the "original" version

[azureblue]

this seems to be happening too much- went to a jam session and the guitar player called "Wrap it Up" then said "the original version by the Fabulous Thunderbirds"..... Sigh. Of course he turned a great soul song into a wank fest with not even an inkling of a groove....

File this one next to Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle".....

Doesn't anybody learn about their musical roots any more?

[coolrunner989]

No.

For example, I didn't know "Love Song" was a Cure song, I had only heard the 311 version. I'm sure there are other songs I know as originals that really aren't. It's going to happen, as time goes by and people don't want to or can't put in the time to research the history. And it's going to happen in more subjects than music too.

[p-lo]

"Play that Dead song New Minglewood Blues"

[etoncrow]

I would venture to guess that nearly every fine artist is well versed in art history. Musicians, not so much. The older you get the more apparent it is because you lived through much of that history.

[FunkMetalBass]

Your definition of "original" is obviously backwards.

Here's a list of some songs and the original artists:

Shake, Rattle, & Roll - Elvis Presley
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
Turn the Page - Metallica
Another Brick in the Wall - Korn
Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
etc.

You should check out your history. It's all here:
http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/p...oversongs.html

[coolrunner989]

There's a lot on that list that I didn't know were covers

[darkhorse9]

I do agree that too many people don't realize what songs are covers, but there's also something to be said about a cover version being the penultimate version. I'd be hard pressed to convince someone that Love Hurts by the Everly Brothers is th eway to do that song. Or that Bruce Springsteen's version of Blinded By The Light is the only way that song should be done.

The originals didn't always get it right. They were just the first to do it.

[etoncrow]

Originally Posted by darkhorse9

...The originals didn't always get it right. They were just the first to do it.

I totally agree. Anyone who does a Bob Dylan song can be reasonably assured that he/she will perform it better than Bob did/does. But the OP's original point is that as a performer you really should know something of the history of the material. I always want to know who wrote the songs I perform because I consider the writing at least as important as the various interpretations.

Another example is Elvis' "Hound Dog" (written by Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller). Big Mama Thorton did it originally and much better than Elvis. Elvis learned it from Fredy Bell and the bellboys. Big Mama also wrote and recorded "Ball'n Chain" re-released by Janis Joplin.

Listen: http://s0.ilike.com/play#Big+Mama+Th...be0bd36bd00a5c

BTW, great word "penultimate"

[Richland123]

There are quite a list of songs that people think are originals but are actually cover versions.

Here are just a few more and the original acts who recorded them first.

One - Harry Nilsson
Eli's Coming - Laura Nyro
Mustang Sally - Sir Mack Rice
Midnight Train To Georgia (originally called Midnight Plane to Houston) - Jim Weatherly
Hanky Panky - The Raindrops
Train Kept A Rollin' - Tiny Bradshaw
I Love Rock & Roll - The Arrows
Got My Mind Set On You - James Ray
Do Wah Diddy - The Exciters
Louie Louie - Richard Berry
Mama Told Me Not To Come - Eric Burdon solo and written by Randy Newman
Hang On Sloopy (originally called My Girl Sloopy) - The Vibrations
And When I Die - Laura Nyro
You Made Me So Very Happy - Brenda Holloway
You Are So Beautiful - Billy Preston
I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone - Paul Revere & The Raiders
Big 10 Inch Record - Bull Moose Jackson
Land Of 1000 Dances - Chris Kenner
Mother-In-Law - Ernie K. Doe
Jesus Is Just Alright - The Byrds
Mandy (originally called Brandy) - Scott English
A Little Bit 'O Soul - The Little Darlings
You're The One - Petula Clark
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Peggy Seeger
My Boy Lollipop - Barbie Gaye
Morning Has Broken - traditional Christian hymn with words by English author Eleanor Farjeon
The First Cut Is The Deepest - Cat Stevens
That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho) - Dusty Springfield
You've Got A Friend - Carole King
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra
One Tin Soldier - Original Caste
Silver Threads and Golden Needles - Wanda Jackson
Wild Thing - Jordan Christopher & The Wild Ones and written by Chip Taylor
Brother Louie - Hot Chocolate
Black Magic Woman - Fleetwood Mac
Seasons In The Sun - Jacques Brel
Liar - Argent
God Gave Rock & Roll To You - Argent
Winning - Russ Ballard
The Twist - Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison
I Will Follow Him (originally called Chariot) -Franck Pourcel
Me & Bobby McGee - Roger Miller and written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster

