Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Category: 1970s

1970s, Rock

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

Written and first recorded by Warren Zevon (1976).
Hit version by Linda Ronstadt (US #31/C&W #46/CAN #9 1977), Terri Clark (C&W #5/CAN #1 1996).

From the wiki: “‘Poor Poor Pitiful Me’ was written and first recorded by Warren Zevon (with backing vocals by Lindsey Buckingham). In keeping with Zevon’s sardonic lyrical style, the song’s verses deal with a failed suicide, domestic abuse, and a brush with sadomasochism. (It is reputed to be a friendly swipe by Zevon at Jackson Browne, whose songs – such as ‘Here Come Those Tears Again'” and ‘Sleeps Dark and Silent Gate’ – could be dark and wallowing in pity.)

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1970s, Rock

My Sweet Lord

First recorded and released by Billy Preston (US #93/R&B #23 1970).
Hit version by George Harrison (US #1/UK #1/FRA #1/GER #1 1971 |UK #1 2002).
Based on “He’s So Fine” recorded by The Chiffons (1963), Jody Miller (1971) & “Oh Happy Day” recorded by The Eddie Hawkins Singers (1969).
Parody recordings by George Harrison (as “The Pirate Song”, 1976), by Jonathan King (a “He’s So Fine/My Sweet Lord”, 1987).

From the wiki: “‘My Sweet Lord’ was written by George Harrison but originally given to fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record. Harrison produced Preston’s recording and it was first released on Preston’s Encouraging Words album in September 1970.

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1970s, Rock

Forever Autumn

First recorded by Vigrass & Osborne (JPN #2 1972).
Hit version by Justin Hayward (US #47/UK #5 1978).

From the wiki: “‘Forever Autumn’ was written by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. The original melody was composed by Wayne in 1969 as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, then, added lyrics and recorded the song for their 1972 album Queues. The recording was also released as a single and gained commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a Top 5 hit.

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1970s, Pop

Weekend in New England

Written and first recorded by Randy Edelman (1975).
Hit version by Barry Manilow (US #10/MOR #1/CAN #10 1976).

From the wiki: “‘Weekend in New England’ was written by Randy Edelman, and first recorded by Edelman for his 1975 album Farewell Fairbanks. Edelman attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played piano in Broadway pit orchestras and where he recorded several solo albums of songs, some of which were covered by The Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, Jackie DeShannon (to whom Edelman was married), and Barry Manilow. Edelman later moved to Los Angeles where he started television and film scoring (The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., MacGyver, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor).

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1970s, Pop

Candida

First released by The Corporation (1970).
Hit version by Dawn (US #3/UK #9/CAN #2/SWE #1/BRA #1/SNG #1 1970).

From the wiki: “‘Candida’ was written by Toni Wine (‘A Groovy Kind of Love‘) and Irwin Levine, songwriters for Don Kirshner at Screen Gems Music. Wine recalls: ‘We knew we wanted to write a Latin-flavored song, because of the areas that we grew up in, a lot of Latin and R&B music were being combined, and I grew up in Spanish Harlem. We needed a three-syllable name. But, Rosita had already been taken. Juanita was a hit. Maria had happened. So, Candida had been a name that I had toyed with and, there, she became a reality.’

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1970s, Country

Love is a Rose

Written and first recorded by Neil Young (1974, released 1977).
Inspired by “Dance Dance Dance” Neil Young (1971, released 2007).
“Dance Dance Dance” also recorded by Crazy Horse (1971), The New Seekers (US #84 1972).
Hit version by Linda Ronstadt (US #63/C&W #5 1975).

From the wiki: “‘Love Is a Rose’ was written by Neil Young in 1974 for the unreleased album Homegrown. It was later released in 1977 on his compilation Decade album. The melody for ‘Love Is a Rose’ was taken from yet another previously unreleased Neil Young song ‘Dance Dance Dance’, written in 1971, which finally saw release in 2007 on the Live at Massey Hall album. Young’s longtime backing band Crazy Horse also recorded ‘Dance Dance Dance’ in 1971 on their album Crazy Horse, and The New Seekers released ‘Dance Dance Dance’ as a single in 1972, a version that peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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1970s, Pop

This Masquerade

Written and first recorded by Leon Russell (B-side US #11/CAN #5 1972).
Also recorded by Helen Reddy (1972).
Hit versions by The Carpenters (B-side US #1/UK #2/CAN #1/AUS #1 1973), George Benson (US #10/R&B #3 1976).

