Depending on which version you had heard first, like me you might've thought that "Diamonds and Rust" originally was a Judas Priest tune, but not so as it was written by Joan Baez, and considering that it really wasn't stylistically a typical JP tune, it became much easier to see that it wasn't written by them.

 

What it did do for me though when discovering this was give me a deeper respect for Rob Halford and Judas Priest as it showed an eclectic side to them that spanned further than from just simply a bang your head Metal mentality.

 

I had always pretty much thought that the 1968 tune "Susie Q" was a Creedence Clearwater Revial" original, but it turns out that it had originally been written and released in 1957 by Louisiana-born singer and guitarist Dale Hawkins as a Rockabilly number.

 

As a young kid and even now, I've always dug CCR's long-extended jam version of this song.

 

Dale Hawkins performing "Susie Q" live...

 

Pretty hip I'd say...and especially for the times...

 

Another notable version was done by the Rolling Stones in 1964

 

Their version really only clocked in at 1:50, but the editor of this video cleverly doubled it in length because he thought that it deserved it, and I have to say that I agree.

 

Just watch Mick boogie in this one.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLL81texSDs

In 1979 I was a big fan of Molly Hatchet and their "Flirtin' With Disaster" album, and I instantly took to "It's All Over Now" as if I had heard it before, but had no real knowledge or understanding as to why.

 

I found out later that The Rolling Stones had their first Number 1 hit with it in July of 1964 a couple of months after I was born.

 

Turns out that it was actually written and released in 1964, the same year, by Bobby Womack, from Cleveland, as the lead vocalist for his band the Valentinos, and it only peaked on the charts at Number 94.

 

I just love this original version..

 

Molly Hatchet - It's All Over Now" - 1979

 

Rolling Stones - It's All Over Now - 1964

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnBMLG57sro

Otis Redding 's "Try A Little Tenderness" was written in 1932 and recorded by several artists including Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

There is an interesting history of who wrote this song and then all those who recorded it and had a hit with it......"The First Cut is the Deepest".

 

Same thing for this song as it has been covered by so many artists......"I Fought the Law"

Good Lord!!!!!! the original version is AWFUL!!!!

 

But they did a good job with it Thursday night.

For this thread, see if you can come up with songs that were first recorded by one artist but later gained notoriety and made a hit by another artist. Feel free to either give the artist who made it a hit and let us guess who first recorded it or , if you want, you can give both in your initial post.

 

The one I will start the thread off with is a song that was first recorded back in 1981 by a group I heard Thursday night. In fact, they closed their show with this song. Most old guys like me will remember this song as a hit for Huey Lewis and the News back in '83. Who recorded it first , two years prior to HLATN ?

 

A band founded back in 1963 in Richmond(KY), EXILE was the first to record Heart and Soul

. That's London, KY native Les Taylor, and not Huey Lewis , on lead vocals.

 

There is an interesting history of who wrote this song and then all those who recorded it and had a hit with it......"The First Cut is the Deepest".

 

Same thing for this song as it has been covered by so many artists......"I Fought the Law"

 

I won't say, but one of these versions was the very first 45 I ever bought in 1976 when I was 12, and discovered that I loved the B-side of it as much as the A-side. :sssh:

I won't say, but one of these versions was the very first 45 I ever bought in 1976 when I was 12, and discovered that I loved the B-side of it as much as the A-side. :sssh:

 

Technically it was a Double-A single in 1976 but not really how that was determined.

 

Maybe another thread for the "mature" posters would be favorite B side songs......but only about 30% of the posters would know what a B side song is.

Anyone aware that Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" wasn't originally written or recorded by her?? The song was originally done by Robert Hazard and the Hero's, who was one of the most popular local Philly bands in the 80's, and had a couple minor hits "Escalator of Life" and "Change Reaction" that got a lot of airplay on MTV.