# Musicians who covered their own songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198 "2013-03-06T16:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/21 "2013-03-06T23:19:33Z")
Neil Sedaka with “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.” He did it dowop in the early '60s then as a ballad in the late '60s. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/22 "2013-03-07T00:15:18Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > Neil Sedaka with “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.” He did it dowop in the early '60s then as a ballad in the late '60s. I thought of that one, too. But his 60s original wasn’t previously recorded by a different artist first, so it really doesn’t fit with the subject of the O.P. > [@cjepson](#): > > OK, what I mean here is: Someone who writes a song and records and releases it, but not before _someone else_ recorded and released it. (Please note that I’m not counting artists who release alternate versions of songs _they themselves_ had previously released; that’s a separate and pretty large category. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/23 "2013-03-07T00:15:35Z")
Todd Rundgren did a wonderful album called _[With a Twist…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_a_Twist...)_, where he covered his own songs in Bossa Nova style. They carried it to the tour. From the Wikipedia article: > [@](#): > > Rundgren toured theaters with a replica of a tiki bar, the performers on a very small stage with selected audience members being seated at tables also on the theater stage, and being served drinks by the monitor engineer/bartender. The performers never acknowledged the larger theater audience, and the show ended when the last “bar patron” left the stage. [I Saw the Light](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXq81-cGJr4) [I Saw The Light (With a Twist)](http://youtu.be/EG9LhM7uVZs) ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/24 "2013-03-07T00:49:19Z")
Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” for The Family, Sinead O’Connor covers it and becomes a huge star briefly, and he then does a live version of the song which gets released on his greatest hits album. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/25 "2013-03-07T00:49:57Z")
duplicate. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/26 "2013-03-07T00:51:04Z")
“Crazy” was written by Willie Nelson, but recorded and made a hit by Patsy Cline. Nelson recorded it later in his career. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/27 "2013-03-07T01:01:22Z")
Not sure if this counts. Jackson Browne recorded _Take It Easy_ in 1973, about a year after the Eagles released it in 1972. Browne wrote the song, but Glenn Frey finished the second verse, and so got a co-writing credit. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/28 "2013-03-07T01:10:33Z")
There is alot of songs like this I think. Jackson Browne gave Nico “These Days.” He would later record it himself. Bowie also cowrote “China Girl” with Iggy Pop who recorded it first for The Idiot. Bowie later recorded it for Let’s Dance. The version on the Idiot is awesome… but I think this is a Bowie song through and through. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/29 "2013-03-07T01:28:55Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Bowie also cowrote “China Girl” with Iggy Pop who recorded it first for The Idiot. Bowie later recorded it for Let’s Dance. The version on the Idiot is awesome… but I think this is a Bowie song through and through. With Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/30 "2013-03-07T01:33:01Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > With Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar. Wow. Somehow, I never knew that. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/31 "2013-03-07T02:04:45Z")
David Crosby’s “Triad” was not released by the Byrds (who he wrote it for). The Jefferson Airplane released it first, in 1968. Crosby released it (with Stills, Nash, and Young (live)) in 1971. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/32 "2013-03-07T06:45:40Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower 😕 Released in '67 by Dylan. Covered by Hendrix in a posthumous release in '71 (recorded in '70). How does that come close to the OP’s parameters? ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/33 "2013-03-07T07:02:12Z")
> [@azraiel](#): > > 😕 > > Released in '67 by Dylan. Covered by Hendrix in a posthumous release in '71 (recorded in '70). How does that come close to the OP’s parameters? Sorry. Recorded in '68 on Electric Ladyland. Still a full year after John Wesley Harding. Doesn’t fit the OP at all. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/34 "2013-03-07T07:25:38Z")
The Jagger/Richards tune “As Tears Go By” wasn’t recorded by the Stones until a year after Marianne Faithful had a hit with it. ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/35 "2013-03-07T15:52:45Z")
There are other Carole King/Gerry Goffin songs that apply here. ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ was recorded by Aretha Franklin in '67 and then recorded by King for her _Tapestry_ album released in '71. The original Little Eva version of ‘The Loco-Motion’ was recorded and released in '62. Carole King later covered this song in numerous concert performances including a live album. * * * ‘That Means a Lot’ was written and recorded by Lennon-McCartney in '65, but not released until the _Anthology 2_ album 30 years later. P.J. Proby’s cover version was released in '65. The Beatles songs ‘Like Dreamers Do’ and ‘Hello Little Girl’ were also not released until _Anthology 1_ after being covered many years earlier ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/36 "2013-03-07T16:07:19Z")
I can’t really tell Rick Derringer’s version of “Rock and Roll Hoochie-Koo” from Johnny Winter’s version, but according to Wiki, Derringer wrote it and Winter released it first. Derringer played on both versions. “Without You” is worth mentioning. Badfinger wrote it and released it first, but it wasn’t really a hit until Harry Nilsson covered it. Speaking of Nilsson, did George Harrison ever record “Shannon”? He wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/37 "2013-03-07T16:17:12Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > ‘That Means a Lot’ was written and recorded by Lennon-McCartney in '65, but not released until the _Anthology 2_ album 30 years later. P.J. Proby’s cover version was released in '65. > > The Beatles songs ‘Like Dreamers Do’ and ‘Hello Little Girl’ were also not released until _Anthology 1_ after being covered many years earlier I think both of these fall into the “Basement Tapes” category (i.e., the composers _recorded_ it first but didn’t _release_ that recording until after someone else did), which I excluded in the OP. Another example is “I’ll Be On My Way”, a version of which was recorded by the Beatles at the BBC on April 4, 1963 but not officially released until the 1994 _Live at the BBC_; Billy J. Kramer released a version on April 26. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/38 "2013-03-07T16:22:14Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > According to Wikipedia, both Mitchell’s _Ladies of the Canyon_ and CSNY’s _Deja Vu_, which contained their respective recordings of “Woodstock,” were released in March 1970. However, the Mitchell composition “Both Sides Now” was originally recorded by Judy Collins in late '67 (hit the top ten in early '68), before Joni recorded her own version of the song as a B-side for the “Chelsea Morning” single. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/39 "2013-03-07T16:47:48Z")
Gram Parsons released Wild Horses before the Stones did. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198/40 "2013-03-07T18:23:13Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Gram Parsons released Wild Horses before the Stones did. His band the Flying Burrito Brothers, actually, on [Burrito Deluxe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrito_Deluxe). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-covered-their-own-songs/652198.md?page=3)