26 artists whose biggest hit was a cover

[smark21]

Good article. Can anyone add to this list?

http://www.avclub.com/article/little-help-my-friends-26-artists-whose-best-known-201960

[Lulu]

Wasn't "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" Marvin Gaye's most successful single and originally recorded by both Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Gladys Knight & The Pips?

[milven]

The Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together

Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

[roger]

Sticking with Motown ...

DAVID RUFFIN .. "Walk Away From Love" [[originally recorded by CHOICE FOUR).

And in Britain at least, where it was their only chart hit .. THE MARVELETTES .. "When You're Young And in Love" [[originally done by RUBY & THE ROMANTICS).

Curiously, both were written by VAN McCOY, and in the case of Mr Ruffin's hit he produced it as well.

Roger

[splanky]

Considering the mostly rock orientation of the list I'm kinda surprised they didn't mention
that Jimi Hendrix's Hey Joe was actually a cover...

[roger]

Some early/mid '70s U.S. Pop #1s ...

BLUE SWEDE - "Hooked on a Feeling" .. originally by B.J. Thomas [[sans ooga-chooga-choogas).

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - "Midnight train To Georgia" [[I think this qualifies as it was a bigger hit than "Grapevine") first done by CISSY HOUSTON.

THELMA HOUSTON - "Don't Leave Me This Way" .. First done by HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES ..

ERIC CLAPTON - "I Shot the Sheriff" - Originally by BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS.

And ... STORIES - "Brother Louie" ..
This is the [[vastly superior IMHO) original version ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiM6hF1naXE

Roger

[Jerry Oz]

Wasn't "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" Marvin Gaye's most successful single and originally recorded by both Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Gladys Knight & The Pips?I'm also thinking that Roger Troutman's biggest hit was his cover of the same song.

[Ngroove]

Keepin' it SOUL.....Spinners' "Working My Way Back To You", GQ's "I Do Love You" - OK, both may not be biggest hit no.1, charts-wise....may be biggest no.2, but on the radio, most played no.1 from said groups.

[soulster]

According to the Billboard Pop chart:

Elvis Presley's biggest hit "Hound Dog" was a cover of "Big Mama Thorton's original.

Wilson Pickett's biggest hit "Land Of 1000 Dances" was originally by Chris Kenner.

The Grass Roots's Biggest hit "Midnight Confessions was originally by an obscure band called The Ever-Green Blues.

[Roberta75]

Bonnie Pointer Heaven must have sent you originally by the Elgins.

Bonnie build a carreer out of this song and made it a disco classic.

Roberta

[smark21]

What was Luther Vandross' biggest hit? If it was House is Not a Home, than add another to the list.

[skooldem1]

I think Luther's biggest hits may have been "The power of love"and "Endless Love". Most of his biggest hits were remakes of Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Ross/Ritchie.

[Ngroove]

I think Luther's biggest hits may have been "The power of love"and "Endless Love". Most of his biggest hits were remakes of Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Ross/Ritchie.
And "If Only For One Night" [[Brenda Russell), "Having A Party" [[Sam Cooke), "Since I Lost My Baby" [[Temptations), "If This World Were Mine" [[Marvin & Tammi)

[soulster]

Bonnie build a carreer out of this song and made it a disco classic.

What career? She had one solo hit. Woo-hoo! And, then Motown released an alternate version of that same song for Adult Contemporary. Yup, that's pretty much it.

[sunshineonacloudyday]

AT LAST - Etta James '60; Glenn Miller '41

THE TWIST - Chubby Checker '60; Hank Ballard '59
[[Ballard said "I thought it was me!" upon first hearing Chubby's runaway hit version of his song on the radio)

HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman '69; Ruby & the Romantics '63 [[Hey There Lonely Boy)

IT'S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE - Deneice Williams '82; Royalettes '65

Hits by artists covering their own earlier songs, such as:
IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - Tommy Edwards
OH WHAT A NIGHT, STAY IN MY CORNER - The Dells
THAT LADY/WHO'S THAT LADY - Isley Brothers

[Ngroove]

AT LAST - Etta James '60; Glenn Miller '41

THE TWIST - Chubby Checker '60; Hank Ballard '59
[[Ballard said "I thought it was me!" upon first hearing Chubby's runaway hit version of his song on the radio)

HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman '69; Ruby & the Romantics '63 [[Hey There Lonely Boy)

IT'S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE - Deneice Williams '82; Royalettes '65

Hits by artists covering their own earlier songs, such as:
IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - Tommy Edwards
OH WHAT A NIGHT, STAY IN MY CORNER - The Dells
THAT LADY/WHO'S THAT LADY - Isley Brothers
This thread says "Biggest Hit" - while most I approve - but, Deniece Williams, like-it-or-not, as much as I love "Miracle" better - well, my favorite is "Free", actually - wasn't her biggest "Let's Hear It For The Boy"?

[manny]

The ones that comes to my mind are:

- "Now That We Found Love" by Third World [[originally cut by The O'Jays)

- "Barbara Ann" by Beach Boys [[here in Spain was their biggest hit) originally cut by doowop group The Regents

- "No puedo quitar mis ojos de ti" by Matt Monro [[he cut the english version "I can't quite my eyes..." and the spanish version). My dude is if there's a version older than the one by The Ambassadors...

- During many years, here in Spain the definitive HIT by eurodisco group Boney M was "Rivers of Babylon", originally done by Reagge group The Melodians

Cheers to all

[manny]

I remember, here in Spain, the major hit by Martha Reeves as a solo act was a cover of Joe Simon's: "Power Of Love". [[I ignore in the case of the US and UK...)

[Bingo]

Respect Aretha Franklin, originally recorded by Otis Redding

[mark speck]

Blue Swede's version of "Hooked on a Feeling" was patterned on Jonathan King's version of the song, which was a UK hit two years before Blue Swede's version.

Best,

Mark

[juicefree20]

The Escorts - "Look Over Your Shoulder".

Most people believe that it's a cover of The O'Jays, but it's not, as The O'Jays covered the original version made by The Implements.

And for my money, The Escorts version kicks the hell out of all of them & I view it as the definitive version.

The 1967 original featuring Mr. David Turner of The R&B Revue Fea. Tony "Showtime" Riley [[formerly The Persuaders)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnS3aPQx0r8

And the wonderful cover by The Escorts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd-vLW5vZ1w

[Soshe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMlQ18pCR0&feature=kp

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMlQ18pCR0&feature=kp)"Sweet Soul Music" - released by Arthur Conley in '67, and "written" by Conley and Otis Redding.

But have a listen to "Yeah Man" by Sam Cooke from two years before.

Its the same song :)

[manny]

Good one, Juicefree, about "Look Over Your Shoulder" by The Escorts. I also have both versions and despite the fact I'm a great O'Jays fan, prefer the one by The Escorts.

Something similar happens with the song "Time" that I think, was the "major hit" [[?) by gospel group Mighty Clouds Of Joy, when they sporadically get onto the mainstream on ABC records. The song was previously a hit by Jackie Moore.

Another singer who I think had a only one "hit" was Billy Davis Jr. [[as a solo act, without Marylin McCoo) with "Three Steps From True Love" that I think was done before by The Reflections [[I likes a lot two covers, very gospel infected!)

Finally, the case of disco-diva Ami Stewart have one-hit [[or the biggest) with "Knock On Wood" composed and sung first by Eddie Floyd and later by Otis Redding.

[Soshe]

From a UK perspective, this subject is huge.

What America perceived as "the British Invasion" in the early 60's, we saw quite differently.

Almost every successful UK band were simply doing covers of US RnB tracks - the Stones, the Searchers, Them, and many more - even the Beatles - all based their careers on covers.

The first song that Jagger & Richards were credited as writing was "The Last Time" - despite the fact that lots of US artists had already recorded songs based on the melody.

I have great version from James Brown recorded a full year before the Stones version, and the Staple singers managed 10 years before the Stones!

The amazing [[ and cool) thing was that the British bands managed to sell the stuff back to America! :)

[timmyfunk]

I guess I can throw in an obvious choice.

Respect by Aretha Franklin. Aside from the duet with George Michael, it remains her biggest hit.

[jobeterob]

Ain't No Mountain High Enough wasn't Diana's biggest solo hit ~ it was Upside Down; maybe Touch Me In The Morning was a bigger hit than ANMHE as well.

