Original v. Cover: Without You

[NSL]

This thread was inspired by TM's story how his friend didn't know a song was a cover. I had the same thing happen a lot with this song, when everyone and their mother though Mariah Carey was breaking new ground with her songwriting. Harry Nilsson isn't that famous on his own, but a lot of people know his songs. Everyone from Mariah to Dolly have covered his stuff, and he wrote a ton of other songs for other people.

The Original:

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The Cover:

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While I'm a sucker for Mariah's voice, and her version is done very well, I still have to go with the original. For some reason, it sounds better when sung by a guy, and sounds a little more heartbreaking with Harry's voice. Mariah does an outstanding cover, but I can't take it over the original.

 

[X]

Wow...thanks for completely murdering that classic song Mariah. Always nice of you to do that.

Nillson's original here is a classic, and one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. I'll never forget the way Roger Avary used it in his adaptation of The Rules of Attraction, to absolute perfect effects. Thus, whenever I hear this song, I always picture that girl slitting her wrists in the tub. I know that seems dark and macabre, but the way it's filmed, it's actually quite beautiful. The song went with that scene absolutely perfectly, and it's been a favorite of mine ever since.

Without a doubt Nilsson's version is superior. I mean, this shouldn't even be a question.

 

[Loveless]

Err Nillson's version isn't the original.
Anyway yeah I'll take his cover over the shitfest wailathon that Mariah turned it into. I'm not that big on any version to be honest.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Well seeing how both are covers(Harry Nilsson didn't write the song, rock band badfinger wrote it and recorded it, but never released it as a single), I have to go with my personal fave and that is Mariah Carey.

It's probably noted by critics and fans alike as being Mariah's best vocal performance and I'd probably agree. While I love the mellow vocals(almost calming)of Harry, and I can see why some might prefer it over Mimi and her vocals, I still love Mariah's version alot more.

Not only did she make it a huge hit(#1 in Europe, Top 3 in the states), whenever someone either from Idol, X Factor, ect they always get compared to Mariah's version, and almost always get bad reactions from the judges because Mariah's version is pretty much untouchable.

I like both, but Mariah kills it for me(strangely/sadly enough the writers from badfinger both ended up comitting suicide :S ).