Offensively bad covers

Kold

Because hatin' is good for the soul. I don't think hip hop samples count as covers though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-RvDQnWZTU

Regina Spektor's last two or three albums have been utter tripe and it's clear she's losing the inspiration to make pleasantly quirky music but this butchered version of a classic is just awful. This is just really really bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJHF0Tug4I

I'll admit I've never had much time for Amanda Palmer but really she is taking the piss with the Radiohead covers LP. It's like she realised that her own lyrics were like bad teen girl poetry and decided that covering some classics with a ukelele would be the next step. Ugh piss off.

StereoLove

The Glee cover of True Colours is the most stupid cover I've ever heard. Dosen't do the song justice

Zulu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lsCEgcRozY

link

How dare you!!!

(oh and anything by Glee)

Wheelsonthebus

One word- Glee

RichTea

Zulu wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lsCEgcRozY

link

Not a fan of that Scissor Sisters cover at all but I hear a lot of people quite like it. Baffles me!

RichTea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkvpuOebd88

Here's a famously atrocious cover.

Zulu

RichTea wrote: »

Not a fan of that Scissor Sisters cover at all but I hear a lot of people quite like it. Baffles me!

"a lot of people" are idiots!

Bill2673

U2 did a fairly crummy version of Hallelujah about 15 years ago, around the time they got into techno and dance music......I have often liked their covers but this one was a bit useless. Also thought their All Along the Watchtower from Rattle and Hum was very ann&barry i.e. basic and not much to it.

This was them effectively doing covers of covers, and two of the greatest cover versions of all time at that, and they really shouldn't have bothered.

Against that they did fine versions of Under my Skin, Everlasting Love and Baby please come home for Christmas.

Mars Bar

Anything Jedward does is pure tosh.

FortuneChip

Without going on too much of a Jedward chant... their covers are dreadful. Like, when a band takes a gamble of trying to cover a song that's not like the usualy stuff they do, it may or may not work. But Jedwards are pointless; two talentless hacks murdering songs (good and bad) with no singing ability, no musically aptitude or anything. They're basically being allowed, and encouraged to release karaoke stuff.

Chant? I definitely meant Rant!

Nail on the head with Scissor Sisters as well.

kc66

RichTea wrote: »

Not a fan of that Scissor Sisters cover at all but I hear a lot of people quite like it. Baffles me!

I would say most of these people never heard the original.

grumpytrousers

kc66 wrote: »

I would say most of these people never heard the original.

Perhaps. But I'll take issue (cos somebody has to) with the 'Scissor Sisters Comfortably Numb Is Crap Party Line being adopted here'

It's good. It's very good. The trick, people, with a decent cover version is to do something with it that takes a good song and brings it elsewhere. That's what makes an original song good - that somebody can go and do a complete re-imaginging of it and it's still got the something.

Pet Shop Boys went and took U2's 'Where the streets have no names' and turned it into a mystical disco stomper. It was brilliant. The song was good enough - of itself - to withstand that. On the other hand, Neil Tennant of the band, at their gigs, would make the point of performing one of their own songs, each night, WITHOUT the synths - just him, on the acoustic guitar.

Look at McCartney doing 'Something' on the Ukulele at his recent gigs.

The real desecration cover versions are the ones that are so f*cking insipid and watery and 'faithful' to the original that you find yourself asking 'why did you bother?'. For example the Ronan Keating 'Fairytale of New York.'

That's a crap cover. It didn't need to be done. It didn't bring anything to the party. It didn't show another side of the tune.

Contrast with the Scissor Sisters. It proved that CN is a good enough song that it'll withstand a BeeGees style makeover. Also consider that the members of Pink Floyd were impressed with it.

Consider Mark Ronson taking 'Stop me' and giving it a Motown sheen. It's one of the few things Morrissey and Marr have agreed on in the last 25 years; they both liked it.

No. Please folks. Less of the po-faced carry on. Fight insipid covers. I'm not mad about that Radiohead on the uke thing, meself, but it's doing something different with the song and showing up the tunesmithery for what it is - out of the top drawer!

Zulu

Yea thats all great and all. And the Scissor sisters did something different with it all right. I'll grant you all that.

That said, "doing something different" isn't good enough. And I don't care if Jebus himself likes it.

It makes my skin crawl. (which makes it offensive)
It's shit. (which makes it a bad)
It's not origional. (which makes it a cover)
Thus it's an offensivly bad cover. QED.

mike65

heh some will not be surpised I have posted this horror.

This is roughly the same as Michael Bolton covering Marvin Gays "Whats Goin' On"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2viFm8f_Lo

and here is the sublime original complete with tone and tenor as the writer intended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByUOFV5TusE

lordgoat

I hate the futureheads cover of Hounds of Love. It just rubs me the wrong way. I also have very little time for Johnny Cash's version of Hurt.

