Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Category: 1960s

1960s, Broadway/Movies/Television

Strangers in the Night

First recorded (as “Beddy Bye”) by Bert Kaempfert (1965).
Possibly based on “Stranci u noći” by Ivo Robić (1966)
First English-language recording by Jack Jones (1966).
Also recorded (in German, as “Fremde in der Nacht”) by Ivo Robić (1966).
Hit version Frank Sinatra (US #1/MOR #1/UK #1 1966).

From the wiki: “‘Strangers in the Night’ is credited to Bert Kaempfert with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder. It is sometimes claimed that the Croatian singer Ivo Robić was the original composer of ‘Strangers in the Night’ (performed as ‘Stranci u noći’), and that he sold the rights to Kaempfert after entering it without success in a song contest in Yugoslavia. These claims have not been substantiated.

“Robić, a pioneer of popular Yugoslav music from the early 1950s on, was the only artist from Yugoslavia whose records were available in the record shops of Europe and the rest of the world. He performed and collaborated with Kaempfert, Freddy Quinn, and Dean Martin. Robić would go on to record Yugoslav and German versions of ‘Strangers in the Night’, ‘Stranci u Noći’ with lyrics by Marija Renota and ‘Fremde in der Nacht’ with lyrics by Kurt Feltz.

“Kaempfert originally recorded the melody under the title ‘Beddy Bye’ as part of the instrumental score for the movie soundtrack to A Man Could Get Killed, which went on to win a Golden Globe Award in 1967 for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

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1960s, Rock

Sugar on Sunday

Written and first recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells (1969).
Hit version by The Clique (US #22 1969).

From the wiki: “‘Sugar on Sunday’ was written by Tommy James and Mike Vale, and was first recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells in late 1968 for inclusion on the Crimson & Clover album, released in January 1969. The song was not released as a single, perhaps because of its similarity to the album’s two hit singles: ‘Crimson and Clover’ (a #1 hit) and ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ (a #2 hit).

“The Clique was a late 1960s American sunshine pop band from Houston, Texas. They started as the Roustabouts in the Beaumont, Texas area, 90 miles east of Houston, and later the Sandpipers before renaming themselves the Clique in 1967 and settling in Houston. Their first hit was a cover of the 13th Floor Elevators’ ‘Splash 1’, on Cinema Records, produced by Walt Andrus. The song was #1 in Houston for several weeks.

“The Clique’s eponymous debut album, released by White Whale Records in the summer of 1969, featured the singles ‘I’ll Hold Out My Hand’ and their cover of ‘Sugar on Sunday’. The latter single reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1969.”

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1960s, Pop

I Love How You Love Me

Co-written and first recorded (as a demo) by Barry Mann (1961).
Hit versions by The Paris Sisters (US #5 1961), Jimmy Crawford (UK #18 1961), Paul & Barry Ryan (UK #21 1966), Bobby Vinton (US #9/MOR #2 1968), Lynn Anderson (C&W #18 1979), Glen Campbell (C&W #17 1983).

From Songfacts.com: “‘I Love How You Love Me’ was written by Barry Mann (‘Who Put the Bomp’, ‘Venus in Blue Jeans‘, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place‘, ‘Never Gonna Let You Go‘) and Larry Kolber, and first recorded as a demo by Mann in 1961. According to Rich Podolsky’s book Don Kirshner: The Man with the Golden Ear, Kolber’s post-military career (he had been a journalist for Stars & Stripes) found him, first, a whiskey salesman and, then, after a casual encounter, a budding lyricist – an unpredictable twist. It was while having lunch at a cafe on Manhattan across the street from Aldon Music that Kolber literally jotted down on a napkin the lyrics, in minutes, to ‘I Love How You Love Me’! Kolber went across to Aldon to look for someone to set his lyrics to music. Barry Mann happened to be in the Aldon offices just at that moment, and it was he who set Kolber’s lyrics to music.

“Tony Orlando was originally slated to sing it, but Phil Spector happened to drop by and asked for the song for one of his girl groups. Kolber was disappointed, thinking that he’d lost a shot at fame without Orlando’s voice.

