Covering: Lesser-known originals

There's a lot of songs for which the best-known version isn't the first-released version. I originally became aware of this when R.E.M. released Superman--I heard it on the radio and instantly recognized it as a song from one of my mom's old 45s that I'd played repeatedly on my Raggedy Ann turntable as a child:

The band is The Clique, and the accompanying video is a homemade clip. No, I don't know why the person chose to use Hitler and cats that look like him. Weird.

You might know Kris Kristofferson better as an actor from old stuff like the A Star is Born remake with Barbra Streisand or newer flicks like Blade. However, he's also a prolific songwriter, and he penned this gem most closely associated with Janis Joplin:

It's hard not to consider the Janis version as better, since it's such a well-loved classic, but his sweetly sung, occasionally off-key version is pretty durned good, too.

Joe Cocker is arguably better known for his covers than his original tunes. He managed to steal a tune from the Beatles, for crying out loud. When I hear Feelin' Alright in my head, it's his version, not this original from Traffic:

Fun story: I saw Traffic lead singer Stevie Winwood about five years ago, sitting at the back table in Potbelly when Tegan and Sara were performing for a short WXRT show. He looked sad that no one recognized him. I did--the dude looked unbelievably fabulous--but I tend to make an ass out of myself when I try to approach famous people. Maybe I should have bought him a sandwich.

I originally heard this next song when Anne Previn (daughter of director Andre Previn) came on the Howard Stern show to perform her song Torn, which Natalie Imbruglia covered:

While soap star/model-turned-singer Imbruglia offers up a peppy, poppy rendition, the original performance is the only one that makes sense. How can you sing "I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor" and make it danceable? Nope, I infinitely prefer Previn's original, with its laid-bare vocals, slowed tempo, and appropriately raw guitar accompaniment. Even better: If you can find her acoustic performance from the Stern show, download that. It's one of my all-time favorite songs. Natalie Imbruglia can go F herself.