Songs You (Probably) Didn't Know Were Covers archived

This one may be somewhat obscure, but I used to love Big Black's Songs about *****ing album. I only found out recently that this song was originally done by Cheap Trick.

You can't call this the source of a cover version, and I probably posted it somewhere before, but I can't resist whenever Led Zeppelin's borrowings are brought up, since it often surprises listeners. Give it about 45 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E&sns=em

Speaking of Paul Young, as arnomation did, I always thought it sucked he abandoned his own writing to become a cover artist. I now find out that this was a completely false belief, as his first album had only two original compositions, fewer than his second. And that great, kinda rockin' first hit, Come Back and Stay, was not his song at all. It was written and released by Nerves frontman Jack Lee in 1981 after The Nerves fell apart. Hey, maybe I should have bought Young's album! What a difference the internet makes. So that makes their second song that became a hit for other artists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxL6o1zL8sM

I like posting obvious 80s covers for the young folks who never have heard of these ancient acts, or the three people who didn't realize this song was a cover. Here's then 15 yo Anabella Lwin with Malcolm McLaren's commercial for his fashion line..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_crXC-rFG9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXsdbvVi3WQ

And thanks to the net, I learned that The Strangeloves were actually the Brooklyn writing trio that brought us "My Boyfriend's Back" cashing in on the British Invasion by aping Bo Diddley. Their odd story is beneath the video.

Day, thanks for tracing the whole "Southern Man" thing. I had never heard Warren's answer to "Sweet Home Alabama." And I thought it explained the source of Kid Rock's 2008 "Werewolves of London/Sweet Home Alabama" mashup "All Summer Long." I had thought that both Sweet Home Alabama was rooted in hatred towards Neil Young, and figured Michigan Redneck Kid Rock was adding his own response to Zevon. But it seems everyone was a big fan of the artist they answered, Skynyrd were huge Neil Young fans, and Rock considers Zevon an influence. So I think I credited Rock with too much intelligence, and he just needed a catchy hit.

On a similar note, here's a fun list from Cracked. Before you scoff at its source, they actually do a great job with lists like this. Caution, naughty language..

http://www.cracked.com/article_18500_the-5-most-famous-musicians-who-are-thieving-bastards.html

This is a curious one because it was originally done by French artist Veronique Sansone in 1972 and subsequently covered by Kiki Dee in English and charted in the UK... then singer/songwriter Patti Dahlstrom did a version in which she used the song but completely re-wrote the lyrics which became a Top 40 hit called "Emotion" for Helen Reddy

Amoreuse - Veronique Sansone
http://youtu.be/-MKDcsk_Ab4


Emotion - Helen Reddy
http://youtu.be/6wfMxCrRalg

Here's another Russ Ballard (Argent) song everyone associates with Ace Frehley of KISS

New York Groove - Hello
http://youtu.be/Zox2qo-wzb0

Stevie before Aretha (hat tip to WBGO):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyiEr8PXuvw&sns=em

That's an interesting one, sort of along the lines of the Jeff Healey "Angel Eyes" song because although it was co-written and recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, it wasn't released until 1977.. Aretha's version was the first recording that was released

If a track's laid down in the woods, but no one is around to ...

Then again, had Motown released the original in 1967, we all would have known Aretha's was a cover.

Here's another interesting original which was rewritten in English as "Mack the Knife" and became a number one hit for Bobby Darrin in 1959


Kurt Weill - 'Die Moritat von Mackie Messer' from the 'Threepenny opera' sung by Bertolt Brecht.
http://youtu.be/_QXJ3OXWaOY

Is this one too obvious for this thread?

