Multiple Versions of the Same Song

Hey guys,do you know of any multiple versions of the same song. I can name a few. Here I go Again by Whitesnake. I enjoy both versions. Also Legs by ZZ Top. I prefer the single remix version better. Bad Boy by the Miami Sound Machine...I like the remix version better.

I know of a great deal of them. My personal MP3 collection has dozens and dozens of songs by multiple artists.

There are far, far too many to list, though I do have a fun little story on the topic. Back at my college station, a couple of the guys and I were in the studio working on a pre-recorded sports show late one night, and just to prove that no one was listening at 3:00 on a Saturday morning, I went into the air studio and changed the playlist to nothing but two versions of the same song back-to-back for a solid hour. No one ever said word one. We all laugh about it to this day when we get together.

DavidEduardo said:

If you want to see a good example, look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Way It lists the dozens of versions of My Way over the years. If you add in the versions in the original French, and in Spanish and other languages, there are more than 100 recorded versions.

You might try the same thing on some of the bigger Beatles songs, including Michelle.

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I think what Rainman was referring to are multiple versions of the same song by the original artist, like "singles edits" or remixes; rather than "cover versions" of the same song by different artists. The Doors' "Light My Fire" would certainly be a classic example of a singles edit that is very different from the album cut. A number of artists (especially in the 60's) recorded remakes of their older hits when switching to a new label (Paul Anka, etc.) As for multiple cover versions, name a favorite Christmas song old or new, and you'll probably find more of those than anything else.

From my personal collection of MP3's, here's a partial list of the songs I have that were recorded by multiple artists.

