Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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1291 total songs ... and counting!

1970s, Rock

Winning

Written and first recorded by Russ Ballard (1976).
Also recorded by Nona Hendryx (1977).
Hit version by Santana (US #17/#2 Rock/SA #12 1981).

From the wiki: “Russ Ballard came to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent (‘Hold Your Head Up’ 1972), but became better known by the late 1970s as a songwriter and producer. His compositions for other artists during the 1970s and 1980s included ‘Liar’ (Three Dog Night, 1971), ‘Since You Been Gone’ (Head East, 1978; Rainbow, 1979), ‘New York Groove’ (Ace Frehley, 1978), ‘You Can Do Magic’ (America, 1982), ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You’ (Kiss, 1992), and ‘Winning’, a 1981 hit for Santana that Ballard first recorded in 1976 for his album Winning.

“Prior to Santana’s cover, former LaBelle singer, Nona Hendryx, covered ‘Winning’ in 1977 for her solo debut album.

“Santana promotional single, for the album Zebop!, peaked at #17 in 1981 on the Hot 100 but reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. Santana’s arrangement also reached #12 in South Africa.”

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1970s, Pop

Muskrat Love

Written and originally recorded (as “Muskrat Candlelight”) by Willis Alan Ramsey (1972).
Also recorded (as “Sun Down”) by Lani Hall (1972).
Hit versions by America (US #67/MOR #11 1973), Captain & Tennille (US #4/MOR #1 1976).

From the wiki: “‘Muskrat Love’ is a pop song by written by Willis Alan Ramsey, a cult legend among fans of Americana and Texas country, depicting a romantic liaison between two anthropomorphic muskrats named Susie and Sam. The song was first recorded by Ramsey on the critically acclaimed album Willis Alan Ramsey (1972) on which the song was titled ‘Muskrat Candlelight’.

“The trio America recorded ‘Muskrat Love’ for their 1973 album Hat Trick, marking the second time the band had recorded a song not written by a member of America. David Dickey, bassist for the group, brought ‘Muskrat Candlelight’ to the group’s attention. According to Beckley ‘to us it sounded like a very bluesy, quirky tune. We just felt it was quirky and commercial, and we worked it up.’ Dan Peek would recall that America’s label Warner Bros. ‘hated’ the track and ‘begged us not to release it as a single … We were stupid to press the issue but we liked the song for its easy, acoustic, harmonic beauty not realizing that perhaps it was badly cast for us in order to retain the fairly hip image we had eked out’. In a 2012 interview Gerry Beckley said of ‘Muskrat Love’: ‘It’s a polarizing little number. After concerts, some people tell us they can’t believe we didn’t play it, while others go out of their way to thank us for not performing it.’

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1960s, Rock

I Fought the Law

Written by Sonny Curtis and first recorded by The Crickets (1959).
First covered by Paul Stefan & the Royal Lancers (1962), Bobby Fuller (1964).
Hit versions by The Bobby Fuller Four (US #9/UK #33/CAN #11 1965), The Clash (recorded 1979 |UK #29 1988).

From the wiki: “Sonny Curtis (‘More Than I Can Say‘, ‘Theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show‘) joined The Crickets as lead vocalist and guitarist after Buddy Holly’s death in 1959. The Crickets recorded Curtis’ ‘I Fought the Law’ shortly thereafter, releasing it on the 1960 album In Style With The Crickets. (Had Holly had lived, there’s a good chance it would have been a huge hit for him with The Crickets.)

“A cover was recorded in 1962 by a Milwaukee, Wisconsin band, Paul Stefan & the Royal Lancers, and released on Citation Records. While the single was successful locally – it topped sales charts in Milwaukee in August and September 1962 – and was named a ‘Regional Breakout’ by Billboard (and was picked up for distribution in the UK by London Records), the Royal Lancers’ arrangement did not chart nationally.

