If you find this as interesting as I do head on over to Any Major Dude's site where he has done a great series that explores the origins of many songs which we take for granted that the defacto versions are the original version when in fact they were one version in a long line of previous version. His song swarm series looks at one song and gathers as many versions of that song as possible.
There are a couple of songs here that I did not have the original but did have the first charting version so I provided a link to the YouTube video of the original.)
Track by Track
01 Richard Berry & The Pharoahs - Louie Louie (1955)
Definitive version: The Kingsmen (1963) One of the most covered songs ever (I have almost 50 and that is a small fraction of what's out there). The Kingsman version is notable not only for being the most recognizable but also for how it was recorded. Recorded for $50 in a small studio in one take along with the B side - also only one take. The vocalist had to scream into a microphone hung above the band which rendered his vocal nearly unintelligible leading many to assume the lyrics were dirty. This prompted an FBI investigation into the matter. Weirdly, most missed the actual expletive yelled by the drummer about a minute into the song after dropping a drumstick.
02 Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog (1953)
Difinitive version: Elvis Presley (1956) The first of several Elvis related songs included here. Written by Leiber and Stoller, Thorton's version spent 14 weeks on the R&B charts with seven weeks at number one and was listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" but for some reason everyone only remembers Elvis' version
03 Bessie Banks - Go Now (1964)
Definitive version: The Moody Blues (1964) While I was more familiar with the version on Wings Over America I later found out about Denny Laine's tenure with the Moody Blues who had a hit with this song before he left that band. The Moody's version was released in the UK ten months after Bessie's version and two months later in the US where it peaked in the charts at #10.
04 Arthur Alexander - Anna (Go to Him) (1962)
Definitive version: The Beatles (1963) supposedly a favorite of John Lennon's the song was a regular in The Beatles live sets and appears on their first album.
05 Mark James - Suspicious Minds (1968)
Definitive version: Elvis Presley (1969) Written by Mark James, his version failed to chart. The song was given to Elvis which became his last #1 single.
06 Johnny Burnette - The Train Kept A Rollin (1956)
Definitive version(s): The Yardbirds (1965), Aerosmith (1974) First recorded by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951 the original, with lyrics borrowed from an earlier song, done in the jump blues style but it was Burnette's version that inspired The Yardbirds who inspired everyone else after.
07 Betty Everett - You're No Good (1963)
Definitive version: Linda Ronstadt (1975) Dee Dee Warwick, the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and the first cousin of Whitney Houston, cut the song a few months before Betty Everett in 1963 but it was Everett's cover that was the first to chart. The Swinging Blue Jeans version hit the charts the following year. Linda Ronstadt started performing the song in 1972 and recorded her version in 1975 which hit the #1 spot.
08 Leadbelly - Gallows Pole (The Gallis Pole) (1939)
Definitive version: Led Zeppelin (1970) This song has a long history going back before the advent of recording technology. Originating in Holland it exists in many forms as a traditional folk song. This Leadbelly version is the first known recorded version. It has been recorded many times since then by a variety of artist including Bob Dylan and Judy Collins. The content of the song differs according to what version the artist was familiar with. Led Zeppelin was inspired by the version by American Fred Gerlach, included on his 1962 album Twelve-String Guitar for Folkways Records. Zep credited the song as Traditional: Arranged by Page and Plant.
09 Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats - Rocket 88
Definitive version: Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm I kind of cheated on this one. Rocket 88 is considered to be one of, if not the first, Rock and Roll songs and features what is believed to be the first recorded instance of "fuzz" or distorted guitar and it's a song about a car. It was originally released by Chess Records under the name of Ike's sax player as Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats.
10 Mort Shuman - Viva Las Vegas (1963)
Definitive version: Elvis Presley (1964) Another slight cheat. Elvis recorded the first and definitive version of this song but this is the songwriter's demo that Elvis' producers used to make their arrangements from. Elvis' version was recorded shortly after this demo but was not released until the following year in conjunction of the movie release.
