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Originally recorded by The Isley Brothers (US #125 1967).
Hit version by Marvin Gaye (US #7/R&B #2 1969).
From the wiki: “Co-writer Norman Whitfield produced both recording sessions for Motown, taking his up-tempo Isley Brothers arrangement and turning it into a slowed-down psychedelic Soul opus for Marvin Gaye.”
Originally recorded by The Contours (US #3/R&B #1 1962).
Hit versions by Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (UK #1 1963), The Dave Clark Five (US #11/UK #30 1964).
Also recorded by The Hollies (1964).
From the wiki: “Berry Gordy wrote ‘Do You Love Me’ with the intent that The Temptations, who had no Top 40 hits to their name yet, would record it. However, when Gordy wanted to locate the group and record the song, they were nowhere to be found (the Temptations had not been made aware of Gordy’s intentions, and had departed Motown’s recording studio that day for a local Detroit gospel music showcase).
First recorded (as “Babe, I Hate to Go”) by John Denver (1966).
First broadcast (as “Babe, I Hate to Go”) by John Denver on WAVA-FM’s Hootenanny at The Cellar Door (1966).
Hit version by Peter, Paul & Mary (recorded 1967 |US #1/MOR #1/UK #2/CAN #1/IRE #2 1969 single release).
Also recorded by The Mitchell Trio (1967), Spanky & Our Gang (1967), John Denver (1969 |1973).
From the wiki: “Chad Mitchell left his trio in 1965 to embark on a solo singing career. An audition process that followed, and which saw 300 musicians try-out, replaced Mitchell with the young (and unknown) singer-songwriter John Denver. The group retained the well-known ‘Mitchell Trio’ name – with Denver writing some of the group’s songs, including ‘Leaving On A Jet Plane’ (found on The Mitchell Trio’s 1967 album Alive!). The song was first recorded in 1966 by John Denver with the title ‘Babe, I Hate to Go’. He remembers composing the song in 1966 during a layover at Washington airport, ‘Not so much from feeling that way for someone, but from the longing of having someone to love.’
“A year earlier, in 1966, ‘Babe, I Hate to Go’ was among fifteen songs Denver recorded himself and, with his own money, had 250 copies pressed onto vinyl and distributed to friends and family. Later that year, while engaged to perform at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C., Denver performed the song on a live radio broadcast on WAVA-FM, hosted by disc-jockey Dick Cerri for his program Hootenanny, where Denver was backed by fellow Trio guitarist, Bob Hefferan (and handled a heckler in the audience). It was John’s second time singing the song in public and the first radio broadcast of it.
Written and first recorded by Mark James (1968).
Hit versions by Elvis Presley (US #1/MOR #4/UK#2/CAN #1/AUS #1/NZ #2 1969), Dee Dee Warwick (US #80/R&B #24 1971), Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter (C&W #2 1976), Gareth Gates (UK #1 2002).
From the wiki: “‘Suspicious Minds’ was written by Mark James in 1968, and first recorded and released by James on Scepter Records in 1968. but Scepter did not have the money to promote new artists, and the song did not make the charts. After Mark James’ recording failed commercially, the song was suggested to Elvis Presley by James’ producer, Chips Moman. Even though James’s recording initially had not been commercially successful, Elvis decided, upon reviewing the song, he could turn it into a hit.
“Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ would go on to become a #1 hit in the US and in several other countries around the world, one of the top songs of the year (1969), and one of the most notable hits of Presley’s career.
Originally recorded by Dave Berry (UK #5 1964).
Other hit versions by Brenda Lee (US #87 1965), Boy George (US #15/UK #22/CAN #1 1992).
From the wiki: “‘The Crying Game’ was first released by UK singer Dave Berry in July 1964. Session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan played lead guitar on this song, and Jimmy Page supported. Berry’s single peaked at #5 in July 1964, his highest-charting UK single to date. But, his original arrangement gained greater international interest in 1992, when it (along with a cover by Boy George) was used as the theme song for the film The Crying Game.
Written (by Eddy Grant) and first recorded by The Equals (1967).
Hit album version by The Clash (1980).
