# The original from which the hit emerged **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 24, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736 "2020-10-24T03:04:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/21 "2020-10-24T14:27:09Z")
[Rickie Lee Jones’s The Horses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elmaK9MOuE0) from 1989 was covered by Australian pop singer [Daryl Braithwaite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnigc08J6FI) in 1991. This version topped the charts in Australia and for many, many years Braithwaite performing it live has been a feature of major Australian race meetings. Just as it was today at the [100th running of the WS Cox Plate](https://www.racing.com/news/2020-10-23/news-daryls-back-bring-on-horses#/). Last year Braithwaite couldn’t perform and a choir performed the song instead to general social media outrage. So he returned this year although minus the crowd to sing along with him. It’s ubiquity ( it was ranked the 14th most Australian song ever in 2018) was mocked by satirical site the Betoota Advocate - [Darryl Braithwaite Now Just Living Off Spring Carnival](https://www.betootaadvocate.com/sports/darryl-braithwaite-now-just-living-off-spring-carnival/). ---
**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:** [October 24, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/22 "2020-10-24T14:40:48Z")
**Crazy** , as written and sung by Willie Nelson [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OnYEQbEHNZE/hqdefault.jpg "Willie Nelson - Crazy 1961") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnYEQbEHNZE) The crossover mega-hit by Patsy Cline [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MbnrdCS57d0/maxresdefault.jpg "Patsy Cline - Crazy (1961)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbnrdCS57d0) ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/23 "2020-10-24T14:56:15Z")
Before it was a monster hit for Santana, “Black Magic Woman” was originally done by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7eANGHVQS9Q/hqdefault.jpg "Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman, Stereo 1968-73 CBS 45 record.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eANGHVQS9Q) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/24 "2020-10-24T15:01:44Z")
Albert Hammond’s big hit was “It Never Rains in Southern California.” But he co-wrote many things. Check out the list…“To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” And “Gimme Dat Ding.” And “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” > **[Albert Hammond | Songwriting credits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hammond#Songwriting_credits)** > > (in alphabetical order of song title) But it looks like he _recorded_ only a few prior to becoming hits for others. Here’s one he did: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9HglphdXqMg/hqdefault.jpg "The Air That I Breathe (original) - Albert Hammond 1972.wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HglphdXqMg) ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/25 "2020-10-24T15:16:00Z")
I’ve been waiting for somewhere to post this. Apparently, not an 80s song at all. We can also strike the idea that it was an AIDS metaphor, since the original came out in the 60s. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OJKe2j9Wjh4/hqdefault.jpg "Gloria Jones Tainted Love Original 1964") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJKe2j9Wjh4) > **[Tainted Love](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tainted_Love)** > > "Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. It attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synthpop duo Soft Cell in 1981 and has since been covered by numerous groups and artists. > American artist Gloria Jones made the first recording of "Tainted Love" in 1964; the song was written and produced by Ed Cobb and arranged by Lincoln Mayorga. It was the B-side of her 1965 sin... ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/26 "2020-10-24T15:26:53Z")
Here’s an interesting chain: “Baby, I’m Down” from Leslie Wests’s debut album in 1969. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JM5mtgvuyl8/hqdefault.jpg "Leslie West - Baby, I'm Down.wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM5mtgvuyl8) Clutch had a minor hit with their semi-cover, renamed “Immortal” with new lyrics in 2001. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cR9IGY3hxeY/maxresdefault.jpg "Immortal") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR9IGY3hxeY) Leslie West then turns around and covers the cover, in 2002. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DSdu3PyusZE/hqdefault.jpg "Mountain - Immortal.wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSdu3PyusZE) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/27 "2020-10-24T15:37:15Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aCnf46boC3I/hqdefault.jpg "Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now (HD)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnf46boC3I) Judy Collins had much more success with it, something that Joni apparently didn’t appreciate too much. I prefer the Judy version myself (harpsichord). ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/28 "2020-10-24T15:40:57Z")
I’ve always loved the original of the song Valerie - recorded by the Liverpudlian band The Zutons in 2006 - before Producer Mark Ronson released a cover of it with Amy Winehouse on vocals. The Zuton’s singer said: “I could tell you I was inspired by gazing out across the Mersey or walking past Macca’s old house, but the truth is I got the idea in a cab on the way to my mum’s. The whole song was written before I got there, so 20 minutes, max.” The song’s title and theme refer to his American girlfriend who was in trouble for driving under the influence when back home in Florida - a celebrity makeup artist called Valerie Star. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/L3xpmfJp0Xc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Zutons - Valerie (Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3xpmfJp0Xc) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/29 "2020-10-24T15:43:33Z")
