Some musical acts do particularly well out of covering classic songs, and Canadian big band crooner Michael Buble is probably one of the most infamous, and successful at repurposing and rearranging musical greats. With
Michael Buble tickets likely to be on a lot of Christmas lists this year, considering the singer's impending European tour, we're looking back at some of the singer's greatest cover moments, and celebrating the covers that actually improved on the original versions. There's no place for 2005 ballad Home, since Buble's version pre-dates the probably more famous version cut by Westlife by two years, and the writing credit goes to Buble himself, rather than the Irish former pop kings, who were given the record to cover by Simon Cowell. So which covers do make the list?
5. Spider-Man Theme
Originally By: Paul Francis Webster and Robert "Bob" Harris The iconic superhero theme, with the simple lyrical hook and delightfully self-conscious cheese factor has been covered a number of times, including by two buskers in Sam Raimi's first two Spider-Man movies, but it is Buble's glossy tribute that stands out as the greatest and possibly the most oddly grand version of the song. Included on his first independent album, BaBalu from 2001, the track was subsequently added to the soundtrack for Spider-Man 2, and released as a single in summer 2004.
4. Crazy Love
Originally By: Van Morrison Morrison's original is a bona-fide classic, with testimony from the great Ray Charles to its quality, but Buble's rich voice adds something to the feel of the song that was missing in Morrison's version. Both are brilliant love songs, but in Buble's hands, it feels like Crazy Love was always supposed to be a grandstand, big band song, and the production on the track is a genius addition for reinventing it.
3. Cry Me A River
Originally By: Julie London Though the song was originally penned for Ella Fitzgerald, and traditionally was sung by female vocalists, Buble's big band jazz version added an unprecedented new depth to the song, which played on an atypical masculine vulnerability - the booming, almost ominous opening arrangement and souring vocal giving way to more tender delivery, and the lyrics shining through for their real meaning. The arrangement gained further notoriety thanks to its association with the marketing campaign for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and though the original is a classic, it is Buble's version that now comes to mind first.
2. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Originally By: Queen Though some might think it sacrilege to suggest that any Queen song would be better sang by another, especially considering its chart success under Freddy Mercury and Co (it hit number 2 in the UK charts,) Mercury's tribute to Elvis Presley is one of those Queen songs that didn't necessarily fit the best image of the band. Legendarily penned in ten minutes by Mercury in the bath, and recorded in double-quick time, the rockabilly tones suit Buble's more upbeat style, and his glossier production gives a different depth to the song, whose lyrics suit Buble's perceived romantic sensibilities.
1. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Originally By: Meredith Willson Massively covered, with Christmas crooning favourites Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis topping the bill of artists, this festive classic, which gained more modern fame thanks to a wonderful use in Home Alone, has never been sung better than in Buble's 2011 version, for his Christmas album. Buble's rich vocal tones somewhat mirror Mathis' and Crosby's, but there is something more in his voice even than those greats, and the cover is a triumph of a song perfectly matching the artist. Which are your favourite Michael Buble tracks? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.