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Old Pop Tunes Given A Northern Soul New Lease Of Life

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There are many old famous tunes that were covered by 60's Soul acts. See if you can come up with some. I will start with these 3

 

1. PORGY & THE MONARCHS - MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU - ORIGINAL - GUY MITCHELL - 1950

 

2. APRIL STEVENS - WANTING YOU - ORIGINAL TIBBETT & GRACE MOORE - 1930

 

3. THE VIBRATIONS / BILLY STEWART - SECRET LOVE - ORIGINAL DORIS DAY - 1953

 

  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmP0KLI9P6I   

 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l1sHkXWi4w
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  • Gene-r
    Gene-r

      But it was originally pressed on stone - not vinyl!

  • georgeblackwell
    georgeblackwell

    I think I have the winner - not really a northern tune but was played at the wheel. Prince Buster - Ten Commandments - original - MOSES - about 5000 years ago !!!!!!!!

  • Linky
    Linky

    Think you'll find it was a carver

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Interestingly when Oscar Hammerstein (A jew from New York) wrote the lyrics for the musical Show Boat in 1927 he wrote the words in what he thought was the "negro vernaculer" so the title was "CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN". Not something that would be acceptable today methinks.

  • Author

Here's a good one....

 

https://youtu.be/FxxGDL8PULw

 

https://youtu.be/IxuYLP4BB1M

 

Ian D :D

 

Thanks for this one Ian. It reminds me of my first record buying trip to the US in 1972. I left wants lists with a lot of record stores in the New York area saying that I would buy up to 6 copies of any of the records on the list. One of the records on the list was The Vibrations - Gonna get along. A few weeks after I came home I got a letter saying that one of the stores had got 6 records for me at @ $3.00 each. I sent off the money and waited excitedly hoping I was going to get The Glories or The Sweet Things or one of the other big sounds of the time. When the records finally arrived - you guessed it - 6 copies of Patience and Prudence  :D  :D  :D

nat king cole's- :)  SMILEhttps://youtu.be/eizbvqvXZZU

Add these to the list-

 

1) Gloria Jones- "Come Go With Me" - original by the Del-Vikings

2) Ike and Tina Turner- "Dust My Broom" - original by Elmore James

3) Righteous Brothers Band- "Rat Race" - original by Richard Maltby (?)

4) Tony Middleton- "To The Ends Of The Earth" - original by Nat "King" Cole

5) Wynder K. Frogg- "Green Door" - original by Jim Lowe

6) "Wade In The Water" Marlena Shaw/ Ramsey Lewis- old Gospel song, not sure about 1st rendition

the originals goodnight irene

 

The Weavers certainly helped make Goodnight Irene more famous, but credit must go to killer and chain-gang regular, Lead Belly, who was discovered in Angola Prison and made famous by John Lomax in the 30s.

 

Interestingly when Oscar Hammerstein (A jew from New York) wrote the lyrics for the musical Show Boat in 1927 he wrote the words in what he thought was the "negro vernaculer" so the title was "CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN". Not something that would be acceptable today methinks.

 

When Pye reissued the Ila Van track, Dave Godin (writing in Black Music) went into meltdown after they used the word Dat instead of That.  

The Weavers certainly helped make Goodnight Irene more famous, but credit must go to killer and chain-gang regular, Lead Belly, who was discovered in Angola Prison and made famous by John Lomax in the 30s.

 

this is true but the weavers was no1 pop hit for about 12 weeks..held the record til some shite by brian adams took over....or was it whitney houston..........shite either way

Edited by dave pinch

:g:

They are not the same tune at all.

Even different song writers.

You have a point Sebastian.

There's a lot of similarity though, especially around the hook. In fact I wonder what the credits are on Lee Andrews 'cos that's the same song again. It wouldn't surprise me if there's publishing splits on this somewhere along the line. If I was the original writer of the song I'd be claiming that my hook was nicked!

Ian D

this is true but the weavers was no1 pop hit for about 12 weeks..held the record til some shite by brian adams took over....or was it whitney houston..........shite either way

So, a cover of an old tune that was subsequently covered. Looking into the background of the song, I read that The Weavers version, done 20 years after Lead Belly, was described by Time magazine as: a "dehydrated" and "prettied up" version of the original."   :thumbup:

 

Anyway, I digress!