From the wiki: “‘This Masquerade’ was written by Leon Russell (‘A Song for You‘), and first appeared on the B-side of the single ‘Tight Rope’ from Russell’s 1972 hit album Carney. Known mostly as a session musician early in his career, as a solo artist Russell crossed genres to include Rock and Roll, Blues, and Gospel music. As a first call studio musician in Los Angeles, Russell played on many of the most popular songs of the 1960s as a member of the Wrecking Crew, including Glen Campbell’s 1967 hit single ‘Gentle on My Mind‘, where Russell was credited on piano as ‘Russell Bridges’.

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1970s, Pop

I’ll Never Love This Way Again

First recorded (as “I Know I’ll Never Love This Way Again”) by Richard Kerr (1978).
Also recorded by Cheryl Ladd (1978).
Hit version by Dionne Warwick (US #6/R&B #13/CAN #6 1979).

From the wiki: “‘I’ll Never Love This Way Again’ was composed by Richard Kerr (co-writer ‘Mandy‘, ‘Somewhere in the Night‘) and Will Jennings (co-writer ‘Valerie‘, ‘Tears in Heaven’, ‘Somewhere in the Night‘), and was first recorded by Kerr himself for his 1978 album Welcome To The Club. The song was soon covered by Cheryl Ladd for her 1978 eponymous debut album.

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1970s, Pop

We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again

Written and first recorded by Jeffrey Comanor (1975).
Also recorded by Deardorf & Joseph (1976).
Hit version by England Dan & John Ford Coley (US #9 1978).

From the wiki: “‘We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again’ was written by Jeffrey Comanor, and was first recorded by him in 1975 for release on the album A Rumor In His Own Time.

“‘England’ Dan Seals became familiar with the song while working as a session guitarist on a 1976 cover recording by Deardorf & Joseph. Three years later, in 1979, Seals and his partner, John Ford Coley, covered ‘We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again’ themselves and took the song into the US Top 10 (included on their album Some Things Don’t Come Easy).”

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1970s, Country, Folk

City of New Orleans

Written and first recorded by Steve Goodman (1971).
Hit versions by Arlo Guthrie (US #18 1972), Willie Nelson (US #30/C&W #1/CAN #1 1984).

From the wiki: “‘City of New Orleans’ is a folk song written by Steve Goodman (and first recorded for Goodman’s self-titled 1971 album), describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad’s City of New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms. Goodman got the idea while traveling on the Illinois Central line for a visit to his wife’s family.

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1970s, Rock

Blinded by the Light

Written and first recorded by Bruce Springsteen (1973).
Hit version by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (US #1/UK #6 1975).

From the wiki: “‘Blinded by the Light’ is a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen after Columbia Records president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and ‘Spirit in the Night‘ in response. ‘Blinded by the Light’ was the first song on, and first single released from, the 1973 album. But, Springsteen’s version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts.

“According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a rhyming dictionary and looking for rhymes. The first line of the song, ‘Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat’ is autobiographical — ‘Madman drummers’ is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as ‘Mad Man’ (later changed to ‘Mad Dog’); ‘Indians in the summer’ refers to the name of Springsteen’s old Little League team; ‘teenage diplomat’ refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of ‘Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night’.

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1970s, Pop

Love is the Answer

Written by Todd Rundgren and first recorded by Utopia (1977).
Hit version by England Dan & John Ford Coley (US #10/MOR #1 1979).

From the wiki: “‘Love Is the Answer’ is a song written by Todd Rundgren for his band Utopia. It is the closing track on their 1977 album Oops! Wrong Planet.

“A cover version by England Dan & John Ford Coley reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May, 1979. John Ford Coley was quoted as saying: ‘Of all the songs we released as singles, [this] was my favorite. The song first of all had a classical base, and the middle had a gospel section which I loved.'”

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1970s, Country

Here You Come Again

First recorded (as a demo) by Barry Mann (1977).
First released by B.J. Thomas (1977).
Hit version by Dolly Parton (US #3/C&W #1/CAN #7 1977).
Re-recorded by Barry Mann (2000).

From the wiki: “‘Here You Come Again’ is a rare example of a Dolly Parton success that she did not write herself; it was composed by the songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (‘Don’t Know Much‘, ‘(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration’, ‘Never Gonna Let You Go‘). The pair had originally composed ‘Here You Come Again’ in 1975 as a potential comeback hit for Brenda Lee, but Lee declined the offer to record it.

