Covers you prefer to the original

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Are there any country covers that you prefer to the original? Here are some of mine:

* "Flowers on the Wall" by Eric Heatherly. I love the original version, but Eric gave it a powerful rockabilly vibe that only made it even better.

* "Lips of an Angel" by Jack Ingram. By stripping the "butt rock"/post-grunge melodrama from it, Jack uncovered the country song underneath. I like that he doesn't do that growly Nickelback-ish bellowing that the lead singer of Hinder did.

* "It Never Rains in Southern California" by Trent Summar & the New Row Mob. Trent's voice is a lot more biting, which I feel gives the song more emotion than the original.

[sabre14]

Always preffered Trick Pony's version of "It's A Heartache" over Bonnie Tyler's.

[Deleted]

Wagon Wheel

[someguy]

Alison Krauss' "When You Say Nothing At All" and "Baby, Now That I Found You"

Reba McEntire's "Please Come To Boston"

Martina McBride's "Wild Night" and "Suspicious Minds"

Dixie Chicks' "Landslide"

[Ten Pound Hammer]

May 27, 2017 22:46:19 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Always preffered Trick Pony's version of "It's A Heartache" over Bonnie Tyler's.

I liked TP's version until I realized that it's just a note for note redo of Bonnie's. She even sounds like she's trying to mimic Bonnie's voice at times.

Seriously, why cover a song if you're just going to do it exactly the same as the original?

[rsandcm1]

Brooks & Dunn's "Husbands & Wives". (I am a big fan of Roger Miller, but he sounded bored and sleepy when he was singing it)

[sabre14]

Alan Jackson's version of "Pop A Top" over Jim Ed Brown's.

[.indulgecountry]

Anything that Sara Evans has ever covered, notably "I Could Not Ask for More," "My Heart Can't Tell You No," and "Not Over You."

Miranda Lambert's cover of "Easy from Now On" is also a standout for me.

[sabre14]

I've always loved Big & Rich's ultra-Country version of "You Shook Me All Night Long"; better than the original Rock version from AC/DC.

[LBTrocks]

Big & Rich's cover of "California" is lightyears better than the original.

.indulgecountry "I Could Not Ask For More" and "My Heart Can't Tell You No" are two of my favorites from Sara. I agree, her covers blow the originals out of the water!

[Deleted]

Dixie Chicks "Am I The only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)" (it was a cover of the same song by Maria McKee)

[countrymusicjunkie]

Alan Jackson-"The Blues Man"
Gary Allan-"Best I Ever Had"
Johnny Cash-"Hurt"

[Deleted]

Reba's "Fancy" and "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia".

[phil1996]

Flowers on the Wall - Eric Heatherly
Cop Car - Keith Urban
Simple Man - Randy Houser
Goodbye Time - Blake Shelton
I Wouldn't Be a Man - Josh Turner
I'm Over You - Chris Young
In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson (I could listen to this cover all day long)

[onebuffalo]

Heartache Tonight by Conway Twitty and Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker (I still remember gushing over that one in the thread).

[dm2081]

Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey"

[countrymusicjunkie]

Willie Nelson-"Always On My Mind"
George Strait-"Today My World Slipped Away"
Dwight Yoakam-"Suspicious Minds"

[Andy]

I'm a huge fan of both Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare, but Deryl Dodd's version of "That's How I Got to Memphis" is my favorite.

[zaclord 🌈]

Carrie Underwood - I'll Stand By You
Blake Shelton - Goodbye Time
Josh Gracin - Telluride
Montgomery Gentry - Some People Change
Rascal Flatts - Bless the Broken Road
Sugarland, LBT, Jake Owen - Life in a Northern Town
Kellie Pickler - Someone Somewhere Tonight
Carrie Underwood - Alone (I NEED a studio version of this one day)
Carrie Underwood - I Told You So
Eli Young Band - Even If It Breaks Your Heart
Kenny Chesney - El Cerrito Place
Lauren Alaina - Like My Mother Does


And I don't think I love it more, but I love David Nail's cover of "Someone Like You" just as much as Adele's original

[Ten Pound Hammer]

May 30, 2017 18:09:41 GMT -5 Andy said:

I'm a huge fan of both Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare, but Deryl Dodd's version of "That's How I Got to Memphis" is my favorite.

Not that I hate "Little Bitty", but if AJ had chosen this Tom T. Hall song instead, it probably would've been every bit as big. Dodd's version even has a hint of AJ sound to it.

On the other hand, if Deryl Dodd's version of this song didn't exist, would we have still gotten "A Bitter End"?

[gardyfan]

May 31, 2017 8:37:48 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

May 30, 2017 18:09:41 GMT -5 Andy said:

I'm a huge fan of both Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare, but Deryl Dodd's version of "That's How I Got to Memphis" is my favorite.

