Cover Songs Better Than The Originals? Quiz

Answer: Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton wrote the song and took it to Number One on the US Country Charts in 1974. It returned to that spot after she recorded it for the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" (1982).

In 1992, Whitney Houston sang it for the movie "The Bodyguard", in which she starred. The song hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks.

Parton, who had earlier refused to allow Elvis Presley to record it (his manager wanted a share of the royalties), admitted that she cried the first time she heard Houston sing it. The song won a Grammy in 1994 and the award was presented to Whitney Houston by Dolly Parton.

Answer: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan included "All Along The Watchtower" on his 1967 album "John Wesley Harding".
The song might have passed everyone by except that Jimi Hendrix recorded it in 1968 for his album "Electric Ladyland".

The single reached Number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Dylan was reported to have like the Hendrix version so much that he started to play it in that style. It became one of the songs he sang most in concert.

Answer: Leonard Cohen

It is said that it took Leonard Cohen five years and many added and rejected verses - about 80 - to complete "Hallelujah".

Jeff Buckley put it on his 1994 album "Grace", but it was not widely recognised until after his death by drowning in 1997.

While a plethora of singers have covered "Hallelujah", Buckley's version has often been rated as the best. It reached Number Two on the UK singles charts and Number Ten on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs charts.

Cohen is reported to have spoken of admiring the Buckley cover. (Emphasis on reported).

Answer: Gloria Jones

Originally, "Tainted Love" was a B side on the 1964 Gloria Jones single "My Bad Boy's Comin' Home". She released a new version in 1964, produced by Marc Bolan.

The electronic duo Soft Cell got together in 1979 and began to cover "Tainted Love". They took it to the top of the UK singles charts in 1981. It was one of their six UK Top Ten singles. It was also a Number One across Europe, and peaked at Number Eight in the USA.

Answer: The White Stripes

"Fell In Love with A Boy" was the song that made 16-year-old Joss Stone's career. The song was on her 2003 debut album "The Soul Sessions". The album reached Number Four on the UK charts, and the single was a US Number 18.

Meanwhile, "Fell in Love with a Girl" was on the 2001 album "White Blood Cells" for the White Stripes. It reached Number 12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay charts.

Jack White, who wrote the song, was a fan of the Joss Stone rearrangement. "He told me he loved it and that when he plays it live, he plays my version rather than his own!" Stone told "Q" magazine in 2007.

Answer: The Smiths

"Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" was on the 1984 album "Hatful Of Hollow" by The Smiths.
Not only was it covered by several artists, it was used in television commercials and political campaigns - with and without the permission of the writers.

A cover by Slow Moving Millie was allowed for a Christmas advertising campaign in the UK, but Morrisey, co-writer, sued and won when it was used for a cooking show on Channel 4 television in the UK. Johnny Marr, the other co-writer, was decidedly unamused when it was used during a US presidential campaign in 2023.

Gavin Clark had a tragically short career; he died at the age of 46. He was revered by many. The legendary English guitarist John Martyn called Clark "a peerless poet and songwriter". Some critics called him "the English Nick Drake". It is fair to say, though, that commercial success passed him by.

Answer: Bob Dylan

"Make You Feel My Love" was on the "Time Out Of Mind Album" by Bob Dylan in 1997. Following that release, it was estimated the song had been covered more than 400 times.

Adele had the song on her 2008 debut album "18". Dylan was said to be impressed. In 2021, Smooth Radio in the UK included Adel's version in "10 of the best Bob Dylan covers of all time". In the same year, "Rolling Stone" put it at 20 in their list "The 80 Greatest Dylan Covers Of All Time".

Answer: Nine Inch Nails

"Hurt" was released by Nine Inch Nails in 1994 on the album "The Downward Spiral".

Johnny Cash recorded the song in 2002, at a time he knew he was dying. It was on his 67th studio album.

