The Best Song Not By...
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Driving around town today, I heard "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy. Not much of a chorus but a great verse. Anyway, I remember how some people thought it was a Springsteen song when it came out. To be honest, though I like Bruce, I'd probably rather blast this song in my car.
I wondered how many songs are thought to be by one artist but aren't. Here are a few that came to mind:
Above all, Fontella Bass doing "Rescue Me." To this day I hear people say it's Aretha Franklin.
Then there's "A Horse With No Name" by America, which sounds like bad Neil Young. (Sometimes Neil Young sounds like bad Neil Young.)
Back in 1966, "Lies" by the Knickberbockers sounded like The Beatles.
Everyone knew "Uptown Girl" wasn't by the Four Seasons because they weren't recording anymore when Billy Joel put it out. I think it's my favorite Billy Joel song because I prefer the Four Seasons, and this is the best Four Seasons song not by the Four Seasons.
Columbus Guy says: I dated a girl who hosted a college radio program, "not by the original artist." stuff like "Here, There and Everywhere" by Claudine Longet, Springsteen covering "Blinded by the Light," etc.
LAGuy notes: What that girl did is not quite the same thing as what I'm talking about here, of course.
By the way, Springsteen didn't cover "Blinded By The Light," he wrote it. I think the reason Manfred Mann had such a big hit with the tune is everyone thought they were singing about douche.
Columbus Guy says: Well, needless to say, the relationship did not proceed apace. (And BTWBAY, my guess is, if people generally didn't hear Springsteen as saying douche, it's because the Boss didn't speak clearly.)
posted by LAGuy @ 12:02 AM
9 Comments:
Also
"It's a Heartache" which everyone thought was by Rod Stewart
NEG
Here's a harder one, a deep voiced dude on my floor in college sang "Bette Davis Eyes" all the time. This was also the time the Doors were making a big splash (I think The greatest hits album had just come out circa 1980)so I thought it was an obscure Jim Morrison track.
Yes the real song actually sounds nothing like the Doors (although it is like Rod Stewart in places)
One more - The Energizer battery commercial theme also sounds like the Doors (this was noted by Paul Shaffer on NBC version of Letterman many moons ago)
How could this topic be discussed without mentioning Steel Wheels?
Elaborate QG, please.
Whoops, the band is actually called Stealers Wheel. Remember the scene in Reservoir Dogs when Stephen Wright as the radio dj discusses how everyone thinks this song is by Bob Dylan?
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to right.
I don't recall that particular comment from Reservoir Dogs but its true I can't listen to that song (A K-Tel Fantastic Hit!) anymore after that scene. I don't know how anyone could think that was Dylan- did he ever have a "bubblegum period" ?
For the longest time I thought "I'm a Nut" was by Rober Miller, who had a number of light, country tinged novelty records. My wife still swears she remembers it from a Roger Miller's Greatest Hits album when she was a kid, but I don't think Miller ever sang it. It was releaed in 1966 by someone named Leroy Pullins - a one hit wonder.
Bob Seger's "Persecution Smth" is him trying to sound like Dylan. It's odd so many people want to sound like Dylan.
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