Pankow "Girls and Boys"Pig "Never For Fun" (which was basically "If I Was Your Girlfriend")
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 09:03 (twenty years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 09:04 (twenty years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 11 December 2003 09:42 (twenty years ago) link
― person#0 (person#0), Thursday, 11 December 2003 09:45 (twenty years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 18:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 11 December 2003 18:43 (twenty years ago) link
I'm edging slightly towards the original here, just because it is inherently such a great song, the verses, the choruses, just hit so many moving chords, and is just a class act warm r&b pop hit.
However, the Chaka Khan cover introduces all those early hip-hop/breakdancing bells & whistles that make it more memorable.. the harsh intro beat, the little rap about Chaka Khan at the intro, which is classic. The breaks, beat stops, and all other rhythmic weirdnesses. Stevie Wonder on harmonica. And the bizarre bridge where the Chaka Khan rap comes back. And aren't those Jackson 5 samples in the bridge too? This is probably the best attempt to make a cover seem like an original in the 80s. So much more gets introduced to the song, yet the basic tune is practically unaltered, at least to the point where you could hear the Prince original and go "oh, so THAT was a cover?".
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 18:48 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 11 December 2003 19:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Thursday, 11 December 2003 19:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Thursday, 11 December 2003 19:15 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 11 December 2003 20:33 (twenty years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 22:42 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 11 December 2003 22:43 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 11 December 2003 22:45 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 11 December 2003 22:46 (twenty years ago) link
I think most agree Prince is not a contender here (haha, sadly enough)
Sinead wins this one for me too, cinny. Though I think The Family's version is underappreciated. There was a lot of "oomph!" and emotion and "bigness" added to Sinead's version that just crossed the right threshold, and it did have the slightly unfair advantage of having a killer video to accompany it. (How many people think of Sinead's cover WITHOUT the image of her crying in front of a black backdrop?) The Family's version is more introverted and sparse. The melody is a little weirder, but I'm still very moved by this version, and think it should get more exposure. So it's a very close call here.
(Fucking hell, The Family's self titled album deserves SOME sort of CD reissue, as it's superior to many of Prince's later albums by light years.)
― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 11 December 2003 23:04 (twenty years ago) link
i think sinead's is more immediately striking but maybe a bit too stark.
this thread makes me cry because prince is such a seeming irrelevance now, he really was the best wasn't he? sniffle.
― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 11 December 2003 23:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 12 December 2003 00:16 (twenty years ago) link
I have a cousin named Chaka too, so I could be biased - but not really!
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 12 December 2003 00:24 (twenty years ago) link
― sean marvin (williamtell), Friday, 12 December 2003 00:26 (twenty years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 12 December 2003 00:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 12 December 2003 03:57 (twenty years ago) link
life without buildings - pop life
― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 December 2003 04:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 12 December 2003 04:08 (twenty years ago) link
I think they all come from Stevie's "Fingertips, Part 2" -- or are made to sound as if they do.
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 12 December 2003 04:32 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 12 December 2003 08:27 (twenty years ago) link
― nothing aloud kind, Friday, 12 December 2003 09:12 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 12 December 2003 09:18 (twenty years ago) link
― nothing aloud kind, Friday, 12 December 2003 09:30 (twenty years ago) link
― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 December 2003 09:45 (twenty years ago) link
― mark e (mark e), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:19 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:46 (twenty years ago) link
― mark e (mark e), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:49 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:52 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 12 December 2003 15:28 (twenty years ago) link
Meli'sa Morgan - Do Me Baby
― The Brainwasher, Sunday, 11 November 2007 15:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Phish's ironic live covers of Purple Rain and 1999 were by no means good, but they sparked my curiosity about Prince for the first time.
― kingkongvsgodzilla, Sunday, 11 November 2007 16:19 (sixteen years ago) link
why do ppl think prince is still going to get back on form? i think he does still have it in him but i dont see it happening anymore (especially after waiting so many years). its kinda weird too, cos i dont think anyone expects bowie to start making music as good as low or diamond dogs again...
― titchyschneiderMk2, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:04 (sixteen years ago) link
3121 wasn't bad.
― The Brainwasher, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:06 (sixteen years ago) link
The Missouri Sex Offenders - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Esmee Denters - How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? Sinead obv.
― Tape Store, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Esmee Denters? Seriously? That youtube chick?
― The Brainwasher, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Esmee song
Missouri Sex Offenders
^Tim Kaiser, lead singer of the Missouri Sex Offenders, released a solo tape two (I think?) years ago. It's way better than any of Prince's recent efforts.
― Tape Store, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:13 (sixteen years ago) link
YES. The Youtube chick!