From the wiki: “‘Police on My Back’ was written by Eddy Grant when he was leader of the Equals, a racially-mixed British group who fused rock, reggae, and soul rhythms. The band’s sole international hit was the admirably eccentric groover ‘Baby Come Back’. First released as a promotional single in Germany in 1967 and in 1968 in the UK, the Netherlands and Austria (with no apparent chart success), ‘Police on My Back’ was included on the Equals Explosion album released in the UK in 1968, and in the US in 1968 on the compilation ‘greatest hits’ album Baby, Come Back.
“The Clash picked ‘Police on My Back’ to cover while recording their fourth album, the sprawling three-LP set Sandanista!. While the Equals’ original version has a clear if muted reggae undertow, the song became a hard-charging, high-velocity onslaught when recorded by The Clash.
“‘Police on My Back’ was a rare example of the Clash tackling a reggae tune and, rather than trying to fuse its Caribbean rhythms with the band’s muscular approach, instead stripped the tune to its bare bones and tackling it as straight rock & roll. The track was cited by some critics in reviews of Sandinista! as the most ‘Clash-sounding’ song on the album – with the irony being that ‘Police on My Back’ was a cover; not a Clash original.”
Originally recorded (as “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You”) by James Ray (1962).
Hit version by George Harrison (US #1/UK #2/AUS #1 1988).
From the wiki: “‘I’ve Got My Mind Set on You’ was written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. Standing just 5′ tall, Ray first recorded as Little Jimmy Ray. He recorded ‘Make Her Mine’ in 1959, but it was unsuccessful and by 1961 Ray was destitute and living on a rooftop, though still performing in clubs.
“Songwriter Rudy Clark befriended him, and persuaded Gerry Granahan of Caprice Records to sign him. Using the name James Ray, his first recording was of Clark’s song, ‘If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody’. The record was a hit on both the Pop and R&B charts. The single was issued in the UK in 1962 as well, and the song was performed by The Beatles before being discovered by Freddie and the Dreamers, who took their cover of it into the UK Top 5 the year after.
First recorded (as a demo) in 1965 and first released by Jean DuShon (Oct 1966).
Also recorded by Connie Haines (1965), Barbara McNair (released Nov 1966), The Four Tops (1967), The Temptations (1967).
Hit versions by Tony Bennett (US #91/EZ #8 1967), Stevie Wonder (US #2/R&B #2 1968).
From the wiki: “‘For Once in My Life’, written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden, was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, tapped by Miller to demo ‘For Once in My Life’ as he was ‘fine-tuning’ the composition. Miller was so impressed by DuShon’s rendition he released her recording as a single on Chess Records’ Cadet label in 1966.
“Motown CEO Berry Gordy found out that Miller, a Motown staff writer, had given the song to an outside artist. Gordy had Miller immediately make the song available for Motown artist Connie Haines, who recorded the first version of the song at the label in July 1965 and, then, Barbara McNair to record (in 1966) and, later, for the Four Tops, the Temptations and, later, Stevie Wonder to record.
Written and first recorded by Kenny Rankin (1967).
Also recorded by Bobbie Gentry (1968), The Friends of Distinction (1969), Kenny Rankin (1972).
Hit versions by Georgie Fame (UK #16 1969), Helen Reddy (US #12/MOR #2 1973).
From the wiki: “Early in his career Rankin worked as a singer-songwriter, penning songs for pop-jazz artists like Carmen McRae (‘My Carousel’), Peggy Lee (‘In the Name of Love’), and Mel Tormé (‘Haven’t We Met’). He developed a considerable following during the 60’s & 70’s with a steady flow of his own albums, three of which broke into the Top 100 of the Billboard Album Chart. (Rankin also performed session work for other Columbia Records artists. Among other sessions, he played acoustic guitar on Bob Dylan’s breakthrough disc Bringing It All Back Home.)
“He appeared on The Tonight Show more than twenty times. Host Johnny Carson was so impressed by him that he wrote the liner notes to Rankin’s 1967 debut album Mind Dusters, which featured the single ‘Peaceful.’ Kenny’s friend Helen Reddy would reach #2 on the MOR chart and #12 Pop in 1973 with her cover recording.
