Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Category: 1970s

1970s, Folk

See the Sky About to Rain

Written and first recorded by Neil Young (1971, released 2013).
Hit album version by The Byrds (1973).
Re-recorded by Neil Young (1974).

From the wiki: “‘See the Sky About to Rain’ was written by Neil Young, and first recorded by him in 1971, live in concert. Recordings of Young’s 1970-71 solo concert tour were released in 2013 on the album Live from the Cellar Door. The Byrds, in 1973, were the first to commercially released the song (on Byrds). Young revisited his song in 1974 and re-recorded it in the studio for his 1974 album On the Beach.”

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1970s, Blues

Timber

Based on “San Francisco Bay” by Lee Oskar (1977).
Hit version by Pitbull feat. Ke$ha (US #1 2013).

From the wiki: “Pitbull told Ryan Seacrest that the use of a harmonica on his recorded was inspired by Avicii’s hit single ‘Wake Me Up’. However, songwriters Lee Oskar, Keri Oskar and Greg Errico filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in June 2014 against the makers of ‘Timber’, claiming it features a harmonica melody that is identical to the one used in Lee Oskar’s 1978 song ‘San Francisco Bay’. The lawsuit claims that while the record label obtained permission to use the sample from a license holder, it failed to obtain permission from the songwriters themselves.”

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1970s, Country

Please Mr. Please

Co-written and first recorded by Bruce Welch (1974).
Hit version by Olivia Newton-John (US #3/MOR #1/C&W #5/CAN #1/AUS #35/NZ #7 1975).

From the wiki: “‘Please Mr. Please’ was written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill, both members of British pop singer Cliff Richard’s backing band, The Shadows (‘Apache’). Welch originally recorded the song himself in 1974 with no chart success in either the UK or US.

“In 1975, the song appeared on Newton-John’s album, Have You Never Been Mellow, and was released as the album’s second single. Newton-John’s cover of ‘Please Mr. Please’ reached the Top 10 on three major Billboard charts that year, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 in August 1975, her fifth consecutive Top Ten hit.”

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1970s, Rock

Midnight Rider

Written and first recorded by The Allman Brothers (1970).
Also recorded by Buddy Miles (1971).
Hit versions by Joe Cocker (US #23 1972), Gregg Allman (US #19 1973), Paul Davidson (UK #10 1976), Willie Nelson (C&W #6 1980).

From the wiki: “‘Midnight Rider’ is a popular and widely covered song by The Allman Brothers Band from their 1970 album Idlewild South, written by Gregg Allman and Robert Kim Payne. Drummer Buddy Miles (Electric Flag, Jimi Hendrix) recorded the first cover of ‘Midnight Rider’, in 1971, for his album titled A Message to the People.

“Recordings by Joe Cocker, Gregg Allman himself (on his solo album Laid Back), U.K. singer Paul Davidson, and Willie Nelson have all reached the US and UK charts as singles but the original arrangement, as recorded by The Allman Brothers Band, was never released as a single.”

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1970s, Rock

Hanging on the Telephone

First recorded by The Nerves (1976).
Hit version by Blondie (UK #5/IRE #18/AUS #39 1978).

From the wiki: “‘Hanging on the Telephone’ was written by Jack Lee (‘Come Back and Stay’, 1983) and first performed by his short-lived US West Coast Power Pop trio, The Nerves (which included Paul Collins, later of The Beat). The song was the lead-off track on The Nerves’s 1976 EP, the group’s only release (until the 2008 compilation, One Way Ticket, thirty years after the group disbanded).

“New Wave band Blondie later popularized ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ when it released a cover as the second single off Parallel Lines in both the US and UK in 1978. The single failed to chart in the US (except as an album track at album-oriented radio stations) but charted Top-5 in the UK; charting elsewhere, too, in Europe and Australia.”

