Where I do perform other people's material, I tend to do it "my way." Various of Richard Thompson's, singer/songwriter stuff, acoustic versions of rock numbers with decent lyrics etc. Where these songs are trad, they then become my version, I suppose, even if I learned it from someone's recording.

However, there are some trad. numbers you just have to do as they were originally performed, or as close as a mere mortal can get - Martin Simpson's John Hardy, Nic Jones' Canadee-i-o (wish I could do either justice!) which I'll tend to perform for my own pleasure, crediting the arrangement of course.

Mind you, I don't record (or make any money).