Bert Guy
Spacey,
I am only speaking for myself and my values. The only reason I would try to closely imitate an original version of a song would be the situation where I was playing in a tribute band, or something like that. But to actually go to the trouble of spending hours in a studio to try and produce an almost identical version of 'Every Breath You Take'. I honestly don't see the point of such an exercise (why would anyone want to listen to it?), unless you are simply trying to figure out exactly how the Police recorded such an amazing track.n
Bert

That's cool Bert. Not how I read your first post probably because you used "you" and not "I".
 
I can say I'm sure glad there are musicians here that don't look at it as you. Bayoubill has posted some covers that sure were a pleasure to hear. (others too but I favor excellent guitar playing and he's damn sure got that going on)
There's some great music out there to cover whether it be for a learning experience and or just to record for the enjoyment of doing so. Nice to have a place like this to share it and have others critique the works too IMO and very cool to hear how pro musicians handle covers.
I just recently posted about a new release by Bill Frisell (Guitar in the Space Age) where he covers tunes that meant something to him...excellent and sure glad he did it.
 
Personally I've been asked a few times to do covers and it was reason enough for me to enjoy learning the parts I normally wouldn't have spent time doing. Not much different than when I was doing the band thing...had to cover a lot of tunes that I normally wouldn't have spent time with.
There's been times when I was in the writing mode and wouldn't waste my time with a cover but there have also been times when I was focused on learning about recording and didn't want to spend time writing too so a cover fit the bill. I see doing originals and/or covers work fine when the time is right. Nice to mix things up...variety.
 
I sure don't have a problem with how others choose to spend their time or not. Personally I'm glad we're all not the same.
 
 
 

Karl's post just reminded me of Creedence Clear Water's version of 'Heard it on the grapevine', that tune steams ahead.

This is an example of a cover where the singer has internalized a lyric to the point where you feel its part of his DNA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIF4_Sm-rgQ 
I think  Leonard Cohen would say that Jeff Buckley owns this song almost as much as he does. 
 
 
Cheers,
 
Bert

Local cover band was playing "Red Red Wine". My friend remarked they were doing a UB40 song. No they were covering UB40, covering Tony Tribe, covering Neil Diamond.
 
Are UB40 the most sucessful cover band of all time? Yet their versions added very nothing to the original reggae versions of the songs they covered. I always found Ally Campbell's mock Jamacian accent annoying.

Absolutely.
 
So, for possibly the 100th time, here's my favourite cover;
 

 
 




James,
 
Wow! That's my idea of a great cover. Of course it is totally different (folky instead of prog rocky) than the original Rush track. I prefer Moon's version as Rush's (elaborate) arrangement actually calls attention away from a really good song.
Thanks for posting it.
 
Bert

Scoot
Why in Jazz are they called 'standards' and respected, but in rock and pop, called covers, and carry scepticism. I love so many covers. There is a DJ (musician/producer)in England call Tom Middleton, who I saw last decade at a festival play his 'Crazy Covers' set, so many great songs from different approaches. Was such a great set to see, and now I love hearing different versions of songs I know.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsMV8KFnsHc 

+1 With covers you have to take the bad with the good. I have heard covers that made me feel persecuted and tortured for being subjected to such rubbish, but have also heard covers that were superior to the original version.  I like that jazz provides an avenue for great songs to be continually reinterpreted.  A cover, like any other song really, is going to be as good as the ability of the artist and the work they are willing to put in to set their version apart. 

If you like covers AND mashups, check out the band Rock Sugar (see playlist below).  I have their first album and it's REALLY well done.
 
(Oh, and I personally think the Bangles version of Hazy Shade of Winter is better than the Simon & G version - love that song!)