Credit Absent Where Credit is Needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsHSHE-iJQ

Not too long ago, I found out the the song Mad World was originally by the band Tears for Fears. This of course came as a pretty big "WHAT?" kind of statement. I had always thought it was Gary Jules and loved the song very much. I'm not a big fan of Tears for Fears, but I do feel that I should have known that they were the original creators of a song that I have enjoyed for quite a while. This situation has really got me thinking, why do covers not give as much credit to the originals as is deserved? Take for example the song Land of Confusion by Disturbed. The song is originally by Genesis and most people would tell you that Disturbed wrote the song. The band Van Halen has made quite an impression on the world with the song You Really Got Me, which was a song by the band The Kinks.

This seems wrong to me. Now, don't get me wrong I do indeed enjoy covers. I really enjoy covers when covers are done well. Take for example Kidnap the Sandy Claws. Originally a song in the Nightmare Before Christmas and then redone by the Band Korn. It was a flawless cover and I enjoy both versions of the song, but what really gets me is when people don't realize the song is a cover. This is why I feel that if an artist is going to cover a song, they should put a mention in readable print on the back that it is indeed a song that was originally done by a separate artist.

 I might be the only one who feels this, but I am all about credit given where credit is deserved. And the people who originally write music deserve credit if another artist is going to cover their music. If I was an artist, I would want to be recognized for the song I wrote, if another person is going to sing the same song. I do have to say though, good covers can give a whole different perspective of a song and that is why I do indeed feel that covers are an okay thing. Let's take for example the song Mad World. The original song focuses on the whole mad and craziness of the world and how its easy to get lost in it. While the cover by Gary Jules is more about how sad the world is. Both perspectives are very beautiful and have good messages, but they came from the same song. Overall, I feel that covers, regardless of who does them or how well they are done, need to give more credit towards the first artist who wrote them.