I just learned that Robin Thicke has a new song called “Give It 2 U.” Several years ago, he co-wrote a song (recorded by Jordan Knight of NKOTB fame) called “Give It To You.” Have any other artists done this? I’m not thinking of things like Chubby Checker’s endless permutations of the Twist.
A couple of close ones:
Fairport Convention recorded two different songs titled “The Deserter,” though they didn’t write either of them.
Gentle Giant performed a song live in their early days titled “Peel off the Paint,” though it remained unreleased until decades later. In 1972 they released a completely different song titled “Peel the Paint.”
Focus had two songs named “Focus” on their first album. I don’t know if they’re the same song, but the are credited to two different songwriting combinations.
Focus also had songs called “Focus II” and “Focus III,” “Focus V,” “Focus 7,” “Focus 8,” “Focus 9,” and “Focus 10.” Other titles included “Anonymous” and “Anonymous II.”
George Michael, “Freedom” and the unrelated “Freedom” that on some releases was called “Freedom '90”
The Who recorded “I’ve Had Enough” for 1973’s Quadrophenia, and “Had Enough” for 1978’s Who Are You.
They are vocal and instrumental versions of the same tune. The songwriter discrepancy presumably means only that Hans Cleuver wrote the words, as he is co-credited on the vocal version with Thijs Van Leer, while the instrumental version is credited to Van Leer alone.
The Dave Clark Five had a hit with “Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)” in 1964 and another hit with the completely unrelated song “Everybody Knows” in 1967. However, the songs came from two different songwriting partnerships.
Huey Lewis & the News had a hit with a cover of The Impressions’ “It’s Alright,” and then did even better the next year with a cover of J.J. Jackson’s “But It’s Alright.”
Bruce Springsteen has a couple of moderately obscure songs called “Brothers Under The Bridges” and “Brothers Under The Bridge”. Both are on the Tracks box set.
Irish folk band Planxty recorded two songs called “As I Roved Out” on their second album The Well Below The Valley, one by Andy Irvine and the other by Christy Moore, the two singers in the band at the time. On the reunion live DVD, they are retitled “As Andy Roved Out” and “As Christy Roved Out”.
Back in 1962, Bob Dylan recorded a traditional folk song called “Roll On John.” Listen here.
On his 2012 album, Tempest, he recorded an entirely new song by the same title as a tribute to John Lennon. That one’s here.
Stereolab’s 1993 album The Groop Played “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”:
Track #2 is Space Age Bachelor Pad Music
Track #4 is Space Age Bachelor Pad Music
Duke Ellington wrote two different pieces both called Cotton Club Stomp. You can hear them here and here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote “Hosanna” for Jesus Christ Superstar, and later wrote “Hosanna” for his Requiem.