Answer: The Zutons

The Amy Winehouse cover of 'Valerie" was on her posthumous 2011 album "Lioness: Hidden treasures". A live version of the song was released in 2007 and reached Number 37 on the UK charts.
Originally it was a number nine UK single in 2006 for Liverpool group The Zutons.

Answer: Prince

"Nothing Compares 2 U" was written by Prince for the band The Family. It appeared on their only album, "The Family" in 1985. Prince was the power behind the band as writer, arranger and producer, even if he was non visible.

O'Connor picked it up for her 1990 long player "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got".

"Nothing Compares..." topped the charts in 12 countries. Billboard named it "Number One1 World Single" of 1990. In 1993, Prince covered his own song (if that is not a contradiction in terms) on a compilation album "The Hits/The B-Sides".

Answer: Ednaswop

In October 1997 Natalie Imbruglia took "Torn" to Number Two on the UK singles charts. The following year it topped the US Airplay chart.
The song had been around for a while. In 1991, it was written by Anne Preven and Scott Cutler, along with music producer Phil Thornalley. It was first recorded by Danish singer Lis Sørensen as "Braendt," with Danish lyrics written by Elisabeth Nielsen.

It was released again in 1995 with English lyrics by Preven and Cutler, who had formed a band in Los Angeles called Ednaswap. It was released in Denmark in 1996 by Norwegian singer Trine Rein, with English lyrics.

Thornalley brought it to the attention of Australian actor singer Imbruglia while he was working on her first album. While the song was a top ten hit in many countries, US record companies were not interested at first. As a result of changes in the way Billboard complied the Hot 100, it topped out at Number 42 on that chart.

Answer: Glenn Miller

Mack Gordon and Harry Warren wrote "At Last" in 1941 for the movie musical "Sun Valley Serenade". A year later, it became a hit when it was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle.

In 1961 it was recorded by Etta James and went to Number Two on the R&B charts. Etta James, birth name name Jamesetta Hawkins, was a blues singer who was dubbed "The Queen of Soul" - a title Athena Franklin took over. "At Last" was the biggest hit in a career in which she battled substance dependency.

Beyoncé starred as James in the 2008 movie "Cadillac Records", and covered the song.

Answer: Sting

Sting wrote and recorded "Fields Of Gold" for his solo 1993 LP "Ten Summoner's Tales". The single was a minor hit for Sting, reaching Number 16 on the Official UK Charts and Number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It topped out at Number Two in Canada.
The song has sometimes been used at funerals.

Eva Cassidy included the song on her "Live at Blues Alley" album in 1996. It was the first of her songs to gain traction on the radio airwaves, and she was particularly championed by Terry Wogan on his BBC Radio 2 morning show.

Eva Cassidy was aged just 33 when she died in 1996. Her recording career started in 1992. Sadly, she received little recognition during her lifetime and most of her 10 million album sales came after her death.

Answer: Tim Buckley

"Song To The Siren" may best be remembered by the 1970 version by Tim Buckley. It was first heard sung by Buckley on the final episode of "The Monkees" television series in 1968. The first recording was by Pat Boone a year before Buckley.

Buckley included the song on the album "Starsailor", which came to be regarded as one of his best.

Described as a musical project as much as band, This Mortal Coil released "Song To The Siren" in September 1983. It was also on their 1984 album "It'll End in Tears". The single reached Number Three on the UK Independent Singles Chart.
A number of other artists have also covered "Song To The Siren" and it has appeared in several movies.

Answer: The Beatles

Some people have disparaged Ringo's singing: okay, he wasn't even the best singer in The Beatles (did you see what I did there?) but he had, and has, been blessed with a voice that can sing. As he has said, he can carry a tune, providing it is in his key.

Ringo also got some of the lyrics changed. He sang:
"What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?..."
The original second line was:
"Would you throw ripe tomatoes at me".
Ringo felt that was too close to a time when the early Beatles had stuff thrown at them while on stage.

Joe Cocker recorded it as the title track of a 1968 album. This version of the song was a UK Number One in 1968 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
On Cocker's death in 2014, Paul McCartney said: "I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and (. . . ) it was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that."