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[Music] Songs where the most recognised/famous version was covered by others before them



Flounce

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Nov 15, 2006
4,244
I’m sure we’ve done this before but I just found out who also sang this as I always thought it was a Hollies song. Can’t find any threads other than the cover versions that are better than the original though

Written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and first released by Albert Hammond but this version predates the Hollies

A quick Google suggests Creep by Radiohead used the progressions from it, it does too!

 


















Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,361
Mike Nesmith' s 'Different Drum' was first offered up as a Monkees song, but bizarrely rejected by the management. He used it in a throwaway bit on the show, but I believe that his lovely bluegrass version came much later.



It was then recorded by The Greenbriar Boys



Before being picked up by The Stone Poneys, Linda Rondstadt' s marvellous vocal cementing it as a standard:



My favourite version is The Lemonheads interpretation of Rondstadt' s.
 












Flounce

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Nov 15, 2006
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Definitely, but I (probably wrongly) interpreted the thread title to mean songs where the most famous version came out before the "original". Which as far as Dylan's concerned would probably limit you to stuff from the Basement Tapes.

True and yes you did interpret it rightish, songs that were recorded BEFORE the best known version came out is what I should have made clear.
 


GT49er

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Feb 1, 2009
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Gloucester
Released a year before Rainbow discovered it.....



...........and two years earlier than that, the original, by the composer.



Both better than the Rainbow version, IMHO - the most famous, but not the best.

Edit: Phew, got the links the right way round in the end!
 
Last edited:


Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,361
I’m sure we’ve done this before
Kind of, but it was more than a decade ago:

 




Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,361
Released a year before Rainbow discovered it.....



...........and two years earlier than that, the original, by the composer.



Both better than the Rainbow version, IMHO - the most famous, but not the best.

Edit: Phew, got the links the right way round in the end!

Speaking of Russ Ballard and Rainbow:



I disagree, possibly because they're the first versions I heard, possibly because I fear the wrath of @Kosh , but for me Blackmore's versions of both are the best.
 










Sid and the Sharknados

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Sep 4, 2022
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Darlington
Speaking of Russ Ballard and Rainbow:



I disagree, possibly because they're the first versions I heard, possibly because I fear the wrath of @Kosh , but for me Blackmore's versions of both are the best.

Well, they don't have Ritchie Blackmore playing on them, so by definition they're not as good as the Rainbow versions. :lolol:

I don't think I've ever actually bothered listening to any of the studio versions of I Surrender. I get a few seconds in and think "the live versions will have a better guitar solo than this" and go to listen to that.
 




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