a song like Capital I (I can't find a recording anywhere but archive.org) evolves into Imitosis. There are lots of other examples of this kind of thing in his work.
posted by nuclear_soup at 5:30 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by nuclear_soup at 5:30 AM on May 20, 2010
Brian Setzer has redone a few of his old Stray Cats songs with the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
posted by litlnemo at 6:05 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by litlnemo at 6:05 AM on May 20, 2010
Paul McCartney, studio and live (with Wings) versions of "Coming Up."
Foo Fighters, original and acoustic versions of "Everlong" are quite different.
Squeeze: the album and single versions of "Goodbye Girl" have slightly different lyrics and instrumentation (as used to be common) and the live version from Six Squeeze Songs Crammed Into One 10-Inch Record is a much faster, more rocking arrangement.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:31 AM on May 20, 2010
Foo Fighters, original and acoustic versions of "Everlong" are quite different.
Squeeze: the album and single versions of "Goodbye Girl" have slightly different lyrics and instrumentation (as used to be common) and the live version from Six Squeeze Songs Crammed Into One 10-Inch Record is a much faster, more rocking arrangement.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:31 AM on May 20, 2010
Bruce Springsteen, "Blinded by the Light" ( original | awesome cover )
posted by booth at 6:34 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by booth at 6:34 AM on May 20, 2010
Ooooh... Self-link time (lyrics NSFW).
The new version: SMUT - My Girl (MMJD)
The original: SMUT - My Girl (Kenora)
posted by 256 at 6:59 AM on May 20, 2010
The new version: SMUT - My Girl (MMJD)
The original: SMUT - My Girl (Kenora)
posted by 256 at 6:59 AM on May 20, 2010
Siouxsie & the Banshees released two versions of Overground, first as a post-punk angsty anthem on The Scream and then on the Thorn EP as a heavily orchestrated more Martin McCarricky version.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:04 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by crush-onastick at 7:04 AM on May 20, 2010
Although, I should note, McCarrick was not recording or playing with the Banshees at the time of the Thorn EP /derail.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:05 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by crush-onastick at 7:05 AM on May 20, 2010
The original version of the Rolling Stones' Honky Tonk Woman was called Country Honk. It was released on the Let It Bleed album.
posted by spinto at 7:22 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by spinto at 7:22 AM on May 20, 2010
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler (from Aerosmith) in the Run-D.M.C. version of Walk This Way.
posted by anaelith at 7:46 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by anaelith at 7:46 AM on May 20, 2010
Michael Penn's album Palms & Runes, Tarot & Tea has re-recorded versions of several of his songs.
posted by emelenjr at 7:56 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by emelenjr at 7:56 AM on May 20, 2010
If you liked the pair of old/new Joni Mitchell recordings of Both Sides Now, there's a whole record's worth of it, called (wait for it) Both Sides Now.
You might also be interested in They Might Be Giants' Dial-a-Song recordings, which were often demos that were way different from the official releases. (I guarantee that that wiki has way more information than you require.) Off the top of my head, "I Palindrome I" is a great example. I have this stuff on cassette tapes, don't know how easy it is to lay hands on it these days. See also Sapphire Bullets. (Contrary to what that entry implies, TMBG have opened for themselves more than just a few times ok shutting up now.)
posted by clavicle at 8:45 AM on May 20, 2010
You might also be interested in They Might Be Giants' Dial-a-Song recordings, which were often demos that were way different from the official releases. (I guarantee that that wiki has way more information than you require.) Off the top of my head, "I Palindrome I" is a great example. I have this stuff on cassette tapes, don't know how easy it is to lay hands on it these days. See also Sapphire Bullets. (Contrary to what that entry implies, TMBG have opened for themselves more than just a few times ok shutting up now.)
posted by clavicle at 8:45 AM on May 20, 2010
X also has a full acoustic album of their songs; "Unclogged"
posted by stuartmm at 8:54 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by stuartmm at 8:54 AM on May 20, 2010
Billy Bragg re-recorded "Greetings to the New Brunette" as "Shirley" on Reaching to the Converted.
R.E.M.'s Eponymous has different versions of several of their songs, including the original single version of "Radio Free Europe," a different vocal on "Gardening at Night," and the Mutual Drum Horn Mix of "Finest Worksong."
posted by kirkaracha at 9:39 AM on May 20, 2010
R.E.M.'s Eponymous has different versions of several of their songs, including the original single version of "Radio Free Europe," a different vocal on "Gardening at Night," and the Mutual Drum Horn Mix of "Finest Worksong."
posted by kirkaracha at 9:39 AM on May 20, 2010
EMI launched a reissue campaign this year for Duran Duran, including a number of demo tracks from the first self-titled album and Rio.
A demo for "Tel Aviv", which is an instrumental on the self-titled album, actually had lyrics and sounds completely different. The rest of the demos do sound close to their final songs, but they feel much more live. The "Girls on Film" demo is a lot harder rocking than the studio version.