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1970s, Country

Pancho and Lefty

Written and first recorded by Townes Van Zandt (1972).
Also recorded by Emmylou Harris (1977), Hoyt Axton (1977).
Hit version by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard (MOR #21/C&W #1/CAN #1 1983).

From the wiki: “”Pancho and Lefty” is a song written by country singer and songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Often considered his “most enduring and well-known song,” Van Zandt first recorded it for his 1972 album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. Emmylou Harris then covered the song for her 1977 album, Luxury Liner. Also in 1977, Hoyt Axton recorded it on his album Snowblind Friend. The song became a #1 Country hit in 1983 when Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson adopted it as the title track of their duet album Pancho & Lefty. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western Songs of All Time.

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1970s, Pop

I’d Rather Leave While I’m in Love

Co-written and first recorded by Carole Bayer Sager (1977).
Also recorded by Peter Allen, co-writer (1979).
Hit version by Rita Coolidge (US #38/MOR #3/C&W #32/CAN AC #1 1979).

From the wiki: “I’d Rather Leave While I’m In Love” is a song co-written by Peter Allen (‘Don’t Cry Out Loud‘) and Carol Bayer-Sager, and popularized in 1979 by Rita Coolidge, was first recorded in 1977 by Bayer Sager. Co-writer Allen recorded his own version of ‘I’d Rather Leave While I’m In Love’ in 1979 for his album I Could Have Been a Sailor.

“The song about breaking up was sung originally by its two songwriters, who both had married and later split up with famous spouses: Allen, from Liza Minnelli; Bayer Sager, from producer Andrew Sager.

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1970s, Rock

Try Some, Buy Some

First recorded by Ronnie Spector (US #77 1971).
Hit album version by George Harrison (1973).

From the wiki: “George Harrison wrote ‘Try Some, Buy Some’ during sessions for All Things Must Pass, his successful 1970 triple album, also co-produced by Phil Spector. The song’s austere melody was influenced by Harrison composing on a keyboard instrument rather than guitar. Ronnie Spector recorded this and other Harrison compositions, such as ‘You’ and ‘When Every Song Is Sung’, in London for a planned comeback album on the Beatles’ Apple Records. The project was co-produced by her husband at the time (Phil Spector) whose temporary withdrawal from music-making in 1966 had forced Ronnie to reluctantly abandon her own career.

“Sessions for the proposed Spector album took place at London’s Abbey Road Studios, beginning on 2 February 1971. In addition to his own contribution as guitarist, Harrison enlisted some of the musicians with whom he had recorded All Things Must Pass: Gary Wright, on keyboards; Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon; Voormann and Carl Radle (the latter another member of the Dominos), alternating on bass; and Badfinger’s Pete Ham on second guitar and percussion. Another participant was Leon Russell, familiar to Phil Spector as a regular member of the Wrecking Crew during the mid 1960s. Recording continued at Abbey Road on 3 February, during which Lennon joined the proceedings, allegedly on piano.

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1970s, Pop

After the Love Has Gone

Co-written and first recorded by Bill Champlin (1979 unreleased).
Hit version by Earth, Wind & Fire (1979).
Also recorded by Airplay (1980).

[Bill Champlin video is not currently available]

From the wiki: “‘After the Love Has Gone’ was written by David Foster, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin. Champlin was the first to record the song (produced by Foster) but the recording went unreleased. Airplay, the recording group formed by Foster and Graydon, did produce and release a cover of ‘After the Love’ in 1980 with Graydon singing lead. Graydon tells the story (from Songfacts.com) of how the song came into being: ‘David Foster produced an album for Jaye P. Morgan in 1976 … Then he was at Motown playing some songs with Jaye to try to get a deal over there. He was in the middle of playing a song and he forgot the chorus, and he ad-libbed the chorus to ‘After The Love Has Gone.’

“‘He comes over to my house, and we went into my little dinky studio. He sits down at the piano, and he says, ‘Listen to this chorus.’ He plays it, and I said, ‘Hey, here’s an idea for a verse.’ And I went, ‘da da dom da da bom ba da da da.’ And he just immediately continued on with that, and we had the whole song written in about a 1/2-hour or 45-minutes.