Not that I hate "Little Bitty", but if AJ had chosen this Tom T. Hall song instead, it probably would've been every bit as big. Dodd's version even has a hint of AJ sound to it.

On the other hand, if Deryl Dodd's version of this song didn't exist, would we have still gotten "A Bitter End"?

One of my favorite songs. I got to see do it acoustic opening for Tim and Faith years ago.

Speaking of Dodd his version of Sundown is fantastic.

[onebuffalo]

May 27, 2017 22:07:03 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Are there any country covers that you prefer to the original? Here are some of mine:

* "Flowers on the Wall" by Eric Heatherly. I love the original version, but Eric gave it a powerful rockabilly vibe that only made it even better.

* "Lips of an Angel" by Jack Ingram. By stripping the "butt rock"/post-grunge melodrama from it, Jack uncovered the country song underneath. I like that he doesn't do that growly Nickelback-ish bellowing that the lead singer of Hinder did.

* "It Never Rains in Southern California" by Trent Summar & the New Row Mob. Trent's voice is a lot more biting, which I feel gives the song more emotion than the original.

Two things about Flowers On The Wall by Eric Heatherly:

1. His version was released on Mercury Records, the home of the Statler Brothers (the original artists) during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

2. It peaked in July, 2000 just one month shy of the tenth anniversary of the death of its writer, Lew Dewitt. He was replaced by Jimmy Fortune during the early 1980s.

A chart and video:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING JULY 29, 2000:
1. I Hope You Dance-Lee Ann Womack-MCA
2. What About Now-Lonestar-BNA
3. Prayin' For Daylight-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
4. It Must Be Love-Alan Jackson-Arista
5. I'll Be-Reba McEntire-MCA
6. FLOWERS ON THE WALL-ERIC HEATHERLY-MERCURY
7. Yes!-Chad Brock-Warner Bros.
8. Some Things Never Change-Tim McGraw-Curb
9. That's The Way-Jo Dee Messina-Curb
10. Cold Day In July-Dixie Chicks-Monument

[seak05]

A lot of mine have already been stated but:

Ole Red Blake Shelton

(Honestly this is why I don't get so worked up about covers....as long as you make it your own, lots of great ones)

[Andy]

Since Glen Campbell died, I've been making an effort to become more familiar with his discography. I've been listening to his 1971 album The Last Time I Saw Her. On it, he covers Lynn Anderson's "Rose Gaden," Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night", and Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" (and possibly others, but those are the only I recognize). While I don't know if I'd go as far as saying I prefer them over the originals, he does an excellent job on all of them, "If You Could Read My Mind" in particular.

[BlueShades874]

Reba - Fancy and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Sara Evans - Not Over You -- This is easily my favorite song from Slow Me Down, and really one of my favorite Sara Evans songs, period. I remember hearing the original a number of times before Sara recoded it, and I thought it was just alright. Then I heard Sara's version and became obsessed.

[.indulgecountry]

Oct 17, 2017 15:06:59 GMT -5 BlueShades874 said:

Sara Evans - Not Over You -- This is easily my favorite song from Slow Me Down, and really one of my favorite Sara Evans songs, period. I remember hearing the original a number of times before Sara recoded it, and I thought it was just alright. Then I heard Sara's version and became obsessed.

I liked the original when it was first out, but she definitely totally blew Gavin's version out of the water. I especially enjoy that she brought him in to do vocals on it with her though because that does it give it a nice extra touch imo.

[BlueShades874]

Oct 18, 2017 7:25:20 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Oct 17, 2017 15:06:59 GMT -5 BlueShades874 said:

Sara Evans - Not Over You -- This is easily my favorite song from Slow Me Down, and really one of my favorite Sara Evans songs, period. I remember hearing the original a number of times before Sara recoded it, and I thought it was just alright. Then I heard Sara's version and became obsessed.

I liked the original when it was first out, but she definitely totally blew Gavin's version out of the water. I especially enjoy that she brought him in to do vocals on it with her though because that does it give it a nice extra touch imo.

Yes! Gavin's vocals are an excellent touch on the song and makes it that much better. :)

[phil1996]

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..not ready to say it's better but it's as good a Beatles cover I've heard. Smooth.

[classiccountryfan]

Ben E. King’s version of Stand By Me is OK, but I much prefer Mickey Gilley’s version from Urban Cowboy. And I prefer David Kersh’s version of Wonderful Tonight, although I like Eric Clapton’s version as well.

[phil1996]

Houser covering Elmore James “It Hurts Me Too” recently is the best thing you’ll hear today. WHEW that’s some talent.

Why why why does it get wasted on “Song Number 7” and “We Went”