Thursday Thirteen #44: Original Versions of Songs That Later Were U.S. Pop Crossover Hits For Others

Thirteen Original Versions of Songs That Later Were U.S. Pop Crossover Hits For Others

One thing I love about music is the opportunity for discovery. A prime example is learning that what I thought was an original song isn't one. Below are the original versions of songs that later became U.S. hits for other artists.


1. Bette Davis Eyes by Jackie DeShannon- Co-written in 1974 by Ms. DeShannon and recorded by her in a somewhat honky tonk style the same year, this tune was a massive hit for Kim Carnes in 1981 (spending 9 weeks at #1).














2. Brother Louie by Hot Chocolate: This song about interracial love was a UK hit in 1973 for Hot Chocolate. However, the cover by the one-hit wonder band Stories later that year went all the way to #1 in America. The main difference between the two versions is that the original has a spoken word interlude by British blues musician Alexis Korner.













3. Everytime You Go Away by Hall & Oates: Written by Daryl Hall, this song first appeared on the duo's 1980 LP "Voices". Five years later British soul singer Paul Young took the song all the way to #1 in the U.S.












4. Good Lovin' by The Olympics- First recorded in 1965 by The Olympics (best known for their 1958 hit "Western Movies"), the Young Rascals had their first of three #1 pop hits when they remade the tune the following year.















5. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On by Cherrelle- My first exposure to this tune was when Cherrelle had a top 10 R&B hit with it in 1984. The following year, Robert Palmer had a #2 pop hit with his remake (complete with an accompanying video featuring more of the eye candy that we saw in the clip for "Addicted To Love").

















6. I Feel For You by Prince- When Chaka Khan... Chaka Khan recorded her version (which hit #3 on the pop chart in 1984), I learned (courtesy of Casey Kasem) that Prince penned the tune. However, it wasn't until I purchased Prince's collection "The Hits/The B-sides" that I heard his version (which he recorded in 1979).

















7. I Love Rock and Roll by The Arrows- This British trio recorded the original version of the tune in 1975. Six years later, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' faithful remake became their biggest hit (spending 7 weeks at the top).












8. Kitty by Racey- If you are asking yourself, "what the hell is Kitty?", that's understandable. First recorded by the British group Racey in 1979, it was covered by Toni Basil (under the title "Mickey") later that year. Until I learned that the original version was by a male group, I always wondered about the line in the song "Any way you wanna do it/I'll take it like a man." Although Toni recorded "Mickey" in 1979, it didn't become a #1 hit and an anthem for cheerleaders everywhere until 1982.













9. Louie, Louie by Richard Berry- First recorded in 1957 as a Jamaican-style mid tempo number by Berry (who wrote the tune two years earlier), the song tells the story of a sailor returning to the island to see his lady. Although the song has been recorded countless times, the best known rendition is the frat rock remake by The Kingsmen (who took it to #2 on the pop chart in 1963).
















10. Nobody But Me by The Isley Brothers- I didn't discover the original version of this tune (written and recorded by The Isleys in 1963) until a few years ago. It quickly became one of my all-time favorite songs. In late 1967, the Human Beinz totally remade it (complete with then current dances to reflect the 4 year span between their version and the original). Their version reached #8 on the pop chart in 1968.















11. Tainted Love by Gloria Jones- In 1981, synth pop duo Soft Cell hit #8 with one of the songs that helped define the decade of Reaganomics and Rubik's Cube. However, the original version was recorded in an uptempo style by soul singer Gloria Jones 17 years earlier. She later became both a backup vocalist and girlfriend of glam rock star Marc Bolan.

















12. That's What Friends Are For by Rod Stewart- In 1985, Dionne Warwick and Friends (Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder) took this song to #1 on the pop chart. I didn't realize that theirs was a remake until I heard Rod's original version over the closing credits of the 1982 comedy "Night Shift" (starring Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton, and Shelley Long).















13. You're the One by Petula Clark- In 1965, Clark (who also co-wrote it) had a minor U.K. hit with her version. That same year, the vocal quartet The Vogues recorded the song and hit #4 on the U.S. charts.















Feel free to comment on these or any other original versions/remakes of songs that you know.


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