# Post the original versions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 4, 2022, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879 "2022-02-04T03:55:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/41 "2022-02-06T21:57:21Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > > a Nazi-sponsored German propaganda swing ensemble > > That, surely, is niche music. Yeah, the song was so catchy that both the nazis AND the commies stole it… ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/42 "2022-02-06T22:08:43Z")
Needs more cowbell. Was that Jeff Lynne singing? I can’t tell without the trademark reverb. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/43 "2022-02-06T22:13:02Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Was that Jeff Lynne singing? I can’t tell without the trademark reverb. I’m not 100% certain, but I think it’s Wood singing the verses, and then him and Lynne on the pre-chorus and chorus. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/44 "2022-02-07T00:15:51Z")
I have that album and the real treat is Bev Bevan (the drummer, who I didn’t think ever sang) channeling Johnny Cash on _Ben Crawley Steel Company_. Yeah, I think that’s Wood on the verses. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/45 "2022-02-07T01:44:26Z")
_“In the Hall of the Mountain King”_, covered by The Who, ELO, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Offspring and others… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pPLXNmKvLBQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Grieg: Peer Gynt / Järvi · Berliner Philharmoniker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPLXNmKvLBQ) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/46 "2022-02-07T04:06:59Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > _“In the Hall of the Mountain King”_ , covered by The Who, ELO, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Offspring and others… All preceded by Sounds Incorporated in 1965. It was an AM rock radio a lot. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zkeni33BcqM/hqdefault.jpg "Sounds Incorporated - Hall Of The Mountain King - 1965 45rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkeni33BcqM) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/47 "2022-02-07T04:43:30Z")
**“Ice Cream Man”** , written and originally recorded by John Brim. Covered by Van Halen on their self-titled debut album. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-FXzfXBHXW8/maxresdefault.jpg "John Brim-Ice Cream Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXzfXBHXW8) **“I Love Rock & Roll”** , written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of The Arrows and originally recorded by The Arrows. Covered by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, who reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with the single. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cJzPLhDf3-8/hqdefault.jpg "The Arrows - I Love Rock 'n' Roll (1975)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJzPLhDf3-8) **“Strawberry Letter 23”** , written and originally recorded by 17-year-old Shuggie Otis in 1971. Hit cover released by The Brothers Johnson in 1977. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iAPPAJ1sT8g/hqdefault.jpg "Shuggie Otis - Strawberry Letter 23") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAPPAJ1sT8g) **“Ai No Corrida”** , written by Chaz Jankel (ex-Ian Dury and the Blockheads) with Kenny Young and originally recorded by Chaz Jankel. Hit cover version released by Quincy Jones on his 1980 album _The Dude_. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjrF4YATAvc) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/48 "2022-02-07T19:10:40Z")
Don’t leave me haaaaaaangin’ on the telephone…I love Debbie Harry’s voice, but I like the jangly-ness of this more. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/emy5mA8Ixtc/hqdefault.jpg "The Nerves - Hanging On The Telephone, Original version 45, Blondie. 1976.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emy5mA8Ixtc) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/49 "2022-02-07T21:11:13Z")
Another original-and-best - and this time it isn’t even close. Before Barry Manilow (slightly) changed the title, blanded it out and knocked all the spiky edges off, this is what it sounded like: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/N-zhg1BeUkQ/hqdefault.jpg "Brandy - Scott English ( original version of Mandy - Barry Manilow )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zhg1BeUkQ) BTW @Maserschmidt - loved it! j ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/50 "2022-02-12T04:30:47Z")
A whole lot of Dopers profess to hate this song, but I’m in a sadistic mood, so I’m going to post this anyway: “I’ve Never Been to Me” was written by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch. The most famous version was recorded by [Charlene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSjhuIb6Us). The first release in 1977 peaked at #97, but it was re-released in 1982, when it reached #3 in the U.S., and #1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the U.K., and top 10 in several other countries. The original version was by [Randy Crawford](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX6eoIKFzns), released in 1976. One further twist: the song had originally been written with slightly different lyrics, to be sung by a male. The first recording of this version was by [Walter Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx4PuPv45zc) in 1977. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/51 "2022-02-12T05:12:17Z")
R.E.M. had a bigger hit with this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/feoPwDUa5GE/maxresdefault.jpg "Superman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feoPwDUa5GE) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879/52 "2022-07-15T20:29:27Z")
Bumping this thread because I stumbled across this intriguing (and superb) curiosity. I’m a bit of a Bowie fan, so of course I know that The Prettiest Star appears on Aladdin Sane. What I only just found out was that the original version was Bowie’s follow-up to Space Oddity - and it bombed. From the [wiki page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prettiest_Star): > In January 1970, Bowie re-recorded an old Deram track, “London Bye Ta-Ta”, intended as a follow-up single to “Space Oddity”. However, the same sessions spawned a new composition named “The Prettiest Star”, which Bowie had written for Angela Barnett, reputedly playing it down the telephone as part of his proposal to her. The song is in the style of the Greek hasapiko dance as a tribute to Angie’s Cypriot ethnic origin. He also chose it as his next single, to the displeasure of manager Kenneth Pitt, who favoured “London Bye Ta-Ta”. > > The track featured Marc Bolan on guitar …. A more glam-influenced version was recorded in December 1972 or January 1973 for the album Aladdin Sane, with Mick Ronson recreating Bolan’s original guitar part almost note-for-note. And man, was Bolan good. It’s a great record - far better than the Aladdin Sane version - and it’s a crime that it wasn’t a huge hit. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HDKLMriI_EU/hqdefault.jpg "DAVID BOWIE-MARC BOLAN (T REX) The Prettiest Star+LYRICS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDKLMriI_EU) j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-original-versions/958879.md?page=2)