“Bobby Fuller”s first attempt at recording ‘I Fought the Law’, in 1964 on Exeter Records, also became a regional success, this time in New Mexico and West Texas – his biggest local hit. In 1965, Fuller re-recorded by song (using the same group of musicians) for Del-Fi Records label and, with national promotional support, scored a Top 10 hit, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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1970s, Pop

It’s Gonna Take Some Time

Co-written and first recorded by Carole King (1971).
Hit version by The Carpenters (US #12/CAN #12/JPN #48 1972).

From the wiki: “‘It’s Going to Take Some Time’ is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern for King’s 1971 album, Music. It was redone by the Carpenters in 1972 for their fourth album, A Song for You. According to Richard Carpenter, he had to choose which songs he wanted to remake, and there was a big pile of 7″ singles he had to listen to. When he encountered ‘It’s Going to Take Some Time’, he knew it would be a hit, and The Carpenters recorded it. The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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1980s, Rock

If She Knew What She Wants

Written and first recorded by Jules Shear (1985).
Hit version by The Bangles (US #29/UK #31 1986).

From the wiki: “‘If She Knew What She Wants’ is a song by Jules Shear (‘All Through the Night‘) released on his 1985 album The Eternal Return. The song was later and famously covered by The Bangles on their 1986 album, Different Light. Shear’s song was originally written in the first person, essentially a love song; the Bangles rewrote the lyrics in the third person, rather than change the subject’s gender.”

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1950s, R&B

Kansas City

First recorded (as “K.C. Lovin’) by Little Willie Littlefield (1952, reissued/retitled 1959).
Hit versions by Little Richard (as “Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey” US #95/R&B #26 1959), Hank Ballard & the Midnighters (US #72/R&B #16 1959), Rocky Olson (US #60 1959), Wilbert Harrison (US #1/R&B #1 1959), James Brown (US #55/R&B #21 1967).
Also recorded (as “Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey”) by The Beatles (1964).

“The battle and the noise is on!” Billboard highlighting the almost-simultaneous releases of five versions of “Kansas City” the same week in March, 1959.

From the wiki: “First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, ‘Kansas City’ later became a #1 hit when retitled and recorded by Wilbert Harrison (‘Let’s Work Together‘) in 1959 and, then, went on to become one of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions, with several appearing on the R&B and pop record charts – including five separate singles released the same week in 1959, four of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Through a connection to producer Ralph Bass, Leiber and Stoller wrote ‘Kansas City’ specifically for West Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield. Littlefield recorded the song in Los Angeles in 1952, during his first recording session for Federal Records. Federal’s Ralph Bass changed the title to ‘K. C. Lovin”, saying he considered it ‘hipper’ than ‘Kansas City’. Littlefield’s record had some success in parts of the U.S., but it did not reach the national chart.

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1960s, Soul

Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)

Originally recorded by Marvin Gaye (1963).
Hit version by Paul Young (US #70/UK #1 1983).

From the wiki: “‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’ is a song written by Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and first recorded by Gaye in 1962 as an album track on That Stubborn Kinda Fellow. Years later, Paul Young’s version of the song was a UK #1 single for three weeks in July 1983. The song fared less well on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #70, but was later used in the 1986 film Ruthless People and its accompanying soundtrack album.”

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1960s, Pop

Love is Blue

First performed (as “L’Amour est bleu”) by Vicky (1967).
First released by Vicky Leandros (1967).
Hit versions by Paul Mauriat (US #1/UK #12 1968), Jeff Beck (UK #23 1968).

From the wiki: “‘L’amour est bleu (Love is Blue)’ was first performed in French by Greek singer Vicky Leandros (appearing as ‘Vicky’) as the Luxembourgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967. At the close of voting, it had received 17 points, placing 4th in a field of 17, behind ‘Il doit faire beau là-bas’ (France), ‘If I Could Choose’ (Ireland) and the winning song, ‘Puppet on a String’ (United Kingdom). Some forty years after its original release, ‘L’amour est bleu’, along with Mocedades’ ‘Eres tú‘, still counts as one of very few non-winning Eurovision entries ever to become a worldwide hit.