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1960s, Latin

So Nice (Summer Samba)

First recorded (as “Samba De Verão”) by Eumir Deodato (1964).
First vocal recording (as “Samba De Verão”) by Marcos Valle (1965).
Hit versions (in English) by The Walter Wanderley Trio (US #26/MOR #3 1966), Johnny Mathis (MOR #17 1966), Connie Francis (MOR #17 1966), Vicki Carr (MOR #32 1966).

From the wiki: “‘Summer Samba’ (also known as ‘So Nice’ or its original Portuguese title, ‘Samba de Verão’) is a 1964 Bossa nova song by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle

“Brazilian musician, arranger and producer Eumir Deodato, a musical autodidact, starting with the accordion at age 12, first recorded the song in 1964 as an instrumentalal. Co-writer Valle recorded the first vocal version of ‘Samba De Verão’ in 1965, with the original Portuguese lyrics coming from Marcos’ brother, Paulo Sérgio.

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1960s, Broadway/Movies/Television

You Only Live Twice

First recorded by Julie Rogers (1967).
Also recorded by Lorraine Chandler (1967), Little Anthony & the Imperials (1967).
Hit movie version by Nancy Sinatra (1967).

From the wiki: “The title track from the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice, was composed and produced by veteran James Bond composer John Barry, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Julie Rogers was asked to perform the song, becoming the first artist to record it. But, Rogers’ version was quite different, with a more ‘oriental’ flavor than the later Nancy Sinatra version – the third to be recorded – that would eventually grace the title sequence of You Only Live Twice.

“Jazz singer Lorraine Chandler recorded a second version of the song that differed greatly from the other two – a more bombastic, Shirley Bassey-sound. Composer Barry recalls, ‘It was usually the producers that said ‘this isn’t working, there’s a certain something that it needed.’ If that energy wasn’t there, if that mysterioso kind of thing wasn’t there, then it wasn’t going to work for the movie.’

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1960s, Pop

Pleasant Valley Sunday

Co-written and first recorded (as a demo) by Carole King (1967).
Hit version by The Monkees (US #3/CAN #2/UK #11 1967).

From the wiki: “‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and was first recorded in 1967 as a demo by King. Goffin’s and King’s inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey where they were living at the time. The road follows a valley through several communities among the Watchung Mountains. The lyrics were a social commentary on status symbols, creature comforts, life in suburbia and ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.

“The Monkees’ single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured in the second season of their television series. The Monkees. ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ also appeared on the fourth Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., in November 1967. While mono copies of the album had the same version heard on the single, stereo copies had a version using a different take of the first verse and an additional backing vocal during the break.”

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1960s, Pop

Take Good Care of My Baby

First recorded (as a demo) by Carole King (1961).
Also recorded by Dion & the Belmonts (1961), The Beatles (1962, released 2009).
Hit versions by Bobby Vee (US #1/UK #3 1961), Bobby Vinton (US #33 1968).

From the wiki: “‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and was first recorded by King as a demo in 1961.

“Dion & the Belmonts were the first to record the song for commercial release but their version was not published until release of the album Runaround Sue in the slipstream of Bobby Vee’s #1 hit. The song was covered by The Beatles during their failed audition at Decca Records on January 1, 1962 but was unreleased until 2009.

“In 1968, ‘Take Good Care’ became a hit again, this time for Bobby Vinton.”

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1960s, Pop

Go Away Little Girl

First recorded by Bobby Vee (1962).
Hit versions by Steve Lawrence (US #1/R&B #14 1962), Maryk Wynter (UK #6 1962), The Happenings (US #12 1965), Donny Osmond (US #1 1971).
Also recorded (as “Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy”) by Marlena Shaw (R&B #29 1977).

From the wiki: “‘Go Away Little Girl’ was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and was first recorded in 1962 by Bobby Vee. The song would go on to become notable for making the American Top-20 three times: for Steve Lawrence in 1962, for The Happenings in 1966, and for Donny Osmond in 1971. ‘Go Away Little Girl’ was also the first song, and one of only nine total, to reach US #1 by two different artists (Lawrence, in 1962; and Osmond, in 1971). The original recording by Vee was cut during same session as ‘It Might As Well Rain Until September’ and ‘Sharing You’. Not satisfied with the result, the song was shelved until producer Don Kirshner passed the song along to his good friend, Steve Lawrence.

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1960s, Pop

A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You

Written and first performed (live) by Neil Diamond (1966).
Hit version by The Monkees (US #2/UK #3/CAN #1/AUS #4 1967).