So, a cover of an old tune that was subsequently covered. Looking into the background of the song, I read that The Weavers version, done 20 years after Lead Belly, was described by Time magazine as: a "dehydrated" and "prettied up" version of the original."   :thumbup:

 

Anyway, I digress!

but thats not what the thread is about russell its about pop music hits being covered and played on the northern soul scene and the dont come any bigger than the weavers................leadbelly was not a hit although he wrote the song

Fully aware of that, Dave, I can read. However, as this is a forum full of music obsessives, I was sure that acknowledgement of the original version would be appreciated. 

 

My statement about The Weavers being a cover wasn't me being contrite, it was stating a fact.  :hatsoff2:

  • Author

Rat Race.............Elmer Bernstein 1960(used to have a UK demo) can´t remember the lable though!  HMV? Pete Smith will know!

 

Steve

 

Interesting one this - came out in UK on MGM 1963 and Choreo (MGM subsidiary) in USA in 1962. Bernstein wrote the music for the film which came out in 1960 but when the album for the movie soundtrack was made it was Sam Butera & The Witnesses who played on it. Sam Butera played a role in the movie as (you guessed it) a Saxophone player. So Sam Butera's version on Dot from 1960 is the first released version of the track. Even Richard Maltby's version Roulette 1962 predates the release of Elmer Bernsteins original.

Under My Thumb - April Silva / Wayne GIbson (The Rolling Stones - 1966)

As Long As She Needs Me - Carl Hal (Georgia Brown - 1960)

It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Hayward Lee (Fats Waller - 1936)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds - Clara Ward (LP Track - played by Ady Croasdell during the '80s) (Sons Of The Pioneers - 1937)

For All We Know - Detroit Spinners (Hal Kemp - 1934)

Let The Good Times Roll / Feel So Good  - Bunny Sigler (both Shirley and Lee - 1956 / 1955 respectively).

Edited by Gene-R

  • Author

I think I have the winner - not really a northern tune but was played at the wheel.

Prince Buster - Ten Commandments - original - MOSES - about 5000 years ago !!!!!!!!

I think I have the winner - not really a northern tune but was played at the wheel.

Prince Buster - Ten Commandments - original - MOSES - about 5000 years ago !!!!!!!!

 

But it was originally pressed on stone - not vinyl!

You have a point Sebastian.

There's a lot of similarity though, especially around the hook. In fact I wonder what the credits are on Lee Andrews 'cos that's the same song again. It wouldn't surprise me if there's publishing splits on this somewhere along the line. If I was the original writer of the song I'd be claiming that my hook was nicked!

Ian D

 

The tunes share one line in the lyrics. That's the only similarity I can hear.

 

More info in a previous thread about it here:

 

There's also:

 

Along Comes Mary - Baja Marimba Band (The Association - 1966)

A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Benny Gordon (Louis Armstrong - 1951) - written in 1935, but apparently not recorded until '51, when it was featured in the Louis Armstrong / Mickey Rooney film "The Strip". 

Edited by Gene-R

:g:

 

They are not the same tune at all.

 

Even different song writers.

did not viola wills cover it 79 ish

But it was originally pressed on stone - not vinyl!

Think you'll find it was a carver :hatsoff2:

 

Yes - the Patience and Prudence version was also covered by Tracey Dey in 1964 (the official A-side to "Go Away" - US Amy and UK Stateside).

Edited by Gene-R

Howzabout Gino's "It's Only a Paper Moon"? A pop standard, of course, written by Harold Arlen.

 

 

Yep - good one Weingarden.  First recorded by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra.

Sebastian, on 26 Mar 2013 - 11:30, said:

The tunes share one line in the lyrics. That's the only similarity I can hear.

More info in a previous thread about it here:

But the Vibrations clearly sing " Can't get along without you now." So why the title?

Just one of those things that's always bugged me. :rofl::yes:

Edited by Glynn Jones

Howzabout Gino's "It's Only a Paper Moon"? A pop standard, of course, written by Harold Arlen.

 

 

Of course, a superb version from 1933, by paul whiteman, with vocal refrain by peggy healy

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