# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**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 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/83 "2020-10-28T00:57:41Z")
Here’s an odd one… [Written by Willie Nelson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Life_(Willie_Nelson_song)) and (sort of) released under questionable legal circumstances (as Paul Buskirk and the Little Men featuring Hugh Nelson) in 1960, went nowhere. “Original” release by Ray Price in 1963 was a big hit, so Willie re-packaged and released it again. So the original is the cover? Anyway, it’s been covered by just about every singer with a voice. The Willie Nelson original [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZTCOU-SIb_Q/hqdefault.jpg "Willie Nelson - Night Life 'Vinyl'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTCOU-SIb_Q) The best cover in IMHO [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J9BcxqRyDt0/maxresdefault.jpg "Wanda Jackson - Night Life (1964).") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9BcxqRyDt0) ---
**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 28, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/84 "2020-10-28T02:13:58Z")
Whoa, that’s the youngest Willie Nelson I’ve ever seen. ---
**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 30, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/85 "2020-10-30T18:09:04Z")
The Air That I Breathe Original by Albert Hammond (with sappy strings) [![](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) The hit by The Hollies [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EozcNss6A8U/maxresdefault.jpg "The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EozcNss6A8U) And the killer cover by Simply Red (my favorite version): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gRcDxBSfuNM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHmAoAC6AKKAgwIABABGGUgVShcMA8=&rs=AOn4CLC-DGw2ELq5zL8FlimeX-Z-I_oj6g "Simple Red - The Air That I Breathe") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRcDxBSfuNM) ---
**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 30, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/86 "2020-10-30T18:35:50Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Whoa, that’s the youngest Willie Nelson I’ve ever seen. And yet he already looked like an oldish weathered veteran in that picture, just like Johnny Cash did in his late twenties. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/87 "2020-11-03T19:44:56Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > When I wrote the OP I was thinking about artists listening to the albums others put out and thinking, ‘We should do that.’ I wonder about that, too, especially in massivley different (but still good) versions. I wouldn’t call it a hit, but how did Judas Priest hear Joan Baez’ Damonds and Rust and think it could be a heavy metal power rocker? And why? It wasn’t like the Sex Pistols covering Sinatra, that was “camp”. ---
**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:** [November 4, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736/88 "2020-11-04T00:46:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I wonder about that, too, especially in massivley different (but still good) versions. Similarly, IIRC in the movie “Ray,” Mr. Charles wanted to do a Country and Western album and the record guys said he was nuts. He didn’t think the blues and country were that different. The songwriter had a hit. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wdSeO6HywQc/hqdefault.jpg "DON GIBSON - I Can't Stop Loving You") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdSeO6HywQc) But Ray took it to #1. > **[Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Sounds_in_Country_and_Western_Music)** > > Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is a studio album by American singer and pianist Ray Charles. It was recorded in February 1962 at Capitol Studios in New York City and United Western Recorders in Hollywood, and released in April of that year by ABC-Paramount Records. > The album departed further stylistically from the rhythm and blues music Charles had recorded for Atlantic Records in the 1950s. It featured country, folk, and Western music standards reworked by Charles in popular song fo... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-original-from-which-the-hit-emerged/923736.md?page=4)