“Earlier covers of ‘Peaceful’ were recorded by Bobby Gentry and The Friends of Distinction. Georgie Fame (‘Yeh Yeh’) was the first artist to chart with ‘Peaceful’, in the UK in 1969.”
Originally recorded (as “Someone to Love”) by The Great Society (1966).
Hit version by Jefferson Airplane (US #5 1967).
From the wiki: “Written by The Great Society guitarist Darby Slick and first performed by that band, which included his then-sister-in-law Grace Slick on vocals, the song made little impact outside of the club circuit in the Bay Area.
“The song was released in 1966 as a single on the North Beach subsidiary of Autumn Records and received minimal circulation and radio airplay outside of San Francisco.
Originally recorded by The Cookies (1962).
Also recorded (and released first) by The Crystals (1962).
Hit versions by The Drifters (US #9/R&B #7 1963) and George Benson (US #7/R&B #2 1978).
From the wiki: “Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann were based at Aldon Music, in NYC, and the song as written by Mann-Weil was originally recorded by The Cookies (although The Crystals’ version beat them to release) and featured an upbeat lyric in which the protagonist is still on her way to Broadway and sings ‘I got to get there soon, or I’ll just die.’
“For the Crystals’ recording, Phil Spector created his soon-to-be trademark cocktail of pizzicato strings, mandolins and castanets. His ‘Wall of Sound’ was inspired by, and reflects, the ‘neon lights of Broadway’, and might not even exist without Spector’s ‘On Broadway’ arrangement.
Originally recorded (as “Message To Martha”) by Jerry Butler (1962).
Also recorded by Marlene Dietrich (1964), Lou Johnson (as “Kentucky Bluebird” US #104 1964).
Hit versions by Adam Faith (UK #12 1964), Dionne Warwick (US #8/R&B #5/CAN #6 1966).
From the wiki: “The song was first recorded as ‘Message to Martha’ by Jerry Butler in the 1962 session in New York City which produced Butler’s hit ‘Make It Easy on Yourself’ (also written by Bacharach-David), but was not released until December 1963. Marlene Dietrich recorded a German version of the song in 1964, singing to the instrumental track of the Butler original (with augmentations); Dietrich’s version was entitled ‘Kleine Treue Nachtigall’ (‘faithful little nightingale’).
First recorded by Billy Edd Wheeler (1963).
Also recorded bv The Kingston Trio (1963).
Hit versions by Johnny Cash & June Carter (C&W #2 1967), Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (US #14 1967).
From the wiki: “‘Jackson’ is a song written in 1963 by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber, and was first recorded by Wheeler. It is best known from two 1967 releases: a pop hit single by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood and a country hit single by Johnny Cash and June Carter, the latter duo for whom ‘Jackson’ became a signature-song.
First recorded (as a demo) by Dionne Warwick (1963).
Hit versions by Lou Johnson (US #49 1964), Sandi Shaw (US #52/UK #1/CAN #1/AUS #16 1964), Dionne Warwick B-side re-recording (US #65 1968), R.B. Greaves (US #27/MOR #3 1971) and Naked Eyes (US #8/UK #59/CAN #9/AUS #7 1983).
From the wiki: “Originally recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963, ‘(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me’ first charted for Lou Johnson whose version (with backing vocals by Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston) reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1964. Johnson also recorded the original versions of several other Bacharach and David songs that later proved to be bigger hits for other musicians, including ‘Reach Out for Me’, and ‘Message to Michael (Kentucky Bluebird)‘.
First recorded by Johnny & Jackey (1961).
Hit versions by Diana Ross & The Supremes (US #1/R&B #1/CAN #3/UK #13/IRE #19 1969), Bert Kaempfert (MOR #27 1970), Bill Anderson & Jan Howard (C&W #4 1970).
From the wiki: “‘Someday We’ll Be Together’ was written by Johnny Bristol, Jackey Beavers, and Harvey Fuqua in 1961. Bristol and Beavers recorded the song together, as ‘Johnny & Jackey’, for the Tri-Phi label that same year, becoming a moderate success in the Midwestern United States but gaining little attention elsewhere.
“Tri-Phi would then be purchased by Motown in the mid-1960s. Fuqua, Bristol, and Beavers all then joined Berry Gordy’s famous Motown record company and, as a result, ‘Someday We’ll Be Together’ became part of Motown’s Jobete publishing catalog.
