Ok , ok we've recently discussed the Four Tops cover songs. How many other cover versions by Motown artist of other well known artist songs can you name? I'll start:
Eddie Kendricks with Seals & Crofts' "Diamond Girl"
Ok , ok we've recently discussed the Four Tops cover songs. How many other cover versions by Motown artist of other well known artist songs can you name? I'll start:
Eddie Kendricks with Seals & Crofts' "Diamond Girl"
The Supremes with Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz"
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles with Dion's "Abraham, Martin and John"
The Jackson 5 with Bobby Days and later Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One"
Jr Walker & All Stars with Neil Diamond's "Holly Holy"
Diana Ross with Peter Frampton's "Baby Love Your Ways"
Gladys Knight & The Pips with Barbara Mason's "Yes I'm Ready"
Mary Wilson with Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why"
DAVID RUFFIN with Robert Knight's and later Carl Carlton's "EVERLASTING LOVE"
A Partial List:
Stevie Wonder-"Sunny", "God Bless The Child", "Please Please Please", "Teach Me Tonight [[with Four Tops)"
The Supremes-"These Boots Are Made For Walking", "Hang On Sloopy", "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me [[with The Temptations)", "River Deep-Mountain High [[with Four Tops)"
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles-"The Twist", "The Wah-Watusi", "Twist And Shout", "On The Street Where You Live", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"
Martha & the Vandellas-"Hello Stranger", "Just One Look", "Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home", "Then He Kissed Me", "Tears On My Pillow"
Four Tops-"Michelle", "Mac Arthur Park", "It's All In The Game", "Hey Man/We've Gotta Get You A Woman"
The Marvelettes-"That's How Heartaches Are Made"
The Isley Bros.-"Good Thing", "Whispers [[Getting Louder)"
Marvin Gaye-"Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Yesterday", "Groovin", "Something Stupid [[with Tammi Terrell)"
Jr. Walker & the All Stars-"Moonlight In Vermont"
Gladys Knight & the Pips-"Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Fire And Rain", "The Long And Winding Road"
The Undisputed Truth-"Like A Rolling Stone"
Last edited by Motown Eddie; 04-14-2018 at 07:50 AM.
I like this topic. From it I'd like to make a list of the "outside" songs Motown artists successfully covered to become hits .
Marvin also did Sunny:
There must be over 100 covers in the already released in the 60's catalogue.....quite a few Motown artists covered Yesterday,..... Marvellettes "Barefootin' " & "Message to Michael" from the excellent '67 Pink LP.... Martha/Vandella's entire Heat Wave LP.....several tracks on Marvin & Mary...including Connie Francis 1961 top ten [[1920's orig.) hit Together
Here's one of my favorite covers : David Ruffin -Rainy Night In Georgia [[written by Tony Joe White)
A great song by a great singer :
Hey marv,if you really wanna go back,the miracles did an old one[speak low]from the lp[i'll try something new].
The Elgins covered wilson Pickett's 634-5789 :
alway liked this version of Major Lance
https://youtu.be/gR4yHgaeUY0https://youtu.be/gR4yHgaeUY0
Great thread marv! And great suggestions so far. I'll throw in one that hasn't been mentioned yet... it's one RanRan got me into...
Although we've already had a thread on Four Tops covers, you cannot not mention them again here. I love their version of "Light My Fire", and I know marv likes that one too...
Also love The Tops' cover of "Got To Get You Into My Life"!!!
"Time And Love" by Diana...
...or by The Supremes...?
both are fantastic
And a little curveball for ya... outstanding rendition of "Stormy Weather" by Willie Hutch...
Love this one, too :
One of my favorites...The Supremes covering Bread.
https://youtu.be/xdyCZF6C4Ss
Another great cover of a song by Bread was "If" by the Four Tops and Supremes:
Gladys Knight and the Pips "Help Me Make it Through the night" by Kris Kristofferson:
lol Marv, I just realized you'd already posted LITTLE BITTY PRETTY ONE. No wonder it came to mind so easily .
OK another then:
ABRAHAM MARTIN AND JOHN
Written by Dick Holler .
Dion's original 1968 version : #4 Billboard Hot 100
The Miracles 1969 version : #33 Billboard Hot 100
I'm surprised by this charting. Too upbeat and doesn't reflect the devastating sentiment of the song imo .
I'm going to introduce a new thread about these out-of-house written Top 40 hits, of which I don't think there are many.
Added: ha ha this one's been mentioned too already . Good grief.
Last edited by Boogiedown; 04-19-2018 at 09:42 PM.
Scherrie Payne with 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" :
Stevie Wonder tore up the Beatles "We Can Work It Out":
Thelma Houston with The Rolling Stones "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
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