Sometimes It Needs To Be Live, Not Memorex

Gold City’s version of “Greatest Of All Miracles” from Double Take came up on iTunes recently.  This is the definitive version of the song, though it was previously recorded on 1983′s I Think I’ll Read It Again.  When I began to think about the fact that the later, live version was by far the better version (though the original is good as well), I came up with some others that fit the same criteria:

• Gold City: “Oh What A Day” – Originally recorded on Portrait, this song was basically album filler.  With its subsequent release as a live cut on Indiana Live, the song sounds brand new, and a great live mid-tempo cut.  Ivan Parker sings the fire out of the second verse on the live version, and Brian Free’s tenor lead on the key change is spectacular.  The live cut is much better.
• Statesmen: “Get Away Jordan” – The studio version of this song, on the Skylite album by the same name, is paced much slower.  The live version, on On Stage, has gone down as one of the greatest cuts in SG history.  Nothing more to be said here.
• Collingsworth Family: “I Can Trust Jesus” – The studio version of this song is found on We Still Believe.  On the group’s live album from last year, Your Ticket To Music Hall, the song is performed live, and comes across much more powerfully, especially with an acappella encore of the chorus with Kim coming in with light piano accompaniment.  The live version takes a good song and makes it a great song.

Can you readers come up with other songs that had been released on a studio album, but their subsequent release on a live album far outshines the original studio cut?