Cover to Cover: Take me home country roads

Henry Irving

Two versions of the same song.

Listen without prejudice and say which you prefer and why.

In tribute to Toots, who left us yesterday, his 1972 cover of the John Denver 1971 original 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTeUdJky9rY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQFKMar4x-w

Johnnysummers5

John Denver

stonemuse

John Denver, Toots version just doesn’t sound right. 

Rossman92

John Denver. Take me home country roads is a perfect song that no one can truly replicate

CharltonKerry

John Denver version.

Pedro45

I always preferred the Greg Champion and the Music Makers version - 

Take me home Jonty Rhodes
To the veldt of Transvaal
Orange Free State
Good ole Jo'Burg
Take me home Jonty Rhodes

randy andy

https://youtu.be/0VSRMRh8fEs

hoof_it_up_to_benty

John Denver. Toots version doesn't work for me.

ProperCharlton

The John Denver original is sort of the anthem for my local. Get the whole pub singing it when it gets late into the evening and we've all had a few too many

bobmunro

John Denver - the song just doesn't convert to reggae.

Curb_It

John Denver.

Classic song... I do like to sing it at the family singalongs but I’m rubbish mind. 

Henry Irving

Toots brilliant reworking getting a beating here.

Carter

John Denver 

Stig

I don't like the Denver version, I find it suffocatingly cringey so it's got to be Toots for me. I was hoping to make a joke that it's 'by a country mile', but I don't really like that version either.

SheffieldRed

J Denver

Think this song (Slight rewording) suits us as a club

Richard J

Neither. 

Olivia Newton John. 

Athletico Charlton

I would like to hear Jonnie Jackson do it before deciding on my favourite version 

LawrieAbrahams

Toots

HugoZHackenbush

The man could write a song, I'll give him that.

Bizarrely I remember him best for a guest appearance in "McCloud"

ForeverAddickted

randy andy said:

https://youtu.be/0VSRMRh8fEs

Song was really well used in the Soundtrack for this film

Bedsaddick

John Denver

seth plum

Quite like them both.
I think Toots kind of fulfils the spirit of a cover version, as Hendrix did with 'Watchtower', by not photocopying but adapting to his style.
As it is a nice sunny day outside I am voting for Toots.

Karim_myBagheri

Toots for me. the last minute or so did it for me. has a real uplifting feel to it. 

JohnnyJoeyDeeDee

To properly triangulate you now need to find John Denver covering the Clash. GarageBand? 

golfaddick

Toots "version" is not the same song. If the lyrics are different it's a different song.

Or shall I put up Mull of Kintyre......

Richard J

seth plum said:

Quite like them both.
I think Toots kind of fulfils the spirit of a cover version, as Hendrix did with 'Watchtower', by not photocopying but adapting to his style.
As it is a nice sunny day outside I am voting for Toots.

Really excellent comment. 

I love it when artists do this and add to the original. For pop songs done with a Reggae vibe I loved John Holt. He seemed to corner that market. 

Rebounding back to the writer. Dylan sometimes 'covers' the Hendrix version at concerts. Neil Diamond sometimes performs Red, Red Wine in the style of UB40 live. 

iainment

Toots for me.

Addick Addict

The John Denver version is one I love to listen to and sing along with. The Toots version is one I'd love to see performed simply for its versatility and energy.

But, overall, it has to be JD for me

Addictedoldgit

John Denver