# 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:** 4
**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:** [October 25, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/63 "2020-10-25T17:23:10Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > The Pat Boone version is just awful isn’t it? Of course, but he got the song radio play and exposure that the original had no chance of getting in the 1950s. Pat Boone singlehandedly did as much to bring Rock n Roll into the mainstream as the British Invasion did to do the same for the Blues. And (unlike many of the British blues groups) it wasn’t flat out appropriation; Boone put a real WASP spin on his versions. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/64 "2020-10-25T17:29:44Z")
And let’s not forget the infinite pre-Kingsmen versions of “Louie Louie” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z-2CKsaq5r8/hqdefault.jpg "Richard BERRY "Louie Louie" (1957)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-2CKsaq5r8) ---
**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 25, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/65 "2020-10-25T18:13:32Z")
Of course not, but there is a large discography to choose from. I was primarily referring to the “lounging” of truly soulful songs, sort of like turning “Amazing Grace” into a “Hey, how’s everybody doin’ tonight?” number. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2020, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/66 "2020-10-25T18:41:23Z")
Hmm - here’s the original version of Delilah: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ejaZakVfkwo/hqdefault.jpg "1st RECORDING OF: Delilah - P.J. Proby (1967)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejaZakVfkwo) Apparently not the singer’s favourite: > **[Delilah (Tom Jones song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delilah_(Tom_Jones_song)#Other_versions)** > > "Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in December 1967. The lyrics were written by Barry Mason, and the music by Les Reed, who also contributed the title and theme of the song. It earned Reed and Mason the 1968 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. > Although the song is a soulful number set in triple metre, the underlying genre may be considered to be a power ballad, rising to a pitch of A4 on the final note. Produced by Peter Sullivan, Jones' version features... Here’s the hit version we all love: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-0fT9BHpImI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgUyhHMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDoIuGweGCTiciOn99hKwrbHAVFgQ "THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND - DELILAH") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0fT9BHpImI) > [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > When I wrote the OP I was thinking about artists listening to the albums others put out and thinking, ‘We should do that.’ Then it would be fun to see what treatment they gave it, imagine how they got from A to B. Speed it up? Add horns? Go minimalist, with just a piano or guitar maybe? Fuse it with another genre, maybe taking a rock song and adding country elements, etc. But some don’t stray far from the source material. Yeah, there was also a version by some Welsh fella, but it wasn’t much different from the original. j ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/67 "2020-10-25T20:41:11Z")
**Ednaswap** ’s _Torn_ [https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ednaswap+torn&view=detail&mid=D02AA3FF6468EBAE3B03D02AA3FF6468EBAE3B03&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dednaswap%2Btorn%26form%3DEDGTCT%26qs%3DPF%26cvid%3Df4cfe153f2f541369681bbc6af65bf97%26cc%3DUS%26setlang%3Den-US%26PC%3DLCTS](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ednaswap+torn&view=detail&mid=D02AA3FF6468EBAE3B03D02AA3FF6468EBAE3B03&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dednaswap%2btorn%26form%3dEDGTCT%26qs%3dPF%26cvid%3df4cfe153f2f541369681bbc6af65bf97%26cc%3dUS%26setlang%3den-US%26PC%3dLCTS) Far better than the drivel that became a huge hit. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/68 "2020-10-26T00:29:19Z")
Emmy Lou does every cover best. She has a wonderful cover of Willie’s “Crazy” and Delbert’s “Two More Bottles of Wine” among others ---
**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 26, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/69 "2020-10-26T01:19:24Z")
Anita Carter was one of the greatest country singers, up there with Patsy, Tammy, and Dolly. I never understood why she is almost an unknown. Maybe it’s because she is seen as just one of the Carter Family. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hWxIbSe1k0M/maxresdefault.jpg "Anita Carter - Lovin' Him Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again (1972)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWxIbSe1k0M) ---
**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 27, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/70 "2020-10-27T00:02:16Z")
The Everly Brothers didn’t have a hit with it, but… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hFE2SnliiV0/hqdefault.jpg "Everly Brothers - Love Hurts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFE2SnliiV0) And I didn’t know Peter McCann (Do You Wanna Make Love?) wrote this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XC1kyOZCKKU/hqdefault.jpg "1st RECORDING OF: Right Time Of The Night - Peter McCann (1976)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC1kyOZCKKU) ---
**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:** [October 27, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/71 "2020-10-27T00:17:40Z")
In 1978, each of the four members of Kiss released eponymous solo albums on the same date. Ace Frehley (at that time, the band’s lead guitarist) hit #13 on the US Billboard chart with a song from his album, “New York Groove.” It was a cover of a 1975 release by English glam-rock group Hello; the original was a top-10 hit in England, but didn’t chart in the U.S. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zox2qo-wzb0/hqdefault.jpg "New York Groove - Hello") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zox2qo-wzb0) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/72 "2020-10-27T15:08:46Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Steve Goodman’s _City of New Orleans_: > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SfPyg-mGhU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SfPyg-mGhU) > Arlo Guthrie wisely decided to slow it down. Thanks for posting that link. I’ve known for a long time that someone named Steve Goodman wrote “City of New Orleans” but I didn’t know much about him (except that he died young) and I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard his version of it before. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/73 "2020-10-27T15:27:50Z")
