Artists who have released alternate versions of songs.

OK...I'm not talking about the recent trend of an Artist re-recording all their hit to get a new licensing deal.
Here's a few examples:

Joe Walsh records Turn To Stone for the Barnstorm album.
He also records a different version for the So What album.
And yet another version shows up on The Best of Joe Walsh.

Bowie records John, I'm Only Dancing as a single in 1972 (although it doesn't show up in the US until ChangesOneBowie in '76).

Blue Oyster Cult re-recorded Astronomy for 1988's Imaginos.

And Golden Earring re-recorded Big Tree, Blue Sea for the US version of Moontan.

Any other examples you can think of?

 

Madonna recorded a cover of Love Don't Live Here Anymore on Like a Virgin. For her Something to Remember ballads compilation, she re-recorded it with more strings and classical instruments.

 

Steely Dan with Gold Teeth and Gold Teeth II. The Beatles with Revolution, a fast version for the 45 and a slower version for the LP White Album.

All I can think of right now.

Rick G

 

I knew about the first two, didn't know the Best Of had another version. Now I'm gonna have to go root through the CDs and find that one. Thanks!

 

Suzanne vega. A&M did such a poor job with her back catalog that she has released a whole series of stripped down versions with songs taken from various albums taken out of context as themes

Very nice and intimate

She has a 5 disc boxset of the discs coming out
Or you can buy just the last disc and concert dvd to fill out the collection

The vinyl sounds killer

 

I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep / The Red & The Black

 

James Taylor
Rerecords
Something in the way she moves and country roads
For his original 1976 best of

 

Career Opportunities - The Clash

 

Bob Dylan rerecorded Basement Tapes songs on Greatest Hits Vol 2

 

John Cale - "I Keep A Close Watch" on the Helen of Troy album was re-recorded as "Close Watch" for Music for a New Society. Also, "Antarctica Starts Here" from Paris 1919 was re-recorded for the Antartida soundtrack.

The Armoury Show - Their first single "Castles in Spain" was re-recorded when it was time to do the album

 

Here comes the flood
Peter gabriel and robert fripp

full band original on PG1
frippertronics opening on Fripp's Exposure
Stripped down piano version on gabriel's shaking the tree best of

Exposure from the same two albums featured
Peter's vocals with eno spelling out E.... X..... P.....
Fripp version - Suzzie Roche rips a full out scream version
Lame in comparison alt version by Daryl Hall xed from the album by execs

Elton John
Madman across the water. Original. Very moody -great
Later Tumbleweed bonus track absolutely ripping energetic version with Mick Ronson on guitar

 

Didn't Donovan re-record Catch The Wind and Colors for his Greatest Hits?
I believe those songs were originally recorded for another label.

 

The Beach Boys - Help me Rhonda ->
Help Me Ronda

 

Walsh also recorded two versions of "In the City", for The Warriors soundtrack Lp and with the Eagles for The Long Run album, both in 1979.

 

Lowell George recorded Two Trains which was on Dixie Chicken for Thanks I'll Eat it Here.

 

Some that come to mind:

New Order's remakes of "Temptation" and "Confusion" on the Substance compilation, plus their two recordings of "Ceremony."

Bob Welch's solo and Fleetwood Mac versions of "Sentimental Lady."

In a similar vein, Adrian Belew re-recorded King Crimson's "Heartbeat" eight years later on his Young Lions album.

 

Chris Rea re-recorded several tracks for the New Light Through Old Windows album

 

Chicago re-recorded their 1970 hit "25 or 6 to 4" for the Chicago 18 album in 1986. It was the first single from the album, and it flopped.
The Bee Gees re-recorded their 1966 Australian outtake "In the Morning" in 1971 under the title "Morning of My Life."
Peter, Paul and Mary recorded "Day Is Done" twice in 1969, once for the single, the other version for the LP Peter, Paul and Mommy.
Whitesnake recorded "Here I Go Again" three times, in 1982 and twice in 1987.
Buddy Holly recorded "That'll Be the Day" for Decca in 1956 (initially left in the can) and re-recorded it for Brunswick in 1957.
The Hooters recorded "Fighting on the Same Side" in 1980 (indie 45), 1983 (indie EP) and 1987 (Columbia LP).
R.E.M. did "Radio Free Europe" twice.
The B-52's recorded "Rock Lobster" twice.
The Go-Go's recorded "We Got the Beat" twice.
Joan Jett recorded "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" twice.
Devo recorded "Jocko Homo" twice.
The Beach Boys did two very different versions of "Be True to Your School" in 1963.
Elton John recorded "Grey Seal" and "Skyline Pigeon" twice.

 

Actually, the two songs he re-recorded for the best-of were "Something in the Way She Moves" and "Carolina in My Mind." He did re-record "Country Road," but that was for a Warner Bros. single release in 1970.

 

the guess who - no time
Neil young - tonight's the night (part 1 and part 2)
rockin' in the free world
hey hey, my my/my my, hey hey doesn't count

 

Red House Painters - Mistress -- two different versions on the Rollercoaster album.

Sun Kil Moon - Duk Koo Kim -- electric version on Ghosts Of The Great Highway album, acoustic version on a 10" single.

Trevor Horn & Geoff Downes - Into The Light on Yes album Drama, then recorded as I Am A Camera on the next Buggles album.

--Geoff

 

Bob Dylan released two versions of the same song on the same album.
"Forever Young" on Planet Waves.

 

The "Best of..." recording is just a remix of the version on "So What".

Neil Sedaka recorded "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" twice. Both times it was a huge hit.

 

Sammy Hagar - "I Can't Drive 55"....re-recorded as "I Can't Drive 65"

Genesis - updated "Carpet Crawlers" in 1999

 

Theloniuos Monk, Charles Mingus and Bob Marley released many of their best songs several times using different musicians.