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First recorded by Lorraine Ellison (1968).
Hit album version by Janis Joplin (US #103 1969).
From the wiki: “‘Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)’ was written by Jerry Ragnovoy (‘Piece of My Heart‘, ‘Time Is on My Side‘) and Chip Taylor (‘Wild Thing‘, ‘Angel of the Morning‘) and first recorded by Gospel-Soul singer Lorraine Ellison in 1968. The song was covered by Janis Joplin in 1969.”
First recorded (as “Try It and See”) by Rita Pavone (1969).
Hit album version by Mike D’Abo (from Jesus Christ Superstar) (1970).
From the wiki: “‘Try It and See’ was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as their entry to represent England in the 1969 Eurovision Song contest. Instead, the original song ended up as the only English-spoken track on Rita Pavone’s Italian album, Rita. Lloyd Webber and Rice would rework the song and include it in their magna opus recording production Jesus Christ Superstar.
Recorded (as a demo) by The Jet Set (1964).
First album release by Bob Dylan (March 1965).
Hit version by The Byrds (US #1/UK #1/CAN #2/IRE #1 April 1965).
Also recorded by The Brothers Four (recorded 1964, released May 1965).
From the wiki: “In 1964, The Byrds – then known as The Jet Set – first recorded ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ as an audition demo prior to being signed to Columbia Records. Two other songs from the session (but not ‘Tambourine Man’) were released by Elektra Records in a one-off deal and had no chart impact. For the Columbia Records recording session leading to their first hit record, The Byrds did the vocals and lead guitar on the recording but session musicians (the infamous ‘Wrecking Crew‘) were brought in to play the other instruments. Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel and Glen Campbell were among the assorted session players used for The Byrds’ first recordings.
“The very first recording ever of ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ was a 6+-minute demo completed by Bob Dylan (along with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott) during a marathon session for the Another Side Of Bob Dylan album (on June 9th, 1964). The song had been written by Dylan while driving cross-country from New York to San Francisco via New Orleans. He wrote the song and recorded the demo with Elliot that eventually found its way to The Jet Set née The Bryds. (Dylan’s demo would later resurface on the soundtrack to the Dylan bio-doc No Direction Home.)
First recorded by Herman’s Hermits (1966).
Hit version by The Hollies (US #5/UK #5/CAN #1/AUS #2 1966).
Also recorded by Graham Gouldman, songwriter (1968).
From the wiki: “‘Bus Stop’ was written by UK songwriter and future 10cc member Graham Gouldman, who also penned major hits for The Yardbirds (‘For Your Love‘) and Herman’s Hermits (‘No Milk Today’). In a 1976 interview Gouldman said the idea for the song had come while he was riding home from work on a bus. The opening lines were written by his father, playwright Hyme Gouldman. Graham continued with the rest of the song while riding to work – at a men’s outfitters – on the bus the next day.
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.”
First recorded (as “His Latest Flame”) by Del Shannon (1961).
Hit version by Elvis Presley (US #4/UK #1 1961).
From the wiki: “‘(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame’ was written by the songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman (‘Save the Last Dance for Me’, ‘This Magic Moment‘, ‘Little Sister’, ‘Teenager in Love‘) and was originally recorded by Del Shannon for the album Runaway With Del Shannon, released in June 1961. The more famous and more successful recording by Elvis Presley was released in August 1961.”
First released by Ian & Sylvia (1965).
Hit versions by Peter, Paul & Mary (US #91/MOR #13 1965), George Hamilton IV (C&W #9 1966), Oliver (MOR #38 1971), Paul Weller (UK #40 2005).
Also recorded by The Grateful Dead (1965, released 2013), Gordon Lightfoot, writer (1966), Elvis Presley (1972).
From the wiki: “‘Early Morning Rain’ (sometimes ‘Early Mornin’ Rain’) was written by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote and composed the song in 1964, but its genesis took root during a 1960 sojourn in Westlake, Los Angeles. Lightfoot sometimes became homesick and would go out to LAX on rainy days to watch the approaching aircraft. The imagery of the flights taking off into the overcast sky was still with him when, in 1964, he was caring for his 5-month-old baby son and he thought, ‘I’ll put him over here in his crib, and I’ll write myself a tune.’
First recorded by Benny Spellman (R&B #28 1962).
Other hit versions by The O’Jays (US #48/R&B #28/CAN #19 1965), The Amazing Rhythm Aces (US #104/C&W #88 1979).
Also recorded by Ringo Starr (1978).
From the wiki: “‘Lipstick Traces (on a Cigarette)’ was first recorded by New Orleans singer Benny Spellman in 1962 (with backing vocals done by Imperial Records label mates Irma Thomas (‘Time Is On My Side‘) and Willie Harper). The song was written by Allen Toussaint under the pseudonym ‘Naomi Neville’.”
