Every iconic song or act has a starting point, but the journey to the top is rarely a straight line. In Music Origins, we go behind the scenes to uncover the roots of the music you love. From the unexpected early recordings of legendary artists to the bizarre historical accidents that turned forgotten tracks into global hits, we explore the foundations, evolutions, and hidden legacies that shaped music history
Song: Sanford and Son Theme (The Streetbeater) (1972/1973) Artist: Quincy Jones Album: You’ve Got It Bad Girl Label: A&M Composer: Quincy Jones Sanford and Son is one of the greatest American television shows of all time. I’m still amazed that Redd Fox was only 49 years old when the show started. He so successfully portrayed … Read more
The controversy surrounding the supposed lawsuit between the band Radiohead and Lana Dal Rey over their 1992 hit song Creep goes to show us that you just can’t write something brand new. No matter how much anyone tries to deny it, every song you hear is a variation of other songs and themes. It’s all … Read more
Song: Eat It (1984) Artist: Weird Al Yankovich Label: Scotti Brothers Writers: Michael Jackson, Al Yankovic Just as Michael Jackson’s album Thriller and the mega-hit Beat It was reaching its height, propelled by MTV and the 1984 Grammy Award for Record of the Year as well as a vocal performance Grammy for Jackson, Weird Al … Read more
Song: Ring My Bell (1979) Artist: Anita Ward Label: Juana Records Songwriter: Frederick Knight Yes, some people think that the hit disco song Ring My Bell was recorded by Blondie and sung by the great Debra Harry. In fact, if you search for “blondie ring my bell lyrics” you will get a result that lists … Read more
The answer is a resounding NO! The Kinks and specifically Dave Davies of the Davie brothers did not invent the concept of guitar distortion. The fact is that guitarists have been intentionally overloading their amps to create distortion for pretty much as long as amplifiers have been around. The Kinks happened on a sound that … Read more
Before you hit play on Darius Rucker’s massive country hit, you might be surprised to learn that this simple little ditty has a history far deeper than its 2013 chart-topping run. While Rucker took “Wagon Wheel” to the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts and snagged a Grammy for it, the song’s journey from … Read more
Song: Cum on Feel the Noize (1973) Artist: Slade Label: Polydor Writers: Noddy Holder, Jim Lea Cum on Feel the Noize is the song that made Quiet Riot, but the original band who did the song, Slade, was almost unknown in America at the time, despite having already been around over 15 years, with a … Read more