Before Waylon and Willie had the hit, Townes Van Zandt wrote and performed… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zprRZ2wFQD4/hqdefault.jpg "Townes Van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty. Heartworn Highways") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zprRZ2wFQD4) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/30 "2020-10-24T15:58:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Crazy** , as written and sung by Willie Nelson Random trivia: Nelson’s “original” version predates the Patsy Cline megahit by only about a month. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/31 "2020-10-24T16:11:21Z")
> [@saucywench](#): > > I’ve been waiting for somewhere to post this. > > Apparently, not an 80s song at all. We can also strike the idea that it was an AIDS metaphor, since the original came out in the 60s. Tidbits about her from Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > In the 1970s, she was a keyboardist and vocalist in [Marc Bolan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Bolan)’s [glam rock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glam_rock) band [T. Rex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Rex_(band)). She and Bolan were also in a committed romantic relationship and have a son together. About the Soft Cell version: > [@](#): > > Usually, an artist releasing a cover version as a single would opt to write the song that appears on the B-side as this would still entitle the artist to some songwriting royalties stemming from sales of that single. However, as Soft Cell wrote neither “Tainted Love” nor “Where Did Our Love Go” (the 7" B-side track), they lost the opportunity to make a greater sum of money from songwriting royalties stemming from one of the most popular songs of the 1980s. Almond expressed regret for this in his book, and attributed the error to naïveté. [source](http://cosmicamericanblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/soft-cells-tainted-love-was-cover.html) My contribution this round: Here’s Shel! He wrote them, of course. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KZNZt5qVgvM/hqdefault.jpg "Shel Silverstein - A Boy Named Sue") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZNZt5qVgvM) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6XQfGmBnlMU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC6AKKAgwIABABGGUgTig_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLDyIn79kVXUqic5fh5omYg5Kt1fag "Shel Silverstein-The Unicorn") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XQfGmBnlMU) > **[Shel Silverstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein#Songs)** > > Sheldon Allan Silverstein (/ˈsɪlvərstiːn/; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into the United States Army. During his rise to prominence in the 1950s, his illustrations were published in various newspapers and magazines, including the adult-oriented Playboy. He also wrote a satirical, adult-oriented alphabet bo ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/32 "2020-10-24T16:30:49Z")
Emmylou did it best. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l3LQeRqTBK4/maxresdefault.jpg "Emmylou Harris "Pancho and Lefty"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3LQeRqTBK4) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/33 "2020-10-24T16:38:57Z")
I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and they have a pretty good exhibit for Shel Silverstein. Pictures of him just hanging out with Bobby Bare, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. I had no idea. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/34 "2020-10-24T17:02:27Z")
Still a cover by Emmylou. But she was first with this one (since she wrote it)… [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqoqc4XWp5k) ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/35 "2020-10-24T17:22:54Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Before Juice Newton, even before Merrilee Rush…there was Evie Sands? Also, before The Hollies and Linda Ronstadt sang “I Can’t Let Go” there was Evie Sands: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvfnUEKdv5s/hqdefault.jpg "EVIE SANDS - I CAN'T LET GO") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvfnUEKdv5s) ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/36 "2020-10-24T18:30:33Z")
The originals of two Linda Rondstadt hits, “You’re No Good” and “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yMi_BCcpWRs/hqdefault.jpg "Dee Dee Warwick: You're No Good") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMi_BCcpWRs) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/s0VtVXwYgd0/maxresdefault.jpg "Poor Poor Pitiful Me") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0VtVXwYgd0) ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/37 "2020-10-24T19:03:39Z")
I always thought the Roberta Flack version was way too slow - I half remembered an earlier version which I much preferred, this must have been the one. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/38 "2020-10-24T19:12:38Z")
Me too - I prefer Joni’s original ---
**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:** [October 24, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/39 "2020-10-24T19:20:06Z")
Little Richard: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cj059o9OwqY/hqdefault.jpg "Little Richard - Tutti Frutti (1956)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj059o9OwqY) vs Pat Boone: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZFxTvffJqOg/hqdefault.jpg "Pat Boone-Tutti frutti") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFxTvffJqOg) This was actually a hit for both of them, but for mostly different audiences. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/40 "2020-10-24T20:24:43Z")
Allow me to _Whatta Man_ by I.O.I. (Ideal of Idols). A limited time Kpop group that disbanded in 2017. _SIGH_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1eq9F-t02GY/maxresdefault.jpg "아이오아이 (I.O.I) - Whatta Man (Good man) MV") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eq9F-t02GY) Everything but the chorus is different, but it’s definitely a remake of the the Salt n’ Pepa version. Lyrics: [https://lyricstranslate.com/en/whatta-mangood-man-whatta-mangood-man.html-0](https://lyricstranslate.com/en/whatta-mangood-man-whatta-mangood-man.html-0) This is a subgroup, I.O.I. has/had 11 members. The other four members were promoting with their own groups shortly after I.O.I’s debut Trivia: I.O.I. was formed through the Korean reality competition show _Produce 101_ in which 101 female contestants from different agencies competed to form I.O.I. based on user votes. Because most of the group was from different agencies, it was always planned for them to be together for only 1 1/2 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736.md?page=3)