Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Tagged: Stone Poneys

Back on the Street Again

First recorded by Steve Gillette (1967).
Also recorded by The Stone Poneys (1967).
Hit version by The Sunshine Company (US #36 1967).

From the wiki: “‘Back on the Street Again’ was written by Steve Gillette and first recorded by him for his own debut eponymous album released in 1967. Later the same year, Gillette would record a cover of his own song as a member of The Stone Poneys, singing harmony to Linda Ronstadt’s lead on the group’s debut album which yielded the hit single, ‘Different Drum‘. The Sunshine Company (‘Up, Up and Away‘) would also record the song in 1967 and with it achieve the group’s biggest chart success with their only US Top 40 hit.”

Some of Shelly’s Blues

First recorded by The Monkees (1968, released 1990).
Hit version by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (US #64/CAN #56 1972).
Also recorded by The Stone Poneys (1968), Michael Nesmith (1973).

From the wiki: “‘Some of Shelly’s Blues’ was written by Michael Nesmith, of The Monkees, and first recorded by the group in 1968. The recording went unreleased until the 1990 publishing of Missing Links 2.

“The Stone Poneys (feat. Linda Ronstadt), who had earlier covered ‘Different Drum‘ by Nesmith in 1967, were the first to cover ‘Some of Shelley’s Blues’, in 1968. It was a non-charting single from the group’s third album, Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III.

“The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band charted in 1972 with their cover. Songwriter Nesmith also recorded a version for his 1973 album, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash.”

Different Drum

First recorded by The Greenbriar Boys (1966).
Hit version by The Stone Poneys (US #13 1967).
Also recorded by Michael Nesmith, writer (1972).

From the wiki: “‘Different Drum’ is a classic song written by Mike Nesmith in 1965 (also copyrighted that year) and originally recorded by the northern bluegrass band the Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album, Better Late than Never!. The song reached a wider audience when Nesmith rushed through a version of it in a comedy bit on The Monkees television show episode “Too Many Girls” (air date December 1966), while pretending to be Billy Roy Hodstetter.