Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

Help support this site! Consider clicking an ad from time to time. Thanks!

 
« Go Back to Previous Page «  

Tagged: Nancy Sinatra

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.’

Read more →

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.

Read more →