I have a similar story. Once upon a time when driving in my car with my then girlfreind (when I still had a bias against Joni Mitchell) Joni’s This Flight Tonight came on the radio. I said “I didn’t know Joni Mitchell covered Nazareth!”.
The wife still won’t let me live it down.
I have since learned that Joni is the shit.
this. i was blown away when i found that out
* "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" - A folk song by Anne Bredon, this was originally credited as "traditional, arranged by Jimmy Page," then "words and music by Jimmy Page," and then, following legal action, "Bredon/Page/Plant."
* "Black Mountain Side" - uncredited version of a traditional folk tune previously recorded by Bert Jansch.
* "Bring It On Home" - the first section is an uncredited cover of the Willie Dixon tune (as performed by the imposter Sonny Boy Williamson).
* "Communication Breakdown" - apparently derived from Eddie Cochran's "Nervous Breakdown."
* "Custard Pie" - uncredited cover of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down," with lyrics from Sleepy John Estes's "Drop Down Daddy."
* "Dazed And Confused" - uncredited cover of the Jake Holmes song (see The Above Ground Sound Of Jake Holmes).
* "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" - uncredited version of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down."
* "How Many More Times" - Part one is an uncredited cover of the Howlin' Wolf song (available on numerous compilations). Part two is an uncredited cover of Albert King's "The Hunter."
* "In My Time Of Dying" - uncredited cover of the traditional song (as heard on Bob Dylan's debut).
* "The Lemon Song" - uncredited cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" - Wolf's publisher sued Zeppelin in the early 70s and settled out of court.
* "Moby Dick" - written and first recorded by Sleepy John Estes under the title "The Girl I Love," and later covered by Bobby Parker.
* "Nobody's Fault But Mine" - uncredited cover of the Blind Willie Johnson blues.
* "Since I've Been Lovin' You" - lyrics are the same as Moby Grape's "Never," though the music isn't similar.
* "Stairway To Heaven" - the main guitar line is apparently from "Taurus" by Spirit.
* "White Summer" - uncredited cover of Davey Graham's "She Moved Through The Fair."
* "Whole Lotta Love" - lyrics are from the Willie Dixon blues "You Need Love."
http://www.warr.org/zep.html#Thieves
I had been patting myself on the back for knowing every single cover listed in the thread, then I came to this one. I did not know that.
Since Michael Jackson died and his music had a resurgence, awareness is now more pervasive, but about 10 years ago I was constantly correcting young listeners who thought that Alien Ant Farm had composed Jackson’s Smooth Criminal.
I actually thought they did a nice job with the cover.
Was Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” already mentioned? Many think (I used to, too) that Gary Jules wrote that song (I loved his video.)
Maybe that’s a US thing. On the other side of the pond it is all about The Clash’s version.
Well technically Denver wrote the song… he gave it to Peter Paul and Mary as a christmas present…
More than 100 posts and no one mentioned “All Along the Watchtower” originally being sung by Bob Dylan. I’m shocked.
We have a winner.
My modest contribution, Blue Suede Shoes was a cover of Carl Perkins.
Great version from a great band. Is it generally recognized as a cover over there, or is it thought of as a Clash original?
Unchained Melody was originally written for a movie soundtrack in 1955. After that it was covered many times before the Righteous Brothers made their famous version, including versions by Ricky Nelson, Harry Belafante, and Gene Vincent. And apparently only one Brother (Bobby Hatfield) sang on the Righteous Brothers version recorded in 1965.
As were many, if not most, of the Beatles early stuff like “Til There Was You”.
Jimi Hendryx covered Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower”.
That was a fake, Louis Armstrong didn’t really record that.
Nazareth’s *Love Hurts *was originally cut by the Everly Brothers…
Gloria by Laura Branigan was originally released in Italian by Umberto Tozzi.
Instrumental piece El Bimbo by Paul Mauriat was originally released as Tanha Shudham Tanha by Afghan musician and singer Ahmad Zahir,
“Seasons in the Sun” wasn’t by Westlife or Nirvana, no matter how much Google may try to insist otherwise. Nor was it by Terry Jacks nor the Coachmen. While the original English version was recorded by the Kingston Trio, it’s actually an adaptation of the far more sarcastic “Le Moribond” by Jacques Brel.
Slightly better-known is that “My Way” wasn’t originally Frank Sinatra’s, but was an adaptation of “Comme d’Habitude” by Claude Francois. David Bowie had written a set of lyrics (unrelated to the originals) and recorded a version, but Paul Anka bought the rights to the original out from under him, wrote a completely new set of lyrics (equally unrelated to the original) and gave it to the Cranky One.
Gonna have to add Aretha’s cover of Otis Redding’s Respect and Marvin Gaye’s cover of Gladys Knight and the Pips’* I Heard It Through the Grapevine.
*Used to think it was Gladys Knight and the Pimps as a youg’un.
I think that the original is just as well-known as the cover. Am I wrong? (I was born long after both were recorded, and my dad is a huge fan of both Hendrix and Dylan, so I grew up hearing both versions often enough.)
I think that many of these depend on where you’re coming from musically. I saw a Youtube Channel called “OriginalorCover” which purported to show little-known original versions of popular cover songs. People think Miley Cyrus could conceivably be the originator of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”? Really?
[ObligatorilyOnTopic] “Real Wild Child” was originally by neither Iggy Pop, Jerry Lee Lewis nor - gods help us - Everlife. It was originally called “the Wild One” and written and recorded by Johnny o’Keefe. Jo’K’s brother, many years later elected to the mayorality of Marrickville in Sydney, was alternately nicknamed ‘the mild one’. [/OoT]
[quote=“enomaj, post:135, topic:533163”]
Gonna have to add Aretha’s cover of Otis Redding’s Respect and Marvin Gaye’s cover of Gladys Knight and the Pips’* I Heard It Through the Grapevine.
QUOTE]
Gladys Knight and the Pips’ version is also a cover. “I Heard it through the Grapevine” was originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
Richard Thompson did a wicked cover version of it though. It’s funny, when you hear the opening chords and the first line, you think it’s going to be joke, but then he continues and you realize that in the hands of the right musician, it’s actually a pretty good song.
“Police on my Back” by The Clash is a cover of an song written by Eddy Grant (of Electric Avenue fame) for his band The Equals.