[etoncrow]

^ well done sir

[darkhorse9]

It does lend itself to an ancillary thought? What if the "original" person does a cover? Such as Layla by Eric Clapton? Or Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police. How does that fit in?

[Adam Bomb]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

Your definition of "original" is obviously backwards.

Here's a list of some songs and the original artists:

Shake, Rattle, & Roll - Elvis Presley
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
Turn the Page - Metallica
Another Brick in the Wall - Korn
Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
etc.

You should check out your history. It's all here:
http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/p...oversongs.html

LOL. See also "Twist and Shout", by the Beatles. (If someone already hit that, I missed it)

On a less high-minded note, it annoys me more than I would have expected that These Kids Today (TM) think that "99 Problems" is a Jay-Z song. I have gone into full-on Old Man Mode over that one. Complete with "Who's Ice-T?" "That guy on Law & Order!"

I am going to have "You young people don't know nothing about this" engraved on my tombstone.

--Bomb

[omnimutant]

About 1/2 of RHCP songs are covers. Metallica has quite a few as well people might be shocked about ripped from fairly unknown/defunct groups.

You should check out your history. It's all here:
http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/p...oversongs.html

Nice List!

Anyone know what the Number 1 most covered song is?

[riotorgun]

speaking of metallica it always bugs me when our singer says we play the metallica version of die die my darling last caress and green hell when their misfits songs and their basically the same just different bands no structure or time changes.

[Haysoochreesto]

Originally Posted by Adam Bomb

LOL. See also "Twist and Shout", by the Beatles. (If someone already hit that, I missed it)

On a less high-minded note, it annoys me more than I would have expected that These Kids Today (TM) think that "99 Problems" is a Jay-Z song. I have gone into full-on Old Man Mode over that one. Complete with "Who's Ice-T?" "That guy on Law & Order!"

I am going to have "You young people don't know nothing about this" engraved on my tombstone.

--Bomb

I did the same thing with Breakfast in America when it was covered rap style. Hell, with as much sampling as rap "artists" do it's almost impossible to not do the musicians version of "what the hell are you brats doing on my lawn!?" thing.

[Skeevenmac]

The number one most covered song is Yesterday by the Beatles. Followed closely, I think, with Something.

Without You, which was covered by Mariah Carey was also a coversong by Harry Nilsson. The original was by Badfinger.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by darkhorse9

It does lend itself to an ancillary thought? What if the "original" person does a cover? Such as Layla by Eric Clapton? Or Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police. How does that fit in?

I would consider that either a "remake", or, a "remix".

[Kink Rimson]

Originally Posted by Skeevenmac

Without You, which was covered by Mariah Carey was also a coversong by Harry Nilsson. The original was by Badfinger.

That's the first one I thought of. There was a documentary series on TV a while back, a history of popular music. One of the later episodes had a clip of MC singing her 'charming' version of Without You. Badfinger didn't even get a writer's credit.

Seriously, seriously underrated band.

[Skeevenmac]

They were a great band. It's pretty easy when you have Macca writing most of your stuff and the rest of the Beatles producing and such. I guess they would technically have covers too. "Come and Get It" and "No Matter What."

It seems like '67 (When Sgt Pepper came out) - '70 were an extremely exciting time musically for London.

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by Kink Rimson

Badfinger... Seriously, seriously underrated band.

Maybe so, but I remember when the rumor was afloat that "Badfinger" was actually the Beatles in disguise. Pete Ham must've loved that!

Edit: Skeevenmac beat me to the Beatles reference! Gotta be fast around here, LOL!