― Tape Store, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:14 (sixteen years ago) link
the tevin campbell version of shhh and sineads version of NC2U are both better than princes, especially NC2Um, which gets turned into a by the numbers melodramatic soul ballad in princes hands.
― titchyschneiderMk2, Sunday, 11 November 2007 18:18 (sixteen years ago) link
I just want to second the kudos upthread for the stompy Hindu Love Gods version of "Raspberry Beret." The only worthwhile thing on the HLG record, but very, very worthwhile.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 11 November 2007 19:13 (sixteen years ago) link
Hefner's version of Controversy, Soulwax's version of "Starfish and Coffee"
― gigabytepicnic, Sunday, 11 November 2007 20:35 (sixteen years ago) link
maybe because Prince is about 800x better than Bowie
that version of "NC2U" on The Hits came after Sinead's. (I still haven't heard the Family's! god help me)
― Matos W.K., Sunday, 11 November 2007 20:44 (sixteen years ago) link
i still love whale's cover of darling nikki. i didn't know so many people had covered nikki till i saw this thread.
― scott seward, Sunday, 11 November 2007 20:55 (sixteen years ago) link
The Dump version of "When You Were Mine" is fantastic.
― clotpoll, Sunday, 11 November 2007 22:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Art Of Noise & Tom Jones: Kiss
Also The Bangles' "Manic Monday" although he never recorded that one himself.
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 11 November 2007 22:43 (sixteen years ago) link
"not counting outside productions/writings he didn't record himself" -- plus, "Manic Monday" is almost the weakest track on the great Bangles album it's on!
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 11 November 2007 23:35 (sixteen years ago) link
(xpost) Yes, he did. there's a demo with Vanity doing vocals. Prince plays all the music (of course) and is in the b-ground, vocally.
― Capitaine Jay Vee, Monday, 12 November 2007 09:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Goo Goo Dolls "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" was faithful and entertaining, although Lance Diamond sung on it rather than Rzeznick or Takac.
― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 00:12 (sixteen years ago) link
oh geeze
― chaki, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 00:17 (sixteen years ago) link
when you were mine by cyndi lauper
― Eisbaer, Friday, 28 March 2008 18:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Beyonce sings a line or two of the TLC cover of If I Was Your Girlfriend in '03 Bonnie & Clyde.. A cover cover!
― Finefinemusic, Friday, 28 March 2008 19:02 (sixteen years ago) link
I can't believe nobody mentioned this, but of Montreal do really terrific, live Prince covers, especially "I Would Die 4 U". I think I found them on Hype Machine.
― Lee Remick, Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:03 (fourteen years ago) link
bilal - how come u dont call me anymore
― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:06 (fourteen years ago) link
still would love to hear that Dump record, which appears to be out of print (hint hint?)
― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:20 (fourteen years ago) link
btw his lawyers must have the day off, there's a lot of pr1nce stuff on y0utub3 right now
― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:22 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx3UvdYqwUk
― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:24 (fourteen years ago) link
d'angelo - she's always in my haircrooked fingers - when u were mine
― once more Jagger faps the hivemind (symsymsym), Sunday, 26 December 2010 18:43 (thirteen years ago) link
I stumbled across this going down a youtube rabbithole...The Eels doing "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" in their pyjamas, with strings! Kinda rockin!
http://youtu.be/FOXT-Naxyq4
― Janet Snakehole (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 15 January 2012 09:39 (twelve years ago) link
I don't know about the best, but Gary Numan probably delivered two of the worst... Prince was apparently a massive fan of Numan, too.
― WHERE'S JIM!? (Turrican), Saturday, 23 April 2016 19:29 (eight years ago) link
Nina Simone's version of "Sign 'O' The Times": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Va0_QsLAc
― goodoldneon, Saturday, 30 April 2016 20:18 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRJ76hqsNrg alicia keys' version of adore is actually pretty great. she doesnt quite nail the ending. but she gives it some. its actually quite hard to cover i imagine, not just cos its quite tied with princes persona, but the vocal never really seems to sit in one place lol
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 19 May 2016 08:19 (eight years ago) link
https://play.spotify.com/track/5czJS24aNUAMHg2G0BoX9k?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open
this is superb
― StillAdvance, Wednesday, 8 June 2016 15:07 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, nice.
― Half Man Half Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 June 2016 16:30 (seven years ago) link
Wait I thought was on other thread, talking about Glasper.
― Half Man Half Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 June 2016 16:39 (seven years ago) link
actually that link doesnt work for me. and i cant find it anywhere else. but hey, if you do stumble on bilal's cover of how come u dont call me anymore, its a good one. i cant think of many other singers who could match - and maybe outdo - prince like that.
― StillAdvance, Wednesday, 8 June 2016 17:22 (seven years ago) link