From the wiki: “‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ was written by Neil Diamond. He never made a studio recording of the song (as he had done with The Monkees’ ‘I’m a Believer‘), but he did perform ‘A Little Bit Me’ in his live shows circa late 1966.

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1960s, Folk

Woodstock

Written and first performed by Joni Mitchell (1969).
Hit versions by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (US #11 1970), Matthew’s Southern Comfort (US #23/UK #1/CAN #5/IRE #2/POL #2/SWE #2 1970).

From the wiki: “‘Woodstock’ was written by Joni Mitchell and included on her 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon. But, was first performed Mitchell at the Big Sur Folk Festival in September 1969, one month after the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. The song was notably covered by both Matthews Southern Comfort, and by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and would on to become a counterculture anthem. Mitchell wrote the song from what she had heard from then-boyfriend, Graham Nash, about the Woodstock concert. She had not been there herself; she had been told by a manager that it would be more advantageous for her to appear at the time on The Dick Cavett Show. Mitchell wrote it in a hotel room in New York City, watching televised reports of the festival.

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1960s, Pop

Happy Heart

Co-written and first recorded (as an instrumental) by The James Last Orchestra (1969).
Hit versions by Nick DeCaro (MOR #22 1969), Petula Clark (US #62/MOR #12 1969/AUS #22), Andy Williams (US #22/MOR #1/UK #19/AUS #22 1969).

From the wiki: “‘Happy Heart’ was written by James Last and Jackie Rae, and was first recorded as an instrumental by The James Last Orchestra in 1969. It was first covered by Nick DeCaro, a version which enjoyed modest success in the U.S. on the Billboard MOR chart. ‘Happy Heart’ would go on to be recorded by both Petula Clark and Andy Williams.

“Clark was reportedly dismayed when Williams, guest-starring on her second U.S. television special, made known his intention to perform ‘Happy Heart’ at the time each were planning to launch arrangements of the song as their next respective single. ‘Happy Heart’ would be released as promotional singles by each simultaneously in March 1969. Williams performed ‘Happy Heart’ on Portrait of Petula on April 7.

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1960s, Rock

The Beat Goes On

Inspired by “The Trip” by Donovan (1966).
Hit version by Sonny & Cher (US #6/UK #29 1967).

“The Trip” was written by English folk-rock singer Donovan about his popular engagement in Los Angeles at the Sunset Strip nightclub of the same name, and the “happenings” on the scene at the time.

The evidence is purely circumstantial, but:

“[Charlie Greene] discovered and built acts like Sonny and Cher, Buffalo Springfield and Iron Butterfly, from obscurity to stardom. The same groups would eventually have seizures until Greene was booted out of the very contracts he landed them. Every time. Sonny Bono paid $250,000 to buy back Greene’s contract.

“‘I hocked my typewriters for that first record, ‘Baby Don’t Go.’ Got $168, you know, it was just a West Coast hit anyway. And then Sonny stole . . . ah, wrote, ‘I Got You Babe’. . . . heheheheh. . . .

“‘Why the big laugh?

“‘It was a very timely song, man. Hey, Donovan had just come off ‘Catch The Wind’ and Sonny is very good at picking out certain commercial aspects of other hit songs. As are other writers. Sure. Just listen to them side-by-side, it’s an influence. Sonny’s clever. He’s not a good songwriter, but he’s a clever thief. No, thief is the wrong word. Influence . . . he uses influence well.

“. . . ‘The Beat Goes On,’ you might listen to Donovan’s ‘The Trip.’ ‘Baby Don’t Go,’ you might listen to ‘We’ll Sing in the Sunshine.’ Some are direct; some are indirect. I got to hand it to the mother-fucker for continuing to have perseverance on . . . ah . . . on an overabundance of a lack of talent. No, no, no, I got no complaint with Sonny.'”

– ‘As Bare As You Dare With Sonny and Cher’, Rolling Stone RS135, May 24, 1973

Sonny & Cher, “The Beat Goes On” (1967):

1960s, Pop

Eres tu

Based on “Brez besed” by Berta Ambroz (1966).
Hit versions by Mocedades (US #9/MOR #8/CAN #6/AUS #30/NZ #3/SPN #1 1973), Eydie Gorme (MOR #41 1973).