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1970s, Pop

You Are So Beautiful

Co-written and first recorded by Billy Preston (1974).
Hit version by Joe Cocker (US #5/MOR #12/CAN #4 1975).

From the wiki: “Written by Billy Preston (‘Will It Go ‘Round in Circles’) and Bruce Fisher (‘If I Ever Lose This Heaven‘), ‘You Are So Beautiful’ was first recorded by Preston for the album The Kids & Me, released in May 1974. The album’s dedication, reflected in the title, was to St. Elmo’s Village, an inner-city children’s recreation center and arts community located in Los Angeles.

“In November 1974, Joe Cocker released a slower version of the song on his album I Can Stand a Little Rain. Cocker’s version was produced by Jim Price, and released as a single. It became one of Cocker’s biggest chart hits, peaking at #5 on the United States’ Billboard Hot 100, and at #4 on Canada’s Top Singles chart.

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1940s, Blues

At Last

First performed by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (1941).
First commercial recording by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (US #9 1942).
Other hit versions by Ray Anthony (US #2 1952), Etta James (US #47/R&B #2/UK #39 1961), Celine Dion (MOR #16 2002).
Also recorded by Beyoncé (2008).

From the wiki: “‘At Last’ was first recorded in 1941 by Glenn Miller for possible inclusion in the film Sun Valley Serenade. The song, sung by Pat Friday with actor John Payne, was going to be a major performance on the soundtrack. But, the song was mostly deleted from the release print.

“A subsequent recording, in 1942, was made and used extensively a follow-up movie, Orchestra Wives (1942), with vocals by Pat Friday (dubbing for actress Lynn Bari) and Ray Eberle. In 1942, a vocal version of ‘At Last,’ sung solo by Ray Eberle, was recorded for commercial release by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in Chicago in May 1942 and first released as the B-side to ‘(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo’.

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1960s, R&B

Let’s Work Together

Written (as “Let’s Stick Together”) and originally recorded by Wilbert Harrison (1962).
Hit versions by Wilbert Harrison (US #32 1969), Canned Heat (US #26/UK #2 1970) and Bryan Ferry (UK #4 1976).

From the wiki: “Wilbert Harrison recorded ‘Let’s Stick Together’ in 1962 but the song failed to appear in the charts. However, a 1969 re-recording, as ‘Let’s Work Together’, for Sue Records, the reached #32 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, making it Harrison’s first chart appearance since his #1 1959 hit ‘Kansas City‘. Unlike the 1962 version, ‘Let’s Work Together’ was a solo performance – with Harrison (credited as ‘Wilbert Harrison One Man Band’) providing the vocal, harmonica, guitar, and percussion.

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1960s, Country

Seven Bridges Road

Written and originally recorded by Steve Young (1969).
Also recorded by Steve Young (1972), Ian Matthews (1973).
Hit version by Eagles (US #21 1980).

From the wiki: “Steve Young was inspired to eventually write ‘Seven Bridges Road’ during a sojourn in Montgomery, Alabama in the early 1960s: according to Young ‘a group of friends…showed me [a] road [that] led out of town…after you had crossed seven bridges you found yourself out in the country on a dirt road. Spanish moss hung in the trees and there were old farms with old fences and graveyards and churches and streams. A high bank dirt road with trees. It seemed like a Disney fantasy at times.’

“When Young approached a Hollywood-based music publisher in 1969 with ‘Seven Bridges Road’ he was advised the song ‘wasn’t commercial enough.’ and ‘Seven Bridges Road’ was not originally intended for inclusion on the Rock Salt & Nails album. However, in Young’s words: ‘One day we ran out of songs to record [for Rock Salt & Nails] in the studio … I started playing ‘Seven Bridges Road’. Producer Tony LiPuma responded with ‘You know I don’t want to hear original stuff.’ But, guitarist James Burton said: ‘Hey this song sounds good and it is ready, let’s put it down.’