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1970s, Pop

I Honestly Love You

Written and first recorded by Peter Allen (1974).
Hit version by Olivia Newton-John (US #1/MOR #1/C&W #6/UK #22/CAN #1/AUS #1 1974).

From the wiki: “‘I Honestly Love You’ was written by Jeff Barry (‘Chapel of Love‘) and Peter Allen (‘Don’t Cry Out Loud‘); the latter recorded it around the same time as its composition for his album Continental American. It would later appear in the juke-box musical about Allen’s life, The Boy from Oz.”

From Songfacts.com: “Olivia Newton-John recorded ‘I Honestly Love You’ in London. She remembers [being] ‘in a little tiny rickety studio, it was so small. The control room was upstairs and John Farrar was up there with the engineer and I was underneath and they had to sit still because it would creak, and you’d hear it in the microphone.’ Her recording 1974 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance. It was Olivia Newton-John’s first ever #1 in the US and Canada, and it also topped the charts in Australia.

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1970s, Rock

We’ve Got Tonight

First recorded by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (US #13 1978 |UK #49 1979).
Other hit versions by Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton (US #6/MOR #2/C&W #1/UK #28 1983), Lulu & Ronan Keating (UK #4/AUS #6 2002).

From the wiki: “‘We’ve Got Tonight’ was written by Bob Seger, from his 1978 album Stranger in Town, and became a hit single for Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. In 1983, Country-Pop star Kenny Rogers recorded the song as a duet with Pop star Sheena Easton. Their recording reached #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The duet also reached the Top 30 in the UK.

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1970s, Soul

Sharing the Night Together

First recorded by Arthur Alexander (R&B #92 1976).
Also recorded by Lenny LeBlanc (1976).
Hit version by Dr. Hook (US #6/C&W #50 1978 |UK #43 1980).

From the wiki: “‘Sharing the Night Together’ was written by Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick, and was first recorded by Arthur Alexander (‘You Better Move On‘, ‘Anna‘, ‘Burning Love‘) in 1976. In almost simultaneous release in 1976 was a version recorded by Lenny Leblanc (LeBlanc & Carr, ‘Falling’), with co-writer Struzick on background vocals, but which had no chart impact.

“‘Sharing the Night Together’ was later a Top 10 single for Dr. Hook off the 1978 album Pleasure & Pain.”

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1970s, Pop

Fernando

First recorded (in Swedish) Anni-Frid Lyngstad (SWE #1 1975).
Other hit version by ABBA (US #13/MOR #1/CAN #1/UK #1/AUS #1/IRE #1/GER #1/MEX #1/SWE #3 1976).

From the wiki: From the wiki: “‘Fernando’ was not first released as an ABBA song but by band member Anni-Frid Lyngstad, solo, in 1975, featured on her #1 Swedish solo album Frida ensam. The song was composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and carried the working title of ‘Tango’. Preparations for recording began in August 1975. The writers made last-minute changes to the title before recording, with the suggestion of the name ‘Fernando’ given to the songwriters by their limousine driver, Peter Forbes.

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1970s, R&B

Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It

Based on “He’s the Greatest Dancer” by Sister Sledge (1979).
Hit version by Will Smith (US #1/R&B #6/UK #3 1998).

From the wiki: “The song samples the Sister Sledge song ‘He’s the Greatest Dancer’ and ‘Movin’ On Up’ by Ja’net Dubois. The ‘mama-uh, mama-uh, mama come closer’ line is a reference to the song ‘Soul Makossa’ by Manu Dibango, specifically the version adapted by Michael Jackson in ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”’s final bridge.”

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1970s, Pop

Joy to the World

Written and first recorded by Hoyt Axton (1971).
Hit version by Three Dog Night (US #1 1971).

