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: Salt N Peppa

Whatta Man

First recorded (as “What a Man”) by Linda Lyndell (R&B #50 1968).
Other hit version by Salt N Pepa (US #3/R&B #3/UK #7 1993/AUS #2 1993).

From the wiki: “Linda Lyndell sang in gospel churches as a child; though she was white, she sang in both white and black churches, and eventually began singing with R&B groups as a teenager. In the 1960s she sang as a support act with James Brown and Ike & Tina Turner, and in 1967 Atlanta disc jockey Dave Crawford tipped her to Stax Records producers Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They recorded her first single, ‘Bring Your Love Back to Me’, in December 1967 and released it on Volt Records, but the song did not become a hit. In 1968 she did a second session, cutting the tune ‘What a Man’. The song was essentially improvised in the studio by Lyndell, record producer Dave Crawford, and the Stax studio musicians in Memphis, TN.

You Showed Me

First recorded by The Jet Set (1964).
Hit versions by The Turtles (US #6/CAN #1 1968), De La Soul (as “Transmitting Live from Mars” 1989), Salt N Pepa (US #47/UK #15 1990), The Lightning Seeds (UK #8 1997).

From the wiki: “‘You Showed Me’ was written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark of The Byrds in 1964 at a time when the pair were performing as a duo at The Troubadour and other folk clubs in and around Los Angeles. McGuinn and Clark soon formed a trio with David Crosby and named themselves The Jet Set. The Jet Set trio were rehearsing at World Pacific Studios under the guidance of their manager Jim Dickson, and it was there many of group’s rehearsal sessions were recorded, including ‘You Showed Me’. However, the song was soon abandoned by the group, who had by now changed their name to The Byrds, and it was not included on their debut album for Columbia Records, Mr. Tambourine Man.

“In 1968 the song was recorded by The Turtles, for the album The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands, and was also released as a single in 1968. ‘You Showed Me’ had been introduced to The Turtles by their producer and former bass player, Chip Douglas, who himself had first become acquainted with the song after hearing Clark, McGuinn and Crosby perform it at The Troubadour in 1964. Douglas had also performed the song with Clark during 1966, while he was a member of Gene Clark and the Group.