“In 1969, Bristol was preparing an instrumental cover version of ‘Someday We’ll Be Together’, to be recorded by Motown act Jr. Walker & the All-Stars. He had already recorded the basic instrumental track and background vocals (by Maxine and Julia Waters) when Berry Gordy happened upon the tracks and heard them and thought that ‘Someday …’ would be the perfect vehicle for Diana Ross’ anticipated exit from the Supremes. Gordy had Bristol quickly sequester Ross into the studio to record her vocal over the instrumental track intended for Jr. Walker.
First released by Mieko Hirota (1965).
Also recorded by Dave Pike (1966), Chris Montez (1966), Marvin Gaye (1966).
Hit versions by Bobby Hebb (US #2/R&B #3/UK #12 1966), Boney M. (UK #3/NETH #1/GER #1 1976).
From the wiki: “Bobby Hebb’s breakthrough as a songwriter would be born of tragedy. In November 1963, already upset over the JFK assassination, Bobby then learned that his older brother, Harold, had been stabbed to death the same night in a fight outside a Nashville nightclub. Out of his depression, Hebb began to write. Using past hurts (‘Yesterday my life was filled with rain’) and inspired by the anonymous smile of a complete stranger (‘You smiled and it really, really eased the pain’), ‘Sunny’ came into being.
“The upbeat number was included in Hebb’s nightclub act at his gig at the New York club Brandy’s. The audiences responded positively as did record producer Jerry Ross (‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me‘), who included the song on a publisher’s demo record that found its way to Japan.
“That was how ‘Sunny’ came about to be first recorded and commercially-released in Japan – not the US – by Mieko ‘Miko’ Hirota, the ‘Connie Francis of Japan’, where it was said to have done well on the charts.
First recorded by Tippie & the Clovers (1962).
Hit version by Elvis Presley (US #8/R&B #20/UK #13 1963).
From the wiki: “‘Bossa Nova Baby’ was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (‘Kansas City’, ‘Hound Dog‘, ‘Ruby Baby‘, ‘Jailhouse Rock’). Even though the song would go on to become a huge promotional hit for the Elvis Presley movie, Fun in Acapulco, its origin had nothing to do with ‘fun’ or with ‘Acapulco’. It was initially given by Leiber-Stoller to The Clovers, who had had past success (‘Love Potion No. 9’) with the songwriters, to record.
Originally recorded by The New Vaudeville Band (1966).
Also recorded by Gary & The Hornets (1966).
Hit versions by Herman’s Hermits (US #4/UK #7/CAN #2/AUS #5/SGP #2 1967), The Carpenters (US #12/MOR #1/UK #22/CAN #8/AUS #22 1976).
From the wiki: “The song was introduced on the 1966 album Winchester Cathedral by Geoff Stephens’ group, The New Vaudeville Band; like that group’s hit ‘Winchester Cathedral’, ‘There’s a Kind of Hush’ was conceived as a neo-British music hall number although it is a less overt proponent of that style.
Originally recorded by The Royalettes (US #41/R&B #28 1965).
Also recorded by Laura Nyro & LaBelle (1971).
Other hit version by Deniece Williams (US #10/R&B #1 1982).
From the wiki: ‘It’s Gonna Take a Miracle’ is a popular song written by Teddy Randazzo (‘Goin’ Out of My Head’, ‘Hurt So Bad‘), Bob Weinstein, and Lou Stallman. It was first an R&B hit in 1965 for The Royalettes, who peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart but reached the R&B Top-30. In 1971, Laura Nyro covered the song for her album, Gonna Take a Miracle, with background vocals performed by LaBelle.
“The most successful version of the song was the 1982 remake by R&B and gospel artist Deniece Williams. Her version went to #1 on the R&B chart for two weeks and also peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.”
Co-written and originally recorded by Brenda Holloway (US #39/R&B #40 1967).
Other hit version by Blood, Sweat & Tears (US #2/MOR #18/R&B #46/CAN #1/UK #35/AUS #14 1969).
