Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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1291 total songs ... and counting!

1940s, Reggae/Ska

Marianne

First recorded (as “Mary Anne”) by Roaring Lion (1946).
Hit versions by Terry Gilkyson & The Easy Riders (US #4 1957), The Hilltoppers (US #3 1957).

From the wiki: “‘Mary Ann’ was composed by Calypso artist Roaring Lion (Raphael De Leon) and was popular with steelbands and revelers during a spontaneous Carnival celebration on V-J Day in Trinidad in 1945, at the end of World War II. From a young age, Lion had became known for his skill in creating calypsos, particularly in his ability to extemporize lyrics on any subject. His career officially began in 1924; he cut his first sides in his late teens.

“Lion recorded extensively between the 1930s and 1950s (‘If You Wanna Be Happy‘), and was one of the calypsonians who deserves the most credit for the increasing international popularity of the genre during this period. In March 1934 the Trinidadian phonograph merchant Eduardo Sa Gomes sent Lion and fellow calypsonian Attila The Hun (Raymond Quevedo) to New York to record; they became the first calypsonians to record abroad. On that trip Lion also entertained the President of the United States – President Franklin D. Roosevelt – at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. (FDR would also visit Trinidad in 1936, where he would again be entertained by Lion and Atilla.)

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1960s, Rock 'n Roll

Stray Cat Strut

Inspired by “Lonely Travelin'” by Lonesome Lee (1956)
and “Icky Poo” by The Nomads (c. 1960).
Hit version by Stray Cats (US #3/UK #11 1981).

From the wiki: “Head cat of the Stray Cat pack, Brian Setzer, has always been quite open and honest in his self-confessed pillaging of old rock ‘n’ roll songs, something which he equates to the widespread practice of rearranging old-time country and blues tunes into popular music.

“Such is the case of ‘Stray Cat Strut’, which had not one but two antecedents: ‘Lonely Travelin’, by Chicago bluesman Lonesome Lee and, more especially, ‘Icky Poo’ by The Nomads, an obscure San Diego white doo-wop band.

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1960s, Country

Hush

First recorded by Billy Joe Royal (US #52/CAN #45 1967).
Also recorded by Kris Ife (1967).
Other hit versions by Deep Purple (US #4/UK #58/CAN #2 1968), Kula Shaker (US #19/UK #2 1997).

From the wiki: “‘Hush’ was written by Joe South (‘Games People Play’) for singer Billy Joe Royal (‘Down in the Boondocks’, also written by South; ‘Cherry Hill Park’) and was first recorded by Royal in 1967, charting modestly in the Billboard Hot 100.

“British singer Kris Ife covered ‘Hush’ in 1967 in the UK market. It was this version that inspired Deep Purple’s 1968 hit cover, recorded for their 1968 debut album Shades of Deep Purple. The track became the group’s first hit single, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #2 on the Canadian singles chart. Group member Ritchie Blackmore recalls, ‘It was a great song [which] would be a good song [for] our act, if we could come up with a different arrangement…We [recorded] the whole song in two takes.’ ‘Hush’ is one of four songs originally recorded by Deep Purple with vocals sung by Rod Evans before Ian Gillan later performed the group’s vocal leads.

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1920s, Folk

Walk Right In

First recorded by Cannon’s Jug Stompers (1929).
Hit version by The Rooftop Singers (US #1/MOR #1/R&B #4/C&W #23/UK #10/AUS #1 1962).

From the wiki: “‘Walk Right In” is the title of a country-blues song written by Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon’s Jug Stompers in 1929. Gus constructed his first banjo out of a steelpan and racoon skin, and began his career entertaining at sawmills, levee and railroad camps in the Mississippi Delta around the turn of the century.