From the wiki: “‘Eres tu’ (‘It’s You’) was written in 1973 by Juan Carlos Calderón and performed by the Spanish music group Mocedades. The song was chosen as Spain’s entry in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. After reaching second place in the contest, ‘Eres tu’ was released as a single. The song also has an English version, titled ‘Touch the Wind’, with lyrics by Mike Hawker (which featured a completely different new set of lyrics rather than a translation of the original Spanish lyrics).

“Calderón was accused of plagiarism following suggestions that ‘Eres tu’ was merely a rewrite of the Yugoslav entry from the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest – ‘Brez besed’ (‘Without words’) – sung by Berta Ambrož. ‘Eres tú’ was not disqualified for what some suggested were political reasons – that Francisco Franco’s fascist Spain was seen as more part of the European mainstream than Josip Broz Tito’s communist Yugoslavia.”

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1960s, Rock 'n Roll

Barbara-Ann

First recorded by The Regents (US #13/R&B #7 1961).
Also recorded by Jan & Dean (1962).
Other hit version by The Beach Boys (US #2/UK #3 1966).

From the wiki: “‘Barbara Ann’ was written by Fred Fassert and was first recorded by The Regents as ‘Barbara-Ann’. Their version was released in 1961. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and crossed-over, too, as a Top 10 R&B hit. The Beach Boys recorded their version on September 23, 1965 (five days after actress and model Barbara Anne Feldon coincidentally made her first television appearance on Get Smart). Dean Torrence is featured on lead vocals with Brian Wilson. Torrence was not credited on the album jacket but ‘Thanks, Dean’ is spoken by Carl Wilson at the end of the track.

“By late January 1966, ‘Barbara Ann’ was in position to replace ‘We Can Work It Out’ by The Beatles as the next #1 song. However, ‘My Love’, by Petula Clark, unexpectedly vaulted into the #1 position the week ending February 5, 1966. Consequently, ‘Barbara Ann’ peaked at #2 in the US Billboard Hot 100.”

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1960s, Pop

The Boy from New York City

First recorded by The Ad Libs (US #8/R&B #6 1965).
Also recorded by Dave “Baby” Cortez (1965).
Other hit versions by Darts (UK #2 1978), The Manhattan Transfer (US #7/MOR #4 1981).

From the wiki: “‘The Boy from New York City’ was originally recorded by the American soul group The Ad Libs. Released as the group’s first single in 1964, it was produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (‘Hound Dog‘, ‘On Broadway‘). The song peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1965. The Ad Libs would never repeat their chart success.

“The song was later covered by Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez, as a 1965 instrumental; Darts, in 1978; and The Manhattan Transfer, in 1981. The latter two covers became chart hits in the UK and US, respectively. The Ad Libs recording also inspired a response song by The Beach Boys, ‘The Girl from New York City’, from their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).”

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1960s, Pop

Baby Take Me In Your Arms

First recorded by Paper Dolls (1968).
Hit version by Jefferson (US #23/MOR #19/CAN #15 1969).

From the wiki: “Paper Dolls was founded in 1967 as a British female vocal trio from Northampton, UK, who appeared a couple of decades before similar all-girl recording acts, such as Bananarama, Atomic Kitten and Spice Girls, became commonplace. Pre-dating the Spice Girls, each member of the girl group had a nickname (Susanne Mathis, ‘Tiger’; Susan Marshall, ‘Copper’; Pauline Bennett, ‘Spyder’).

“Signed to Pye Records, Paper Dolls had one solitary chart success: The song, ‘Something Here in My Heart (Keeps A Tellin’ Me No)’, written by Tony Macaulay and John Macleod, was their debut single. It reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968. The group’s greatest professional disappointment came when their producers first arranged for them to record another Macaulay co-composition, ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’, in 1967. But, due to a misunderstanding, Paper Dolls never turned up for the session; instead, the song was given to The Foundations, whose version became a transatlantic hit.

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1960s, Rock 'n Roll

One After 909

First recorded by The Quarrymen (1958).
Also recorded by The “Beatals” (1960), The Beatles (1962), The Beatles (1963).
First released by Terry Manning (1968).
Hit album version by The Beatles (1969).

From the wiki: “‘One After 909’ is the oldest known Beatles song.