The Pontiac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daAG5JfNNFQ

:rolleyes:

grumpytrousers

Zulu wrote: »

Yea thats all great and all. And the Scissor sisters did something different with it all right. I'll grant you all that.

That said, "doing something different" isn't good enough. And I don't care if Jebus himself likes it.

It makes my skin crawl. (which makes it offensive)
It's shit. (which makes it a bad)
It's not origional. (which makes it a cover)
Thus it's an offensivly bad cover. QED.

nope; it's a cover where you don't appreciate the direction the covering artist took it. In fact, it's a cover where you f*cking LOATHE the direction the covering artist took it!

fair dinkum. I won't argue that with you.

But tell me that in the grand scheme of covers, music is healthier for cover versions that differ significantly from the original, that take risks (even if they polarise opinion like this one does) and encourage people to go hunt out the original just to see what all the fuss is about!

just join me in slagging of that f*ckwad Keating. Oh, and per Mike 65, Bolton as well...come the revolution, them two are first against the wall...

Dean.

RichTea wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkvpuOebd88

Here's a famously atrocious cover.

You hit the nail right on the headd there......that cover is the biggest piece of bull**** i've ever heard in my short life :eek: DON MCLEAN'S MUCH MUCH BETTER!!!!:D

Dudess

Agreed with Grumpytrousers re Scissor Sisters and Comfortably Numb.

I DETEST the Scissor Sisters - up there with Black-Eyed Peas for me - and I ADORE Comfortably Numb the original... but I really, really like the Scissors Sisters' take on it. It works well.

Back on topic: that cover of How Soon Is Now? which is featured on some emo witches programme with the one out of Beverly Hills 90210. DEATH to them! :mad:

KrazeeEyezKilla

grumpytrousers wrote: »

It's good. It's very good. The trick, people, with a decent cover version is to do something with it that takes a good song and brings it elsewhere. That's what makes an original song good - that somebody can go and do a complete re-imaginging of it and it's still got the something.

The real desecration cover versions are the ones that are so f*cking insipid and watery and 'faithful' to the original that you find yourself asking 'why did you bother?'. For example the Ronan Keating 'Fairytale of New York.'

That's a crap cover. It didn't need to be done. It didn't bring anything to the party. It didn't show another side of the tune.

I agree with that but there is the other extreme. Goofy attempts at being weird like doing an earnest acoustic cover of some swear filled Hip-Hop song.

Basq

Dudess wrote: »

Back on topic: that cover of How Soon Is Now? which is featured on some emo witches programme with the one out of Beverly Hills 90210. DEATH to them! :mad:

That's by the band Love Spit Love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzWYlug5i

Not so much a cover as a case of unnecessary and horrific samplying..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuTbT2pYq4

F*ck you Sean Kingston for ruining 'Stand By Me' for me.. is nothing fecking sacred?!

And let's not forget Westife covering Relish's "Rainbow Zephr" but changing it to "Hey Whatever"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DFc_LAbnH4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-gUQoLeMcI

Dean.

And ****ing paramore f*cking up use somebody, some people like it buh it's a train wreck.............:eek:

Blitzkrieger

Atomic Kitten did a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit that was a crime against humanity.

I actually like that song less and less the more I hear it, but it's one of those sacred things from my youth. The cover isn't just bad - it's mixed with all sorts of vomit inducing stufff and is faecal matter of the highest order. A cover that bad should be cause for the death penalty tbh.

Zulu

No Grumpytrousers. NO.

mudokon

The Clash's cover of Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves.

Barna77

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-9x2nStE8Q

:eek:

wtf?

:mad:

token56

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ux0EA-YDGk

Basq

That cover was by Florence and The Machine RopeDrink.

Barna77

Agreed on Florence atM cover... To call it irritating is an understatement...

LadyW

The most offensively bad cover EVER has got to be Stairway to Heaven by Rolf Harris....

Jimmy Iovine

Surely All Saints version of Under The Bridge is one of the worst ever.

Just embarrassing in every sense of the word. How they ever thought it'd be a good idea is beyond me. The face that they are class looking doesn't take away from the fact they should be shot for trying to even attempt to cover a classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ux0EA-YDGk

Green Giant

While listening to Rolling Stones 'Satisfaction' yesterday on the radio the DJ informed us that this lady decided to 'revamp' it:

Britney Spears - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

HalloweenJack

Green Giant wrote: »

While listening to Rolling Stones 'Satisfaction' yesterday on the radio the DJ informed us that this lady decided to 'revamp' it:

Britney Spears - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

She also did an atrocious version of I Love Rock 'n' Roll.

Dillonb3

Electric Six's cover of Radio Gaga was fairly rubbish along with the video

KnifeWRENCH

I actually do like Scissor Sisters version of Comfortably Numb. And I used like All Saints when I was a kid and I heard their version of "Under The Bridge" before I ever heard the original. So that to me is still an ok song (although I'd probably have hated it if I heard the original first.)

