Musical Episode #032 : Under The Covers
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Welcome back to another Musical Episode!
This week we have an hour of really exciting 45s, some a little funky, some a little more R&B but all wonderful. The unifying theme here is these are all songs you likely know from another artist. While the idea of a cover song now generally means paying homage to an artist from another generation while possibly putting your own spin on it. During the time these songs were released it was more common for a song to make the rounds, often with a producer/songwriter trying the song out with different artists, using covers to fill up an album or someone thinking they can get a bigger hit off a song that’s already charting.
There’s a lot of wonderful sides on this mix- heck all of them earned their spot!- but the Little Willie John side is a real favorite. Every Beat of My Heart is an evergreen song, written by Johnny Otis, it originally charted with the Pips (two different versions, one on Vee-Jay and a slightly different one on Fury at nearly the same time). Then a year later with Little Willie John and again in 1963 as an instrumental version by James Brown. There have been countless takes on the song and I think the original by The Pips is gonna be hard to top but Little Willie John’s singular voice really brings this version home for me.
Finally I’ll mention Donnie Elbert’s version of Get Ready because he’s one of my favorite singers and this 45 with a blistering version of Along Came Pride on the flip have him performing in a lower register than his usual falsetto and he’s still an extraordinary singer.
Hope you enjoy and we’ll see you next Friday for another mix.
Peace,
-George / Snack Attack
Tracklist:
Bettye Swann : I’d Rather Go Blind (Atlantic, 1972)
Donny Hathaway : Jealous Guy (ATCO, 1972)
The Midnight Rebels: Don’t Make Me Over (Atlantic, 1968)
Keanya Collins: You Don’t Own Me (ITCC, 1969)
Freddie North : Rainy Night In Georgia (Mankind, 1976)
Little Willie John : Every Beat of My Heart (King, 1962)
Sam Moore : Shop Around (Atlantic, 1971)
Peaches & Herb : Love Is Strange (Date, 1967)
Esther Phillips : I’ve Never Found A Man (To Love Me Like You Do) (Kudu, 1972)
5th Dimension: Feelin’ Alright (Bell, 1970)
Sisters Love: Piece of My Heart (1970)
Linda Lewis : It’s In His Kiss (Arista, 1975)
The Brother Jack McDuff Quintet w/David Newman : But It’s Alright (Atlantic, 1968)
Jimmy McCracklin : These Boots Are Made For Walkin (Imperial, 1966)
Lee Michaels : Can I Get A Witness (A&M, 1971)
Stevie Wonder : We Can Work It Out (Tamla, 1971)
Peggy Lee : Spinning Wheel (Capitol, 1969)
Aretha Franklin: Eleanor Rigby (Atlantic, 1969)
Donnie Elbert: Get Ready (Epic, 1967)
Ramsey Lewis : Hi-Heel Sneakers (Columbia, 1973)
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