“It was written as early as 1957, one of the first Lennon-McCartney compositions (‘[‘One After 909′] was something I wrote when I was about seventeen,’ John Lennon explained in his 1980 Playboy magazine interview), and was first recorded c. 1958 by The Quarrymen according to Mike McCartney.

“The then-named ‘Beatals’ also recorded ‘One After 909’ sometime between January-August 1960, after Stu Sutcliffe had joined as the bass player but before the addition of Pete Best on drums. The Beatles, sans Sutcliffe but with Best on drums, also recorded the song during rehearsals in 1962 at The Cavern Club, Liverpool. The group first recorded ‘One After 909’ in a studio during the 1962 sessions for the group’s third single, ‘From Me to You’, with Ringo Starr on drums, but that recording was unreleased until Anthology I in 1995.

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1960s, Pop

Baby, Now That I’ve Found You

First recorded by The Foundations (US #11/UK #1/CAN #1 1967).
Re-recorded by The Foundations (1968).
Also recorded Alton Ellis (1967), Lana Cantrell (1968), The Marble Arch Orchestra (1968).
Other hit version by Alison Krauss & Union Station (C&W #49 1995).

From the wiki: “‘Baby, Now That I’ve Found You’ was written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod, parts of it in the same bar of a Soho tavern where Karl Marx is supposed to have written Das Kapital. When ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ was first released, as The Foundations’ debut single in 1967, it went nowhere. Meanwhile, BBC Radio’s newly founded Radio 1 were looking to avoid any records being played by the pirate radio stations (e.g. Radio Caroline, Radio London) and they looked back at some recent releases that the pirate stations had missed. ‘Baby, Now That I’ve Found You’ was one of them. The single then took off and by November it was #1 in the British charts.

“Another version of the song was recorded by The Foundations in 1968 featuring Colin Young, Clem Curtis’ replacement. This was released on a Marble Arch album of newer stereo versions of previous hits. The same year the record label’s Marble Arch Orchestra recorded an instrumental version of the song for the 1968 album Tomorrow’s Standards.

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1960s, R&B

I Got You (I Feel Good)

First recorded (as “I Found You”) by Yvonne Fair & the James Brown Band (1962).
Also recorded by James Brown (1964).
Hit version by James Brown (US #3/R&B #1/UK #29 1965).

From the wiki: “‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’ was developed from an earlier Brown-penned song, ‘I Found You’, with a nearly identical melody and lyrics. ‘I Found You’ was recorded by Brown’s back-up singer, Yvonne Fair, and was released as a single in 1962 with little success.

“In 1964, Brown recorded an early version of ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’ with a different arrangement, including a stuttering rhythm and prominent baritone sax line, under the title ‘I Got You’. This version appeared on the Smash Records album Out of Sight and was used in the 1965 film Ski Party, in which Brown lip-synched his performance. It was intended for a single release but was withdrawn due to a court order from King Records, with whom Brown was involved in a contract dispute.

“Re-recorded and released as a single in 1965 titled ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’, the song would go to become Brown’s highest-charting song and is arguably his most widely-known recording.

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1960s, Pop

Call Me Irresponsible

First performed by Jackie Gleason (in Papa’s Delicate Condition) (1963).
Also performed by Judy Garland (1963).
Popular versions by Frank Sinatra (1963), Jack Jones (US #75 1963).

From the wiki: “”Call Me Irresponsible” was composed in 1962 by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. According to the Mel Tormé book The Other Side of the Rainbow with Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol, Van Heusen originally wrote the song for Garland to sing at a CBS dinner. At that time, Garland had just signed to do The Judy Garland Show on CBS-TV, and the intent of the song was to parody her well-known problems. Garland later did sing the song, on the seventh episode of her variety show.

“However, in 1988, Sammy Cahn said that the song was originally written for Fred Astaire to sing in the film Papa’s Delicate Condition in which Astaire was to star. Cahn personally auditioned the song for Astaire’s approval, which was given. However, Astaire’s contractual obligations prevented him from making the film and the role went to Jackie Gleason, who introduced the song. It would go on to win the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 36th Academy Awards held in 1964.”

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1960s, Rock

Wooden Ships

First recorded (as demos) by David Crosby (1968), Stephen Stills (1968).
Hit album versions by Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969), Jefferson Airplane (1969).

(Above: David Crosby demo.)