Duran Duran's ill-fated cover album, Thank You, includes a new version of "The Chauffeur", titled "Drive By". It sounded better in concert.
A few years ago, Gang of Four re-recorded a number of tracks from their first two albums and called it Return the Gift. The CD actually included a $1.
Poi Dog Pondering's self-titled album has a number of songs that Frank Orr had written with his old band back in Hawaii, Hat Makes the Man.
posted by NemesisVex at 11:44 AM on May 20, 2010
A demo for "Tel Aviv", which is an instrumental on the self-titled album, actually had lyrics and sounds completely different. The rest of the demos do sound close to their final songs, but they feel much more live. The "Girls on Film" demo is a lot harder rocking than the studio version.
Duran Duran's ill-fated cover album, Thank You, includes a new version of "The Chauffeur", titled "Drive By". It sounded better in concert.
A few years ago, Gang of Four re-recorded a number of tracks from their first two albums and called it Return the Gift. The CD actually included a $1.
Poi Dog Pondering's self-titled album has a number of songs that Frank Orr had written with his old band back in Hawaii, Hat Makes the Man.
posted by NemesisVex at 11:44 AM on May 20, 2010
"Compliments" as Union.
"Compliments" as Bloc Party.
Same band members, different band name, same song, but distinctly different sound.
They also completely changed the lyrics of their demo, "Cells Shaped Like Stars" and renamed it "We Were Lovers." Can't really find a good youtube version of the former, so you might have to imagine the latter with these lyrics.
posted by Mister Cheese at 3:47 PM on May 20, 2010
"Compliments" as Bloc Party.
Same band members, different band name, same song, but distinctly different sound.
They also completely changed the lyrics of their demo, "Cells Shaped Like Stars" and renamed it "We Were Lovers." Can't really find a good youtube version of the former, so you might have to imagine the latter with these lyrics.
posted by Mister Cheese at 3:47 PM on May 20, 2010
Feist - Leisure Suite (red demo version) vs the vastly inferior to me album version (which I couldn't find on youtube)
Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu frequently records new Xiu Xiu versions of songs from his previous bands Ten in the Swear Jar and IBOPA.
Some IBOPA songs that were rerecorded-- Hives (rerecorded as Hives Hives), When You Write (rerecorded by Ten in the Swear Jar).
TITSJ -- Helsabot, I Love the Valley, Sad Girl (rerecorded as Sad Pony Guerilla Girl), King Earth
Also his album Fag Patrol is very different acoustic versions of previously recorded songs.
R. Kelly's "Ignition" and "Ignition (Remix)" might qualify, the remix is really in no way a remix. And is one of the best pop songs ever written. I think a computer algorithm might have written it.
Lil' Wayne appears as the last (and easily best) verse on "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled, and recorded "We Takin' Over (remix)" for Da Drought 3, which I think is a masterpiece
Elliott Smith has two versions of "A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to Be Free" which are similar, but use different instrumentation and lyrics. (Both are absolutely fantastic). EP version vs album version
Hooverphonic released a live album with an orchestra with different versions of many of their songs Sit Down and Listen to Hooverphonic
Radiohead - Motion Picture Soundtrack (acoustic guitar version) vs Motion Picture Soundtrack (album version)
posted by haveanicesummer at 4:40 PM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu frequently records new Xiu Xiu versions of songs from his previous bands Ten in the Swear Jar and IBOPA.
Some IBOPA songs that were rerecorded-- Hives (rerecorded as Hives Hives), When You Write (rerecorded by Ten in the Swear Jar).
TITSJ -- Helsabot, I Love the Valley, Sad Girl (rerecorded as Sad Pony Guerilla Girl), King Earth
Also his album Fag Patrol is very different acoustic versions of previously recorded songs.
R. Kelly's "Ignition" and "Ignition (Remix)" might qualify, the remix is really in no way a remix. And is one of the best pop songs ever written. I think a computer algorithm might have written it.