“Cannon helped to popularize jug bands when, along with Noah Lewis and Ashley Thompson, he formed a band to play parties and dances. In 1914 Cannon began touring in medicine shows. He supported his family through a variety of jobs, including sharecropping, ditch digging, and yard work, but supplemented his income with music. Cannon’s Jug Stompers first recorded at the Memphis Auditorium in January 1928. (Modern listeners can also hear Cannon’s Jug Stompers’ recording of ‘Big Railroad Blues’ on the compilation album The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead.)

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1960s, Rock

Old Brown Shoe

First recorded (as a demo) by The Beatles (January 1969).
Also recorded (as a solo demo) by George Harrison (February 1969).
Hit album version by The Beatles (April 1969).

From the wiki: “‘Old Brown Shoe’ was written by George Harrison and would be released by The Beatles as the B-side to ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’. The song was recorded during the sessions for the Abbey Road album, first by the group over a three-day period while participating in a Let It Be film session at Apple Studios in January 1969. Harrison then made a multi-tracked solo demo (featuring only piano and electric guitar) at EMI Studios on 25 February 1969. There is some controversy over whether Harrison played bass on the completed album version, recorded in April 1969. In a two-part Creem interview (published in December 1987 and January 1988), Harrison appears to confirm he played bass on the recording:

‘Creem: You also told me you played bass on ‘Old Brown Shoe’.
George: It’s like a lunatic playing.
Creem: It sounds like McCartney was going nuts again.
George: That was me going nuts. I’m doing exactly what I do on the guitar.'”

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1970s, Pop

Hey Deanie

First released by Shaun Cassidy (US #7 1977).
Other hit version by Eric Carmen, writer (B-side US #19/MOR #6 1978).

From the wiki: “Written by Eric Carmen, ‘Hey Deanie’ was first recorded by Shaun Cassidy and released as a single from his album, Born Late the last week of November, 1977. It became his third and final Top 10 hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carmen would record ‘Hey Deanie’ himself for his 1978 album, Change of Heart, and it was released as the B side to the album’s title track single which went on to become a Top 20 hit in 1978.”

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1970s, Pop

Never Gonna Fall in Love Again

First single release by Dana (UK #31 March 1976).
Other hit versions by Mark Holden (AUS #13 April 1976); Eric Carmen, writer (US #11/MOR #1/CAN #1/NZ #30 May 1976).
Also recorded by John Travolta (1976, released 1980).

From the wiki: “‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’, written by former Raspberry band founder, Eric Carmen, was a UK hit first for pop singer Dana in March 1976. A month after Dana’s release, Australian singer Mark Holden released his promotional single arrangement. Carmen’s own single would be released in May 1976, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June.

“John Travolta also covered ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’ in 1976, on the John Travolta album, but his version was not released as a single until 1980 with no apparent chart impact.

“Frank Sinatra performed ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’ many times in concert in the late 1970s, most notably during the 1976 MDA Telethon broadcast hosted by Jerry Lewis. Fond of Eric Carmen’s songs, Sinatra had arrangements made of both this song and ‘All By Myself’ for concert performances, but never recorded either song.”

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1910s, Folk

El Condor Pasa

First recorded by Orquesta del Zoológico (1917).
Also recorded by Los Incas (1963).
Hit version by Simon & Garfunkel (US #18/AUS #1/GER #1 1970).

https://youtu.be/JfVoK5QJU8U

From the wiki: “‘El Cóndor Pasa’ (Spanish for ‘The Condor Passes’), written in 1913, was an orchestral piece originally performed in the operetta El Cóndor Pasa by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles, and based on a traditional Andean folk tune. It was first recorded in 1917 by Orquesta del Zoológico (‘The Zoo Orchestra’).

“In 1965, the American musician Paul Simon listened for the first time to ‘El Condor Pasa’ at a performance of the group Los Incas, who first recorded their version of the song in 1963, in Paris at the Théâtre de l’Est Parisien in a concert both Los Incas and Simon & Garfunkel both participated. Simon asked the band permission to use it, to which the band replied that the song was a melody belonging to Robles and arranged by Los Incas’ director Jorge Milchberg. However, when the song was released on the album Bridge Over Troubled Water only Simon was listed as the author. Also, Simon & Garfunkel had used without permission the Los Incas’ 1963 recording as their instrumental arrangement.

