“St. James Infirmary Blues” was made famous through Louis Armstrong’s 1928 recording. Check out the 1990 version by the Tarbox Ramblers.

I could watch this on loop forever pic.twitter.com/6xMUn1vHhP

— Will Sloan (@WillSloanEsq) August 21, 2024

“Unchained Melody” was written for the 1955 film Unchained. The most famous version is the 1965 recording by the Righteous Brothers.

Rabbit Brown recorded “James Alley Blues” for Victor Records on May 11, 1927. It was included in Harry Smith’s 1952 great Anthology of American Folk Music. Roger McGuinn, Jeff Tweedy, and Jay Bennett covered it on an album that was a tribute to the anthology.

Roger McGuinn’s Folk Den has background and a performance

The most famous version of “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” was by The First Edition which featured Kenny Rogers who passed away this week.

“I Think We’re Alone Now” was a huge hit for Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day just covered it.

Dear friends.. 
While we’ve all been in quarantine I’ve been reflecting on the things that matter the most in my life. Family, friends and of course music. I recorded a cover of @TJSHONDELLS “I think we’re alone now” in my bedroom. https://t.co/a779dWyB1Q pic.twitter.com/FETwIlC7aY

— Green Day (@GreenDay) March 23, 2020

I was unaware of the long history of “The First Cut Is the Deepest”. I know it from the 1976 version by Rod Stewart, recorded years after his finest albums and before he slipped into disco. It was written by Cat Stevens and first recorded by P. P. Arnold in 1967.

It’s a stretch to call Canned Heat’s 1970 “Future Blues” a cover of Willie Brown’s 1930 song but it certainly incorporated a lot of it, especially the lyrics. If you like the Willie Brown recording, try this album from Yazoo, Masters of the Delta Blues: The Friends of Charlie Patton

R.E.M. covered the obscure 1969 song “Superman” on their Lifes Rich Pageant album. I know 1960s music well and I had never heard of the band or song. Their version closely tracks the original one.

I first heard “How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?” on Ry Cooder’s 1970 album. The original version was by Blind Alfred Reed from 1929. Cooder’s early albums contain several Depression-era songs. They were no longer well-known when he recorded them so it was great that he gave them new life.

The original version was by Tommy Tucker who is best know for “Hi Heel Sneakers”.