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"I Heard It Through The Grapevine", " Am I The Same Girl", "Hound Dog", "Midnight Train to Georgia" - some of the iconic original songs that
we're covered and hit BIG!
Ground Rules: Name the original song & artist.
Who covered it and how it charted. [[even if it was a different genre!) Please use the above examples too.
Go!
Here's a couple of big ones:
The Temptations'-"Get Ready" [[covered by Rare Earth-1970 R&B#20/Pop#4)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's-"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" [[covered by Diana Ross-1970 R&B & Pop#1).
The Temptations'-"War" [[covered by Edwin Starr 1970-R&B & Pop#1).
"Young & In Love" Ruby & The Romantics but hit big by the Marvelettes 4 years later.
One More:
Bob Dylan's- "Blowin' In The Wind" [[covered by Stevie Wonder-1966 R&B#1/Pop#9).
And:
Johnny & Jackey's "Someday We'll Be Together" [[covered by Diana Ross & The Supremes-1969 R&B & Pop#1).
'Walk Away Renee' - Left Banke. Was a big hit in the US but failed in the UK. A year or so later the Four Tops version was massive in the UK reaching #3 and #14 US.
'If I Were A Carpenter' - Bobby Darin was huge in UK #9 & US #8. About 18 mths later the Four Tops version hit UK #7 & US #20.
Beatles - 'We Can Work It Out' #1 UK & US. About 5 years later Stevie Wonder's cover charted UK #27 & US #13.
Martha's 'Dancing In The Street US #2. The UK finally caught up with it big time peaking at #4 in a 1969 re-issue after stalling at #28 upon it's initial release. The Bowie/Jagger charity version reached UK #1 & US #7.
Temptations - '[[I Know) I'm Losing You' UK #19 & US #8. Rare Earth hit US #7 a few years later.
Temptations - 'Smiling Faces Sometimes' was planned as the third single from 'Sky's the Limit' but Eddie left and it was re-recorded by Undisputed Truth and peaked at US #3.
Marvelettes - 'Please Mr Postman' US #1. 14 years later the Carpenters also made US #1 and UK #2.
Four Tops - 'Reach Out [[I'll Be There)' UK & US #1. Eight years later Gloria Gaynor made UK #14 & US #60.
Jackson 5 - 'Never Can Say Goodbye' UK #33 & US #2. Several years later Gloria Gaynor's cover made UK #2 & US #9.
Supremes - 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' UK #8 & US #1. The following year Vanilla Fudge's version made UK #18 & US #6. In 1986 Kim Wilde's version reached UK #2 & US #1.
Supremes - 'You Can't Hurry Love' UK #3 & US #1. In 1982 Phil Collins went to UK #1 & US #10.
Not only was it a charity single but from my own personal perspective I reckon that people bought it as an act of charity. I don't see any other reason why someone would buy it.Quote:
Originally Posted by copley
YMMV. :)
The Temptations-"Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" [from Gettin' Ready LP-1966] [[covered by Marvin Gaye-1969 R&B#1/Pop#4)
Johnny & Jackey-"Do You See My Love For You Growing" 1962 [[covered by Jr. Walker & The All Stars-1970 R&B#3/Pop#32).
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass-"Don't Leave Me This Way" [from Wake Up Everybody LP-1975] [[covered by Thelma Houston-1976 R&B/Pop #1).
Way to go Tops!Quote:
Originally Posted by copley
Thelma's cover was monster in '76! Especially in da clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Motown Eddie
The Stylistics You Are Everything didn't chart in the UK [[as far as I can establish) but Diana and Marvin's version reached no 5 in the UK chart. At the time this was a massively popular song in clubs, well deserved too!
G.C Cameron: "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" charted US R&B #38 in 1975, Boys to Men covered in 1991, charted #1 R&b, #2 Hot 100
Cooley High soundtrack for GC. And I believe BIIM won a boatload of accolades for their cover. The were the premiere boy band of the'90's!Quote:
Originally Posted by lockhartgary
And we can't forget "Love Hangover". Both Diana Ross & The 5th Dimension had competing versions of the song, but it's Diana's version that topped the charts [[and ruled on the dance floor) back in 1976.
...from wikipedia
..."You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a song written by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy, and was released first as a single in 1967 by Brenda Holloway on the Tamla label. The song was later a huge hit for jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1969, and became a Gold record.
:)
And Berry took Barbara Acklin's non-hit, "Am I The Same Girl", dropped her vocals and added a piano intro/ outro. And with just the backing track, [[without background singers too.) turned it into an instrumental. It was # 3 on the Top 100 in '69 as "Soulful Strut". - Wikipedia
"Heaven Must Have Sent You" by the Elgins only made #50 in the US charts but a dozen years later Bonnie Pointer's slightly-disco version made it to #11.
George Michael & Mary J. covered Stevie's "As". I believe it charted in the '90's.
The Stylistics' original recording is the classic version in the U.S. Not sure if most people here know about the Diana Ross/Marvin Gaye version.Quote:
Originally Posted by rovereab
Bonnie's version was bombastic!Quote:
Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears
Linda Ronstadt covered The Miracles twice with charting singles:Quote:
Originally Posted by marv2
The Tracks Of My Tears - #25, 1975
Ooo Baby Baby - #7, 1978
Tammi Terrell's "This Old Heart Of Mine" filled the dancefloors in Leeds in the 70T's and drove me crazy. For me the beginning of disco. No really!
"Lately" by Stevie. Covered by, no less than, Tyrese, Anita Baker, and Jodeci. All good covers, but Steveland's has the original magic! Timeless!
Hi nativeNY63,
'Just want to make a slight correction regarding AM I THE SAME GIRL? / SOULFUL STRUT. This was recorded for the Brunswick label. And it was producer Carl Davis who dropped the vocals and turned it into an instrumental.
Thank you, Dylan!Quote:
Originally Posted by dylan