From the wiki: “‘Joy to the World’ was originally intended for use in The Happy Song, an animated film for children. The film never materialized. The story is told that while recording material for his first album with Capitol Records, the song’s writer, Hoyt Axton, had to convince the label to let him record ‘Joy to the World’. He had the tune, he said, but not all of the lyrics. Axton was encouraged by the engineers to sing nonsensical lyrics so that an arrangement could be built around the tune and he could later record ‘real’ lyrics.

“Axton recalls ”Jeremiah’ was an expedient of the time. I’d had the chorus for three months [but nothing else]. I took a drink of wine, leaned on the speaker, and said ‘Jeremiah was a bullfrog.’ It was meaningless. It was a temporary lyric.’ (A member of Three Dog Night said he’d heard that the original lyric to the song was ‘Jeremiah was a prophet’ but ‘no one liked that.’)

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1970s, Rock

Liar

First recorded by Argent (1970).
Hit version by Three Dog Night (US #7/CAN #4/AUS #72 1971).

From the wiki: “‘Liar’ wasg written by Russ Ballard (‘Winning‘, ‘Since You Been Gone‘) of Argent from their 1970 self-titled debut album. It was released as the band’s first single, but did not chart.

“A version by Three Dog Night was released the following year and featured on the band’s album, Naturally.”

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1970s, Pop

Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You

First recorded by George Benson (BEL #29/NETH #43 1985).
Hit version by Glenn Medeiros (US #12/UK #1/CAN #1/IRE #1/FRA #1 1987).

From the wiki: “‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You’ was written by Gerry Goffin (‘(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman‘, ‘Saving All My Love for You‘) and Michael Masser (‘The Greatest Love of All‘), and was first recorded by George Benson for his 1985 album 20/20. Released as a single only in Europe, Benson’s arrangement charted in Belgium and the Netherlands.

“In 1987, the song achieved worldwide success with a cover version by Hawaiian singer Glenn Medeiros. Medeiros had originally released his cover version on a small independent label at the age of 16, after winning a local radio talent contest in Hawaii. A visiting radio executive from KZZP in Phoenix, Arizona, heard the song and took the record back to Phoenix, where, through word of mouth, it grew to become an international hit.”

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1970s, Pop

The Stranger

First recorded (as a demo) by Billy Joel (1977).
Hit version by Billy Joel (JPN #2 1977).

From the wiki: “‘The Stranger’ was written by Billy Joel as the title track (and second song) of his popular 1977 album. According to Joel, the song relates to how we don’t always know ourselves or others. ‘The Stranger’ is the collective for the unknown things. ‘Although we share so many secrets, there are some we never tell,’ he said.

“Joel’s halfhearted suicide attempt at age 21 (he tried to end his life by drinking furniture polish) was an inspiration for the song, as it revealed a dark side of his personality that wasn’t readily apparent. Joel originally wanted the introducing theme to be played by some kind of instrument but after he demonstrated the melody to his producer, Phil Ramone, by whistling it, Ramone convinced Joel to scrap the idea of an instrument and to whistle it instead:

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1970s, Pop

She’s a Lady

Written and first recorded by Paul Anka (1970).
Hit version by Tom Jones (US #2/R&B #42/UK #13 1971).
Also recorded by Paul Anka & Tom Jones (2013).

From the wiki: “‘She’s a Lady’ was written by Paul Anka, and was first on his album Paul Anka ’70s.

“‘She’s a Lady’ was most-famously performed by Tom Jones, becoming his highest-charting single to date in the US. The song was re-released in 2013 on Paul Anka’s Duets CD with a new recording featuring both Anka and Tom Jones.”

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1970s, Soul

I’ve Got to Use My Imagination

Co-written and first recorded by Barry Goldberg (1973).
Hit version by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #4/R&B #1 1973).
Also recorded by Bob Dylan (bootleg 1984), Joe Cocker (1989), Gerry Goffin, co-writer (1995), Joan Osborne (2007).