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1960s, Country

Summer Wine

First recorded by Lee Hazelwood & Suzi Jane Hokom (1966).
Hit version by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood (US #49/AUS #14 1967), Ville Valo & Natalia Avelon (GER 2007).

From the wiki: “‘Summer Wine’ was written by Lee Hazlewood. It was originally sung in 1966 by Hazelwood and Suzi Jane Hokom, but it was made famous in 1967 by Hazelwood in duet with Nancy Sinatra, the first of a string of popular duets by Hazelwood and Sinatra. The song has since been covered by the likes of Demis Roussos with Nancy Boyd, Bono of U2 with The Corrs, and others.

“The Nancy & Lee version was originally released on Sinatra’s Nancy in London album in late 1966 and later as the B-side of her ‘Sugar Town’ hit single in December 1966. ‘Summer Wine’ itself became a hit, reaching #49 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in April 1967.

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1970s, Soul

You Could Have Been a Lady

First recorded by Hot Chocolate (UK #22 1971).
Other hit version by April Wine (US #32/CAN #2 1972).

From the wiki: “The band was originally named ‘Hot Chocolate Band’ by Mavis Smith, who worked for the Apple Corps press office. This was quickly shortened to Hot Chocolate by Mickie Most. The group started their recording career making a reggae version of John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (see below); told that he needed permission before releasing the song, band founder Errol Brown contacted Apple Records, discovered that John Lennon liked his version, and the group was subsequently signed to Apple Records. The link, however, was short-lived as The Beatles were starting to break up, and the Apple connection soon ended.

“Undeterred, Hot Chocolate signed with the RAK record label and began releasing tracks that became hits, such as ‘Love Is Life’ (UK #6 1970), ‘You Could Have Been a Lady’ (UK #22 1971) and ‘Brother Louie‘ (1973). ‘You Could Have Been a Lady’ would later be covered in 1972 by Canadian rock band April Wine, who would score with it the most successful Canadian single of their group career.”

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1980s, Country

Runaway Train (Rosanne Cash)

Written and first recorded by John Stewart (1987).
Hit version by Rosanne Cash (C&W #1 1988).

From the wiki: “‘Runaway Train’ is a song written by John Stewart and was first released by Stewart on the album Punch the Big Guy. Rosanne Cash released her released in July 1988 as the fourth single from the album King’s Record Shop. It would become her ninth #1 hit on the Country chart as a solo artist.”

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1960s, Folk

Until It’s Time For You to Go

Written and first recorded by Buffy St. Marie (1965).
Hit versions by The Four Pennies (UK #19 1965), Neil Diamond (US #53/MOR #11 1970), Elvis Presley (US#40/MOR #9/UK #5 1972), The New Birth (US #97/R&B #21 1973).

From the wiki: “‘Until It’s Time for You to Go’ was written by Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie for her 1965 album Many a Mile. It was a UK Top 20 hit for British group The Four Pennies in 1965, a Billboard Hot 100 single for Neil Diamond in 1970, an MOR and Top-5 UK for Elvis Presley in 1972, and a modest R&B hit in 1973 for The New Birth featuring future Supremes member Susaye Greene.”

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1920s, Broadway/Movies/Television

Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips

First recorded by The Nick Lucas Troubadors (US #1 1929).
Other hit versions by Roy Fox & His Montmartre Orchestra (US #11 1929), Johnny Marvin (US #11 1929), Tiny Tim (US #17 1968).
Also recorded by The Humane Society (1967).

From the wiki: “‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ was written by Al Dubin and Joe Burke, and first published in 1929. Nick Lucas’ recording of ‘Tip-Toe’ hit the top of the Hit Parade in May 1929, first introduced to the public by Lucas in the 1929 musical talkie Gold Diggers of Broadway. His recording held the #1 position for 10 weeks. The song was also used in ‘Sinkin’ in the Bathtub’, the first Looney Tunes cartoon ever, in 1930.

