This is the remake!

Last summer I was traveling back to New York along the Interstate 95 when I tuned into a radio station in South Carolina. The opening music to the classic 1981 record "That girl" came on. I was jamming & waiting to hear Stevie Wonder's opening lyric & it came on, but instead it was the singer Joe's voice that I heard. Late last year I walked into a local Soul Food restaurant & heard a rendition of "Pretty Brown Eyes (Quit Breaking my heart)", but instead of Mint Condition the singers were Amerie & Trey Songz. Of course I was somewhat underwhelmed.
Remakes are sometimes treacherous waters to navigate if you do not know what you're doing or you have no real connection to the record you are re-recording. There have been some remakes that are remarkable & totally outshined the original. Then there are some that made me rip out my entire digestive tract. Since I have heard so many songs & remakes I decided to make a list of my 5 favorite remakes & the 5 worst remakes ever attempted. Let's get it:

Favorite

1) Isaac Hayes- Walk On By: Of course Dionne Warwick gave this song life, but Dionne didn't give the raw emotion that Isaac Hayes displayed throughout the record. This is pretty rare I might add.

2) Troop- All I do is think of you: This is a tough one because the Jacksons original was off the hook. I feel that Troop sang it just as well, and the piano solo at the beginning was an excellent touch that actually enhanced the record.

3) The Whispers- I want to know your name: Contrasting the Whispers to the Intruders is like comparing apples & oranges. Both had amazing lead singers & both made memorable jams for the bedroom. For this record though, Scottie's solo towards the end of the record made all the difference.

4) Boyz II Men- It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday: I liked the original from the classic 70s film "Cooley High" by Freddie Perren & Christine Yarian. Boyz II Men performed it A capella & their version showed how flawless their voices once were.

5) Whitney Houston- All the man I need: This song was originally written & performed by Katherine Sledge (of Sister Sledge) and her husband Phillip. It sounded okay on Soul Train when they performed it in 1981, but Whitney Houston added a whole new dimension to the record.

Worst

1) Ginuwine- When Doves Cry: I have no clue what Ginuwine was trying to do with ths remake. I still got love for Mr. Lumpkin though.

2) Mary J. Blige- Natural Woman: Everyone knows my obsession with MJB & even I think she was high when the thought of remaking this classic entered her head.

3) Toby Lightman- Real Love: Though she has a pretty electric voice, she picked the WRONG song to use it on.

4) K-Ci Hailey- If you think you're lonely now: Though Bobby Womack didn't have the greatest voice, neither does K-Ci. He sounded quite bad to me & that's odd because Jodeci's remake of "Lately" wasn't bad.

5) The Fugees- Killing Me Softly: This one is mainly music based. Lauryn Hill has the voice to kill this Roberta Flack song. The use of the ATCQ (A Tribe Called Quest) sample didn't work well & therefore the remake was average when it could've been great.

What are the best & worst remade songs in your opinion?

-Muhammad the Harlem Sk8rboi