Title Artist
A Whiter Shade Of Pale Annie Lennox
A Whiter Shade Of Pale Hollies
A Whiter Shade Of Pale Michael Bolton
A Whiter Shade Of Pale Procul Harum
A Whiter Shade Of Pale Sarah Brightman
All I Have To Do Is Dream Everly Brothers
All I Have To Do Is Dream Roy Orbison
All I Really Want To Do Bob Dylan
All I Really Want To Do Byrds
All I Really Want To Do Cher
All I Really Want To Do Sonny and Cher
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You Association
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You Joan Baez
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You Led Zeppelin
Be My Baby Ellie Greenwich
Be My Baby John Lennon
Be My Baby Pepper Pots
Be My Baby Ronettes
Behind Blue Eyes Sheryl Crow
Behind Blue Eyes Who
Behind Blue Eyes Within Temptation
Bette Davis Eyes Jackie DeShannon
Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes
Bird on a Wire Jennifer Warnes
Bird on a Wire Johnny Cash
Bird on a Wire Katey Sagal
Bird On A Wire KD Lang
Bird On A Wire Leonard Cohen
Bird on a Wire Nicole Atkins
Born To Run Bruce Springsteen
Born To Run Melissa Etheridge
Caledonia Barra MacNeils
Caledonia Dougie MacLean
Caledonia Frankie Miller
Child in Time Blackmore's Night
Child in Time Deep Purple
Cry Me A River Jeff Beck & Imelda May
Cry Me A River Julie London
Cry Me A River Michael Buble
Crying Roy Orbison
Crying Roy Orbison & K D Lang
Darling Be Home Soon Barra MacNeils
Darling Be Home Soon Lovin' Spoonful
Dazed And Confused Led Zeppelin
Dazed And Confused Yardbirds
Dear Prudence The Beatles
Dear Prudence Sean Lennon
Dear Prudence Siouxsie And The Banshees
Desperado Eagles
Desperado Linda Ronstadt
Don't Let it Show Alan Parsons Project
Don't Let It Show Pat Benatar
Don't Worry Baby Beach Boys
Don't Worry Baby Ronnie Spector
Don't Worry Baby Wilson Phillips
Down in the River to Pray Alison Krauss
Down In The River To Pray Katherine Jenkins
Dust in the Wind Kansas
Dust in the Wind Sarah Brightman
Dust in the Wind Scorpions
Everybody Hurts Corrs
Everybody hurts Joe Cocker
Everybody Hurts Johnny Cash
Everybody Hurts REM
Feelin' Alright Joe Cocker
Feelin' Alright Traffic
Forever Young Audra Mae
Forever Young Band
Forever Young Rod Stewart
Frozen Katherine Jenkins
Frozen Madonna
Ghost Riders in the Sky Johnny Cash
Ghost Riders in the Sky Outlaws
Girl from the North Country Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash
Girl from the North Country Lions
Gloria Laura Branigan
Gloria Umberto Tozzi
Go Your Own Way Cranberries
Go Your Own Way Fleetwood Mac
Go Your Own Way Wilson Phillips
Good Vibrations Beach Boys
Good Vibrations Wilson Phillips
Grenade Bruno Mars
Grenade Within Temptation
Hallelujah Jeff Buckley
Hallelujah Leonard Cohen
Hallelujah Neil Diamond
Hallelujah Rufus Wainwright
Heaven Can Wait Ellen Foley
Heaven Can Wait Karla Devito
Heaven Can Wait Meat Loaf
Help Me Make It Through The Night Chris Issak & Jewel
Help Me Make it Through the Night Kris Kristofferson
Here I Go Again Audra Mae
Here I Go Again Whitesnake
Hey Joe Deep Purple
Hey Joe Fever Tree
Hey Joe Leaves
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You Laura Branigan
How am I Supposed to Live Without You Michael Bolton
Hurt Johnny Cash
Hurt Nine Inch Nails
Hush Deep Purple
Hush Joe South
I Can See Clearly Now Bob Marley
I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash
I Can't Make You Love Me Bonnie Raitt
I Can't Make You Love Me Bonnie Tyler
I Go To Pieces Del Shannon
I Go to Pieces Peter & Gordon
I Hope You Dance Lee Ann Womack
I Hope You Dance Ronan Keating
I Will Always Love You Dolly Parton
I Will Always Love You Linda Ronstadt
I Will Always Love You Whitney Houston
If I Were A Carpenter Bobby Darin
If I Were A Carpenter Robert Plant
If I Were A Carpenter Tim Hardin
It Don't Come Easy George Harrison
It Don't Come Easy Ringo Starr
It's All Coming Back To Me Now Celine Dionne
It's All Coming Back To Me Now Pandora's Box
Just One Smile BS&T
Just One Smile Gene Pitney
Just One Smile Sheena Easton
Kashmir Heart
Kashmir Led Zeppelin
Like A Rolling Stone Bob Dylan
Like A Rolling Stone Turtles
Lilac Wine Elkie Brooks
Lilac Wine Jeff Beck & Imelda May
Lilac Wine Jeff Buckley
Lilac Wine Miley Cyrus
Love Of My Life Brian May
Love of my Life Scorpions
Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All) Air Supply
Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All) Bonnie Tyler
Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All) Karine Hannah
Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All) Rory Dodd
Minnie the Moocher Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Minnie the Moocher Cab Calloway
Moonlight Shadow Annie Haslam
Moonlight Shadow Mike Oldfield & Miriam Stockley
Nights in White Satin Bettye LaVette
Nights in White Satin Elkie Brooks
Nothing Else Matters Edyta Gerniak
Nothing Else Matters Lucie Silvas
Nothing Else Matters Metallica
Ocean Gypsy Blackmore's Night
Ocean Gypsy Renaissance
One Al Kooper
One Harry Nilsson
Piece of My Heart Big Brother & the Holding Company
Piece of my Heart Faith Hill
Piece Of My Heart Melissa Etheridge
Reason to Believe Rod Stewart
Reason to Believe Tim Hardin
Reason to Believe Wilson Phillips
Release Me Englebert Humperdinck
Release Me Nemesea
Release Me Wilson Phillips
Remember (Walking in the Sand) Jeff Beck & Imelda May
Remember (Walking in the Sand) ShangriLas
Runaway Del Shannon
Runaway Traveling Wilburys
Save the Last Dance for Me Drifters
Save The Last Dance For Me Michael Buble
Season of the Witch Donovan
Season of the Witch Super Session
Season Of The Witch Vanilla Fudge
Shapes Of Things Jeff Beck
Shapes Of Things Yardbirds
Skyfall Adele
Skyfall Within Temptation
Solitaire Laura Branigan
Solitaire Martine ClNenceau
Solitary Man Chris Isaak
Solitary Man Chris Isaak & Stevie Nicks
Solitary Man Johnny Cash
Stairway To Heaven Heart
Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin
Stand By Me Ben E King
Stand By Me Drifters
Stand By Me Playing For Change
Summertime Sadness Lana Del Rey
Summertime Sadness Miley Cyrus
Summertime Sadness Within Temptation
Sway Julie London
Sway Michael Buble
Sway Puppini Sisters
The Power of Love Air Supply
The Power Of Love Celine Dion
The Power of Love Edyta Gerniak
The Power of Love Helene Fischer
The Power Of Love Laura Branigan
The Power Of Love Nana Mouskouri
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Cher
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Jay & the Americans
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Neil Diamond
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Walker Brothers
Thunder Road Bruce Springsteen
Thunder Road Cowboy Junkies
Time of the Season Shaw Blades
Time of the Season Zombies
Time To Say Goodbye Katherine Jenkins
Time to say Goodbye Russell Watson and Hayley Westenra
Time to Say Goodbye Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli
Time to Say Goodbye We Three
Time to Say Goodbye Will Farrell
To Love Somebody Bee Gees
To Love Somebody Michael Bolton
To Sir With Love Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers
To Sir With Love Lulu
Treat Me Right Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Treat Me Right Pat Benatar
Triad David Crosby
Triad Jefferson Airplane
Turn the Page Bob Seger
Turn the page Metallica
Twelve Thirty Mamas and Papas
Twelve Thirty Wilson Phillips
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad Bonnie Tyler
Two out of three ain't bad Jamey Johnson
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad Meat Loaf
Unchained Melody LeAnn Rimes
Unchained Melody Righteous Brothers
Walking in the Rain Ronettes
Walking In The Rain Walker Brothers
When You Say Nothing At All Allison Krauss
When You Say Nothing at All Ronan Keating
Where Were You When I Needed You Bangles
Where Were You When I Needed You Grass Roots
Where Were You When I Needed You P.F. Sloan
Where Were You When I Needed You Rob Grill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps Concert for George
While My Guitar Gently Weeps George Harrison
White Rabbit Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
White Rabbit Great Society
White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane
White Rabbit Shakespears Sister
Wild Horses Rolling Stones
Wild Horses Sundays
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow Amy Winehouse
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow Minnie Driver
Without You Badfinger
Without you Harry Nilsson
Woman Peter & Gordon
Woman Scorpions
Wooden Ships Crosby. Stills & Nash
Wooden Ships Jefferson Airplane
Wrecking Ball Cry To The Blind
Wrecking Ball HAIM
Wrecking Ball Miley Cyrus
Wuthering Heights Hayley Westenra
Wuthering Heights Kate Bush
Wuthering Heights Pat Benatar
You Raise Me Up Celtic Woman
You Raise Me Up Josh Groban
Zabadak Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick Tich
Zabadak Saragossa Band