“The song was revived in 1967 by the California rock group The Humane Society and again, in 1968, by Tiny Tim, whose version charted in the US Top 20.”

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1960s, Pop

Trains, Boats and Planes

Written and first recorded by Burt Bacharach (UK #4 1965).
Other hit versions by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas (US #47/MOR #10/UK #12 1965), Dionne Warwick (US #22 1966).

From the wiki: “‘Trains and Boats and Planes’ was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and was first recorded in 1965 by Bacharach who achieved a Top 5 hit in the UK with his single.

“Bacharach and David wrote the song at a time when they had achieved great popular success, and Bacharach in particular was traveling widely to record and promote his songs. The pair intended the song to be recorded by Gene Pitney, who had had several hits with earlier Bacharach and David songs including ‘Only Love Can Break a Heart’. However, Pitney declined to record it, telling Bacharach ‘It’s not one of your better ones.’ Bacharach then recorded it himself, in London, with an orchestra, chorus, and uncredited vocals by female session singers The Breakaways. His arrangement was issued on the album Hit Maker! Burt Bacharach plays the Burt Bacharach Hits in 1965 (reissued in 1968 as Burt Bacharach Plays His Hits), and as a UK-only single.

“Other hit versions were recorded by Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas (also in 1965), and by Dionne Warwick in 1966.

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1960s, Jazz

Whipped Cream

First recorded by The Stokes (1964).
Hit version by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (US #68/MOR #13 1965).

From the wiki: “‘Whipped Cream’ was written by Allen Toussaint (‘Yes, We Can Can‘, ‘Java‘, ‘I Like It Like That‘). (Naomi Neville, the credited writer, was one of two pseudonyms used by Toussaint to honor his parents, Clarence and Naomi, who had always been supportive of his music.)

“In 1964, in the midst of a two-year stint in the military, Toussaint took his army band into the studio and, under the name of The Stokes, recorded ‘Whipped Cream’.

“A year later, Herb Alpert jumped on the melody for his Tijuana Brass, recording it note-for-note, creating a memorable album cover, a hit single (and 1965’s #1 hit album), and the original theme song for the TV sensation The Dating Game.”

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1970s, Rock

Beth

First recorded (as “Beck”) by Chelsea (c. 1971).
Hit version by KISS (US #7 1977).

From the wiki: “‘Beth’ was co-written (as ‘Beck’) by drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Stan Penridge in 1971 before Criss had joined KISS, while he and Penridge were members of the band Chelsea. (‘Beck’ was the nickname of fellow Chelsea member Mike Brand’s wife, Becky, who would call often during practices to ask Mike when he was coming home.) ‘Beck’ was first recorded sometime around 1971 by Chelsea but now appears only as a bootleg.

“In its next incarnation, the song became a last-minute addition to the 1977 album, Destroyer, released in 1977. According to Bill Aucoin, the manager of KISS at that time, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley did not want ‘Beth’ on the album because it was not a typical KISS song. Aucoin insisted on keeping the song on the record. During the recording sessions for the song, Criss was the only KISS member in the studio, making it the only group song that features no instrumental performances by any other member of the band. Criss is backed by a piano and a string orchestra, a stark departure from the hard rock-oriented band.

“‘Beth’ was first released as the B-side to ‘Detroit Rock City’ but radio stations, particularly one in Atlanta, Georgia, began playing it more than the A-side and the B-side, ‘Beth’, quickly became a highly-requested selection. Kiss and Casablanca Records then reissued ‘Beth’ as the A-side with ‘Detroit Rock City’ as the B-side. The single went Gold in the United States (the first KISS single to do so) in January 1977. Both producer Bob Ezrin and band member Simmons were also credited with changing the song’s title to ‘Beth’ when recorded by KISS.”

