Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Tagged: Johnny Rodriguez

1960s, Latin

Love Me With All of Your Heart

First recorded (as “Cuando calienta el sol”) by Los Hermanos Rigual (1961).
Hit versions by Steve Allen & His Orchestra (US #85 1963), The Ray Charles Singers (US #3 1964), Karl Denver (UK #35 1964), The Bachelors (US #38 1966), Johnny Rodriguez (C&W #7 1978).

From the wiki: “‘Love Me with All Your Heart’ was based on the Spanish-language song “Cuando calienta el sol”, written by Nicaraguan songwriter and bandleader Rafael Gaston Perez, and made famous first with Spanish lyrics written by the Rigual Brothers (Carlos Rigual and Mario Rigual). The English-language lyrics are sometimes credited to Michael Vaughn (or Maurice Vaughn) and sometimes to Sunny Skylar. Although both the Spanish and the English versions are love songs, the lyrics are not direct translations of each other. The Spanish title translates as ‘When the sun heats (or warms) up’.

“Steve Allen & His Orchestra covered the original version in 1963, peaking at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, the Ray Charles Singers hit the US Top-5 with their English-language cover. A UK cover version, by Karl Denver, peaked at #35.”

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1970s, Rock

Something

Written and first recorded (as a demo) by George Harrison (1969, released 1996).
First commercial recording by Joe Cocker (1969).
Hit versions by The Beatles (US #1/UK #4 1969), Shirley Bassey (US #55/UK #4 1970), Johnny Rodriguez (C&W #6 1974)
Also recorded by Ray Charles (1971).

From the wiki: “‘Something’ was the first Beatles song written by lead guitarist George Harrison to appear as an A-side single, and the only song written by him to top the US charts while he was in the band. Harrison began working on a song that eventually became known as ‘Something’ during the 1968 recording sessions for The Beatles (aka The White Album). Harrison recorded the demo of ‘Something’ on February 25, 1969, his 26th birthday.

“Producer Glyn Jones, who engineered the Beatles’ Get Back sessions, recalls ‘One morning before the others arrived at the studio, George asked me if I would stay behind at the end of the day to cut a demo with him of a song he had written, as he didn’t want to play it in front of the others. So we waited for everyone to leave and he went out into the empty studio and played ‘Something in the Way She Moves’, which might just be the greatest song he ever wrote. He came into the control room, and after having it played back to him, he asked what I thought of it, as he seemed unsure. I told him it was brilliant and that he must play it to the others. I can only assume that his confidence had been dented as a result of living in the shadow of John and Paul.’ [Source: Sound Man, by Glyn Jones, 2014]

“Harrison’s original intention had been to offer the song to Apple Records signing Jackie Lomax as he had done with a previous composition, ‘Sour Milk Sea’. When this fell through, ‘Something’ was instead given to Joe Cocker to record. Cocker completed his recording at A&M Studios in Los Angeles before The Beatles completed their recording in August 1969 at Abbey Road, but Cocker’s recording was not released (on Joe Cocker!, his second album, on which also appeared another Beatles composition, ‘She Came in Through the Bathroom Window’) until November 1969 – six weeks after the release of The Beatles’ Abbey Road.

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