Cover versions with different time signatures

[Stumpy Pepys]

The fashion these days, when doing a cover version, is to play it really fucking slowly. Probably on an acoustic guitar.

I reckon changing the time signature is a more interesting thing to do, but I can only think of three examples:

1. With a Little Help From my Friends by Joe Cocker, which changes the Beatles' 4/4 to 3/4.
2. Conversely, Saint Etienne's cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart goes in the other direction (3/4 to 4/4)
3. The Scissor Sisters version of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb changes the original's 7/8 ¹ to a straight disco 4/4.

But are there any more examples of this?

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¹ I did have to look that one up

[diggedy derek]

Quite a tricky one, but I reckon there'll be a fair few in reggae, where tricky time signatures are turned into (often) simpler ones. Here's a King Tubby dub of “Take Five”.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Rickie Lee Jones's version of Sympathy for the Devil. Not sure of the actual time signature but it's definitely slower than the original.

[tee rex]

Quite a tricky one, but I reckon there'll be a fair few in reggae, where tricky time signatures are turned into (often) simpler ones. Here's a King Tubby dub of “Take Five”.

Same but quite different, this one is an old favourite:

[Oldelpaso]

The version of the Mission Impossible theme from the first film, by the other two guys from U2. 5/4 to 4/4.

The Johnny Cash version of Soundgarden's Rusty Cage dispenses with the irregular time signature used in the second half of the original.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Tears for Fears "Mad World" and the version from the Donny Darko film that got to number one are different tempo, aren't they?

[Stumpy Pepys]

Amor de Cosmos, Rogin the Armchair fan

Tempo and time signature are not the same thing. Singing a song slowly doesn't change the time signature.