I’m sometimes surprised to learn that songs I’ve associated with one artist are covers from another generation. Here are some that surprised me, some that I suspected were covers but didn’t know the original, and others where I think someone did a great job of interpreting someone else’s song.
Istanbul, Not Constantinople. For years I’d only known the version by They Might Be Giants, then stumbled across the original done in 1953 by The Four Lads on the Sirius 40’s station. The TMBG version is a lot more fun, but the original is endearingly odd.
Enjoy Yourself. I’ve long loved the Specials version, admiring its anarchic joy and life wisdom. I vaguely figured it was someone else’s but didn’t know whose. It’s fun that Jools Holland made it the New Year’s theme song for his BBC Hootenanny specials which we’ve enjoyed watching in London with Ada, but I knew it didn’t originate with him. When I found the version by Louis Prima on iTunes I figured that was the original, but lo and behold the first recording seems to have been done by Guy Lombardo and his Orchestra in 1949, even tough it’s the weakest and saddest version to me. And there are lots of others, including by Doris Day and the Supremes.
Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody. I never really liked the 1985 David Lee Roth’s over the top version and knew it was an older pair of songs, but didn’t know it was originally a 1956 medley by Louis Prima. Prima’s version is far superior. I didn’t realize the original songs are far older, with Just a Gigolo coming from Austria in the 1920s (early version by Bing Crosby) and I Ain’t Got Nobody going back to 1915 (great version by Fats Waller from 1935 or so) (melancholy version by Louis Armstrong from 1929).
I Think It’s Going to Work Out Fine. Ry Cooder’s 1979 instrumental is a longtime favorite tune of mine, very sweet and beautiful. I had no idea it was a very different 1961 R&B hit from Ike & Tina Turner, which I guess I might have known if I’d seen the Angela Bassett movie. I also had no idea there was a (weak) version by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.
Three Cool Cats. I first encountered Ry Cooder’s version on xxx, an overly ambitious concept album about a Depression-era cat. It was the most fun, accessible song on the album but I had no idea it had a longer lineage. Then I heard an obscure version by the Beatles, presumably from their Hamburg era. And the original is by ????
Don’t Roll Those Bloodshot Eyes At Me. Richard Thompson vs ??
Over the Rainbow. Eric Clapton live version vs Judy Garland vs Iz.
Black Magic Woman. Santana vs. Tito Puente?
Man Smart, Woman Smarter. Robert Palmer vs. ??
Chipmunk Christmas. Alison Brown vs Chipmunks.