(Above: Stephen Stills demo)

From the wiki: “‘Wooden Ships’ was written by David Crosby, Paul Kantner, and Stephen Stills. The song was composed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a boat named ‘Mayan’ owned by Crosby, who composed the music, while Kantner and Stills wrote most of the lyrics. ‘Wooden Ships’ was first recorded as a demo by Crosby in March 1968 with the melody but no lyrics. Stills recorded his own demo the following month with most of the lyrics in place.

“On the original Crosby Stills & Nash release in 1969, Kantner could not be officially credited as one of the joint authors-composer due to legal issues. Crosby later said, ‘Paul called me up and said that he was having this major duke-out with this horrible guy (Matthew Katz) who was managing the band, and [Katz] was freezing everything their names were on. ‘He might injunct the release of your record,’ [Kanter] told me. So we didn’t put Paul’s name on it for a while. In later versions, we made it very certain that he wrote it with us. Of course, we evened things up with him with a whole mess of cash when the record went huge.’

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1960s, Pop

Love Me Tonight

First performed (as “Alla Fine Della Strada”) by Junior Magli (1969) & The Casuals (1969) @ the Sanremo Music Festival 1969.
Recorded (as “Love Me Tonight”) by The Casuals (1969).
Hit version by Tom Jones (US #13/MOR #2/UK #9/CAN #4/IRE #7/BEL #2 1969).

[Above: Junior Magli’s performance at the 1969 Sanremo Music Festival]

[Above: The Casuals’ performance at the 1969 Sanremo Music Festival]

From the wiki: “Junior Magli made ​​his debut in the early 1960s, performing in various Italian clubs and competitions and publishing some 45 songs under his real name, Luigi Pazzaglini, before adopting the stage name ‘Junior Magli’. In 1968, Magli recorded a cover of ‘Delilah’ (the 1968 Tom Jones hit), with which he participated in the 1968 International Music Fair in Venice.

“In 1969, Magli entered the Festival of Sanremo and, in conjunction with the expatriate UK band the Casuals, premiered ‘Alla Fine Della Strada’. (According to the competition rules, every song entry was performed in a double performance by a couple of singers or groups.) But, neither Magli or The Casuals made the competition short-list.

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1960s, R&B

(Do the) Mashed Potatoes

First recorded by Nat Kendrick & the Swans (US #84/R&B #8 1960).
Other hit version (as “Mashed Potatoes (U.S.A.)”) by James Brown (US #82/R&B #21 1962).
Also recorded (as “The Pastrami”) by The Dartells (US#11/R&B #15 1963).

From the wiki: “‘(Do the) Mashed Potatoes’ was first released as a two-part single in 1960. For contractual reasons the recording was credited to ‘Nat Kendrick and the Swans’ but was, in fact, recorded by James Brown with his band in 1959. The recording arose out of James Brown’s success in using the Mashed Potato dance as part of his stage show. (The dance moves vaguely resemble that of the twist.) Brown wanted to record a ‘Mashed Potatoes’-themed instrumental with his band in order to capitalize on the dance’s popularity. However, King Records head Syd Nathan, a frequent critic of Brown’s proposals, would not allow it.

“So, Brown approached Henry Stone, a friend in the music business who ran the Dade Records label, about recording the piece with him. Stone, although nervous about crossing Nathan (with whom he did business), arranged for Brown to record at his Miami studio and agreed to produce the session.

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1960s, Rock

The Pusher

First recorded by Sparrow (1967).
Hit album version by Steppenwolf (1968).
Also recorded by Hoyt Axton (1971).

From the wiki: “‘The Pusher’ was written by Hoyt Axton (‘Joy to the World‘, ‘Never Been to Spain‘) after one of his friends died of a drug overdose. The song was one of the first to deal with harsh realities of drug use, and condemns ‘the pusher’ as a heartless criminal who is only after your money. It was made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider. ‘The Pusher’ was first recorded as a live performance at The Matrix in 1967 by Sparrow (pre-Steppenwolf moniker). But, according to organist Gordy McJohn, the group’s history with the song began in 1966 when singer John Kay and Jerry Edmonton were late for a performance:

Nick and Mars and me started that long version of ‘The Pusher’. John and Jerry’s flight was late one night at the Avalon Ballroom, so we started and then we perfected it at the ‘Arc’ in Sausalito on New Year’s Eve in 1966.

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