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1970s, Soul

All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You

First recorded (as “All I Want to Do is Make Love to You”) by Dobie Gray (1979).
Hit version by Heart (US #2/UK #8/CAN #1/AUS #1 1990).

From the wiki: “It was composed by veteran songwriter and producer Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange. The song was first recorded as ‘All I Want to Do is Make Love to You’ by Dobie Gray in 1979, though with completely different lyrics.

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1970s, Jazz, R&B

If I Ever Lose This Heaven

First recorded by Quincy Jones, with Minnie Ripperton, Leon Ware and Al Jarreau (R&B #74 1974).
Hit version by Average White Band (US #39/R&B #25 1975).

From the wiki: “‘If I Ever Lose This Heaven’ was co-written by Quincy Jones (‘It’s My Party‘), Leon Ware, and Bruce Fisher (‘You Are So Beautiful‘) for Quincy’s 1974 album, Body Heat.

“Ware, Minnie Riperton (whose 1975 album, Adventures in Paradise, Ware would produce and collaborate), and Al Jarreau were among the studio vocalists Jones used for the album.

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1970s, Rock

It Don’t Come Easy

First recorded (as a demo) by George Harrison (1970).
Hit version by Ringo Starr (US #4/UK #4/CAN #1 1971).

From the wiki: “‘It Don’t Come Easy’ was first taped on February 18, 1970 during the sessions for Ringo Starr’s first solo album Sentimental Journey. Although Ringo is givens sole composing credit on the recording, he told VH1 Storytellers that ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ was co-written with George Harrison – that he (Ringo) had written just the first two song lines and the chorus; that George composed the remainder. The demo was recorded by George to help Ringo learn the completed lyrics.

“With Beatles producer George Martin initially handling production, George Harrison plays acoustic guitar and sings at the demo session and directed the other musicians – Stephen Stills (keyboards), old Beatles friend Klaus Voormann (bass), and Starr (drums) with backing vocalists, Pete Ham and Tom Evans from Badfinger. After the basic track was completed, George added two electric guitar parts. At this point the song was titled ‘You Gotta Pay Your Dues’.

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1970s, Country, Soul

Midnight Train to Georgia

Written and first recorded (as “Midnight Plane to Houston”) by Jim Weatherly (1972).
Hit versions by Cissy Houston (R&B #45 1973), Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #1/R&B #1/UK #10 1973).

From the wiki: “The song was originally written and performed by Jim Weatherly (‘(You’re the) Best Thing That Ever Happened‘) under the title ‘Midnight Plane to Houston’, recorded for Amos Records.

“‘It was based on a conversation I had with somebody… about taking a midnight plane to Houston,’ Weatherly recalls. ‘I wrote it as a kind of a country song. Then we sent the song to a guy named Sonny Limbo in Atlanta and he wanted to cut it with Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney Houston) … He asked if I minded if he changed the title to ‘Midnight Train to Georgia.’ And I said, I don’t mind. Just don’t change the rest of the song.’ Houston took Weatherly’s song into the R&B chart under the title ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’.

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1970s, Soul

Rock Your Baby

Written and first recorded (as an instrumental demo) by K.C. & The Sunshine Band (1974).
Hit version by George McCrae (US #1/R&B #1/UK #1/AUS #1 1974).

From the wiki: “‘Rock Your Baby’ was written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey (‘K.C.’) and Richard Finch of K.C. & The Sunshine Band, and is considered to be one of the landmark recordings of early disco music.

“The backing track for the record had been recorded in 45 minutes as a demo, and featured guitarist Jerome Smith, saxophonist Whit Sidener and trumpeter Vinnie Tanno of K.C. & The Sunshine Band. The track was not originally intended for McCrae. But, he happened to be in the studio, was invited by K.C. to add a vocal, and the resulting combination of infectious rhythm and falsetto vocal made it a hit. An instrumental re-recording would later be released as a separate single, in 1975 in the US (backed with ‘S.O.S.’) and in 1976 in the UK (backed with ‘Sunshine City’).

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1970s, Pop

Killing Me Softly with His Song

First recorded by Lori Lieberman (1972).
Hit versions by Roberta Flack (US #1/MOR #2/R&B #2/UK #6/CAN #1/AUS #1/IRE #3 1973), The Fugees (US #2/R&B #1/MOR #30/UK #1/CAN #6/AUS #1/IRE #1/GER #1/FRA #1 1996).

