The original version of “Back Door Santa” was by Clarence Carter in 1968.
songwriters: Clarence Carter and Marcus Daniel.
Category: Music covers
Covers: I Want to Take You Higher
Tina Turner’s birthday reminded me of “I Want to Take You Higher”. The great original version was by Sly and the Family Stone from 1969. Ike and Tina Turner covered it in 1970. The Ike and Tina version hit #34 on Billboard while the Sly single hit #38 in 1970.
If you didn’t see Sly and the Family Stone in their prime, you missed one of the best bands of the era. I saw them in 1969 and 1971 and they were much better than their records. They were so loud, they made the built-in hockey rink wall in the Philadelphia Spectrum vibrate. They were great in the film Woodstock too.
This is the album version which is longer than the single:
The 45 version:
Look at the amazing dancing by Tina and the Ikettes before the song:
Covers: You Don’t Miss Your Water
songwriter: William Bell
Bell recorded the original version of “You Don’t Miss Your Water” in 1961 for Stax Records. Covers include Otis Redding (1965), King Curtis (1967), The Byrds (1968), Taj Mahal (1968), Otis Clay (1968) Percy Sledge, Johnny Adams (1998) and a live version by Sturgill Simpson from 2017.
The Byrds (Gram Parsons vocal)
William Bell at the White House
Covers: The Loco-Motion
“The Loco-Motion” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by their babysitter, Little Eva in 1962. It has been a US Top 5 hit three times. The other hit recording were by Grand Funk Railroad (1974) and Kylie Minogue.
Covers: Another Night with the Boys
The version of this Goffin-King song I am most familiar with was by the Persuasions (1971).
It appears the original was by the Drifters (1962) or the version by co-author Carole King (1962). There’s a cover by Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva from 1963.
Covers: I Don’t Want to Cry
“I Don’t Want to Cry” was co-written by Chuck Jackson; his recording was released in 1961. Eddie Floyd covered it on the Knock on Wood album backed by the great Stax musicians in 1967.
(check out the drum and horn part at 1:11
Covers: Mardi Gras in New Orleans/Go to the Mardi Gras
“Mardi Gras in New Orleans” is probably Professor Longhair’s best known song and he recorded it several times starting in 1949. New Orleans artists covered it. Fats Domino covered it in 1953. Allen Toussaint covered it in 2016
Covers: When Will I Be Loved
“When Will I Be Loved” was written by Phil Everly and recorded by the Everly Brothers in 1960. There are several excellent covers, all with Everly Brothers style harmonies. Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 version was even more successful than the original.
The Everly Brothers were popular in the United Kingdom and there are several covers recorded there: The Bunch (Sandy Denny, lead vocal, 1972) and Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds (1980).
Covers: A-11
For you young folks, “A-11” is about a song – it refers to the song number on a jukebox.
The original version of the Hank Cochran country song was by Don Deal in 1963.
It was followed by a Buck Owens version in 1964.
Recent covers include Richard Thompson and Jamey Johnson and Ronnie Dunn (2012).
Covers: Let’s Stick Together/Let’s Work Together
“Let’s Stick Together” was recorded by the song’s writer Wilbert Harrison in 1962. He re-recorded it in 1969 as “Let’s Work Together” which was more successful. Canned Heat covered the new song in 1970 – it’s in a current Amazon TV commercial. Bryan Ferry covered “Let’s Stick Together” in 1976. Dwight Yoakam covered “Let’s Work Together” in 1990.
Canned Heat – live in 1970 (Bob Hite lead vocals, Alan Wilson slide guitar)
Sad! 