THIS TOPIC must have been covered here in the past but I can't recall such a thread in recent times ...

We all know how many UK beat groups got their start / had hits by covering US hit R&B songs. The list runs to many; the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann, Moody Blues, Walker Brothers (they were Americans but based in the UK), Searchers, Hollies, Fourmost, Hermans Hermits, Freddie & the Dreamers, Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders, Dave Clark Five, Brian Poole & Tremeloes, Merseybeats & many more.

Lots of solo artists followed suit; Cilla Black, Craig Douglas, Sandie Shore, Georgie Fame, Frankie Vaughn, Dusty Springfield, Kenny Lynch, Cliff Bennett & Rebel Rousers & many more.

I never really got into many & apart from the likes of some Georgie Fame tracks, never collected them. I'd find stuff @ UK boot fairs, 2nd hand shops and buy them (if the price was right) but then sell them on to mates such as Paul Temple.

Some of the above actually cut great versions as covers; Georgie Fame, Dusty, Cliff Bennett, etc + other covers that weren't hits were half decent too (from the likes of Tom Jones, Action, etc. etc.). I suppose the cover of "Yes I'm Ready" by Barbara Kay is sort of OK (but a complete carbon copy of the original).

But for every good UK cover version there were dozens of awful ones. Below are three of the worst (IMO) ... anyone else here have similar 'hates' they'd like to post up ...

A song that many groups / acts performed back in the mid 60's (& later) was the Isley Brothers old cut "Nobody But Me". A UK beat group also had a go at the song & recorded it too ... AND it ain't that good an attempt ...

Here's one that actually added a new twist to the original (though I still much prefer the US original) ...

I would imagine some would dismiss as pop pap, but I quite like this version of the Tommy Sands Northern dancer...

Edited Monday at 17:144 days by Soul-slider

It wasn't always UK Beat groups that made such crap covers -- The Buckingham's took on a British styled name & performed surrounded by UK flags, but they were really from Chicago. I think this version of Cannonball Adderley's jazz & pop chart hit is JUST a bit inferior to Marlena Shaw's version (which came between the two) ... well, it's actually much worse than the two earlier versions even though this was the bigger US pop chart hit ...

I comped up this hour of British 7s that are all US covers a while back.
My lack of good taste has been mentioned more than once, so I'm sure there's some crap on here... ;)