Hit songs that are actually covers (that nobody knows are covers)

[ChrisBcritter]

A favorite of mine - Al Kooper had intended "This Diamond Ring" as a soul number and (except for the money) wasn't too crazy about what Gary Lewis and the Playboys did with it. Sammy Ambrose did a soul version but Jimmy Radcliffe did it first:

[ChrisBcritter]

And while we're at it, "Twist and Shout" sounded way different in its original version as well (The Top Notes, 1961):

Produced by Phil Spector, of all people. The songwriters weren't crazy about this version and were eager for the Isley Brothers to do a better job...

[southpier]

for anyone seriously interested in this subject, there's a fantastic radio show on W-RIU Radio every friday morning from 6:00 - 10:00 dj'd by Carl Eggert aka "the Egg Man". he "plays those tunes that have fallen through the cracks" and fills in with all sorts of trivia. been doing it for about 20 years. he's got a facebook page which posts the playlists later in the day.

check it out: http://wriu.org/listen.php

just click 'listen on line' over on the right.

you'll be glad you did; seriously.

[Harry P.]

And while we're at it, "Twist and Shout" sounded way different in its original version as well (The Top Notes, 1961):

Produced by Phil Spector, of all people. The songwriters weren't crazy about this version and were eager for the Isley Brothers to do a better job...

The Beatles' version is my favorite.

[slantasaurus]

With the passing of BB King I thought I'd post this song. Recorded by BB and Eric Clapton you would think it was written for BB but the original is actually about Elvis and written and recorded by John Hiatt.

Here is the version you probably know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJK78Y3zoQk

Here is the John Hiatt version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njdPbIZvONg

[landman]

R.I.P. Riley B. King. You were the greatest.

[jwrass]

Joe,

Thanks for the information! Just checked it out.... AWESOME!!!!

[Craig Irwin]

I had to resurrect this one when I heard this from 1964. Yes, 1964. 

And this one too!

[jbwelda]

blondie: the tide is high.

jb

 

[Zarana-X]

blondie: the tide is high.

jb

 

I was just coming here for that:
 

Joan Jett had a hit with this:
 

Madness owes their sound and name to Prince Buster:

 

 

Here's a song made famous by Motley Crue:

 

Edited August 5, 2015 by Zarana-X
no new posts, so just stuck new stuff to this.

[Harry P.]

"Tainted Love" is a song from the '60s?

And I never knew that Blondie's "The Tide is High" was a cover!

Wow, I had no idea. Pretty cool!

[Snake45]

Zarana, my friend, you're wrong--"Smokin' in the Boys' Room" was made famous by Brownsville Station. I think it was their only "radio play" hit, though they did at least two albums of pretty darn good music, including a cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane."

[slantasaurus]

Zarana, my friend, you're wrong--"Smokin' in the Boys' Room" was made famous by Brownsville Station. I think it was their only "radio play" hit, though they did at least two albums of pretty darn good music, including a cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane."

Not their only hit, don't forget Martian Boogie !!!

 

[Zarana-X]

I'd heard it in the Ramones movie, "Rock and Roll High School", and then Motley Crue did a cover a few years later. I was a kid at the time 

 

 

[jbwelda]

a lot of Blondies material was, if not straight covers, at least highly inspired by others songs. one good example is the song Rapture...the rap lyrics were stolen pretty much directly from the originator of the American rap style, Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc, who they befriended and then more or less ripped off.

 

the second wave/two tone ska movement of the eighties would not have happened without Prince Buster. not only was Madness named after one of his songs, but the (English) Beat and particularly the Specials AKA relied heavily on his songs, in spirit as well as actually covering them.

 

never a hit but the rolling stones "Too Rude" was a cover of reggae artist Half Pint's song Winsome. he was credited and paid well by the stones, something that often does not happen.

 

no comparison actually, the original smokes the cover:

 

keef actually does a better version with xpensive winos, the man has consistently shown a deep love for reggae music:

 

 

jb

 

 

[GrumpyGrowly]

a lot of Blondies material was, if not straight covers, at least highly inspired by others songs. one good example is the song Rapture...the rap lyrics were stolen pretty much directly from the originator of the American rap style, Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc, who they befriended and then more or less ripped off.

 

the second wave/two tone ska movement of the eighties would not have happened without Prince Buster. not only was Madness named after one of his songs, but the (English) Beat and particularly the Specials AKA relied heavily on his songs, in spirit as well as actually covering them                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Wake the town and tell the people, 'bout this musical Knowledge coming your way!   

YES as an Eighties Ska bassist, Prince buster was the sound I tried for.

Jonathan

JB we know that the Q is relative, A hit to WHO or on what countries chart ( that, which populous didn't know were covers)  WE could play -Hit Jamaican songs that are actually covers (that nobody knows are covers)

And yes  Sir Paul did a cover in 85 I think

 

Edited August 13, 2015 by GrumpyGrowly

[Harry P.]

Ok, this is a cover that came out before the original came out!

Huge hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton...

…but it was actually written by the brothers Gibb (aka the Bee Gees). They didn't record it until many years later...

 

[lysleder]

This one too then, is a cover that was covered before there was an original.

Katrina and the waves wrote the song, then let the Bangles record and release it before doing so themselves a few years later.

And yes, that is the late Leonard Nimoy in the Bangles video.

 

 

[Harry P.]

Here's an interesting one.

Most of us think that "Dazed and Confused' is a Led Zeppelin song.

Not so! It was actually written and recorded in 1967 by a little-known artist named Jake Holmes on his debut album. This is the original "Dazed and Confused"...

Well, interestingly enough, Jake Holmes was the opening act on a Yardbirds tour, where the Yardbirds (including then-member Jimmy Page) obviously heard the song. They reshuffled it a bit and did their own version, with Jimmy Page's influence. Check out the very young Mr. Page on lead guitar in the puffy shirt!

And finally, with a reworked arrangement and different lyrics, it appeared on the first Zeppelin album with absolutely no credit or mention of Jake Holmes, and is the version all of us thought was a Led Zep original!

 

[jbwelda]

they were (and are) accused of ripping off the intro to stairway to heaven from the band Spirit, too

 

jb

 

[Harry P.]

They ripped off a lot of songs and gave no credit on their albums. All you have to do is go on youtube and type in "Led Zeppelin plagiarism." It's amazing how many songs we think of as "theirs" are actually slightly reworked versions of other people's songs, including "Whole Lotta Love," which "borrowed" heavily from Muddy Waters' "You Need Love." And it's obvious that the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" is basically the Spirit song "Taurus."

In fact, there have been lawsuits filed over Zeppelin's plagiarism... most settled out of court.

[Harry P.]

Speaking of ripoffs, doesn't this Jethro Tull song sound a lot like the later song "Hotel California?"

[Snake45]

Now that's interesting!

[Greg Myers]

Most of the first seven Rolling Stones Album songs were covers.

[Greg Myers]

http://www.hmsfriday.com/2011/04/24/top-10-best-covers-of-louie-louie/    Most played "Garage Band Hit " ever, covered by many.