Interesting, I had no idea there was a single version of ZZ Top's Legs. I found it today on youtube and was disappointed to learn it contains that darn S word...

R

There's something else to consider. Most songs whose original releases were studio recordings are available in live versions.

Robert Bass said:

Interesting, I had no idea there was a single version of ZZ Top's Legs. I found it today on youtube and was disappointed to learn it contains that darn S word...

R

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There are 4 versions of Legs:

4:35 (Album)
3:34 (Single)
4:31 (Remix)
7:48 (Dance Mix)

Not really addressed so far, but there are often multiple different mixes of the same song by the same artist (the same version of the same song by the same performer, no less) but geared toward different formats. I know that there was a version of "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle that had steel guitars on it, which was aimed at country radio. Shania Twain had several that were mixed differently for country audiences than for pop. I believe Faith Hill had a few, as well. And there were two vastly different versions of "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. The background vocals were the biggest difference on the two versions of her song.

Even within the CHR format, there are often different mixes for the mainstream and rhythmic subformats. One notable song a few years back was OneRepublic's "Apologize." Most mainstream stations went with the original radio edit while rhythmic stations opted for Timbaland's remix, which basically just added his own voice and a more hip-hop style beat. I, myself, prefer the latter over the former.

firepoint525 said:

Shania Twain had several that were mixed differently for country audiences than for pop.

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While married to Mutt Lange, he would produce her songs. He'd use strings on the versions for CHR stations, pedal steel guitars for country stations, and accordions for the European export versions.

Avid Listener said:

While married to Mutt Lange, he would produce her songs. He'd use strings on the versions for CHR stations, pedal steel guitars for country stations, and accordions for the European export versions.

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Some of Taylor Swift's hits got the same customization. "Love Story" lost its banjo and gained a couple of guitars when sent to CHR.

There are several video versions that are different from their audio-(only) counterparts. I always enjoyed Genesis' "Invisible Touch" video with that bit of a capella singing of the chorus at the very end of it, but as far as I know, not commercially available anywhere, unless the video version itself was specifically issued.

I was actually referring to multiple versions by the same artist. Another Example was Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen. You have the album and single version but you also have the Blaster Master Dance mix that WCAU-FM hot hits used to play in Philly.

Louie, Louie has over 1,600 recorded versions. How may songs have their own website?

http://www.louielouie.net/

AM/FMRAINMAN said:

Another Example was Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen. You have the album and single version...

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Please show me where on YouTube I can hear this single version of DITD? The single version I have heard is the same as what's on the album.

R

Hey Robert. I meant that the single and album version are the same, but there was a dance mix version called the blaster mix that was played on the top 40 radio station in Philly WCAU-FM Hot Hits.

AM/FMRAINMAN said:

Hey Robert. I meant that the single and album version are the same, but there was a dance mix version called the blaster mix that was played on the top 40 radio station in Philly WCAU-FM Hot Hits.

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Ahh, gotcha! I had never heard of the remix before and I found it on YT. I much prefer the album version. In the process of this I found out Bruce wrote this song out of frustration with the label and it was basically a last minute thing. Interesting that it was the biggest hit from the album!

R

AM/FMRAINMAN said:

Hey Robert. I meant that the single and album version are the same, but there was a dance mix version called the blaster mix that was played on the top 40 radio station in Philly WCAU-FM Hot Hits.

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You are correct. I still have the 12" dance mix single of that one. It still remains one of my fave dance mixes. Love the heavy drumming on that one. I even enjoyed the part where it suddenly went acoustic for a couple of lines, beginning with (I think) "stay on the streets of this town."

My only frustration was that I STILL had to buy the 45 to get "Pink Cadillac" because it was only available there at the time. Not included on the dance single. "Pink Cadillac" still remains one of the most popular B-sides of the '80s. And most of those '80s Springsteen 45s are worth at least slightly more than other similar '80s 45s, probably because of those relatively rare b-sides.