First recorded (in an uptempo arrangement) by The Beatles (1964).
Hit versions by The Beatles (US #12/CAN #15/BEL #10 1964), Esther Phillips (as “And I Love Him” US #54/R&B #11 1965), The Vibrations (US #118/R&B #47 1966).
From the wiki: “‘And I Love Her’ was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon-McCartney) for the movie soundtrack of A Hard Day’s Night. It was composed in the music room in the basement of the house in Wimpole Street, London, which belonged to the parents of Jane Asher, Paul‘s then-current girlfriend. It is likely that Asher was the inspiration behind the song.
“The Beatles began recording the song on 25 February 1964. They recorded two takes that day, with a full electric line-up, but it was evidently not the sound they were after. The second take was later released in 1995 on Anthology 1. The group returned to it the next day, recording 16 takes and changing the song’s arrangement as they went along.
Co-written and first recorded by Jimmy Payne (1967).
Hit versions by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (US #4/UK #48/CAN #1/AUS #7 1967), Jim Glaser (C&W #43 1975).
From the wiki: “‘Woman, Woman’ was written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne, and first recorded by Payne in 1967. When recorded by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, in August 1967 for their album Woman, Woman, the song went to #4 on The Billboard Hot 100. The song’s other co-writer, Jim Glaser, recorded and released ‘Woman, Woman’ as a single in 1975, taking it to #43 on the Hot Country Songs charts.”
Written and first recorded (as a demo) by Danny O’Keefe (1967, released 1972).
First released by The Bards (1968).
Also recorded by Danny O’Keefe (1971), Elvis Presley (1973).
Hit versions by Danny O’Keefe (US #9/MOR #5/C&W #63 1972), Red Steagall (C&W #41 1979), Leon Russell (C&W #63 1984).
From the wiki: “‘Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues’ was written by Danny O’Keefe (‘The Road‘) and first recorded by him in 1967 for the Jerden record label, owned by Jerry Denton who didn’t release the record but claimed the credits. It was covered by a Seattle band, The Bards, and released in 1968 as the B-side to the song ‘Tunesmith’ on Parrot Records. Luckily for O’Keefe, his contract was bought by Atlantic boss Ahmed Ertegun, who returned him half of the publishing credit without obligation. That’s when Danny re-recorded ‘Goodtime Charlie’ under better conditions for Cotillion Records, in 1971, produced by Ahmed. One year later, the song was recut for the Signpost label under the supervision of Arif Mardin and released on the album O’Keefe. When that version hit, Denton released the original demo version on the semi-bootleg The Seattle Tapes.”
First recorded by John Lee Hooker (US #60/R&B #16 1962 |UK #16 1992).
Other hit versions by The Animals (US #43/CAN #14 1964), Big Head Todd & The Monsters (US #29 1998).
Also recorded by Mae West (1966), John Lee Hooker (1968).
From the wiki: “‘Boom Boom’ was written by American Blues singer/guitarist John Lee Hooker and first recorded in 1961. Although a blues song, it has been described as ‘the greatest pop song he ever wrote.’ ‘Boom Boom’, as recorded by Hooker, was both an American R&B and Pop chart success in 1962 as well as placing in the UK Singles Chart in 1992.
“It quickly became one of Hooker’s most identifiable and enduring songs, and ‘among the tunes that every band on the [early 1960s UK] R&B circuit simply had to play’ (wrote Cub Koda in the liner notes for The Yardbirds compilation, Ultimate!). Hooker later re-recorded and re-released the song in 1968 on the Stateside record label as the B-side of ‘Cry Before I Go’ under the longer title ‘Boom Boom Boom’. According to Hooker, he wrote the song during an extended engagement at the Apex Bar in Detroit:
‘I would never be on time [for the gig]; I always would be late comin’ in. And she [the bartender Willa] kept saying, ‘Boom boom — you late again’. Every night: ‘Boom, boom — you late again’. I said ‘Hmm, that’s a song!’… I got it together, the lyrics, rehearsed it, and I played it at the place, and the people went wild.’
Originally recorded by Paul Jones (1966).
Hit versions by Peter & Gordon (US #6/UK #16/CAN #1/AUS #1 1966), Alex Day (UK #15 2012).
From the wiki: “Written by Mike Leander, Charlie Mills, and Gordon Mills, ‘Lady Godiva’ is a music hall-style number which frivolously references the legend of Lady Godiva, re-imagining it in the modern day: a director from Hollywood witnesses her legendary ride (with ‘her long blonde hair’ obscuring her breasts and other private parts) and recruits the lady to star in his (pornographic) movie.