From the wiki: “Written by Charlie Fox, Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman, ‘Killing Me Softly with His Song’ has a contentious and disputed origin.

“Lori Lieberman, the artist who performed the first recording in 1972, claims the song was born of a poem she wrote after experiencing a strong reaction to the song ‘Empty Chairs,’ written, composed, and recorded by Don McLean.

“On the other hand, Charlie Fox has disputed Lieberman having any input into the song’s creation, saying: ‘We [i.e. himself and lyricist Norman Gimbel (‘Girl from Ipanema‘, ‘So Nice (Summer Samba)‘) wrote the song and [Lieberman] heard it and said it reminded her of how she felt at [a Don McLean] concert. Don McLean didn’t inspire Norman [Gimbel] or me to write the song but even Don McLean thinks he’s the inspiration for the song according to his official website!’ Instead, the song, Fox claims, has its origin in a novel.

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1970s, Pop

I Don’t Know How to Love Him

First recorded by Yvonne Elliman (US #28/MOR #15 1971 |UK #47 1972).
Other hit versions by Helen Reddy (US #13/MOR #12/CAN #8/AUS #2 1971), Petula Clark (UK #47 1972).

From the wiki: “‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice song for the 1970 Rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. The song has been much recorded with it becoming one of only a handful of songs to have two concurrent recordings simultaneously reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ had first been published with different lyrics in the autumn of 1967, originally titled ‘Kansas Morning’. (The melody’s main theme has come under some scrutiny for being non-original, bearing a resemblance to a theme from Mendelssohn’s ‘Violin Concerto in E Minor’.) Rice wrote new lyrics to ‘Kansas Morning’ when Lloyd Webber and he completed Jesus Christ Superstar in January 1970. Now, entitled ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, the completed song was recorded at a June 1970 Decca Records recording session by Yvonne Elliman – in one take.

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1970s, Reggae/Ska

I Shot the Sheriff

Written and first recorded by The Wailers (1973).
Hit version by Eric Clapton (US #1/UK #9/CAN #1/NZ #1 1974).

From the wiki: “‘I Shot The Sheriff’ was written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a narrator who claims to have acted in self-defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The song was first released in 1973 on The Wailers’ album Burnin’. Eric Clapton recorded a cover version that was included on his 1974 album, 461 Ocean Boulevard. It is the most successful version of the song, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, Clapton’s version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.”

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1970s, Pop

Don’t Leave Me This Way

First recorded by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (UK #5 1975).
Other hit versions by Thelma Houston (US #1/R&B #1/UK #13 1977), The Communards (US #40/UK #1 1986).

From the wiki: “First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International label, in 1975, ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ was later a hit single for both Thelma Houston and The Communards. The Blue Notes’ original version of the song featured Teddy Pendergrass’ lead vocal. ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ was included as one of the seven tracks on the group’s successful Wake Up Everybody LP but was not released as a single in the U.S.

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1970s, Pop

And I Love You So

Written and first recorded by Don McLean (1970).
Hit versions by Bobby Goldsboro (MOR #8/C&W #48 1971), Perry Como (US #29/MOR #1/UK #3 1973).

From the wiki: “‘And I Love You So’ is a popular song written by Don McLean and released on his 1970 debut album, Tapestry. In 1973, the song was an international hit for singer Perry Como on his album of the same name, And I Love You So. Como’s version of the song reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the last of his many popular recordings to reach the Top 40. In Britain, the record reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart.”

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1970s, Rock

Winning

Written and first recorded by Russ Ballard (1976).
Also recorded by Nona Hendryx (1977).
Hit version by Santana (US #17/#2 Rock/SA #12 1981).

From the wiki: “Russ Ballard came to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent (‘Hold Your Head Up’ 1972), but became better known by the late 1970s as a songwriter and producer. His compositions for other artists during the 1970s and 1980s included ‘Liar’ (Three Dog Night, 1971), ‘Since You Been Gone’ (Head East, 1978; Rainbow, 1979), ‘New York Groove’ (Ace Frehley, 1978), ‘You Can Do Magic’ (America, 1982), ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You’ (Kiss, 1992), and ‘Winning’, a 1981 hit for Santana that Ballard first recorded in 1976 for his album Winning.

“Prior to Santana’s cover, former LaBelle singer, Nona Hendryx, covered ‘Winning’ in 1977 for her solo debut album.

“Santana promotional single, for the album Zebop!, peaked at #17 in 1981 on the Hot 100 but reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. Santana’s arrangement also reached #12 in South Africa.”

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