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1980s, Country

Shame on the Moon

Written and first recorded by Rodney Crowell (1981).
Also recorded by Tanya Tucker (1982).
Hit version by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (US #2/C&W #15/CAN #8 1982).

From the wiki: “‘Shame on the Moon’ is the title of a song written by Rodney Crowell (‘Voila, An American Dream‘, ‘Ashes By Now‘), and covered by Tanya Tucker on her album Changes and, soon after, by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band. It was released in December 1982 as the lead single from Seger’s album The Distance. (Glenn Frey joins Seger on background harmony vocals on the song.) The song spent four weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #15 on the Hot Country Singles chart in early 1983, marking Seger’s only Top 40 entry on the Country chart.”

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1960s, Folk

Turn! Turn! Turn!

First recorded (as “To Everything There is a Season”) by The Limeliters (1962).
Also recorded by Pete Seeger (1962), Judy Collins (1963).
Hit version by The Byrds (US #1/UK #26 1965).

https://youtu.be/I9TDs8LBO2Q

From the wiki: “‘Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)’, often abbreviated to ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’, is a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. The lyrics, except for the title which is repeated throughout the song, and the final verse of the song, are adapted word-for-word from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, set to music and first recorded in 1962. The song was originally released as ‘To Everything There Is a Season’ on The Limeliters’ album Folk Matinee and later released then some months later on Seeger’s own album The Bitter and the Sweet.

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1970s, Pop

Touch Me When We’re Dancing

Written and first recorded by Bama (US #86/MOR #42 1979).
Hit versions by The Carpenters (US #16/MOR #1 1981), Alabama (C&W #1 1986).
Also recorded by Mickey Gilley & Charly McClain (1984).

From the wiki: “‘Touch Me When We’re Dancing’ was written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, session group Bama, who first recorded the song and released it as a single in 1979.

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1960s, Soul

Workin’ on a Groovy Thing

First recorded by Patti Drew (US #62/R&B #34 1968).
Also recorded by Barbara Lewis (1968), Neil Sedaka (1969).
Other hit version by The 5th Dimension (US #20/R&B #15 1969).

From the wiki: “Neil Sedaka co-wrote ‘Workin’ on a Groovy Thing’ in 1968 but did not record his own version of the song until 1969 when touring Australia. Sedaka recorded an album titled Workin’ on a Groovy Thing on a one-off basis for a Sydney, Australia-based label at a time his career had slumped and his contract had not been renewed by his former label in the USA. (In the United Kingdom, the album was released on the MCA label under the title Sounds of Sedaka.) Patti Drew was the first to record and release the song, in 1968.

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1970s, Pop

You’ve Got a Friend

Written and first released by Carole King (1971).
Hit version by James Taylor (US #1/UK #4 1971).

From the wiki: “‘You’ve Got a Friend’ was written by Carole King, and included on both her album Tapestry and James Taylor’s album Mud Slide Slim, recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians. Tapestry was the first of the two albums to be released, in February 1971. Mud Slide Slim would be released in March 1971.

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1960s, Pop

Somethin’ Stupid

First recorded (as “Something Stupid”) by Carson and Gaile (1966).
Hit versions by Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra (US #1/MOR #1/UK #1 1967), Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman (UK #1 2001).

From the wiki: “‘Somethin’ Stupid’ is a song written by C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as ‘Carson and Gaile’. In the early 1960s, Carson Parks was a folk singer in Los Angeles. He was an occasional member of The Easy Riders (‘Marianne‘. ‘Memories Are Made of This‘) and also performed with The Steeltown Three.

“In 1963 Parks formed the Greenwood County Singers, later known as The Greenwoods, who had two minor hits and included singer Gaile Foote. Before the Greenwoods disbanded, Parks and Foote married and, as ‘Carson and Gaile’, recorded an album for Kapp Records, San Antonio Rose, which included the track ‘Something Stupid’. The recording was then brought to the attention of Frank Sinatra by Carson’s younger brother, then-session pianist Van Dyke Parks, who had also performed with The Steeltown Three.