“Peter & Gordon’s producer John Burgess brought ‘Lady Godiva’ to the attention of the duo, which Burgess had recently produced for former Manfred Mann lead singer and harmonicist Paul Jones’ album My Way. Peter Asher recalls that he [Asher] objected to recording the song – the duo’s previous hits were almost all melancholy love songs. P&G’s other half, Gordon Waller, responded ‘It’ll be funny [so] shut up’.
Inspired by “The Banjo Song” by The Big Three (1963).
Hit versions by The Shocking Blue (NETH #3/BEL #1/FRA #1/GER #1 1969 |US #1/UK #8/CAN #1/AUS #1/ITA #1/NZ #1/BZL #1/NETH #3 1970), Bananarana (US #1/UK #8/CAN #1/AUS #1/SUI #1/NZ #1 1986).
From the wiki: “‘Venus’ composer Robbie van Leeuwen admitted in a 2007 interview he took his inspiration for ‘Venus’ from the song ‘The Banjo Song’, written by Tim Rose as a lyrical parody set to the melody of Stephen Foster’s ‘Oh, Susannah’. ‘The Banjo Song’ was first recorded by The Big Three (the folk trio of Jim Hendricks, Tim Rose and a pre-Mamas & Papas Cass Elliot) in 1963.
First recorded (as “Who’s That Lady?”) by The Isley Brothers (1964).
Hit version by The Isley Brothers (US #6/R&B #2/UK #14 1973).
From the wiki: “‘That Lady’ was a 1973 R&B and Soul hit song for The Isley Brothers (‘Twist and Shout‘), originally performed by the group, inspired by the Impressions, nearly a decade before in 1964. Jimi Hendrix toured as a guitarist with the Isley Brothers in 1964 (and the band also employed Elton John on piano for their 1964 UK tour). Hendrix’s influence was demonstrated on the 1973 re-recording of ‘That Lady’ with Ernie Isley’s guitar playing.
Originally recorded by Sam Cooke (US #7/R&B #2 1965).
Other hit version by Otis Redding (US #47/R&B #16/UK #28 1967).
Also recorded by The British Walkers (US #108 1967).
From the wiki: “‘Shake’ was a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke at the last session Cooke had before he meet his untimely death in December 1964. Posthumously released in 1965, ‘Shake’ reached the US Top 10, his last song to do so. Otis Redding would record his first cover of ‘Shake’ in 1965. A live version, from the 1967 album Live in Europe, would be released as a single in May 1967. Redding’s 1965 recording would later be elected to the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
First recorded by The Impressions (US #20/R&B #1 1961).
Other hit versions by Brian Hyland (US #3/UK #42 1970), Santana (US #31 1990).
From the wiki: “‘Gypsy Woman’ was written by Curtis Mayfield and was first recorded by his group The Impressions, the group’s first single following the departure of lead singer Jerry Butler. The recording reached #2 on the R&B chart and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.
“In 1970, Brian Hyland recorded a successful Del Shannon-produced cover version which peaked at #3 on the Hot 100. Santana also covered ‘Gypsy Woman’, in 1990 when its promotional single peaked at #31 on the Hot 100.”
First recorded by Chris Kenner (US #2/R&B #2 1961).
Also recorded by The Nashville Teens (B-side 1964).
Other hit version by The Dave Clark Five (US #7/CAN #3/AUS #12 1965).
From the wiki: “‘I Like It Like That’ was written by Chris Kenner (‘Land of 1000 Dances‘) and Allen Toussaint (‘Java‘, ‘Yes We Can Can‘), and was first recorded by Kenner in 1961.
“In 1964, The Nashville Teens recorded the song as a B-side to their hit single ‘Tobacco Road‘. ‘I Like It Like That’ was later covered by The Dave Clark Five in 1965, who scored a US Top-10 hit and their seventh gold single.
“The Bobbettes (‘Mr. Lee’) recorded an answer-song in 1961 to Kenner’s recording, titling it ‘I Don’t Like It Like That’.”
Originally recorded by Don Gibson (US #81/C&W #7/NOR #2 1957).
Other hit versions by Kitty Wells (C&W #3 1958), Ray Charles (US #1/MOR #1/R&B #1/UK #1/AUS #1 1962), Conway Twitty (C&W #1 1972).
Also recorded by Count Basie & His Orchestra (1963).
From the wiki: “‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ was written by country singer-songwriter and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it in 1957. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of ‘Oh, Lonesome Me’ (itself a C&W chart topper and Top-10 Hot 100 hit for Gibson), becoming a double-sided country hit single. Kitty Well’s 1958 cover charted even higher on the Country Singles chart.
