Following what Acorn4 says, I think that "covers" were more disdainful in the fifties and early sixties - they were "bargain record" recordings of songs made popular by others, and they were truly worthy of disdain. When my dad bought our first stereo in about 1962-63, he bought five LP records that we played over and over again. They were the eponymous Peter, Paul and Mary album, The Sound of Music performed by the Trapp Family Singers, the soundtrack to To Kill a Mockingbird, and "cover" recordings of South Pacific and My Fair Lady. The "cover" recordings sounded like elevator music. I suppose you could call the Trapp Family record a "cover," but it was terrific.

-Joe-