Tom Waits - Jersey Girl
http://youtu.be/j-ROB8kI_fw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gXSJ8LGwrM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcze7EGorOk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXYPb0rrwbA

dk50b,
Yes, agree that all the bands in the "Southern Man" chain are, somewhat surprisingly, big fans of the songs they're responding to. The DBT's seem to take particular delight in amping up Zevon's Play it All Night Long, adding their own verse at the end (presumably a shot at Zevon):

And I've been around the world
And it ain't that pretty at all
So I'm gonna throw myself against the wall
I'm gonna hurl myself against the wall

'Cause I'd rather feel bad, I'd rather feel bad
I'd rather bad than not feel anything at all

Thanks for the Cracked link. I wasn't surprised to see Zeppelin leading the list. It's hard when the heroes of your youth turn out have a serious "borrowing" problem. The Zep entry could have also included You Need Love by Muddy Waters, clearly the the "inspiration" for Whole Lotta Love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPpwaVkVGF4

A couple of Beatles curiosities... George Harrison gave "Something" to Joe Cocker and he was actually the to first recorded it but it wasn't released until after the Beatles released their version and Let it Be was actually first released by Aretha Franklin


Joe Cocker - Something
http://youtu.be/-RdjAwQWF6w


Aretha Franklin - Let It Be
http://youtu.be/w09Jcjj_QOI

I could have sworn this one was already posted to this thread but I just looked through and didn't see it. so apologies if It's a duplicate. It was a huge hit for the Carpenters and there was a version with Rita Coolidge on lead vocals released on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen before Karen took a shot at it but the original from 1969 was actually released as a B-Side

Delaney & Bonnie - Groupie (Superstar)
http://youtu.be/Gz1ftiiPpyo

arnomation said:

I could have sworn this one was already posted to this thread but I just looked through and didn't see it. so apologies if It's a duplicate.

Long ago and, oh, so far away. It was well disguised.

DaveSchmidt said:

This one came up in an earlier thread, but worth a mention here, too.

I thought I saw it somewhere...

Not sure if this one is well known or not... It was a big hit for the band Wet, Wet, Wet and was featured in the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in 1994 but was originally done by the Troggs in 1967


Love Is All Around - The Troggs
http://youtu.be/m_HnBac5jWs

Billy Joe Royal, before a current nominee to the Rock and Roll HOF:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoJP65nAMGA&sns=em

Not sure if this was a big enough hit for The Band so maybe folks don't know either version...

Don't Do It - Marvin Gaye (1964)
http://youtu.be/mIEYnAtnCkQ


Don't Do It - The Band (1972)
http://youtu.be/XNVFu7c3yMU

Carl Carlton scored a Top 10 in the Seventies with the version everybody knows but Robert Knight recorded it first in the mid-Sixties

Robert Knight - Everlasting Love (1967)
http://youtu.be/HnYxZiYFeIc

One song, five artists..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo0TqgAgIxI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opMAr7awDJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2UsVvwhK9M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCkg2pWmAw

? and the Mysterians usually thought of as the first to record, but it was actually written for The Toys in 1966. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons also had a version that year. Myterians released theirs in '67.

Woo hoo hooooooo! I'll be joining this Magic Bus very shortly, as you have missed quite a few originals here. You guys think yours so cool? You just wait.

(Sorry I've been out of touch, by the way, personal tragedy recently among other miscellaneous dookie)

Let me add a brilliant book I just finished recently to the mix, as well -

The Record Men: The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Rock & Roll (Enterprise) Paperback – October 17, 2005
by Rich Cohen (Author) - This one will either blow your mind or just have you nodding your head.

My absolute favorite one of these, if I can make the links work:

Frank Black (of the Pixies) "Hang on to your Ego" is, of all things, a Beach Boys cover.

Don't even get me started on covers that are better than the originals, but here is one for a starter -

http://youtu.be/XQLdztuMd1g

By the way, someone said you could have a whole blues thread, and this may be true.

http://youtu.be/byZXD-AHg3g

And all this time you thought this was The Rivieras song...

Joe Jones - California Sun (1961)
http://youtu.be/s5PbPKQonoU

Surprised this one hasn't been posted yet

Before Skynyrd

J.J. Cale - Call Me The Breeze
http://youtu.be/j0WUfUUQT28

This was a hit for the band Sixpence None The Richer in the late 90's but was actually done by the La's a decade earlier

There She Goes - The La's
http://youtu.be/xX9TDQcCyVE

This might be a bit too obvious, but it's always nice to hear the original of this one -

http://youtu.be/4glzb5lVnzA

Kelly Gordon - He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)
http://youtu.be/SlvifsYSafc