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1990s, R&B

Step by Step

First recorded by The Superiors (1987).
Hit version by New Kids on the Block (US #1/UK #2/CAN #1/1990).

https://youtu.be/lMIZR0f8zBM

From the wiki: “‘Step by Step’ was written by Maurice Starr, discoverer of The New Edition (1982) and New Kids on the Block (1984), and was originally recorded by one of Starr’s later group creations, The Superiors. ‘Step by Step’ was released as a Motown single in 1987 with no apparent chart impact.

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1960s, Folk

Chelsea Morning

First recorded by Dave Van Ronk & The Hudson Dusters (1967).
Also recorded by Fairport Convention (1968), Jennifer Warnes (1968), Gloria Loring (1968), Joni Mitchell (1969).
Hit versions by Judy Collins (US #78/MOR #25 1969), Green Lyte Sunday (MOR #19 1970), Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 (MOR #21 1970).

From the wiki: “Written by Joni Mitchell, the song was inspired by Mitchell’s room in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. Although written by Mitchell in 1967, she held off recording the song herself until preparing her second album, Clouds (1969), partly because ‘Chelsea Morning’ had already been recorded by several other artists, first by Dave Van Ronk & the Hudson Dusters in 1967.

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1970s, Country

Let Your Love Flow

First released by Gene Cotton (1975).
Hit version by The Bellamy Brothers (US #1/MOR #2/C&W #21/CAN #3/UK #7/GER #1/SWE #2 1976).

From the wiki: “‘Let Your Love Flow’ was written by Larry E. Williams, a former roadie for Neil Diamond, who first offered the song to Diamond who turned it down. Johnny Rivers also passed on the song.

“An early recording was attempted by producer Phil Gernhard with David Bellamy singing, using Diamond’s road band as session musicians, but the result was disappointing and the session was shelved. Pop-folk and Christian singer Gene Cotton would wind up being the first performer to release ‘Let Your Love Flow’, in October 1975, as the lead promotional single from Cotton’s album For All the Young Writers, but it failed to chart.

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1960s, Pop

Everybody Loves Somebody (Sometime)

First recorded (as a B-side) by Peggy Lee (1947).
Also recorded by Peggy Mann & Eddie Heywood (1947).
Hit versions by Frank Sinatra (B-side US #25 1948), Dean Martin (US #1/MOR #1/UK #11/AUS #12 1964).

From the wiki: “‘Everybody Loves Somebody’ is a song written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor and Ken Lane. By 1964, the song had already been recorded by several artists before finding chart success as something other than a B-side.

“The first recording was made by Peggy Lee in 1947 and released in March 1948 as the B-side to ‘Don’t Smoke in Bed’. Singer Peggy Mann also recorded a version in 1948, with bandleader Eddie Heywood (‘Begin the Beguine‘) before the onset of partial paralysis put an end to Heywood’s piano-playing career.

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1980s, Rock

Have a Little Faith in Me

Written and first recorded by John Hiatt (1988).
Hit versions by Joe Cocker (UK #67 1994), Mandy Moore (US #39 2003).

From the wiki: “‘Have a Little Faith in Me’ is a song written and performed by John Hiatt (‘Sure As I’m Sittin’ Here‘) that first appeared on his 1987 album Bring the Family.

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1960s, Pop

Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying

First recorded and released by Louise Cordet (February 1964).
Hit version by Gerry & The Pacemakers (US #4/CAN #5/UK #6/AUS #26/NZ #6 April 1964).

From the wiki: “The song, written by Gerry Marsden, Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick and Les Maguire, the members of British beat group Gerry & the Pacemakers, was given first to Louise Cordet, a singer who had previously toured with the group as well as with The Beatles. Her version was released on Decca Records in February 1964 with no apparent chart impact.

“Gerry & The Pacemakers then decided to produce their own version. It was released on EMI Records in the U.K. in April 1964 as the group’s fifth single in Britain, where it reached #6 in the UK Singles chart.

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