Every famous cover has a hidden history. In Who Did It First, we track down the original recordings of the songs you know and love. From the forgotten R&B tracks that launched rock and roll legends to the obscure demos that became global pop hits, we pull back the curtain on the first versions of iconic songs—correcting the record on who actually sang it first.
Canned Heat had a smash hit with their 1968 song ‘Going Up the Country.’ Few know that their song was actually a reprocessed version of a much earlier blues song by Henry Thomas, aka “Texas Ragtime” called Bull Doze Blues, recorded in 1928. Although the melody line and lyrics of the song are not all that unique, … Read more
The tune most identified with The Animals was not written entirely by them and yet was not a cover. House of the Rising Sun, also known as Rising Sun Blues, was a traditional folk song. Recorded versions of the song go back to the 1930s, the oldest known from Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster of Appalachia, … Read more
Joan Jett has had a storied career. Before she was the frontwoman of her own band, she was a part of the band The Runaways, famous for such songs as “Cherry Bomb.” The song she is most known for, however, she did as part of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: I love Rock ‘n Roll. In March … 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
Song: Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (1962) Artists: Joan Baez, Led Zeppelin Album: In Concert Writer: Anne Bredon When you hear Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You by Led Zeppelin, you may not realize that the song started out as a folk song. This in itself is not surprising since Led Zeppelin was heavily influenced by folk. Songs … Read more
Juice Newton had a big ‘crossover’ country-pop hit with Angel of the Morning in 1981 but the song has actually been covered by many artists, including Olivia Newton-John. The first person to sing the song, in 1967 was actually a singer named Evie Sands who recorded a number of songs by songwriter/producer Chip Taylor and … Read more
Song: Don’t Know Much (1980, 1989) Artist: Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville Album: Cry Like a Rainstorm – Howl Like the Wind Writers: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow Don’t Know Much is perhaps one of the most famous duets ever recorded. Like many such songs, though, it was not written as a duet. It was first … Read more