1960s, Country

When Will I Be Loved

July 2, 2018

First recorded by The Everly Brothers (US #8/UK #4 1960).
Other hit versions by Johnny Young & Kompany (AUS #3 1967), Linda Ronstadt (US #2/C&W #1/CAN #1 1975).
Also recorded by John Denver (1966, released 2011), The Bunch (1972), Dave Edmunds & Keith Moon (1974), Tanya Tucker & Phil Everly (1975), Rockpile (1980), John Fogerty & Bruce Springsteen (2009).

From the wiki: “‘When Will I Be Loved’ was written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, who had a US Top-10 hit with it in the summer of 1960. The track was recorded (with Chet Atkins also on guitar) while the duo were contracted to Cadence Records; by 1960 they had moved to Warner Brothers and recording songs in a more mainstream pop/rock style than previously. The belated release by Cadence of ‘When Will I Be Loved’ provided the Everly Brothers with a final rockabilly-style hit.

Should I Do It

November 11, 2014

First recorded by Tanya Tucker (C&W #50 1981).
Other hit version by The Pointer Sisters (US #13 1982).

From the wiki: “‘Should I Do It’ was written by Nashville songwriter Layng Martine and was first recorded by Tanya Tucker in 1981. The Pointer Sisters covered the song with greater chart success in 1982, releasing it, after ”Slow Hand’, as their second single from Black and White (1981).”

Read more →

1950s, Rock 'n Roll

Not Fade Away

October 15, 2014

First recorded by The Crickets (B-side 1957).
Hit versions by The Rolling Stones (US #43/UK #3 1964), Rush (CAN #88 1973), Tanya Tucker (US #70 1979).

From the wiki: “‘Not Fade Away’ is credited to Buddy Holly (originally under his first and middle names, Charles Hardin) and Norman Petty, and was first recorded by Holly under the moniker of his band, The Crickets. The group recorded the song in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957, the same day the song ‘Everyday’ was recorded. The song’s rhythm pattern is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat; Crickets drummer Jerry Allison pounded out the beat on a cardboard box.

“‘Not Fade Away’ was originally released as the B-side of the hit single ‘Oh, Boy!’ and was included on the album The “Chirping” Crickets (1957). Even though the Crickets’ recording never charted as a single, Rolling Stone ranked ‘Not Fade Away’ at #107 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“Contrary to the depiction in the 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story, ‘Not Fade Away’ was NOT the last song Holly ever performed before his fatal plane crash. In a 50th anniversary symposium held in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Holly last performed, discussion panel members Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch, and Bob Hale – the emcee at that final show of February 2, 1959 – all agreed that the final song of the night was Chuck Berry’s ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’, performed on-stage together by all of the acts.

Shame on the Moon

September 30, 2013

Written and first recorded by Rodney Crowell (1981).
Also recorded by Tanya Tucker (1982).
Hit version by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (US #2/C&W #15/CAN #8 1982).

From the wiki: “‘Shame on the Moon’ is the title of a song written by Rodney Crowell (‘Voila, An American Dream‘, ‘Ashes By Now‘), and covered by Tanya Tucker on her album Changes and, soon after, by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band. It was released in December 1982 as the lead single from Seger’s album The Distance. (Glenn Frey joins Seger on background harmony vocals on the song.) The song spent four weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #15 on the Hot Country Singles chart in early 1983, marking Seger’s only Top 40 entry on the Country chart.”

Delta Dawn

July 8, 2013

Co-written and first recorded by Alex Harvey (1971).
Also recorded by Dianne Davidson (1972), Bette Midler (1973).
Hit versions by Tanya Tucker (C&W #6/CAN #3 1972), Helen Reddy (US #1/MOR #1/CAN #1/AUS #1 1973).

From the wiki: “‘Delta Dawn’ was written by written by former child rockabilly star Larry Collins and songwriter Alex Harvey (not the Scottish musician of The Incredible Alex Harvey Band fame). The first recording of ‘Delta Dawn’ was made by Harvey for his eponymous album released in November 1971. Released as a single by Capitol Records, Harvey’s ‘Delta Dawn’ did not chart. Although Harvey opened for Helen Reddy – his Capitol label mate – at the Troubadour in January 1972, Reddy made no apparent connection with any of Harvey’s compositions at that time.

Tagged: Tanya Tucker