Aretha Franklin – ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T’
(Otis Redding)
Originally released in 1965 and published by acclaimed soul record label, Stax, ‘Respect’ was written and originally performed by none other than soul savior, Otis Redding.
Redding had intended to write the song for Speedo Sims for his group ‘The Singing Demons’ but after not being able to produce a worthy enough version of the song, Otis decided to record the song and keep it for his album ‘Otis Blue’. The song would then be released as an A-side single off the album with ‘Ole Man Trouble‘ charting as the B-side.
Franklin re-released the record in 1967 on behalf of Alantic Records, turning the song into a all-powerful, authoritative and unapologetic mantra for women everywhere, adding the unmistakable scowling of ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T‘ and closing whispers of the lines ‘sock it to me, sock it to me‘. Franklin received mass mainstream success with the record, achieving a number one place on the Billboard Top 100 Chart, R&B Single Chart and Australian Singles Chart.
Jimi Hendrix – ‘All Along The Watchtower’
(Bob Dylan)
Being an avid follower of the music of Bob Dylan,the late Jimi Hendrix performed many of Dylans early hits throughout the course of many of his live performances. Hendrix achieved the most success with his electrified 1968 cover of Bobby’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’.
Dylan had written and recorded the song by November 1967 for the album ‘John Wesley Harding’, Though the song has since made it’s way to numerous compilation albums of Bob Dylan’s ‘Finest Work’ and ‘Greatest Hits’.
‘All Along The Watchtower’ was written at Dylan’s home in Woodstock, where Dylan lay recovering from a motorcycle accident in July of 1966. Dylan had spent 18th months in a state of recuperation, it was during this time that it is said Dylan had written and recorded all of the songs intended for the ‘JWH‘ album.
“It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn’t think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day.” a comment uttered by Bob Dylan when asked what his opinion of Hendrix‘ take on the song was. Since then, when performing the ballad, Dylan ha always performed the song in the way in which Hendrix had re-recorded it.
Johnny Cash – ‘Ring Of Fire’
(Anita Carter)
Cash is renowned for being able to take any song and make it his own, seen in other covers such as Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down‘ and Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’, but this cover was a little closer to hear for Johnny as the song had originally been written by Late wife, June Carter and Merle Kingore for Johnny Sister-in-law, Anita Carter. Anita Carter had originally released the song for album ‘Folk Songs Old And New’ in 1963, five years before Cash had wed her elder sister, June.
“I’ll give you about five or six more months, and if you don’t hit with it, I’m gonna record it the way I feel it.” spoke Mr. Cash upon hearing Anita’s release of the song, Cash had noted that he heard the song with the added layer of ”Mexican horns” and proceeded to add trumpets to his recording of the song, a change not only to the song itself, but to Johnny’s traditional country style of this time.
Elvis Presley – ‘Hound Dog’
(Big Mama Thornton)
I know, we’d all like to believe that this raunchy little number that shook America back in the 50’s was the full works of Rock&Roll King, Elvis Presley, but it was in fact written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, for blues artist Big Mama Thornton to release in 1952 on behalf of Peacock records. Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller were also the minds behind the works of ‘Jailhouse Rock‘, ‘Kansas City‘ and ‘Stand By Me’, Lieber and Stoller were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 for their impact and contribution to the early Rock&Roll culture.
Selling almost Two-Million copies, ‘Hound Dog’ was Thornton’s only hit, the song spent fourteen week on the Rhythm&Blue Charts, half of which taking the place of number one.
‘Hound Dog’ has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest-known rock and roll records, being recorded over 250 times, including renditions from artist such as Chubby Checker, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, James Taylor and The Everly Brothers, Which stands to show why the number is listed as one of the ‘500 songs that shaped Rock’n’Roll’.
The Animals – ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’
(Nina Simone)
Bennie Benjamin is the writer that i credited to this awe-inspiring ballad. The song was written for renowned female jazz singer, Nina Simone, whom recorded the song in 1964 to play the part of title track for her album ‘Broadway-Blues-Ballads’, an album which dealt strongly with the themes of the struggles of 1960’s life and the push for civil rights. ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ was seen by some critics as a chant for american civil rights activist of the mid-sixties though since this time has come to be seen as more of a personal statement song for Simone, a song that characterized and articulated the point that Simone was at in her career.
One year on when The Animals recorded there version of the song for album ‘Animal Tracks’, the song thundered throughout radio-waves with a new up-tempo beat and haunting melody, pushed through by singer, Eric Burdon.
As part of Bruce Springsteens 2012 key-note speech, The Boss referred to the Animals version of the song as the core inspiration behind his hit single, ‘Badlands‘, re-playing the unmistakable solo that wraps it’s-self around the song and explaining how the two tracks weave into one.
George Harrison – ‘I’ve Got My Mind Set On You’
(James Ray)
In past promotional interviews which George Harrison recorded for the release of album ‘Cloud Nine‘, Harrison had noted that he had heard the song ‘I’ve got my mind set on you’ as a child and wanted to work on it when he finally was working on his own album. The original version of the song though is completely unmistakable for the version which Harrison re-released. Harrison played a complete re-visit to the song originally written by Rudy Clark in 1962 for rhythm and blues artist James Ray.