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1930s, Broadway/Movies/Television

Night and Day

First recorded by Leo Reisman & His Orchestra with Fred Astaire (1932).
Hit versions by Fred Astaire (US #1 1932), Eddie Duchin (US #2 1933), Frank Sinatra (US #15 1943).

From the wiki: “‘Night and Day’ was written in 1932 by Cole Porter for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter’s most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists.

“It was Fred Astaire who first introduced ‘Night and Day’ on stage. It would be Leo Reisman & His Orchestra (with an uncredited performance by Astaire) who released the first recording of ‘Night and Day’, on November 22, 1932. Astaire reprised ‘Night and Day’ in the 1934 motion picture production of the show, retitled The Gay Divorcee.

“Frank Sinatra recorded the song at least five times – it became one of his signature pieces – including his first solo session in 1942 (it was after Harry James heard a then-unknown Sinatra sing ‘Night and Day’, he signed him), released in 1943, and again in 1947 – both recordings arranged by Alex Stordahl, accounting for their similarity; with Nelson Riddle in 1956 for A Swingin’ Affair!; with Don Costa in 1961 for Sinatra and Strings; and even a disco version arranged by Joe Beck in 1977.”

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1950s, Folk

Scarborough Fair

First recorded by Gordon Heath & Lee Payant (1955).
Also recorded by Audrey Coppard (1956), Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger (1957), Martin Carthy (1965), Marianne Faithfull (1966).
Hit versions by Simon & Garfunkel (US #11/MOR #5 1966), Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 (US #16/MOR #2 1968).

From the wiki: “‘Scarborough Fair’ is a traditional English ballad about the Yorkshire town of Scarborough. The earliest commercial recording of the ballad was by Gordon Heath and Lee Payant, expatriate Americans who operated a café and nightclub, L’Abbaye, on the Rive Gauche in Paris, for their album An Evening at the Abbaye in 1955, using an 1891 melody by Frank Kidson (a folk song collector from Leeds). The same arrangement was also included on A. L. Lloyd’s 1955 album The English And Scottish Popular Ballads. Lloyd

“But, the version using the melody later developed by Simon & Garfunkel in ‘Scarborough Fair/Canticle’ was first recorded on a 1956 album, English Folk Songs, by Audrey Coppard. This arrangement was also recorded by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (‘Killing Me Softly with His Song‘) on The Singing Island (1957) (but it is likely that it was Coppard who learned the song from MacColl, who had published a book of Teesdale folk songs after hearing the song sung in the 1940s). In April 1966, Marianne Faithfull (‘As Tears Go By‘) recorded and released her own take on ‘Scarborough Fair’ for her album North Country Maid about six months prior to Simon & Garfunkel’s release of their single version of the song in October 1966.

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1960s, Country

Rose Garden

First recorded by Billy Joe Royal (1967).
Also recorded by Dobie Gray (US #119 1969), Joe South, writer (1969), The Three Degrees (1970), .
Hit versions by Lynn Anderson (US #3/C&W #1/UK #3 1970), Sandi Shaw (UK #57 1971).

https://youtu.be/scMVzd-wj7c

From the wiki: “‘Rose Garden’ was written by Joe South (‘Down in the Boondocks’) and first recorded by Billy Joe Royal (‘Down in the Boondocks’, ‘Hush‘) in 1967 for the album Billy Joe Royal Featuring Hush.

“Several cover versions were recorded soon thereafter (sometimes titled ‘(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden’), including productions by the writer, Joe South, Dobie Gray and The Three Degrees, before Lynn Anderson took ‘Rose Garden’ to the top of the US Country Singles chart. Anderson had wanted to record the song but her producer (and husband) Glenn Sutton felt it was a ‘man’s song’, in part because of the line ‘I could promise you things like big diamond rings’.

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1970s, Rock

The Show Must Go On

Co-written and first recorded by Leo Sayer (UK #2/IRE #3 1973).
Other hit version by Three Dog Night (US #4 1974).

