Originally recorded by The Outsiders (1966).
Also recorded by The Models (1966).
Hit versions by The American Breed (US #5/UK #24 1968), Amen Corner (UK #3 1968).
Category: Rock
1970s, Rock
Hello, It’s Me
First recorded by The Nazz (US #66 1968).
Hit version by Todd Rundgren (US #5 1973).
From the wiki: “‘Hello, It’s Me’ was the first original song written by Todd Rundgren. It was first recorded in 1968 by Rundgren’s band The Nazz and was included on the group’s self-titled debut album.
“Rundgren had been an avid listener of music but it was only when he put The Nazz together at the age of 19 that he realized that, as the band’s front man, he’d better start penning some original material. Although first released as the B-side of The Nazz’s debut single, ‘Open My Eyes’, ‘Hello, It’s Me’ was picked up in preference to the A-side by Boston radio station WMEX, where it rose to #1. It was picked up by other stations, but not enough to fare well nationally, so ‘Hello, It’s Me’ peaked at #66 in 1968 on the U.S. charts.
1960s, Rock
I Wanna Be Your Man
Written and first recorded by The Beatles (Sept-Oct 1963).
Hit version first released by The Rolling Stones (UK #12 Nov 1963).
From The Beatles’ Bible: “Accounts of its genesis vary. Paul McCartney recalled that ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ was written for [Ringo] Starr and later offered to the Stones. McCartney recounted how he and Lennon were passed by a taxi containing [Mick] Jagger and [Keith] Richards while walking down London’s Charing Cross Road. ‘So they shouted from the taxi and we yelled, ‘Hey, hey, give us a lift, give us a lift,’ and we bummed a lift off them. So there were the four of us sitting in a taxi and I think Mick said, ‘Hey, we’re recording. Got any songs?’ And we said, ‘Aaaah, yes, sure, we got one. How about Ringo’s song? You could do it as a single.”
1960s, Rock
Suspicious Minds
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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.
1970s, Rock
The Air That I Breathe
Co-written and first recorded by Albert Hammond (1972).
Also recorded by Phil Everly (1973).
Hit versions by The Hollies (US #6/MOR #3/UK #2/CAN #5/AUS #2/NZ #1 1974), Simply Red (UK #6 1998), The Mavericks (C&W #59).
1970s, Rock
I Love Rock ‘n Roll
Written and first recorded by Arrows (1975).
Also recorded by Joan Jett, Steve Jones & Paul Cook (1979), Tiny Tim (1980).
Hit versions by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (US #1/UK #4/CAN #1/AUS #1/FRA #4 1981) and Britney Spears (UK #13/AUS #13/SCOT #9 2002).
From the wiki: “The song was originally recorded and released by Arrows in 1975 on RAK Records, with lead vocals by Alan Merrill and produced by Mickie Most. In an interview with Songfacts, Merrill said he wrote it as ‘a knee-jerk response to The Rolling Stones’ ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)’.’ Arrows’ version was first released as a B-side, but was soon flipped to the A-side on subsequent pressings of the single.
“The Arrows performed the song in 1975 on the Muriel Young-produced show 45. Based on the strength of their performance, Young offered the band a weekly UK television variety series, Arrows, which was broadcast on ITV starting in March 1976.
“Although Arrows’ recording was not a chart hit in its original version (as a result of nonexistent promotion by the band’s label), the song came to become a worldwide hit when recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
1970s, Rock
Never Been to Spain
Written and first recorded by Hoyt Axton (1971).
Hit versions by Three Dog Night (US #5/MOR #18/CAN #3/AUS #34 1972), Ronnie Sessions (C&W #34 1972).
Also recorded by Elvis Presley (1972).
From the wiki: “‘Never Been to Spain’ was written by Hoyt Axton (‘Joy to the World‘,’No No Song‘), and was first recorded for and released on his 1971 LP Joy to the World. It would later be recorded later that same year by Three Dog Night, with Cory Wells on lead vocal, and was featured on the album, Harmony. Released as the second single from the album (after ‘An Old Fashioned Love Song‘), ‘Never Been to Spain’ peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #18 on the MOR chart in 1972.
1960s, Rock
Somebody to Love
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.
1970s, Rock
Only You Know and I Know
Written and originally recorded by Dave Mason (US #42 1970).
Hit album version by Delaney and Bonnie (1970).
From the wiki: “Dave Mason co-founded the rock band Traffic, but left following the recording of their debut album, Mr. Fantasy (1967), only to rejoin halfway through the sessions for their next album, Traffic (1968), after which he left again. From 1969 through 1970, Mason toured with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends along with Eric Clapton and George Harrison.
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.
1980s, Rock
Downtown Train
Written and first recorded by Tom Waits (1985).
Also recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1987), Patty Smyth (US #95 1987), Bob Seger (1989, released 2011 MOR #11), The Piano Has Been Drinking (recorded as “Rude Jolf”) (1990), Everything But the Girl (1992).
Hit version by Rod Stewart (US #3/UK #10/CAN #1 1989).
From the wiki: “‘Downtown Train’ is a song written and first recorded by Tom Waits, released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985. The promo video for the song was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and features the boxer Jake LaMotta.
1960s, Rock
The First Cut is the Deepest
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‘.
1970s, Rock
Ol’ 55
Written and first recorded by Tom Waits (1973).
Hit album version by Eagles (B-side US #1/CAN #1/UK #51/AUS #14 1974).
Also recorded by Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer (2019).
From the wiki: “‘Ol’ ’55’ is a song by American musician Tom Waits. It is the opening track and lead single from Waits’ debut studio album, Closing Time, released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. The title, ‘Ol’ ’55’, refers to the singer’s vehicle, almost certainly Waits’ legendary 1955 Cadillac.
“The song has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by the Eagles for their 1974 album On The Border. The Eagles’ arrangement was released as the B-side of the international hit ‘Best of My Love’.
1960s, Rock
Magic Bus
First recorded (as “The Magic Bus”) by Pudding (1967).
Hit version by The Who (US #25/UK #26 1968).
From the wiki: “‘Magic Bus’ was written by Pete Townshend during the sessions in 1965 that produced My Generation. However, the Who would not record ‘Magic Bus’ until 1968 when it was released as a stand-alone single in the US and the UK.
“But soon after its composition, the Who’s management and music publisher in 1966 circulated a Townshend demo recording of the song. A version was released as a single in the UK in April 1967 by an obscure band called Pudding, in the UK on Decca and in the US on London’s Press label. It was not a hit.
1960s, Blues, Rock
Black Magic Woman
Written by Peter Green and first recorded by Fleetwood Mac (UK #37 1968).
Other hit version by Santana (US #4/CAN #4/AUS #15/GER #14 1970).
From the wiki: “‘Black Magic Woman’ was written by Peter Green of Fleetwod Mac and appeared as a Fleetwood Mac single in various countries in 1968, peaking at #37 on the UK Singles chart; subsequently appearing on the 1969 Fleetwood Mac compilation albums English Rose (US) and The Pious Bird of Good Omen (UK).
“The song became a fairly popular Blues-Rock hit for Fleetwood Mac, being featured by the group in live set-lists even after Green had left the band, the lead often sung by Danny Kirwan. And, during concerts in the early 1970s, ‘Black Magic Woman’ would form the basis for long mid-concert Blues jams by Fleetwood Mac. The song would often be introduced by a band member reminding the audience that it was a Fleetwood Mac song before it became such a big hit for Santana.