From the wiki: “‘I’ve Got to Use My Imagination’ was written by Gerry Goffin (‘Up on the Roof‘, ‘Oh No Not My Baby‘, ‘Saving All My Love for You‘, ‘One Fine Day’) and by Barry Goldberg, and was first recorded by Goldberg in 1973 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with co-producers Jerry Wexler and Bob Dylan (also on backing vocals and percussion).

“Goldberg was the pianist behind Dylan at the infamous ‘Dylan goes electric’ Newport Folk Festival performance in 1965 (he was a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band that had backed Dylan), and it was Dylan who helped Goldberg secure the deal with Atlantic Records that resulted in the 1974 release of Barry Goldberg.

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1970s, Soul

Oh Love (Well, We Finally Made It)

First recorded by Smoke (1972).
Hit version by Love Unlimited (R&B #70 1973).

“‘Oh Love (Well We Finally Made It)’ was written by Barry White, was first recorded by Bob Relf’s group, Smoke, in 1972 (not to be confused with the UK group The Smoke). (Relf was one-half of ‘Bob & Earl’, after the departure of Bobby Day, who famously recorded ‘Harlem Shuffle‘ in 1963 with an arrangement by White.)

“White’s female trio, Love Unlimited, also recorded ‘Oh Love …’ at the same session, using the same backing track performed by Smoke that was later augmented with the addition of a string arrangement by White’s newly formed Love Unlimited Orchestra. But, Love Unlimited’s recording was held back from release, not becoming a promotional single until July 1973 when it would nick the R&B chart, peaking at #70.”

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1970s, Pop

Dancin’ Shoes

Written (by Carl Storie) and first recorded by Faith Band (1978).
Hit version by Nigel Olsson (US #18 1979).

From the wiki: “Faith Band was a Rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, who, between 1973 to 1979, released five albums: Faith in 1973, Excuse Me, I Just Cut an Album in 1977, Rock’n Romance in 1978, and Face to Face and Vital Signs in 1979. The group gained notable popularity regionally in the Indianapolis area in 1978 with Rock’n Romance, which contained the original recording of ‘Dancin’ Shoes’.

“Nigel Olsson, on a solo break from being Elton John’s drummer, recorded a cover the next year of ‘Dancin’ Shoes’ that would become his first (and only) US Top-20 hit.”

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1970s, Pop

She’s Gone

Written and first recorded by Hall & Oates (US #60/UK #51 1972 |US #7/UK #42 1976).
Other hit version by Tavares (US #50/R&B #1 1974), Matthew Marsden (UK #24 1998).

From the wiki: “‘She’s Gone’ was written and originally performed by Pop music duo Daryl Hall and John Oates. It was included on their 1973 album, Abandoned Luncheonette, and first released as a single in 1974. The song was a major hit in Hall & Oates’ hometown of Philadelphia but was only moderately successful nationally. It peaked initially at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100. When Tavares released their cover as a single in 1974, it topped the R&B chart. Two years later in 1976, after Hall & Oates had moved to RCA Records and had scored with the hit ‘Sara Smile’, Atlantic Records re-released the original single. This time around, the Hall & Oates original became a Top 10 hit, peaking at #7.

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1970s, Pop

Dream On (Oak Ridge Boys)

Co-written and first recorded by Dennis Lambert (1972).
Hit versions by The Righteous Brothers (US #32 1974), The Oak Ridge Boys (C&W #1 1980).

http://youtu.be/Vv2YN45b2TY

From the wiki: “‘Dream On’ was written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, and is best-known for the cover recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys in 1980. Lambert first recorded the song in 1972; The Righteous Brothers covered the song two years later for their final Top 40 appearance in the Billboard Hot 100 (except for the 1990 re-issues of ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’). ‘Dream On’ is the only Oak Ridge Boys single to feature bass singer Richard Sterban on lead vocals.”

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