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Hits or well known songs that you never knew were cover versions

I'll kick this off with a massive hit for Annie Lennox, only recently found out it was a cover of a song by "The Lover Speaks"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEDrISl5z_4

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  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,344
    edited September 2024
    I think I can safely say there are no specific hits or well known songs that I am unaware of being covers. How would I ever know? But the likelihood is that there are some. This is a bit like the instruction not to think of a pink elephant.
  • Gribbo
    Gribbo Posts: 8,492
    Reminds me of the time on X Factor when a contestant was asked what song she'll be singing, and she came out with "This week I'm singing Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke". Nearly bit my fist off
  • Stewart
    Stewart Posts: 2,451
    edited September 2024
    Loved this from Stereophonics. Quite liked it by Rod Stewart but the original is by far the best which I didn’t know about last year. 
    https://youtu.be/-O4RA3_QdW4?si=0irQVDrhI2bNTW0N

    edit, guess this is the original 
  • Stewart
    Stewart Posts: 2,451
    edited September 2024
    .
  • Aswad- Don’t turn around was originally recorded by Tina Turner.
    Buddy Holly - Brown eyed handsome man originally by Chuck Berry (and recently heard a 1967 version by Nina Simone for the first time. A very different arrangement.)
  • redlanered
    redlanered Posts: 2,196
    The air that I breathe - I really like the Albert Hammond (Snr*) original

    (* he's the father of The Strokes guy)
  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,894
    edited September 2024
    Well I hope all of these people having hits with cover versions remembered the golden rule and stuck one of their own tunes on the b-side so they got a share of the songwriter royalties.

    Unlike Soft Cell when they covered Tainted Love and went on to earn relatively fcuk all from a massive hit!
  • C_A_F_C
    C_A_F_C Posts: 3,866
    The air that I breathe - I really like the Albert Hammond (Snr*) original

    (* he's the father of The Strokes guy)
    Gary Coleman?

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  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,040
    It was years before I learned that Happy Mondays' Step On was a cover of Johnny Kongos' He's Gonna Step On You Again. 
  • We were watching a music channel last night, and it implied that Status Quo’s ‘Rockin all over the world’ is a cover - is that correct ?
  • We were watching a music channel last night, and it implied that Status Quo’s ‘Rockin all over the world’ is a cover - is that correct ?
    If only there was a way to find out..
  • "Rockin' All Over the World" is a rock song written by John Fogerty, formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It made its debut on Fogerty's second solo album in 1975. It was also released as a single, spending six weeks in the US top 40, peaking at #27.[2]
  • We were watching a music channel last night, and it implied that Status Quo’s ‘Rockin all over the world’ is a cover - is that correct ?
    If only there was a way to find out..
    Well, maybe I wanted to be enlightened by knowledgeable members of CL - but why bother when I get responses like yours …..

    Fair enough, I’ll just go Wicki in future 

    Jeez - it was only a question I sought an answer to 
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,361
    I learned recently that Natalie Imbruglia's 'Torn' is a cover. Originally was by a band called Ednaswap. 
  • TelMc32
    TelMc32 Posts: 9,056
    Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It wasn’t Tina’s at all.  It was by Charlton fan Cheryl & her mates in Bucks Fizz 😱

    https://youtu.be/fQwn6eed2Vg?si=ODI5mPCxtf-NBsZ7
  • TelMc32
    TelMc32 Posts: 9,056
    I'll kick this off with a massive hit for Annie Lennox, only recently found out it was a cover of a song by "The Lover Speaks"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEDrISl5z_4

    Had The Lover Speaks album this was on. Played it endlessly at the time. 
  • Dancing in the Moonlight - not a Toploader original. 
  • Badger
    Badger Posts: 4,842
    Lenny Kravitz - American Woman (The Guess Who)

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  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,486
    Lilac Wine…..Elkie Brooks.
    Original by Nina Simone.
  • Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis.  It was first sung by Carl Perkins.
  • bolloxbolder
    bolloxbolder Posts: 7,964
    edited September 2024
    Isn't there a previous thread about this? I remember putting Wonderwall on it, plus David Watts
  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,894
    Little known fact but "Creep" by Radiohead is actually a cover. They just changed the title.

  • PaddyP17
    PaddyP17 Posts: 13,037
    Lilac Wine…..Elkie Brooks.
    Original by Nina Simone.
    Not originally by Queen Nina mind - it was written in the 50s by James Shelton and sort of... emerged from there with various versions.
  • PaddyP17
    PaddyP17 Posts: 13,037
    Stig said:
    It was years before I learned that Happy Mondays' Step On was a cover of Johnny Kongos' He's Gonna Step On You Again. 
    Oh my word, thank you - learning something new every day!
  • Solidgone
    Solidgone Posts: 10,215
    PaddyP17 said:
    Stig said:
    It was years before I learned that Happy Mondays' Step On was a cover of Johnny Kongos' He's Gonna Step On You Again. 
    Oh my word, thank you - learning something new every day!
    Oh dear…I’m remember the original Step on by Kongos in the 70’s and loved the song …I’m sure the youngster thought I was kind of hip knowing the words to Happy Mondays version as soon as it was released. Not sure whether this should be on the You know when you are getting old thread!🥸
  • PopIcon
    PopIcon Posts: 5,970
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7N2TA8yMQM

    Not a cover, but heavily borrowed from for Made of Stone.
  • Solidgone said:
    PaddyP17 said:
    Stig said:
    It was years before I learned that Happy Mondays' Step On was a cover of Johnny Kongos' He's Gonna Step On You Again. 
    Oh my word, thank you - learning something new every day!
    Oh dear…I’m remember the original Step on by Kongos in the 70’s and loved the song …I’m sure the youngster thought I was kind of hip knowing the words to Happy Mondays version as soon as it was released. Not sure whether this should be on the You know when you are getting old thread!🥸
    Yes 1970 release wasn't it ? Where the hell did all those years go  :(
  • Always thought, 'Help me make it through the night' was originally by Gladys Knight and the Pips, but learnt today it was Kris Kristofferson's soing RIP.

    (The song has been recorded by dozens of top stars - the most commercially successful being Sammi Smith - I wasn't even close  :/)