Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!internet!Pawka From: Pawka Newsgroups: net.music Subject: RE: Cover versions Message-ID: <5656@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 10:48:23 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.5656 Posted: Thu Nov 8 10:48:23 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 05:33:20 EST Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 21 I think a distinction should be made between re-makes and cover versions. Before R&B was widely recognized by the general public, white artists would "cover" R&B hits and achieve much more success than the original. An example would be Elvis's version of "Hound Dog", a huge smash, which was written and sung by Big Mama Thornton. This doesn't happen as much today, although Eric Clapton covering Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" comes to mind. Re-makes, on the other hand, are an artists interpretation of someone else's composition. Some of these are quite interesting, especially when the song is done by a different class of artist from the original, i.e. a country re-make of an R&B tune. The only problem I have with re-makes is with someone like Linda Ronstadt, where they do an inordinate amount of them and they all pale in comparison with the original. Mike ------