UNDER THE COVERS

The origins of your favourite cover songs

Note: This is a shortened version for writing assessment.

When I was a mere slip of a lad, I had the brilliant and totally original idea of heading to London to become a pop star. I stomped up and down the streets in my tasseled, brown suede cowboy boots and bashed on record company doors attempting to sell my wears, consisting of 5 original songs on a C30 cassette. I was often asked; “where’s your cover?” (with the exception of Pete Waterman, although he was ‘co-writing’ a lot of the top 10 at that time so probably preferred the royalties).

Producers and record companies had a simple plan; a cover song always gained that extra bit of interest for radio-playlisters. Mums and Dad’s liked the nostalgia, and it had a familiarity that made it more instantly accessible, apparently. Well, it certainly worked for a whole constellation of stars who had huge hits after someone else had done the ground work... some of them gaining the biggest hits of their careers.

A pretty good example of the plan working was for Dead Or Alive. When first signing their deal to Epic, there was quite a buzz about Pete Burns and his unique Liverpool band. They had original looks and great songs but it wasn’t until their 4th single (7th if you count their independent releases) and cover of KC and the Sunshine Band’s That’s The Way (I Like It), that they got their first top 40. Not necessarily a better song than their previous singles, but a song that got radio play, and therefore got them noticed.

One of the Pet Shop Boys biggest selling singles was Always On My Mind, outselling many of their originals - was it this big because it was a cover or just a great song? I do remember my Dad moaning when hearing it and promptly played me Elvis’ version.

However, my Mother loved the Pet Shop Boy’s version and bought it ‘for me’. The PSBs did it again in 1989 covering It’s Alright (originally by Sterling Void) but not content with a single cover version, stuck two together on Where The Streets Have No Name (U2) and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Frankie Valli).

Anywho, come on, cuddle up... let’s get under those covers. One of the first of the 80‘s was Don McLean’s version of Roy Orbison’s 1961 hit Crying which topped the charts for 3 weeks back in 1980. There was Roxy Music’s Jealous Guy which was number 1 for 2 weeks in 1981. Shakin‘ Stevens re-introduced us to rock n‘ roll with This Ole House (originally a number 1 in 1954 for Rosemary Clooney) and Green Door (number 2 for Frankie Vaughan in 1956) both songs giving Shaky number 1’s in 1981. There’s also Phil Colins’ cover of the Supremes You Can’t Hurry Love giving him his first number 1 in 1982 and you’ll know Paul Young took Marvin Gaye’s Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) to his only number 1 and first hit in 1983, although you may not know his 1985 number 4 hit Every Time You Go Away was a Hall and Oates album track from 1980 and his I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (a 1985 number 9) was originally recorded by Ann Peebles in 1972.There are some quirky covers too, how about Happy Talk (number 1 for 2 weeks for Captain Sensible in 1982 which held the record for almost 20 years for the biggest chart leap - from 33 to 1) the original song actually appears in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific sung by Juanita Hall on the 1949 Broadway Cast Recording, becoming the first African-American to win a Tony Award. I guess this is a good point to mention You’ll Never Walk Alone recorded by over 100 artists (that this writer can find) but in 1985, it became a number 1 for The Crowd, a supergroup gathered together by 10cc’s Graham Gouldman to record a charity version of the song, which comes from anotherRogers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, to raise money for the victims of the Bradford City Fire. The Crowd boasted a list of celebrities and pop stars including (amongst many others); Peter Cook, Paul McCartney, Ed Stewart, Bernie Winters, Bruce Forsyth, the Nolans, Motorhead and Keith Chegwin (now there’s a few names you never expected to be credited together on one record, right?!), although credited on the sleeve, it’s not actually clear if they appear on the recording.

Now, plump up the pillow, let’s detail a few more; Blondie’s The Tide Is High (number 1 in 1980 and originally a b-side for Jamaican group The Paragons in 1966). Another original b-side, Tainted Love (Soft Cell’s first hit and number 1 in 1981) was the flip-side for Marc Bolan’s girlfriend-to-be, Gloria Jones, in 1964. We could probably write an entire magazine about The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Tight Fit’s version making number 1 in 1982). It was originally called Mbube (Lion in Zulu) and recorded in 1939 by South African singer Solomon Linda who wrote the song in the 1920’s. It’s alleged the song has earned in excess of £12million in royalties due to the amount of covers there have been, and the fact it appears in Disney’s Lion King. The first English version was recorded by The Tokens which made number 11 in 1961, although there was several Wimoweh’s in the 50’s .... Wiki it.

It’s well known that Musical Youth’s Pass The Dutchie (number 1 in 1982) was not originally about passing a cooking pot around but actually a mixture of two songs; Gimme the Music by U Brown and Pass the (ahem) Kouchie by Mighty Diamonds (with a slightly re-written intro from a third song Rule the Nation by U Roy). Another Reggae classic Red Red Wine by UB40 (number 1 in 1983) was originally written and recorded by Neil Diamond in 1967 for his second album, Just For You. 

Whilst some of these are covers, it difficult to say that they were already well known... Arguably, the sound of the 80s is well represented in Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want To Have Fun but it belonged to the male vocal chords of Robert Hazard who recorded it in 1979. Big haired Heart’s hit, Alone (number 3 in 1987) came from i-Ten’s 1983 album Taking A Cold Look. Prince can be credited for the original I Feel For You (1979 for Prince, a number 1 for Chaka Khan in 1984) and Nothing Compares 2 U recorded by Prince side-project The Family in 1985 and huge hit in January 1990 for Sinéad O'Connor. Prince’s own version recorded in 1984 was finally released in 2018 after the Estate’s approval. I could mention Manic Monday here but it’s not quite right as, although he wrote it, he didn’t record it other than in demo form... the point being these songs were hardly well known before they became the hits we know now.

Some songs you can really only associate with the more recent artiste as they made it so much their own. It Must Be Love for instance is hard to think of without the familiar Madness piano intro but it’s Labi Siffre who wrote and recorded it 10 years earlier in1971. Got My Mind Set On You an unmistakable Jeff Lynne production for George Harrison (number 2 1987) was originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. Donna Summer hit State of independence was a top 20 in 1982 but it is from Chariots Of Fire creator Vangelis (with his mate Jon) - a non-hit for them in 1981. Tina Turner’s 1984 hit What’s Love Got To Do With It was first recorded by Bucks Fizz, although they dropped it after hearing Tina’s, and it’s hard to hear it any other way. I guess this is a great place to mention Aswad’s Don’t Turn Around (Number 1 in 1988) as it was originally a Tina Turner b-side in 1986. And how about Laura Branigan’s synth-ladened Self Control (number 5 in 1984), it was actually Italian DJ Raff’s song who had an Italian number 1 of his own (same year and within weeks of each other).

Let’s speed through a few more before we turn out the light; Only You by The Flying Pickets (number 1 in 1983) was a Yazoo number 2 the year before, Saving All My Love For You (Whitney’s first hit and number 1 in 1985) originally by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978, Charlene’s 1982 number 1 Never Been To Me was actually recorded by her in 1977, so strictly speaking covered herself, however, it comes from the Randy Crawford 1976 album Everything Must Change, oh and Milli Vanilli recorded Girl You Know It’s True in 1988, although Numarx recorded it first, and actually used their own voices.

When I hear a cover nowadays I nearly always say it’s ‘not as good as the original’. I would though wouldn’t I? It’s mine. It belongs in the era I first heard it. But then hearing my little boy singing it does create a smile. It’s nice to know that song will live on for another generation. Even if it’s not as good as the original. Or is it? It’s original to him now after all.

© Guy James January 2023