[Note] As you likely know, most of my HOTH blogs are now usually posts of an event from a daily music calendar, called On This Day. But frankly, there are dates when the list of music happenings doesn’t contain anything significant enough to do a feature. So on those days when I’m not posting OTD, that’s why.
On such occurrences, I’m going to blog other pieces of interest – not only to me, but hopefully to you also – that are random music ideas and themes that come to mind.
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Having said that, today I’m presenting the first of likely several installments of a feature I did during my Hall Of Fame Show on Oldies/Classic Hits WOMC/Detroit a number of years ago: hit ‘cover’ versions of songs paired with their corresponding non-hit ‘original’ versions – usually the first ones recorded.
Because I love doing this type of feature, I got a little excited and carried away today and am including no less than SEVEN pairs of songs.
All of the cover hits are ‘quite-to-fairly’ familiar, whereas some of the originals may border on the obscure – but all are nonetheless interesting.
Almost all of the cover version U.S. hits are by mid-60’s British Invasion artists who made their own versions of records by American artists. (The Beatles alone covered 24 songs by U.S. performers) (See below)
I hope you enjoy!
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[Note] Some audio song files may not play on smartphones, tablets or connected devices. A laptop, desktop PC or Mac may be required for optimal enjoyment.
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HouseoftheHits.com
I GO TO PIECES
Peter & Gordon
[1965]
The second of three U.S. Top 10-ers for Peter Asher and Gordon Waller. It’s writer, the great Del Shannon, was touring in the UK with the duo and also The Searchers when he performed a live demo of I Go To Pieces in the latter’s dressing room. Just next door, P&G overheard the song and asked Del if they could record it.
Shannon had not yet officially recorded it, so this is the original version which hit #9 on the Hot 100.
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I GO TO PIECES
Del Shannon
[1965]
Since I can’t play the live demo that Shannon did for Peter And Gordon via The Searchers, here’s the songwriter’s version of ‘I Go To Pieces’, which he finally recorded after its success by P&G.
It’s the first cover version of it (his own song!) which initially appeared on his album One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty One Seconds.
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HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE
The Swinging Blue Jeans
[1964]
Although Liverpool’s The Swinging Blue Jeans fared much better chart-wise in their homeland and also in Canada, this – their biggest U.S. single – reached #24 during the British Invasion’s inaugural year.
This is their re-make of an original by obscure American rocker Chan Romero.
They also charted covers versions of Little Richard‘s Good Golly Miss Molly and Betty Everett‘s You’re No Good – a hit in the seventies for Linda Ronstadt.
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HouseoftheHits.com
THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE
Chan Romero
[1959]
Chan Romero was a rock’n’roll singer-songwriter-guitarist from Billings, Montana who recorded ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ on Bob Keane’s Los Angeles-based label Del-Fi Records in 1959, but it failed to chart.
This song also was a staple in the live repertoire of many British Invasion bands, including The Beatles.
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HouseoftheHits.com
WISHIN’ AND HOPIN’
Dusty Springfield
[1964]
The first of three records by Britain’s Dusty Springfield (born Mary O’Brien) to reach the Billboard Top 10, this great song was first done by American female singing legend Dionne Warwick, and penned by the Hall of Fame-inducted writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
With her ‘blue-eyed soul’- drenched voice, Dusty is, without question, my all-time favorite female vocalist. Sadly, she passed away from cancer in 1999 at the age of only 59.
Wishin’ And Hopin’ topped out at #6 in the summer of 1964.
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HouseoftheHits.com
WISHING AND HOPING
Dionne Warwick
[1963]
Dionne Warwick‘s original recording of Wishing And Hoping was the B-side of her single Empty Heart (1963 • #84) and included on her debut album Presenting Dionne Warwick.
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HouseoftheHits.com
DON’T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY
The Searchers
[1964]
This British Invasion group is best known for their Top 5 cover version of The Clovers‘ Love Potion Number Nine in 1964. But earlier that year The Searchers charted a re-make of a song by The Orlons – and it reached #16 on the BB Hot 100.
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DON’T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY
The Orlons
[1963]
The first three records on the Cameo label by the R&B girl group from Philadelphia The Orlons all reached the Billboard Top 10 in 1962-63.
This was the B-side of the single Bon-Doo-Wah (1963 • #55).
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HouseoftheHits.com
HERE COMES THE NIGHT
Them
[1965]
The British Invasion band from Belfast, Ireland, Them was led by the legendary Van Morrison when they made their U.S. Hot 100 debut in May of 1964 with the classic song Gloria. (also written by Morrison)
One year later they’d score their biggest American hit (#24) that was authored by the prolific songwriter Bert Berns aka Bert Russell (Twist And Shout, Piece Of My Heart, Brown Eyed Girl, Under The Boardwalk, Hang On Sloopy). It was a cover version of Here Comes The Night by fellow UK-er, Lulu.
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HouseoftheHits.com
HERE COMES THE NIGHT
Lulu
[1964]
This was a case of one UK artist covering another, although ‘Here Comes The Night’ is a strongly-rooted American song because of Bert Berns’ writing and also by his producing both this record and Them’s cover.
It was the B-side of Lulu‘s single I’ll Come Running (1964 • #105) and is a drastically different recording than its cover.
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HouseoftheHits.com
THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH
Herman’s Hermits
[1967]
Manchester England’s Peter ‘Herman’ Noone and the boys had no less than eleven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including three #1’s and three million-sellers.
The final single from the latter category was this huge 1967 record that hit #4 on Billboard and is heard here for the first time in newly issued ‘true’ stereo!
It was a moderate hit again in the 1976 (#12) by The Carpenters – but you’ll NEVER guess who did the original!
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HouseoftheHits.com
THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH
The New Vaudeville Band
[1966]
The New Vaudeville Band was a studio creation of British producer-songwriter Geoff Stephens who co-penned this original with Les Reed. The group won a Grammy for ‘Rock Record of the Year’ (Ha!) in 1966 for Winchester Cathedral (#1 for 3 weeks) – and also the album’s title which contains ‘There’s A Kind Of Hush.’
[Note] Les Reed and Tom Jones‘ manager Gordon Mills wrote Tom’s 1965 debut hit record It’s Not Unusual.
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HouseoftheHits.com
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SHAKIN’ ALL OVER
Guess Who?
[1965]
I thought I’d mix it up by doing a ‘reverse geography’ original/cover combo – in this case a song first recorded by a British band (Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) that was later covered by a North American group (Canada’s Guess Who?); essentially much the same group who later had U.S. hits with These Eyes and American Woman b/w No Sugar Tonight.
This re-make of Shakin’ All Over climbed to #22 in 1965.
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HouseoftheHits.com
SHAKIN’ ALL OVER
Johnny Kidd and The Pirates
[1960]
Johnny Kidd and The Pirates were a UK rock’n’roll band more known for their outrageous onstage antics (think Alice Cooper) than for their actual recordings.
Although they achieved a great following and good chart success in Britain, their records, including ‘Shakin’ All Over’, failed to dent the American pop charts.
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[Note] If you enjoy this type of presentation, check out my four-part series that was published earlier this year called THE BEATLES: Under The Influence.
It’s an extensively notated look at all 24 (six per part) of the U.S. recordings by American artists that they covered and released commercially – and all songs are in crystal clear HD!
A MUST for any fan of The Fab Four!
THE BEATLES: Under The Influence: Part 1
THE BEATLES: Under The Influence: Part 2
THE BEATLES: Under The Influence: Part 3
THE BEATLES: Under The Influence: Part 4
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Song Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
