I just heard on radio an awful cover version of Harold Melvin's Don't Leave Me This Way.
It was an exact copy by a female (not Thelma Houston's average rendition) with all the obligatory Hey Babys and fake gospel soul adlibs.

Anyone normal will have been well impressed. She could obviously sing and the track is an identical copy.

So why was Teddy Pendergrass' version (I think he did the vocal) so magnificent and her's so ghastly?

That's what tells genius and failure apart.

I have no idea who the woman was (no back anno) but a copy never works. The point of interpreting a song is being original.

I can hardly sing compared to Madame but my weak, quavery treatment of a great song at least has my stamp on it.

Check out my Free Man In Paris on YouTube - it works because it's so different from Joni's original.

I was known in Italy throughout the early seventies as "ICANGETNO"... my treatment of Satisfaction was a huge No1 in Italy when covered note for note by the TRITONS (just like Blue Swede nicked my Ooga Chagga) but many Italians knew I was the original.

You cannot buy or invent or copy originality.

You either have it or you don't.

A tip for budding superstars.

JK2006 wrote:


I can hardly sing compared to Madame but my weak, quavery treatment of a great song at least has my stamp on it.



You make a superb point JK. This "Pop Idol" culture not to mention "Stars In Their Eyes" has a lot to answer for. All they ever do is cover, cover, cover with zero individuality or originality and I agree, if you can't put your own spin or interpretation on a song then for Gods' sake, leave it well alone.

Indeed that is why your covers work. You always put a fresh spin on what you covered like the "Oooga Chooga" in "Hooked On A Feeling", the violin in "It's The Same Old Song", doing "Sugar Sugar" as a prog parody, "Satisfaction" as a country dirge, "Wuthering Heights" as Heathcliffe singing to Cathy and so many more. In most cases I have enjoyed your interpretations much more than the originals. You proved countless times it is not about your voice but how you take a song and give it a fresh and appealing interpretation which of course, resulted in many a hit.

Any idiot can copy note for note but why bore people with photocopies? How many times have we suffered covers of "Unchained Melody" over the decades with very little to tell them apart? Actually JK, there's a song I wish you could take and put your own spin on to wash out the rancid taste of the numerous cloned covers! The way the cycle keeps coming round I guess we'll be due another pointless cover of that song!

That post deserves a list of utterley pointless cover versions, but I don`t think I can stretch myself to a whole chart.

Although I adore them, I have to start with Bauhaus`s "Ziggy Stardust".

Anyone else?

Don't knock Unchained Melody Elliott, the lyricist just died (in his late 90's).

Do check on his obituaries as to how it got written - and won an Oscar, and went on to be No1 more often than any other.

I don't think anyone could top The Righteous Brothers (though Jimmy Young was there before them).

Anything by Westlife....?

I always like the original version of 'Unchained Melody' by AL HIBBLER.

I actually like the U2 version, although it seemed a little hurried, that was it`s charm.

Pete Clarke wrote:
Anything by Westlife....?

Everything by Westlife !

Talking of Westlife, I was intriued by the character of Louis Walsh last night when he was interviewed by Piers Morgan.
He seems a very interesting man, and definetly goes on the "who I`d like to meet" list.
Sorry Piers, met you already!