The original “Twist and Shout” has a bit of a Surf Rock vibe. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LsDpc-8iR8g/hqdefault.jpg "Twist and Shout - Top Notes 1961 (Rare original version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsDpc-8iR8g) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/74 "2020-10-27T15:28:21Z")
I saw him live, at a concert in the park in college. Great show. I had no idea at the time how influential he was. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/75 "2020-10-27T18:01:45Z")
The song “Love Of The Common People” has an interesting history and became kind of a standard, covered by acts like the Everly Brothers, Wayne Newton, Waylon Jennings and many others. The biggest hit version (at least in Europe, in the US it only reached #45) was by Paul Young in 1982, also the first version that I became famiiar with. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SVmjKHkgxis/maxresdefault.jpg "Paul Young - Love of the Common People (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVmjKHkgxis) But the first release was as early as from 1967 by the Four Preps: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D31DKN7qoCM) My favorite version is by the Stiff Little Fingers, recorded in the same year as the Paul Young version, which was accidental. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA9q7QF45pM) ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/76 "2020-10-27T18:07:35Z")
I was not even aware that had been any other version of this song than the Hello one. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/77 "2020-10-27T18:09:10Z")
This has lots of echoes of Ritchie Valens ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/78 "2020-10-27T21:04:06Z")
The first _two_ recordings of “The Gambler”, the second is by the songwriter. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FSx3H9rcmeA/hqdefault.jpg "Bobby Bare "The Gambler"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSx3H9rcmeA) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/r1u3cIjS2XY/hqdefault.jpg "Don Schlitz - The Gambler") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1u3cIjS2XY) ---
**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:** [October 27, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/79 "2020-10-27T21:37:34Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > The song “Love Of The Common People” has an interesting history and became kind of a standard, covered by acts like the Everly Brothers, Wayne Newton, Waylon Jennings and many others. The biggest hit version (at least in Europe, in the US it only reached #45) was by Paul Young in 1982, also the first version that I became famiiar with. I first knew the Nicky Thomas version - here it is: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/R6xaP6QppjM/maxresdefault.jpg "Nicky Thomas 'Love Of The Common People' (official audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xaP6QppjM) Included for completeness and because I always assumed (and [wiki kinda suggests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Thomas)) that the Paul Young version was inspired by it. > [@](#): > > In 1983, the singer [Paul Young](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Young) took “Love of the Common People” back into the UK chart reviving interest in Thomas’s version of the song that in turn resulted in Trojan reissuing it as a [12-inch single](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-inch_single) that included an extended remix version. I never heard the original before - thank you for that - and was really surprised at how similar to it the Nicky Thomas version was. j ---
**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:** [October 27, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/80 "2020-10-27T21:48:55Z")
…and on the subject of Pop Reggae Classics, the original version of Red Red Wine was only _a very minor_ hit: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BeJ55sUacPM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGEggXyhlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLD38qV8n6_oqW4O0ilQSX-B9yalWA "NEIL DIAMOND - Red Red Wine (Original 1968 Hit Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeJ55sUacPM) The worldwide hit being by UB40: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zXt56MB-3vc/maxresdefault.jpg "UB40 - Red Red Wine (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt56MB-3vc) But that was actually a cover of what UB40 _thought_ was the original, by Tony Tribe. A true Pop Reggae Classic (and one I’ve posted before): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PNgzk0TvJJI/maxresdefault.jpg "Tony Tribe - Red Red Wine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgzk0TvJJI) j ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/81 "2020-10-27T23:07:34Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Judy Collins had much more success with it, something that Joni apparently didn’t appreciate too much. I prefer the Judy version myself (harpsichord). It should be noted that several artists did versions of Joni Mitchell songs before she herself had ever recorded a note. Her reputation as a songwriter had people - Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tom Rush, Dave Van Ronk - scrambling to do her material, and when Joni finally got into a studio she didn’t tape any of her more famous songs - Both Sides Now, The Circle Game, Chelsea Morning, Tin Angel, Urge for Going - she did those later, so you might say her versions were the covers. ---
**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 28, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/82 "2020-10-28T00:12:12Z")
Boz wrote it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Nf4_JbtPo6c/maxresdefault.jpg "We're All Alone") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf4_JbtPo6c) I didn’t know Frankie Valli covered it. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvgMU1D8Njg) Rita Coolidge’s version is still best IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736.md?page=5)