The original from which the hit emerged

Cafe Society
21

Rickie Lee Jones’s The Horses from 1989 was covered by Australian pop singer Daryl Braithwaite 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. 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.

22

Crazy, as written and sung by Willie Nelson

The crossover mega-hit by Patsy Cline

23

Before it was a monster hit for Santana, “Black Magic Woman” was originally done by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac:

24

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.”

But it looks like he recorded only a few prior to becoming hits for others. Here’s one he did:

25

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.

26

Here’s an interesting chain:

“Baby, I’m Down” from Leslie Wests’s debut album in 1969.

Clutch had a minor hit with their semi-cover, renamed “Immortal” with new lyrics in 2001.

Leslie West then turns around and covers the cover, in 2002.

27

Judy Collins had much more success with it, something that Joni apparently didn’t appreciate too much. I prefer the Judy version myself (harpsichord).

28

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.

29

Before Waylon and Willie had the hit, Townes Van Zandt wrote and performed…

30

Random trivia: Nelson’s “original” version predates the Patsy Cline megahit by only about a month.

31

Tidbits about her from Wikipedia:

About the Soft Cell version:

source

My contribution this round:

Here’s Shel! He wrote them, of course.

32

Emmylou did it best.

33

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.

34

Still a cover by Emmylou. But she was first with this one (since she wrote it)…

35

Also, before The Hollies and Linda Ronstadt sang “I Can’t Let Go” there was Evie Sands:

36

The originals of two Linda Rondstadt hits, “You’re No Good” and “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.”

37

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.

38

Me too - I prefer Joni’s original

39

Little Richard:

vs Pat Boone:

This was actually a hit for both of them, but for mostly different audiences.

40

Allow me to Whatta Man by I.O.I. (Ideal of Idols). A limited time Kpop group that disbanded in 2017. SIGH

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

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.