11 Irma Thomas - Time Is On My Side (1964)
Definitive version: The Rolling Stones (1964) Written by Jerry Ragovoy (using the pseudonym "Norman Meade") it was first recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his Orchestra in 1963 but that version only had the lines "Time is on my side" and "You'll come runnin' back". Irma's version was the first to include the full lyrics written by Songwriter Jimmy Norman for her just before Irma recorded her version which served as the template for the Stones version..
12 Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - That's All Right (1947)
Definitive version: Elvis Presley (1954) Presley's first single for Sun Records reaching #4 on the local Memphis charts but failed to chart nationally. Eventhough Crudup was credited as the composer he reportedly never received any royalty payments.
13 Earl Jean - I'm Into Something Good (1964)
Definitive version: Herman's Hermits (1964) Written by the songwriting team of Goffin & King, Earl Jean's version peaked at # 38, Herman's Hermits version hit #1 in the UK and #13 in the US.
14 Lou Johnson - (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me (1964)
Definitive version: Naked Eyes (1983) Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David this was one of the few Bacharach songs where Burt had no role in the production of the definitive version.
15 Lavern Baker - Jim Dandy (1956)
Definitive version: Black Oak Arkansas w/ Ruby Starr (1973) Whether or not you can consider Black Oak Arkansas' version definitive is debatable but it was the first version I heard. The cover seemed natural for B.O.A. as their lead singer had been using the stage name Jim Dandy for some time.
16 Dennis Linde - Burning Love (1972)
Definitive version: Elvis Presley (1972) The first recorded version is actually by Arthur Alexander who is featured here with Anna (Go to Him) but this is the original songwriter's demo that both Alexander's and Presley's were modeled after. Linde also played the guitar opening and riffs on the Presley version.
17 Jake Holmes - Dazed and confused
Definitive version: Led Zeppelin (1969) This one kind of hurts. Jimmy Page has a reputation for not giving credit to the original writer's of many of their songs. While one could argue in most cases that Zep's versions are more reworkings and sound little like the originals That does not hold up for Dazed and Confused. On the 1967 Yardbirds tour, they shared the bill with Jake Holmes. After hearing Holmes perform the song, drummer Jim Mcarty encouraged the band to add the song to the Yardbird's set. The song quickly became a jamming vehicle with Page experimenting with the violin bow. With the crash of the Yardbirds and the rising of Led Zep from the ashes Page and crew continued to play the song live. When Page recorded the song (albeit with altered lyrics) for the first Zep album Jake's name was nowhere to be found. Holmes sued but not until 2010. The suit was dismissed after Page and Holmes reached a settlement afterwhich remastered versions of the song are credited as "By Page – Inspired by Jake Holmes".
18 The "5" Royales - Dedicated to the One I Love (1957)
Definitive version: The Mamas and The Papas (1967) The Royals' original release failed to chart but reached #81 on re-release in 1961. The Shirells cover hit #83 in 1957 and #3 in 1961. The Mamas & The Papas recorded the song for their The Mamas & The Papas Deliver and released as a single which reached #2.
19 Helen Kane - I Wanna be Loved by You (1929)
Definitive version: Marilyn Monroe (1959) Written by Herbert Stothart and Harry Ruby, with lyrics by Bert Kalmar for the 1928 musical Good Boy, it became Helen Kane's signature song. Helen had based her vocal style on "Baby" Esther Jones. Kane had seen Esther perform at The Cotton Club in Harlem some years earlier. Kane was also one of the inspirations for the cartoon character Betty Boop who also performed the song. And of course, my favorite version is by Ginger Grant of Gilligan's Island fame.
20 Harry Champion - I'm Henery The Eighth (1910)
Definitive version: Herman's Hermits (1965) Written by Fred Murray and R. P. Weston it became a signature song of Brittish music hall performer Harry Champion. It was revived in 1961 by Joe Brown before being recorded by Herman's Hermits and becoming their second UK #1.
The cover illustration drawn by one of my favorite comic book artists Donald Simpson comes from the cover of the anthology comic Wasteland
No comments:
Post a Comment