For this topic, when a song gets released elsewhere as a different title, but it's the same song and same artist, not a cover song.  I have two to start ...

The 1983 hit Birds Fly (Whisper to A Scream) by the British band The Icicle Works was initially a flop in the UK, peaking at #89, but after their next single Love is A Wonderful Colour peaked at UK #15, Birds Fly was re-tweaked and released in 1984 where this time, it only peaked at #51.  In 1984, the original version was released in Canada (peaking at #19) under the name The Icicle Works and the 2nd version was released in the United States (peaking at #37) under the name Icicle Works, both under the reversed title Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly).  Kind of makes you wonder if they had of reversed the title for the UK release, would it have been a Top 40 hit there?

The major difference between the two versions is the original version features a female spoken word verse in the 2nd part of the intro.  It can be heard in the video and just about every upload of the song I could find on YouTube, but if you own an American release of their original album or if you have an American release of the 45, the spoken word verse will not be there.  I have the Canadian release of the 45 and the verse is there.

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The Second Time is a hit Kim Wilde, peaking at UK #29 in 1984.  In 1985, it was released in North America under the title Go For It! where it peaked at #65 on the US Billboard Chart

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I seem to recall mentioning this one before in some other thread, but it fits well here also ...

Released in 1982, Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love) was the 2nd single recorded by the British band Tears For Fears and produced by Mike Howlett.  The song was initially a flop, but when the band became known in their native country after their 3rd single Mad World and 4th single Change both reached the UK Top 5, Pale Shelter was re-recorded with production by longtime T4F producers Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum and released without the bracketed portion of the title and it peaked at UK#5 in 1983

While it was never released in the US, the original Mike Howlett version was released in Canada where it peaked at #12.  To this day, I am still not sure why we got that version or why the song (in any version) was not released in the US.  It's such a fantastic song and I feel it would have done well on the Billboard chart

Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love) (1982)
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Pale Shelter (1983)
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Can Elton John's "Candle In The Wind" be included here?

"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody with music and lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honor of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. In 1997, John performed a rewritten version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" is a new recording of "Candle in the Wind", with new lyrics, written and recorded as a tribute to Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. Released in September 1997, the song peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming John's fourth No. 1 single. It also peaked at No. 1 in several other countries. This version was produced by George Martin.

BTW, on the day of Diana Spencer funeral I was in Regent's Park about one mile away from the Abbey Road Studios at the time when Elton John made the new recording of the song. If I had known, I would had waited outside for his arrival.

Can Elton John's "Candle In The Wind" be included here?


That one is kind of a gray area because the lyrics were changed, but it still basically the same song, just directed towards someone else, so why not
The Tears For Fears one I included was also re-recorded

That one is kind of a gray area because the lyrics were changed, but it still basically the same song, just directed towards someone else, so why not
The Tears For Fears one I included was also re-recorded
Tears For Fears?

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" in 1985, and "Everybody Wants to Run the World" a re-recording of the band's song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". The reworked single was released in 1986 as the theme song for the Sport Aid campaign, a charitable event held to raise money for famine relief in Africa.

"Morning Train (9 to 5)" by Sheena Easton might also qualify.