[manny]

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" [[I think first done by Marvin & Tammi) was the major hit by Inner Life featuring Jocelyn Brown.

And not totally sure where exactly but I read that the major hit by UK band Light Of The World [[from which derived Incognito!) was a cover of Jimmy Cliff "I Shot The Sheriff" [[here in Spain was famous their "London Time" or a title track like this).

Also, here in Spain there's some examples of one-hit-wonders or two or three hits wonders as female singer Karina, who smashed with "Las flechas del amor" [[a spanish cover of Lappy Lee's "Little Arrows") or the crooner José Guardiola with his "Dieciséis toneladas" [[a cover of The Platter's "Sixty Tones").

[sunshineonacloudyday]

You're No Good - Linda Ronstadt [[#1, '74)
1st by Dee Dee Warwick, [['63)

Get Ready - Rare Earth [[#4, '70)
1st by Temptations [['66)

This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & Playboys [[#1, '65)
1st by Sammy Ambrose [['65)

Little Darlin - The Diamonds [[#2, '57)
1st by The Gladiolas w/Maurice Williams, [['57)

And though not quite their "biggest hit", when I play the original version I always hear, "That's Moody Blues' song!"...oh no it's not, lol!

Bessie Banks [['64)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro

[Ngroove]

Carl Carlton "Everlasting Love" 1973 Robert Knight "Everlasting Love" 1967

[Soshe]

Carl Carlton "Everlasting Love" 1973 Robert Knight "Everlasting Love" 1967

Carl Carlton did nothing in the UK - but the Love Affair had a number one with it in 1968.

Always preferred Robert's version!

[Ngroove]

Carl Carlton did nothing in the UK - but the Love Affair had a number one with it in 1968.

Always preferred Robert's version!
It's truly interesting to read "Over / From UK" for the sake of regional information - Carl Carlton - #6 US - I really don't think it is polite openly disregarding others' regions as "doesn't count" this thread just because it is not yours.

[roger]

Carl Carlton did nothing in the UK - but the Love Affair had a number one with it in 1968.

So LOVE AFFAIR with their version of "Everlasting Love" would count as an artist whose biggest hit was a cover. :)

The ROBERT KNIGHT version of "Everlasting Love" got to #42 in the U.K. back in 1968 but got to #19 when reissued in 1974 in the wake of "Love On A Mountain Top" getting in the UK. Top 10.

Another U.K. act whose biggest hit was a cover was MARMALADE, their "Ob-La-De-Ob-La-Da" [[originally by THE BEATLES) got to #1 in the U.K. early in 1969, though it did nothing in the U.S.

Roger

[floyjoy678]

The Vogues "You're The One", original by Petula Clark

[manny]

i think the major hit by Brother To Brother was the cover they do of "The Botle", originally penned and recorded by Gil Scott-heron

[Soshe]

It's truly interesting to read "Over / From UK" for the sake of regional information - Carl Carlton - #6 US - I really don't think it is polite openly disregarding others' regions as "doesn't count" this thread just because it is not yours.

I wasn't ignoring anything, my friend.

I was merely adding a comment.

Where did I say anything "didn't count"??

BTW, the UK is not a "region". It is a state that has been around for a damn site longer than the US!!

I know it is hard for you guys, but the WORLD exists outside US borders,,,,,,,,,,,

[manny]

For my knowledge, the only "hit" by legendary Philly Radio DJ Jocko henderson was his cover of McFadden & Whitehead "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" under the title "Rhythm Talk" and different lyrics [[rap).

The same can be told about italian disco singer Pino d'Angio who burned the disco floors with another cover of the same song also with another title and different lyrics "Ma que idea"

[theboyfromxtown]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMlQ18pCR0&feature=kp

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMlQ18pCR0&feature=kp)"Sweet Soul Music" - released by Arthur Conley in '67, and "written" by Conley and Otis Redding.

But have a listen to "Yeah Man" by Sam Cooke from two years before.

Its the same song :)

OMG........I never knew this .....wow!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMlQ18pCR0

[timmyfunk]

That's What Friends Are For-Dionne Warwick and Friends
Originally done by Rod Stewart.

[thomas96]

I could list like 50 jazz artists who's "biggest hit" was a cover...