Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Tagged: Robert Gordon

1980s, Rock

Someday, Someway

First recorded by Robert Gordon (US #76 1981).
Hit version by Marshall Crenshaw (US #36/AOR #25 1982).

From the wiki: “Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer-songwriter who got his first break playing John Lennon in the off-Broadway touring company of the musical Beatlemania. While in New York, he recorded ‘Something’s Gonna Happen’ for Alan Betrock’s Shake Records, after which he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. Crenshaw recalled for Spinner UK: ‘While I was there, I wrote ‘Someday, Someway’ and five or six of the other tunes [that would appear on] my first album.’

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1970s, Rock

Fire

First released by Robert Gordon (1978).
Also recorded by Bruce Springsteen (1978, released 2010).
Hit version by The Pointer Sisters (US #2/UK #34 1979).

From the wiki: “Bruce Springsteen envisioned ‘Fire’ as a song which could be recorded by his idol Elvis Presley. Springsteen would later say ‘I sent Elvis a demo of it but he died August 16, 1977 before it arrived.’

“Springsteen did complete a studio recording in 1978 of ‘Fire’ which was one of 52 tracks at least partially recorded which did not make the cut for Springsteen’s album Darkness on the Edge of Town because of thematic inconsistency. Springsteen likely had an especial concern that if included on Darkness on the Edge of Town ‘Fire’ would be Columbia Records’ single of choice despite it being non-representative of the overall album.

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