Cover versions of cover versions

That's what I came in to say as I've heard several covers of "Mad World" in the last few years and they are all exactly like the Gary Jules version from Donnie Darko.

 

A few more that have not been mentioned yet (or if so, I didn't spot them):

Siouxie and The Banshees' version of This Wheel's On Fire was based on the Julie Driscoll / Brian Auger hit, not Dylan's original (though since the Basement Tapes were released only later, I guess one could argue that the Driscoll/Auger version was the original, unless Music from Big Pink was earlier; both were released in 1968).

Britney's cover of I Love Rock'n'Roll was definitely based on Joan Jett's version, not the original.

The Tamlins' reggae hit version (produced by Sly & Robbie) of Randy Newman's Baltimore was definitely based on Nina Simone's cover.

 

Johnny Rivers' cover of "The Letter" is modeled after Joe Cocker's cover.

 

Robert Wyatt covered his own 1980 cover version of Chic's "At Last I Am Free" on '....For the Ghosts Within' (2010) by Wyatt/Atzmon/Stephen.

 

Then the Dead Kenndys put their own spin on it. Not even sure if it's still a cover at this point.

 

This comes to my mind:

 

Cheap Trick's cover of The In Crowd - Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello

covers Brian Ferry's cover of Dobie Grey's version

 

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Serge Gainsbourg is based pretty clearly on Bryan Ferry's version.

 

The Doobie Brothers covered the Byrds cover of Jesus is Just All Right

 

Aerosmith's "Train Kept a Rollin'" is bassed on the Yardbirds version

 

Steve Cropper's With a Little Help From My Friends is based on the Joe Cocker version

 

Hey Joe was covered many, many times in the 60s (The Leaves, Byrds, Love, Cryan' Shames, etc). All were uptempo before Hendrix' cover. Deep Purple's cover was more of a cover of the Hendrix version with a faux "Spanish" intro and interlude added.

 

"Going Up the Country" was taken/stolen from this:

 

Bruce Springsteen's cover of "Chimes of Freedom" owes more to the Byrds than to the Dylan original.

 

"The City of New Orleans" - almost all versions use Arlo Guthrie's arrangement rather than the original by Steve Goodman. (Good call in my opinion.)

 

"Let it be me" have numerous covers, based on the Everly Brothers version, and not on the french original by Gilbert Bécaud, nor on the first English language version performed by Mann Curtis.

 

Tom Northcott's version of "Sunny Goodge Street" was based on Judy Collins, not Donovan's original

 

All rock n roll versions of this song are based on the Johnny Burnette cover

 

But Aerosmith based it on the Yardbirds cover. So a cover of a cover of a cover.