# Songs you have only heard the live version of **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744 "2014-05-05T20:56:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/41 "2014-05-16T21:43:38Z")
Was there ever a studio version of Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling”? Like most 53 year old white guys, I owned \*\*\*Frampton Comes Alive \*\*\* and \*\*\*Kiss Alive \*\*\*(yes, both on 8 track) in 1976. I’ve only heard the studio versions of a few of those songs. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/42 "2014-05-16T21:48:15Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the studio version of “Free Bird”. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/43 "2014-05-16T21:54:29Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Was there ever a studio version of Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling”? [See post 22.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17354535&postcount=22) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/44 "2014-05-17T02:24:44Z")
Three songs from the “Another Live” album by Todd Rundgren and Utopia, “Another Life”, “The Wheel” and “The Seven Rays”. I don’t think there are studio versions of those. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/45 "2014-05-17T02:55:46Z")
A song called _Qui a le droit_ by Patrick Bruel. Radio stations around here have always broadcast a live version ([not this one, but similar](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hs6azkutlQ&feature=kp)) where the audience obviously already knows the song. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/46 "2014-05-17T04:02:40Z")
I have live versions of “Stiletto Heels” by Richard Elliott and “Are You Going With Me?” by the Pat Metheny group. Both jazz groups. I’m not even sure if studio versions even exist. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/47 "2014-05-17T14:56:09Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > “A Boy Named Sue”. The famous Johnny Cash version and I’ve also seen a youtube clip from his TV show where he and the writer (Shel Silverstein) sing some of it live. > > Shel wasn’t much of a singer 😃 I’ve also heard a live version of Shel Silverstein singing the sequel: “Father of a Boy Named Sue.” At least I think it’s a live version; he certainly introduces it with a long explanation of its origin. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/48 "2014-05-17T18:41:41Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Before I went looking in response to this thread, the only version of “Seven Bridges Road” I had ever heard was the rendition found on _Eagles Live_. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t original to the Eagles until literally three minutes ago. Wait, what? Who else recorded that song? I thought Steve Young was just a song writer – kinda like Desmond Child and Danny Kortchmar, and a few others. I think he’s done other stuff with Glenn (but I only have Don’s solo stuff so I can’t confirm that right now). > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > …Jackson Browne’s version of “Stay”. Well, since Running on Empty was originally intended to be a ‘recorded on the road’ album, only _Cocaine_ and _Shaky Town_ were studio-recorded fillers (because they didn’t capture enough on tour to make a whole album’s worth?). Even _Nothing but Time_ was recorded (spontaneously, so he claimed) on the tourbus as it was “Rollin’ down 295 out of Portland, Maine” (though, technically, that’s not ‘live’ since there’s no audience). –G! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/49 "2014-05-17T18:52:06Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Wait, what? Who else recorded that song? Amazing thing, this Internet. [Linky.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Bridges_Road) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/50 "2014-05-17T18:58:09Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > As a Deadhead, I have no idea where to begin; there’s just so many roads… The Eleven first issued as a studio recording in a 2003 remaster of a studio album to fill up the rest of the CD space. Reuben and Cerise is a fave. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/51 "2014-05-17T20:31:39Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Wait, what? Who else recorded that song? > I thought Steve Young was just a song writer – kinda like Desmond Child and Danny Kortchmar, and a few others. I think he’s done other stuff with Glenn (but I only have Don’s solo stuff so I can’t confirm that right now). All three of them have recorded albums as artists. Desmond Child had at least a couple as Desmond Child and Rouge. Kortchmar’s album was called “Kootch” (his nickname). ---
**Author:** ![cococ173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@cococ173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cococ173)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/52 "2014-05-17T21:24:26Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > All three of them have recorded albums as artists. Desmond Child had at least a couple as Desmond Child and Rouge. Kortchmar’s album was called “Kootch” (his nickname). I once worked on a project with Rouge. Thanks for bringing back a nice memory! When albums are labelled ‘recorded live’ they are but, often, studio work follows to enhance/correct parts. Singers ‘punch in’ vocals that were not top notch originally, another instrument track can be added or, I guess deleted. Blues Bros Briefcase Full Of Blues was recorded at the Universal Ampitheater in 1978 over a lot of nights. The best ‘takes’ were chosen song by song. A few vocals were improved in studio after. I assume a lot of live recordings are done this way. Of course that album was done a long time ago. Methods could have changed. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/53 "2014-05-19T02:56:26Z")
I’ve thought this about most of the music I’ve heard from Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744/54 "2014-05-20T05:00:51Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I’ve thought this about most of the music I’ve heard from Johnny Cash. I don’t see any particular reason to believe this. Johnny’s backing from the Tennessee Three on his live albums was so simple, it’s hard to believe that there would be something dreadfully wrong with live renditions to the extent they would have to be faked in a studio environment. Certainly the story of the recording of “A Boy Named Sue” has often been told…how Johnny had just barely heard the song, and was reading the lyrics off a sheet of paper as it was recorded live. On the other hand, I think someone mentioned Johnny Rivers early in the thread. In fact, most if not all of his hit singles that were allegedly recorded “live” at the Whiskey a Go Go were actually recorded in the studio, with live ambiance added after the fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-have-only-heard-the-live-version-of/687744.md?page=2)