Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

Help support this site! Consider clicking an ad from time to time. Thanks!

 
« Go Back to Previous Page «  

Tagged: Pat Benatar

You Better Run

First recorded by The Young Rascals (US #20/CAN #22 1966).
Also recorded by Listen (1966), The In-Be-Tweens (1966).
Other hit version by Pat Benatar (US #42/FRA #55/AUS #31/NZ #42 1980).

From the wiki: “‘You Better Run’ was written by Young Rascals group members Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere, and was released as the band’s third single in 1966. It reached the top 20 in the United States – a disappointment being that the group’s previous hit, ‘Good Lovin”, had topped the chart in both the US and Canada.

“‘You Better Run’ did not chart in the UK, but it did not go unheard. In 1966, with the band Listen, Robert Plant made his recording debut singing lead vocals on a cover version of ‘You Better Run’ released on CBS Records. Simultaneously, the group the In-Be-Tweens (aka ‘The N’Betweens’), who would later evolve into the band Slade, also released a UK single, produced by Kim Fowley, also on the CBS label which charted regionally but had no great national impact in the UK. Although the groups were familiar with each other and both were distributed by the same record label, neither knew the other had recorded ‘You Better Run’ until their efforts were released.

“In the 1999 BBC documentary It’s Slade, band member Dave Hill recalled ‘I seem to remember we tried to get the local record store to stock 500 copies or something, and try to get people to buy them to try and get it in the charts. It didn’t work!’ Don Powell later recalled in his 2013 biography, Look Wot I Dun, ‘Even though the single got plenty of airplay, it didn’t sell well.’

“Pat Benatar recorded “You Better Run” for her second album, Crimes of Passion (1980). The song was released as the album’s lead single, peaking at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. On August 1, 1981, Benatar’s music video for ‘You Better Run’ became a part of pop culture history – the second video ever broadcast on MTV (following the network premiere of ‘Video Killed the Radio Star‘).”

Listen, “You Better Run” (1966):

The N’Betweens, “You Better Run” (1966):

Pat Benatar, “You Better Run” (1980):

Shadows of the Night

Written and first recorded by D.L. Byron (1981, released 1995).
Also recorded by Rachel Sweet (1981).
Hit version by Pat Benatar (US #13/UK #83/AUS #19 1982).

From the wiki: “Originally recorded in 1981 by its songwriter, D.L. Byron, his version would not be released until 1995.

“After recording two albums for Stiff Records, Rachel Sweet would be signed to Columbia Records in 1981 and released the album … And Then He Kissed Me (on which appears ‘Shadows of the Night’) which launched the hit single, ‘Everlasting Love’, a duet with Rex Smith. After completing one more album for Columbia, Sweet resumed her education via correspondence courses and went on to graduate from Columbia University in French and English Literature in 1988.