When's a Cover Song a Cover Song?

[lowrider]

Funny thing about Hendrix's version of ''Watchtower''

When Dylan returned to performing live after Hendrix had done the song, it became one of his favorite's to do in his shows, but he was doing it more like Hendrix than like his original version!

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Funny thing about Hendrix's version of ''Watchtower''

When Dylan returned to performing live after Hendrix had done the song, it became one of his favorite's to do in his shows, but he was doing it more like Hendrix than like his original version!

Is it a cover if you are covering a musician who was covering yourself? Maybe it’s a soft cover…

[edgrissom]

I see a difference between Cover and Copy. A cover is when one musician plays another artist’s song using their own interpretation. A copy is when a musician tries to exactly replicate another’s performance.

Both are valid and both have a place.

[Kyle215]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Since I'm always open to having my mind changed I did check Merriam-Webster's definition:

"a recording or performance of a song previously recorded by another performer"

That seems like it's a very acceptable solution to the main question.

Prior to any form of recording technology "authorship" was done in the form of written scores / sheet music. Copyright was the first attempt at commodification of music, which prior to that was simply an aurally transmitted medium.

This seems right to me. If it was tied to writing the song rather than recording it, technically every pop song would be a cover and we wouldn’t need the term “singer songwriter” to describe someone who writes the songs they perform.

[EZK123]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Since I'm always open to having my mind changed I did check Merriam-Webster's definition:

"a recording or performance of a song previously recorded by another performer"

That seems like it's a very acceptable solution to the main question.

Prior to any form of recording technology "authorship" was done in the form of written scores / sheet music. Copyright was the first attempt at commodification of music, which prior to that was simply an aurally transmitted medium.

That's always been my take on it.

I mean. . . if the Rolling Stones play a Muddy Waters tune, it's a cover.

If the Grateful Dead play a Marty Robbins tune, it's a cover (heck, 1/2 their catalog is cover tunes).

There are cover tunes that a huge number of people don't realize are cover tunes because the cover is more famous than the original - All Along the Watchtower (obvious), I Will Always Love You (Parton/Houston, Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince and The Family/O'Connor), tons more that I can think of, but I'm tired of typing .

There are also cover tunes that most people know are covers and it's very hard to pick which one is "better". 'Blue Bayou" comes to mind. Roy Orbison and Linda Ronstadt both did fantastic versions. Both had voices that were the top in their field and both brought something different. Hers was a cover obviously, but . . . wow, what a cover.

[ewalling]

This was why I always considered Andres Segovia second rate: all he ever did was play covers!

[alien]

Originally Posted by 12barBill

I would say this is a cover of a CCR song. What say you?

Yeah, that's what I would call a cover.

A very beautiful cover BTW! WOW!