Harrison’s version of the song was sped up, lyrically embellished and enhanced with layers of electric guitar and ground-breaking drum fills. When Harrison re-released the record, he had been able to achieve a win over a 3-way tie with former Beatles members – John Lennon and Ringo Starr, who had achieved by this time, like Harrison, two US solo hit singles. ‘Got My Mind Set On You’ would hit number one and become Harrison’s third US hit.
(Though, Paul McCartney was always way a-head of the race, achieving nine US solo hits.)
Santana – ‘Black Magic Woman’
(Fleetwood Mac)
Taken from the 1968 album-that-time-forgot ‘English Rose‘, ‘Black Magic Woman’ was a track originally written by Peter Green for classic rock group, Fleetwood Mac.
Released under the label ‘Blue Horizon’, The Macs release of the song suffered in comparison to the success of Santana’s’s 1970’s remake, the act know who has became most acclaimed for the song and it’s success. Although, In it’s time, Fleetwood Macs version of the song did receive some inner-circle success among blues-rock fans in the mid 60’s and also peaked at number 37 in the UK Singles Chart.
After Green had left Fleetwood mac when the 60’s drew to an end, the rest of the group continued to include the song in frequent set lists, the song has since became an anthem within the Fleetwood Mac fan community, with a growing tradition of a member of the band reminded fans who the real writers of the song where prior to every performance.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock & Roll|
(The Arrows)
Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of rock group ‘The Arrows’ were the initial writers of this rock’n’roll anthem. The Original version was a Glam Rock hit of 1975 on behalf of RAK Records, vocalist and guitarist Alan Merrill quoted the song to be a ‘‘knee-jerk response” to The Rolling Stones record, ”It’s Only Rock And Roll (But I Like it)” and throughout recent tours Merrill has still plays this hit of his former group as The Arrows did achieve respectable commercial success with their release of the number, in the mid-70’s, the arrows were offered their own weekly television show, an offer they received in response to their performance of ‘I Love Rock And Roll’ and it was during which performance and on said television show which Joan Jett became aware of the track.
While Jett was touring with The Runaways in England, Jett tuned into ‘Arrows’ as saw the band perform the song and was then compelled to record the song with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols.
This first version was released with Vertigo Records in 1979 but then re-recorded the song in 1981 with new band, ‘The Blackhearts‘. The 1981 recording of the record became a 7-week number one Billboards Charts number one single and has since became a girls-glam-rock anthem of rock&roll culture and desires being later recorded by Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Allison Mack and The Dresden Dolls
Glen Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy
(Larry Weiss)
‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ was an original recording for folk singer Larry Weiss, who released the song for 1974 album ‘Black And Blue Suite’, Weiss’ version of the song was a intended to be a down-tempo album filler. Weiss himself had said he hadn’t much knowledge what the song what the song was about, it was a combination of imagery he had seen on old-style western movies and images of past-time cowboys and heroes, most notable influences being shown in lines ‘‘Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo”, a line which Weiss said was a direct reference to one of his favorite westerns.
Larry did not receive as much commercial success with the song and became essentially discredited for the song one Campbell had heard the song had began to include it in his live shows.
Once Campbell recorded the song for album ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ in 1975, the track received mass pop and country success, becoming a song that was able to pin-point how far Campbell had come as a session guitarist turned local country-star to pop-crossover hero, from which Campbell has been regarded to by critics as ”The Rhinestone Cowboy” of country music.
As well as seven number one positions in numerous music charts, Campbell’s version of the song has stood the test of time to win awards in the’ Academy of Country Music Awards’, ‘Country Music association‘ and ‘American Music Awards‘, also being certified gold for sales of one million units by ‘The Recording Industry Association Of America’
Dobie Gray- Drift away
(John Henry Kurtz)
Released just one year before Dobie Gray’s version of this classic Ballad, John Henry Kurtz had throughout a soft-rock mammoth recording his little masterpiece. The Original version bares much similarity to the re-recorded Dobie Gray recording, however, takes more influences from the realms of folk-rock, jazz and up-tempo hard-hitting power ballads.
Though the original version did not obtain any acknowledgement in comparison to Grays soulful revamp, the circles of rock and roll appreciators, soul lovers and avid music fans can at-least offer their respects to this rock-hero with melodies and rhymes sweeter than any Spanish wine for gracing radios with the classic to give Dobie Gray the chance to preform this track his way.
‘Drift Away’ became Dobies biggest success, with his version of the song becoming a staple for rock and soul radios across the nation and commercial success in the Canadian and US singles charts.
‘Drift away’ has since been covered through the world of melodies by acclaimed electric gods such as Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Steppenwolf, Roy Orbison, Rod Stewart and Ray Charles.
Thanks, John.
Check out the Video Playlist below to hear all of these hit record and their notable original versions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJV81mdj1ic&list=PLzOd-3xz9teqcp23p2Vx2zv8LKC7fHAHp
Enjoy this article? Then why not sign up to Fortitude Magazine’s Weekly Round Up! Our pick of the week’s best news, reviews, videos and music straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up today!