“The song was most famously covered by Ray Charles in 1962, included on Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album and released as a single. Charles’ recording reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, for 5 weeks and would also top the U.S. R&B and Easy-Listening charts. (The song, a ‘Country-politan’ ballad with lush, cushioned arrangements, was placed at the 11th spot in the album track listing, assumed by Sid Feller to be the album’s weakest song. After becoming the album’s top-selling single, Charles was disappointed with him, as Feller was in charge of sequencing for the album).
“The Count Basie Orchestra’s 1963 cover recording, a Quincy Jones arrangement for Basie’s This Time by Basie! album, won the 1964 Grammy Award for ‘Best Performance by a Band for Dancing’. Conway Twitty covered ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ a decade later, in 1972, topping the Country Singles chart.
“‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ was ranked #164 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #49 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.”
First recorded (as a demo) by Paul McCartney (1969).
Hit album version by The Beatles (1969).
Hit version by Robin Gibb (US #15/MOR #22/NZ #40 1978).
From the wiki: “‘Oh! Darling’ was a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and appearing as the fourth song on the album, Abbey Road, in 1969. Its working title was ‘Oh! Darling (I’ll Never Do You No Harm)’. McCartney later said of recording the track, ‘When we were recording ‘Oh! Darling’ I came into the studios early every day for a week to sing it by myself [on the piano] because at first my voice was too clear. I wanted it to sound as though I’d been performing it on stage all week.’ McCartney would only try the song once each day; if it was not right he would wait until the next day.
First recorded by Eddy Arnold (C&W #10 1956).
First released by Jerry Vale (US #14 1956).
Other hit versions by Ray Charles (US #2/MOR #1/R&B #5/UK #9 1962), Mickey Gilley (C&W #1 1981).
From the wiki: “‘You Don’t Know Me’ is a song written by Cindy Walker based on a title and storyline given to her by Eddy Arnold in 1955 and was first recorded by Arnold (who is credited as co-writer) that year, then released by him as a single in September 1956.
“However, the first recording of the song to make the Billboard charts was Jerry Vale’s single release in July 1956, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. That was followed by Arnold’s version, charting two months later, backed with ‘The Rockin’ Mockin’ Bird’. Arnold’s recording reached #10 on the Billboard Country chart.
First recorded by Dionne Warwick (FRA #39 1963).
Hit versions by Dusty Springfield (US #6 1964), The Merseybeats (UK #13 1964).
Also recorded by The (UK) Eagles (1964).
From the wiki: “Wishin’ and Hopin” was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, and was first recorded by Dionne Warwick as the B-side of her 1963 single ‘This Empty Place’ and for her debut album, Presenting Dionne Warwick. The single charted only in France, peaking at #39, but Warwick’s was the recording Dusty Springfield heard and which prompted her to complete her own version in 1964. The track was included on Springfield’s solo album debuts in the UK (A Girl Called Dusty) and the US (Stay Awhile/I Only Want to Be with You). It was Bacharach himself who encouraged Dusty, who was ambivalent about her recording, to release it as a single.
First recorded by Willie Bobo (1968).
Also recorded by The Village Callers (1968).
Hit version by Santana (US #9 1969).
From the wiki: “‘Evil Ways’ was made famous by Santana from their 1969 album, Santana. It was written by Clarence ‘Sonny’ Henry and originally recorded by Jazz percussionist Willie Bobo on his 1967 album, Bobo Motion.
“A year before Santana’s 1969 recording, ‘Evil Ways’ was also recorded by the band The Village Callers – considered to be one of the best bands in East Los Angeles and among the first bands to perform with Latin percussion roots in the ‘Eastside Sound’ of the early to mid-60s – for the album The Village Callers Live, recorded May 5, 1968 at the Plush Bunny nightclub in Pico Rivera, CA. So, it could be argued that the Callers’ recording – which received heavy radio airplay in the Bay Area – was what inspired Santana to record their arrangement of the song.
“Recorded by Santana in May 1969, ‘Evil Ways’, the second single from the group’s debut album, Santana, was released in December 1969 and would quickly become Santana’s first Top-40 and first Top-10 hit in the U.S. ”
First recorded by Dick Holler & The Holidays (1963).
Hit version by The Swingin’ Medallions (US #17 1966).
From the wiki: “‘Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)’ is a popular song written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter and first recorded by Dick Holler & the Holidays. It was later recorded by The Swingin’ Medallions.
“Holler, while attending LSU, began playing piano, organizing bands and writing songs with his college friends. In 1956, he formed the band Dick Holler and the Carousel Rockets which, at times, included Mac ‘Dr. John’ Rebennack, Grady Caldwell, Jimmy Clanton , and another Baton Rouge guitarist/vocalist/songwriter, Johnny Ramistella, later known as ‘Johnny Rivers’ (‘Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing)‘).