Pointless cover versions versus Tori Holub.

[Chris Hobson]

I always liked cover versions that gave a new interpretation of a song or maybe added some additional details to the arrangement. I suppose one of the best examples was Always On My Mind by The Pet Shop Boys which personally I hated. It certainly was an original interpretation but I thought that it totally lost the meaning of the song, sadness, regret, and pathos.

Then there is the cover by [well known singer] which usually strips out all of the detail from the backing and is only of interest to fans of that singer.

When I think of pointless cover versions though, I'm thinking of those that sound so similar to the original that I can't see why they bothered. Or that is what I thought until the YouTube algorithm decided that I might like this. Watching it gave me goosebumps.

 

[CliffH]

I always liked cover versions that gave a new interpretation of a song or maybe added some additional details to the arrangement. I suppose one of the best examples was Always On My Mind by The Pet Shop Boys which personally I hated. It certainly was an original interpretation but I thought that it totally lost the meaning of the song, sadness, regret, and pathos.

Then there is the cover by [well known singer] which usually strips out all of the detail from the backing and is only of interest to fans of that singer.

When I think of pointless cover versions though, I'm thinking of those that sound so similar to the original that I can't see why they bothered. Or that is what I thought until the YouTube algorithm decided that I might like this. Watching it gave me goosebumps.

I agree with you about 'Always On My Mind': when the Pet Shop Boys brought their version out I thought it was just a flippant insult to Elvis - and yet their version's payed on the radio nowadays much more than Elvis' version is!

In a similar vein I think is Bob Dylan's cover of 'The Boxer' (on his 'Self-Portrait' album): Dylan always seemed to regard Paul Simon as little more than a lightweight Dylan imitator and I think that Dylan's (badly double-tracked) version of 'The Boxer' was intended as an insult.

 

[Chris Hobson]

What do think about Tori though Cliff? This version of the song is simply just a note perfect reproduction of the original which I normally wouldn't care for but the vocals are just so incredible. So uncanny, that seeing it for the first time gave me shivers.

 

[CliffH]

What do think about Tori though Cliff? This version of the song is simply just a note perfect reproduction of the original which I normally wouldn't care for but the vocals are just so incredible. So uncanny, that seeing it for the first time gave me shivers.

Yes, I see what you mean!