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: Saturday in the Park (1972) Artist: Chicago Album: Chicago V (Columbia) The lyrics, “I think it was the 4th of July” come from the 1972 Chicago song Saturday in the Park, which charted in the U.S. up to No. 3 and was the group’s first gold single. The song was written by keyboardist Robert Lamm, … Read more
Song: Stuck in the Middle With You (1972) Artist: Stealers Wheel Album: Stealers Wheel (A&M) You may know the song Stuck in the Middle with You from the ear-slicing scene in Reservoir Dogs (1993). It was the only big hit by the Scottish folk-rock band Stealers Wheel, in 1973, appearing on their self-titled album Stealers Wheel, climbing … Read more
Artist: Bill Joel Album: 52nd Street (1978, released on CD, 1982) The journey toward the CD began in the early 1970s when Sony and Phillips began working on an optical disc with digitally encoded sound that could be read by laser. Before the compact disc, it was all vinyl and cassette tape. It was even … Read more
Song: The Old Man Down the Road (1984) Artist: John Fogerty Album: Centerfield (Warner Brothers) If you are a songwriter or any kind of artist, you probably would never imagine that you could be sued for copyright infringement of one of your own previous works. But this is just what happened to John Fogerty, in … Read more
Song: Down Under (1982) Artist: Men At Work Album: Business As Usual (CBS) Men At Work’s Down Under is probably the most iconic Australian pop song of all time, and many consider it to be something of an unofficial Australian National Anthem. Unfortunately, the song is forever muddied by a court case that accused the band … Read more
Song: Coffee Blues (1966) Artist: Mississippi John Hurt In the song Coffee Blues, the legendary blues artist Mississippi John Hurt, in his usual good-natured way, talks about wanting a spoonful of something. He claims, in the beginning, that it’s Maxwell House coffee (he calls it Maxwell’s House), his favorite coffee that really is good to the last … Read more
Song: Come and Get Your Love (1974) Artist: Redbone Album: Wovoka (Epic) If you’re a child of the ’70s like me, and you go all nostalgic every time you hear one of those memories, you may have noticed something about the Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Did you watch it? Despite it’s insults to … Read more