Lots of great bootlegs are not available on Spotify, like Nirvana’s "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," Paul Weller, Kaleo, Isobel Campbell, David Guetta/Skylar Grey, and Charlotte Church’s respective versions of "Bang Bang," Robbie Fulk and MNEK’s versions of "Believe," David Bowie and Marianne Faithful’s "I Got You Babe."
Of the remakes available on Spotify, these are the best:
The Beat Goes On – Live At Chez Club, Hollywood/1966/Remix, Buddy Rich Big Band
This cover might have influenced many that came after it, dispensing with Carol Kaye’s creative bass line and jazz-ifying the song. Many future covers would use this template.
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – 2004 Remaster, Terry Reid
Everyone seems to feel Nancy Sinatra’s cover is the best cover (and the one all future covers are created from), but this one is actually better IMHO. Like Sonny’s world-music version, it has movements.
Mama, Dalida
Dalida makes Cher songs better.
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, Scud Mountain Boys
Haunting version. And in the Cher style of not altering pronouns.
Baby Don't Go by Colorama
Very pretty, quiet version.
Pretty good remakes:
The Beat Goes On, Le Cercle, Chloé Del'Orté
Fun remake of the Buddy Rich version.
Needles And Pins – Live At The The Forum/1981, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks
Since The Searchers recording pre-dates Cher’s version, it’s technically not a cover. Which is good because I hate the precedent they set in singing pinzah, which is no a word anyone should ever sing. Cher is the only artist to refrain from doing so. As they go, I guess this version is the best non-Cher version.
Bang Bang My Baby Shot Me Down, GMPresents & Jocelyn Scofield
The David Guetta/Skylar Grey version is really the most amazing thing, along with the Terry Reid version. This one is at least a slowed-down take of the song that isn’t a complete redux of Nancy Sinatra’s version.
It's the Little Things, Skeletons
Love Don’t Come, Tomasina Abate
I Got You Babe, Toadsuck Symphony
Hard to cover this song. This is probably as good as it gets.
Bang Bang, Dalida
Baby Don't Go, Dwight Yoakam with Sheryl Crow
Also a nice version.
The Beat Goes On, Herbie Mann
Kudos for respecting Kaye’s baseline.
Not-that-great but famous attempts
I Got You Babe, UB40, Chrissie Hynde
Popular during my formative years, but reggae doesn't really add anything to this song.
Needles and Pins – 2002 Remaster, Ramones
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), Nancy Sinatra
The Beat Goes On, Britney Spears
Half Breed, Shania Twain
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, Vicki Lawrence
A mixed bag, some good, some bad, none very memorable
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), Stevie Wonder
The Beat Goes On, Firewater
I Got You Babe, Etta James
A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done, Diego's Umbrella
Half-Breed, House of Large Sizes
Bang Bang, Vanilla Fudge
The Beat Goes On, Transmitters
I Got You Babe, The Dictators
Beat Goes On, The All Seeing I
So similar to Britney’s I do a double take. Theirs was 2 years earlier.
I Got You Babe, Cherie Currie
Hi Jimmy. Huh. I will look up possible Tony Orlando and Dottie West versions of GT&Th. I had not heard of those. The Kenny Rogers/Dottie West version of “All I Ever Need Is You” is trickier. Ray Charles’ version was first. S&C’s version was more successful and well-known according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_I_Ever_Need_Is_You_(song). I intentionally did not include the Rogers/West version because this 1979 version sounds much more similar to Ray Charles’ version than it does S&C’s and I believe it is truly a cover of Charles’ version.
I remembered that
Dottie West and Kenny Rodgers recorded their version of
All I Ever Need Is You
and it was a hit.
jimmydeanpartee
Correct me if I’m wrong, but, I believe both DOTTIE WEST and TONY ORLANDO and DAWN
recorded their versions of Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves on their studio albums.
I live in fear that REBA will record the song or one of Cher’s other songs and it will be a hit.
jimmydeanpartee