From the wiki: “‘The Show Must Go On’ was written by Leo Sayer and David Courtney and first recorded by Sayer in 1973, becoming his first hit recording and was included on Sayer’s debut album Silverbird. The song uses a circus theme as a metaphor for dealing with the difficulties and wrong choices of life. Early in Sayer’s career, he performed it dressed and made up as a pierrot clown.

“The song was covered by Three Dog Night, whose version was released in 1974, and became the group’s final Top 10 US recording. In Sayer’s version, the last line of the chorus is ‘I won’t let the show go on’. Three Dog Night sang it as ‘I must let the show go on’, which Sayer was reportedly not happy about.”

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1970s, Pop

She’s Got a Way

Written and first recorded by Billy Joel (1971).
Also recorded (as “He’s Got a Way”) by Merrilee Rush (unreleased 1971).
Hit version by Billy Joel (US #23/MOR #4 1982).

From the wiki: “‘She’s Got a Way’ was written by Billy Joel and originally released on his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971). In a 1981 interview, Joel expressed mixed feelings about the song: ‘ … I thought it was cornball for years. I had trouble singing it at first. Then I got into it and decided everybody has a corny side, I suppose.’ A re-recording, performed live, was a featured single from Joel’s 1981 album Songs in the Attic.

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1970s, Pop

Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast

First recorded by Daniel Boone (UK #17/NZ #1 1971).
Other hit version by Wayne Newton (US #4/MOR #3/C&W #55 1972).

From the wiki: “‘Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast’ was written by Peter Callander and Geoff Stephens. Daniel Boone (‘Beautiful Sunday’) released the original version of the song as his debut single in 1971. It reached #1 in New Zealand and #17 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the featured track on his 1971 album, Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast. Wayne Newton recorded a cover of ‘Daddy’ in 1972 as a come-back single (having last charted Top 40 in 1965). Newton’s version reached #3 on the MOR chart, #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #55 on the Country chart in 1972.”

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1960s, Folk

The Unicorn Song

Written and first recorded by Shel Silverstein (1962).
Hit version by The Irish Rovers (US #7/MOR #2/IRE #5 1968).

From the wiki: “‘The Unicorn Song’ was written and first recorded by Shel Silverstein in 1962, released in 1962 on his album Inside Folk Songs. The song tells that unicorns were not a myth but a creature that literally missed the boat, not boarding the Ark in time to be saved from the Great Flood.

“The song was made very popular by the Irish Rovers, from Toronto, Canada, in 1968. It remains one of the best-known songs of the the Irish Rovers’ long career.

“In their original recording of the song, the Irish Rovers speak half of the lyrics; on the remakes, the majority of the song is sung – except for the final line, which is also spoken freely, without the music. In 1981, Will Millar of the Irish Rovers opened an Irish pub in Toronto under the name The Unicorn.”

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1960s, Rock 'n Roll

Quarter to Three

Based on “A Night with Daddy G – Part 1” by The Church Street Five (1961).
Hit version by Gary “U.S.” Bonds (US #1/R&B #3/UK #7 1962).
Also performed by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (1975).

From the wiki: “‘Quarter to Three’ was adapted and expanded from ‘A Night with Daddy ‘G’ – Part 1′, a 1961 instrumental recording by the Church Street Five and written by written by Gene Barge, Frank Guida (‘If You Wanna Be Happy‘), and Joseph Royster. ‘Daddy G’ was saxophone player Gene Barge, who would go on to be featured on all Gary ‘U.S.’ Bonds’ hits. Barge’s group, The Church Street Five, scored a bubbling-under hit with ‘A Night With Daddy ‘G” before Bonds would compose a vocal arrangement for the song (listed under his birth name, Gary Anderson). It was co-writer Guida who discovered and named Bonds, and the recording of ‘Quarter to Three’ took place during a party celebrating Bond’s first hit ‘New Orleans’.

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