June 16, 201312 yr A very "massive" example is Rivers of Babylon, Boney M.s most significant song but originally written and performed by The Melodians in 1969/70. I didn't know that for many years.
June 16, 201312 yr And also their second UK-No.1-song (and second million seller!) Mary's boy child was a cover version, this time of Harry Belafontes UK-No.1 from 1957! An example for a song brought to No.1 in two different versions and two different artists respectively.
June 16, 201312 yr And also their second UK-No.1-song (and second million seller!) Mary's boy child was a cover version, this time of Harry Belafontes UK-No.1 from 1957! I did know about *that*, but not Rivers Of Babylon. :o
June 16, 201312 yr Another interesting example is the song Seasons in the sun, a worldwide No.1-smash for Terry Jacks in 1974. But it was written by Jacques Brel in 1961 (called Le Moribond) and was recorded and released in English two years later by the Kingston Trio, again in 1968 by The Fortunes. It was a UK-No.1 in 1974 for Terry Jacks and his version was covered by Westlife in 1999, another No.1 for them and the second time for the song itself.
June 16, 201312 yr Oh-Oh-Oh, not to forget this one: With a little help from my friends! Originally an album track written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, it was recorded by several artists and got to No. 1 in the UK in 3 different versions: 1. 1968 Joe Cocker (1 week) 2. 1988 Wet Wet Wet (4 weeks) 3. 2004 Sam & Mark (1 week) Maybe a future contender to equalize Unchained Melody (4 versions at No.1). Another contender: Spirit in the sky, No.1 for Norman Greenbaum in 1970 (the original), Doctor & the Medics in 1986 and Gareth Gates & the Kumars in 2003.
June 16, 201312 yr Oh-Oh-Oh, not to forget this one: With a little help from my friends! Originally an album track written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, it was recorded by several artists and got to No. 1 in the UK in 3 different versions: 1. 1968 Joe Cocker (1 week) 2. 1988 Wet Wet Wet (4 weeks) 3. 2004 Sam & Mark (1 week) Maybe a future contender to equalize Unchained Melody (4 versions at No.1). The funny thing is that The Beatles' version of it is by far the most popular, yet it only charted at #63 (in 1978) :lol:
June 16, 201312 yr Another interesting example is the song Seasons in the sun, a worldwide No.1-smash for Terry Jacks in 1974. But it was written by Jacques Brel in 1961 (called Le Moribond) and was recorded and released in English two years later by the Kingston Trio, again in 1968 by The Fortunes. It was a UK-No.1 in 1974 for Terry Jacks and his version was covered by Westlife in 1999, another No.1 for them and the second time for the song itself. My Way was also originally a French song.
June 16, 201312 yr Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now Brand New Heavies - Midnight At The Oasis Searchers - Sweets For My Sweet Searchers - Don't Throw Your Love Away Searchers - Needles And Pins Searchers - When You Walk In The Room UB40 - Red Red Wine (UB40 were only aware of Tony Tribe's cover)
June 16, 201312 yr The funny thing is that The Beatles' version of it is by far the most popular, yet it only charted at #63 (in 1978) :lol: And more surprisingly, only at #136 in 2010 when their songs were released to download...
June 16, 201312 yr To be fair, I think a lot of people had bought Sgt Pepper by 1978, let alone 2010. And it's not a track that makes much sense to download individually.
June 17, 201312 yr "Nothing's Going To Change My Love For You" was originally recorded by George Benson, and "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother" by Kelly Gordon (who didn't write it). As "A Groovy Kind Of Love" was originally by the Mindbenders, it meant that 4 consecutive number one hits in 1988 were cover versions, although only one of them was a hit for its original artist. I didn't know that.
June 17, 201312 yr Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise sampled heavily Pastime Paradise of Stevie Wonder, yet few know the original even exists Everytime we touch by Cascada, copied the song of the same name originally* by Tixiana in 2001 (* not sure whether Tixiana's is the original, or if there was another before it) The Great Pretender by Queen, original by The Platters ... though maybe this is 50/50, in terms of people knowing, but I do hear Queen's version more often than the original Just a sample, but given it's popularity, very few people know Beyonce's Crazy in love samples THAT horn hook from Chi-Lites' "Are you my woman" Too many to mention; Elvis songs!
June 17, 201312 yr I don't think samples really count TBH. The chorus of 'Everytime We Touch' is originally from a Maggie Reilly song, although the verses are different. Oh, and to be a bit nitpicky, 'The Great Pretender' was a solo hit by Freddie Mercury. Jimmy Parkinson had the first UK hit with it, although the Platters version is the real original (it was written by their manager).
June 17, 201312 yr Everytime we touch is written and recorded by Maggie Reilly in 1992. Thanks for clarifying this... Never suspected what the original might actually sound like, although quite surprisingly it feels that I've heard the Maggie version before!
June 17, 201312 yr Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise sampled heavily Pastime Paradise of Stevie Wonder, yet few know the original even exists Everytime we touch by Cascada, copied the song of the same name originally* by Tixiana in 2001 (* not sure whether Tixiana's is the original, or if there was another before it) The Great Pretender by Queen, original by The Platters ... though maybe this is 50/50, in terms of people knowing, but I do hear Queen's version more often than the original Just a sample, but given it's popularity, very few people know Beyonce's Crazy in love samples THAT horn hook from Chi-Lites' "Are you my woman" Too many to mention; Elvis songs! The Great Pretender may be dependent on age. I was well aware of the time of the Freddie Mercury version that it was a cover even though, I hasten to add, I was too young to remember the Platters original from the time of release. The original got a bit of airplay when a Platters collection was released in the late 70s.
June 17, 201312 yr Gareth Gates, Spirit in the Sky, was by someone else. Cheryl Cole, Don't Talk About This Love, by Rochelle Bedingfield. Victoria Beckham, Not Such an Innocent Girl (technically ..., as above, written/ performed by someone else first). Has anyone said Natalie Imbruglia, Torn, yet or Whitney Houston? Oh, and basically any song by Westlife. Edited June 17, 201312 yr by Michael.
June 17, 201312 yr Gareth Gates, Spirit in the Sky, was by someone else. Cheryl Cole, Don't Talk About This Love, by Rochelle Bedingfield. Victoria Beckham, Not Such an Innocent Girl (technically ..., as above, written/ performed by someone else first). Has anyone said Natalie Imbruglia, Torn, yet or Whitney Houston? Oh, and basically any song by Westlife. Spirit In The Sky was by Norman Greenbaum but I would have thought most people were aware that the GG (and The Kumars) version was a cover.
June 17, 201312 yr I've never even heard of Cheryl Cole's version of 'Don't Talk About This Love'. Personally, I wouldn't count unreleased "original" versions.
June 17, 201312 yr Adele - Make You Feel My Love was originally by Bob Dylan. Billy Joel & Garth Brooks also had US hits with it before Adele got to it. hXBjzUkG8x4
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