Got to agree with Annie Lennox "Shining Light" though - that was fairly atrocious.
Also, as much as I love Smashing Pumpkins, I really did not like Billy Corgan's version of "Landslide". The Dixie Chicks also did a totally unnecessary version of it.

Exclamation Marc

Alexandra Burke's cover of Hallelujah was one of the worst covers of all time. To make matters worse, it was on every "popular" radio station about three or four times a day. Absolutely awful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuXbkrA_AQ

Malice

I just listened to the first 10 seconds or so of the abomination that is Ronan Keating's cover of Fairytale of New York. Jesus Christ I think this thread should just be closed and that one declared the "winner" as there surely can't be anything as bad as that posted.

sky88

hilliary duff singing my generation by the who still have nightmares about that one

phill collins- true colours

beertons

Jesus, Madonna is hot in that American Pie video

RichTea

mudokon wrote: »

The Clash's cover of Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves.

There's nothing wrong with that cover. The Clash rule!

Dillonb3 wrote: »

Electric Six's cover of Radio Gaga was fairly rubbish along with the video

They were forced to add a single to their album and, basically, were made to do the song against their wishes. It's hilariously and intentionally bad. So bad it's good.

purpur1

<Ollie> wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daAG5JfNNFQ

:rolleyes:

That is the biggest pile of s*ite i've ever heard. Notice how he changed the lyrics too, obviously not to offend his leigon of housewives. Hate to break it to you ladies, he fcuks around on his missus and he's a sh*te singer!!!!!

stovelid

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/ma/manchester-united-ronaldo-single-duvet-set.jpg

mudokon

RichTea wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with that cover. The Clash rule!

I like The Clash too, this is a subjective topic though, there are probably people who like some of the other songs mentioned on here. It's all about personal taste.

KnifeWRENCH

<Ollie> wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daAG5JfNNFQ

:rolleyes:

Ok, I told myself I wouldn't listen to it. I should have taken that advice.
That was just beyond awful.

Oh and I forgot about this monstrosity: I like the Cardigans, but why on earth they agreed to help Tom Jones butcher Talking Heads I will never understand!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dlOlx1Mwu0

siltirocker

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

I actually do like Scissor Sisters version of Comfortably Numb. And I used like All Saints when I was a kid and I heard their version of "Under The Bridge" before I ever heard the original. So that to me is still an ok song (although I'd probably have hated it if I heard the original first.)

Got to agree with Annie Lennox "Shining Light" though - that was fairly atrocious.
Also, as much as I love Smashing Pumpkins, I really did not like Billy Corgan's version of "Landslide". The Dixie Chicks also did a totally unnecessary version of it.

Aw wow! I always considered that to be a gem like their version of 'Dancing In The Moonlight'. Different Strokes i suppose.

fontanalis

Remember Six done a cover of After the Goldrush? No, then you're lucky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcZvUpFby8

DerekDGoldfish

Everything ever done by "irish clubland"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3TgTO1i0is

*shudder*

Sinfonia

DerekDGoldfish wrote: »

Everything ever done by "irish clubland"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3TgTO1i0is&feature=related

*shudder*

Somehow forgot about Irish Clubland, must have blocked it from my memory due to how painful it is.

I hereby categorically state that as far as my aesthetic preference is concerned, as well as all of my opinions regarding artistic integrity, innovation, production values and musicological and music-analytical concerns, the music that is associated with Irish Clubland is by far the absolute worst that I have ever had the complete displeasure of hearing.
I don't feel that this is overstating the point either.

KnifeWRENCH

siltirocker wrote: »

Aw wow! I always considered that to be a gem like their version of 'Dancing In The Moonlight'. Different Strokes i suppose.

I just don't think the song suits his voice at all. He sounds very nasally and whiney on it (I know his voice is kinda like that anyway, but it usually suits the song.) I suppose it's just because the original is so beautifully sung and Stevie Nicks has such a warm beautiful voice that Corgan's version just didn't appeal to me at all.
Haven't actually heard their version of "Dancing In The Moonlight" yet. My favourite Pumpkins cover is James Iha singing "A Night Like This" by the Cure.

siltirocker

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

I just don't think the song suits his voice at all. He sounds very nasally and whiney on it (I know his voice is kinda like that anyway, but it usually suits the song.) I suppose it's just because the original is so beautifully sung and Stevie Nicks has such a warm beautiful voice that Corgan's version just didn't appeal to me at all.
Haven't actually heard their version of "Dancing In The Moonlight" yet. My favourite Pumpkins cover is James Iha singing "A Night Like This" by the Cure.

I agree completely. Although i love the live version of Stay (Faraway, So Close) they did at one of the Bridge School benefits.

deathrider

Machine Head's version of The Police's Message In a Bottle is complete dirt. I've always enjoyed it when Metal bands but abit of heavy into classic Rcok tunes, but this one is just terrible.