Inspired by a propitious confluence of a long discussion about cover versions we didn’t know where covers and a generous correspondent whom we’ll know as RH e-mailing me a bunch of rare originals of better known covers, we are now at the cusp of what will be a longish series. Any Major Notebook now includes two pages worth of almost 100 shortlisted songs that in their original form are lesser known than later versions. In some cases that reputation is entirely subjective. There will be people who think that the version of Lady Marmalade perpetrated by Christina Aguilera and pals was the original. But people of my generation will long have been familiar with LaBelle’s 1970s recording. Until a day ago, I thought that was the original, but RH has disabused me of my error. The real original of Lady Marmalade will feature later in this series. In a very few cases, I will not present the original, but the earliest version available (I will note these instances accordingly). And we’ll kick-off with a heavy-duty dose of 10 originals. Tell me which songs you were surprised to learn are in fact covers, and let me know whether you prefer the originals or later versions.
Leon Russell - This Masquerade.mp3
Carpenters - This Masquerade.mp3
It makes sense to start this series with the Carpenters, who made it a virtue of picking up relatively obscure songs, and re-arrange and appropriate them. Think of (They Long To Be) Close To You, which despite legions of compet...Randy & the Rainbows - Denise.mp3
Blondie - Denis.mp3
Here’s one I didn’t know until a few days ago: Blondie’s 1977 burst of pop-punk was in fact a cover of a 1963 hit. For Randy & the Rainbows, Denise represented...Bing Crosby - Try A Little Tenderness.mp3
Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness.mp3
My kind friend RH, who helped inspire this series, has made me aware of many originals that have surprised me. It was not news to me, however, that Try A Little Tenderness was in fact an old 1930s standard, ...The Arrows - I Love Rock 'n' Roll.mp3
Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'n' Roll.mp3
The Arrows were a short-lived English band on the RAK label, which also gave us the likes of Smokie, Hot Chocolate and Racey, and so were produced by the semi-genius of '70s pop, Mickey Most. After two hits – though not this song – and starring in a couple of brief TV series on British TV, they disappeared. Joan Jett also seemed to disappear after...Everly Brothers - Crying In The Rain.mp3
Cotton, Lloyd & Christian - Crying In The Rain.mp3
A-ha - Crying In The Rain.mp3
Before she was all dreamy and barefooted hippie cat lover, Carole King was a songwriter in the legendary Brill Building. One of the many hits she churned out was Crying In The Rain, with which the Everly Brothers scored a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1961. It was periodically revived on the country circuit, but is best known to many as...Liza Minnelli - New York, New York.mp3
Frank Sinatra - New York New York.mp3
The Theme from New York, New York has so much become a Sinatra cliché, it is often forgotten that it came from a rather long and boring Scoresese film with Minnelli and Robert de Niro. In the film, Minelli’s version is a source of some melancholy viewing; Sinatra’s 1979 take, recorded...Four Seasons - Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye).mp3
Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby.mp3
The Four Seasons will be occasional visitors in this series. At least those people who grew up in the 1970s will be more familiar with cover versions than the Four Seasons originals. Bye Bye Baby was written by band member Bob Gaudio and producer Bob Crewe, making it to #12 in the US charts. A decade later...Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman.mp3
Santana - Back Magic Woman.mp3
From Fleetwood Mac's 1968 debut album, Black magic Woman is "three minutes of sustain/reverb guitar with two exquisite solos from Peter [Green]," according to Mick Fleetwood. Carlos Santana covered it on 1970's Abraxas album and retained...
Scott English - Brandy.mp3
Barry Manilow - Mandy.mp3
Although he is a talented songwriter, Barry Manilow is a bit like the Carpenters: he appropriated other people's songs by force of arrangement (and, obviously, commercial success) – including a Carpenters song, which will feature in this series. If we need proof of how much Bazza owned the songs he didn't write...Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.mp3
Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.mp3
The first time ever you heard this song probably was by Roberta Flack, whose performance on her 1969 debut album was barely noticed until it was included in Clint Eastwood's 1971 film Play Misty For Me. Those who dig deeper will know ....
9 comments:
I would argue that the Fleetwood Mac version is better than Santana's but then I am a Peter Green nut. I think you are wrong about the drug induced vibe - Green was very clean living at that point. The song is actually about his girlfriend Sandra Elsdon who refused to sleep with him - hence the lines "don't turn your back on me baby, you might just pick up my magic stick". To quote Elsdon - the stick he refers to is his cock.
Santana added a softer edge to it and Rolie's vocal is less bluesy than Green's. Carlos practically lifted Green's solo note for note - he had a massive amount of respect for the Green god.
Hi
I think that the first version you hear cuts a groove in your head by which you always compare the next version. Depending on your age you may have heard many of the originals and smile when you hear a new version. Until Joe Cocker I didn't think anyone could beat an original. I think that the Santana version is so different as to almost be regarded as a new song. I like them both, and I too am a Pete Green fan. I look forward to more of the series. I am sure we will see Pearl Jam, Rite?
I remember the time I found out that Hello Hooray was actually Alice Cooper covering Rolf Kempf.
This was lots of fun. I had no idea about "Try a Little Tenderness". I had heard of "Brandy", buit never actually heard it.
Have you ever heard the version of "New York Groove" by Hello vs Ace Frehley. Ace's is an almost exact copy!
More please!
Great post! I, too, had heard about "Brandy" but had never heard it. Roberta's "First Time" is a time and place song for me . . . a movie date with a sweet young lady. Thanks!
Ah, AMD, how can you conclude that A-ha's version of "Crying In The Rain" inches ahead of The Everly Brothers' ? Even should my eyes deceive me, reading this, my ears tell a different story!
Well, it's something like what lemonflag said above: the first version you hear cuts the groove. And A-ha's version was the first I heard.
Talking of lemonflag, he's got a great story about meeting John Lennon once on his blog (which requires resumption).
Yes. I concur.
Great story about Beatle John, too.
"Black magic woman" was not on Fleetwood Mac's debut album. It came out after that, it was a single from 1968 (I still have it: picture sleeve with a b/w photo of the four piece line-up with a yellow edge, 7" has an orange CBS label with "a Blue Horizon Production"). B-side "The sun is shining", CBS 57-3138.
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