Remakes - (wuz - RE: [thechat] Flashthread! - what are you listening to RIGHT NOW!)

spinhead evolt at spinhead.com
Fri Oct 26 15:38:01 CDT 2001


I was astonished to discover recently that when I hum 'Route 66' (with
two-footed one-handed accompanyment in my car) it always turns into the
Depeche Mode version with the 'Behind The Wheel' bit in the middle. I have
yet to hear a bad version, and Wally's Swing World is my definitive
'original' (not even close chronologically, but dead on musically) but
Depeche Mode did something totally different and still kept the feel and
groove of the original.

Some remakes, though, like Elvis doing 'A Fool Such As I' should never have
happened. Leave Hank Snow alone. Ooh; another dog (pun intended) is George
ThoroughBad doing 'Move It On Over.' (Sorry; you asked about remake
improvements, didn't you?)

Bad Company - Young Blood - way too fun
Mannfred Mann - Quinn the Eskimo - Dylan's original was actually used by the
Marquis de Sade when all else failed
Bonnie Raitt - Burning Down the House is dead even with the original. So
different, but so good.
Glenn Miller - He didn't write 'In the Mood.' It had been release by the
composer a couple years earlier and was panned as boring and flaccid.
Chris Isaak - Solitary Man
Chet Atkins - Dance With Me - he produced the original by Orleans, then did
an instrumental version that brings that unwipable smile to your face.
Happy, in the purest sense.
Steve Ray Vaughan - Things That I Used to Do - this is simply the most
amazing blues guitar solo on record. Just goes on and on, get wilder and
more controlled at the same time. Leaves me breathless with sweaty palms
every time I hear it. (I think my neighbors are beginning to like it too.
They mention it often after I've been listening.)
Harry Nilsson - Lazy Moon (on 'A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night') -
only other recording extant is Ollie Hardy in (I think) 'The Flying Deuces'
Hothouse Flowers - I Can See Clearly Now - yes, Johnny Nash is great, but
this version starts slow, then builds into a spiritual the likes of which
you never sang in church
Jimmy Buffett - Mexico - he owns it now. James Taylor has conceded defeat
Kid Creole - If You Wanna Be Happy
Mason Williams - Baroque-A-Nova - he's only made three albums. It's on all
three. It's better every time. So he counts twice.
Randy Newman - he wrote it, didn't record it, Harry Nilsson recorded it
(Nilsson Sings Newman 1970; beautiful, but not poignant) then Randy did it
on the album of the same name years later. Really sneaks up on you. These
two go back and forth with the remake thing for 15 years.


spinhead


----- Original Message -----
From: "Luther, Ron" <Ron.Luther at compaq.com>
To: <thechat at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 9:05 AM
Subject: Remakes - (wuz - RE: [thechat] Flashthread! - what are you
listening to RIGHT NOW!)


> Hi Ollie,
>
> Thanks for the tip - I didn't realize it was a remake.  (Oooops!)
>
> I usually prefer the original versions.
>
> One notable exception though -- I find I like Bonnie Raitt's version of
> "Runaway" a heck of a lot better than Del Shannon's.
>
> Any other cases where the remake is better?
>
>
> RonL.
>





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