Lil' Wayne appears as the last (and easily best) verse on "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled, and recorded "We Takin' Over (remix)" for Da Drought 3, which I think is a masterpiece
Elliott Smith has two versions of "A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to Be Free" which are similar, but use different instrumentation and lyrics. (Both are absolutely fantastic). EP version vs album version
Hooverphonic released a live album with an orchestra with different versions of many of their songs Sit Down and Listen to Hooverphonic
Radiohead - Motion Picture Soundtrack (acoustic guitar version) vs Motion Picture Soundtrack (album version)
posted by haveanicesummer at 4:40 PM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Category 1 - Linkin Park
Original Version (1) , Reanimation (2) , 8 Bit Rebellion (3) , Collision Course (4)
Crawling 1 2 3
Points of Authority 1 2 4
In The End 1 2 3 4
Papercut 1 2 4
One Step Closer 1 2 3 4
Forgotten 1 2
By Myself 1 2
Place For My Head 1 2
Run Away 1 2
My December 1 2
Faint 1 3 4
Qwerty 1 3
Hands Held High 1 3
No More Sorrow 1 3
New Divide 1 3
Category 2 - Chris Cornell / RATM
Killing in the Name 1 2
Category 3 - Chris Cornell
Original (1) , Acoustic (2)
Like A Stone 1 2
Black Hole Sun 1 2
Original Fire 1 2
posted by MechEng at 7:53 PM on May 20, 2010
Original Version (1) , Reanimation (2) , 8 Bit Rebellion (3) , Collision Course (4)
Crawling 1 2 3
Points of Authority 1 2 4
In The End 1 2 3 4
Papercut 1 2 4
One Step Closer 1 2 3 4
Forgotten 1 2
By Myself 1 2
Place For My Head 1 2
Run Away 1 2
My December 1 2
Faint 1 3 4
Qwerty 1 3
Hands Held High 1 3
No More Sorrow 1 3
New Divide 1 3
Category 2 - Chris Cornell / RATM
Killing in the Name 1 2
Category 3 - Chris Cornell
Original (1) , Acoustic (2)
Like A Stone 1 2
Black Hole Sun 1 2
Original Fire 1 2
posted by MechEng at 7:53 PM on May 20, 2010
Orlann Divo had a string of swinging bossa nova albums in the early 60s, with up-tempo songs like "Onde Anda O Meu Amor." He disappeared for awhile, then came back in '77 with a new spelling to his name and a laid-back psychedelic soul sound, and had a hit again with "Onde Anda O Meu Amor."
posted by hydrophonic at 8:19 PM on May 20, 2010
posted by hydrophonic at 8:19 PM on May 20, 2010
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is the main songwriter (but not the singer) of a-ha. He is also the frontman of a band called Savoy. He wrote and recorded Velvet with Savoy (a clip from the song starts at 1:00), and then later a-ha recorded it as well.
Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. was originally written to sound very different and stripped down, like this.
posted by edlundart at 8:31 PM on May 20, 2010
Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. was originally written to sound very different and stripped down, like this.
posted by edlundart at 8:31 PM on May 20, 2010
Lady Gaga has been mentioned before, and this one might be so obvious as to not be worth mentioning, but the piano version of Poker Face is very different (and quite popular).
The live version of Dido's Do You Have a Little Time? is quite different from the later album version.
Not sure if this counts, but the hook from My Lover's Gone was re-recorded (? not sure which song came first) by Dido for Faithless (her brother's band)'s song Postcards (which, incidentally, has a rewritten mix with a different hook).
Guster recorded "meow mix"es of every song on their album "Keep it Together"... I think they were bonus tracks for download on the album website. I have no idea why. They recorded every song of their album, replacing every lyric with "meow".
They Might Be Giants recorded a Greek-language version of their song #3. Sorry, I can't find a free recording online - but there's a preview on Amazon - track 31 on disc 1.
I don't know if alternate language recordings fall under your criteria, or you're looking just for stylistic re-imaginings, but there's quite a lot of them. There's of course Abba, other bilingual artists like Shakira, and plenty of other artists have released their songs in alternate languages. The Beatles, for instance.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:31 PM on May 20, 2010
The live version of Dido's Do You Have a Little Time? is quite different from the later album version.
Not sure if this counts, but the hook from My Lover's Gone was re-recorded (? not sure which song came first) by Dido for Faithless (her brother's band)'s song Postcards (which, incidentally, has a rewritten mix with a different hook).
Guster recorded "meow mix"es of every song on their album "Keep it Together"... I think they were bonus tracks for download on the album website. I have no idea why. They recorded every song of their album, replacing every lyric with "meow".
They Might Be Giants recorded a Greek-language version of their song #3. Sorry, I can't find a free recording online - but there's a preview on Amazon - track 31 on disc 1.
I don't know if alternate language recordings fall under your criteria, or you're looking just for stylistic re-imaginings, but there's quite a lot of them. There's of course Abba, other bilingual artists like Shakira, and plenty of other artists have released their songs in alternate languages. The Beatles, for instance.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:31 PM on May 20, 2010
Dynamite Hack - Anyway
Hidden track from the same album - Anyway (Mellow Version)
posted by nicebookrack at 10:42 AM on May 25, 2010
Hidden track from the same album - Anyway (Mellow Version)
posted by nicebookrack at 10:42 AM on May 25, 2010
Response by poster: Following up months later just to thank everyone again -- it's impossible to pick a best answer, but this has been a wonderful way to discover a lot of stuff to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who answered!
posted by scody at 2:06 PM on October 9, 2010
posted by scody at 2:06 PM on October 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Old: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DH70wYWsK0
New: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKQSlH-LLTQ
posted by klanawa at 7:39 PM on May 19, 2010 [2 favorites]