From the wiki: “By 1967, Brenda Holloway had been recording for Motown Records since 1964 and had struggled with Berry Gordy over control of her music, alleging that Gordy had forced her to sing Mary Wells’ ‘leftover tracks’ after the Motown singer left the label in 1964. Along with her sister Patrice, using music provided by Frank Wilson and with additional help from Gordy himself, Holloway co-wrote ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.’ Coincidentally, Holloway recorded the song after a breakup with a boyfriend.
First recorded by Erma Franklin (US #62/R&B #10 1967 |UK #9 1992).
Other hit versions by Big Brother and the Holding Company (US #12 1968), Faith Hill (C&W #1 1994), Shaggy feat. Marsha (UK #7/NZ #6 1997), Melissa Ethridge & Joss Stone (US #32 2005), Beverly Knight (UK #15 2006).
From the wiki: “‘Piece of My Heart’ is a romantic love song written by Jerry Ragovoy (‘Time Is On My Side‘) and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin’s version was a Top-10 R&B hit in the U.S., and also peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her recording of ‘Piece of My Heart’ was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1968. In the UK, the single was re-released in 1992, due to a successful Levi’s jeans commercial, when it peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart.
“Erma’s solo recording career was hampered by misfortune and by contracts with record labels who did not find the most suitable material for her husky voice. In the mid-1970s Erma left the music industry, apart from occasional engagements with her sister, Aretha.
Co-written and first recorded by Eddie Holland (1964).
Hit versions by Kim Weston (US #50/R&B #4 1965), The Isley Brothers (R&B #22 1967), The Doobie Brothers (US #11/UK #29 1975), Charity Brown (CAN #5 1975).
From the wiki: “Eddie Holland, of the legendary Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland (‘Leaving Here‘), co-wrote and recorded the original version of ‘Take Me in Your Arms’ in 1964. (Holland’s recording was not released commercially until 2005.) Holland quit performing due to stage fright, opting instead to concentrate on songwriting. Holland-Dozier-Holland were responsible for such mega hits as ‘Baby, I Need Your Loving’, ‘Heat Wave’, ‘Baby Love’, ‘This Old Heart of Mine’ and scores of others.
First released by P.P. Arnold (UK #18 1967).
Also recorded by Cat Stevens, writer (1967).
Other hit versions by Norma Fraser (Jamaica, 1967), Keith Hampshire (CAN #1 1973), Rod Stewart (US #21/UK #1/CAN #11/AUS #19/ZIM #8 1976), Sheryl Crow (US #14/MOR #1/C&W #35/UK #37/IRE #13 2003).
From the wiki: “‘The First Cut Is the Deepest’ is a 1967 song written by Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in the spring of 1967. Stevens had made a demo recording of ‘The First Cut Is the Deepest’ in 1965 but had written the song only to promote his songwriting to other artists, and did not record it for commercial release until early October 1967. He sold the song for £30 to P. P. Arnold and it became a huge hit for her in the UK, reaching #18 on the UK Singles Chart.
“After several years touring the United States with the Ike & Tina Revue, P.P. Arnold emigrated to England in 1966. Impressed by her powerful and soulful voice, Mick Jagger convinced Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham to sign Arnold to a recording contract. During this period Arnold also toured alongside Delaney and Bonnie & Friends, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Kinks, Blind Faith, David Bowie and others, and she recorded several other hits including a 1969 UK #29 hit release of ‘Angel of the Morning‘.
Written and first released by Jerry Jeff Walker (US #77 1968).
Other hit version by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (US #9/MOR #10/CAN #9/NZ #2 1970), Nina Simone (UK #96 1988).
Also recorded by David Bromberg (1973), Sammy Davis Jr. (1972).
From the wiki: “Jerry Jeff Walker has said he was inspired to write the song after an encounter with a street performer in a New Orleans jail and that the song does not refer to the famous stage and movie personality Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson. Rather, Walker said while in jail for public intoxication in 1965 he met a homeless white man who called himself ‘Mr. Bojangles’ to conceal his true identity from the police.
“The two men and others in the cell chatted about all manner of things, but when Mr. Bojangles told a story about his dog, the mood in the room turned heavy. Someone else in the cell asked for something to lighten the mood, and Mr. Bojangles obliged with a tap dance.