“One Fine Day” was written by Carole King and her husband Gerry Goffin. The Chiffons made it a hit in 1963. King later recorded it herself in 1980.
Category: Music covers
Covers: I Fought the Law
The original version of “I Fought the Law” was recorded by the Crickets in 1959. The most famous version was the 1965 one by the Bobby Fuller Four.
The Clash blasted through it in 1978 with a great guitar solo. It was their first single released in the US.
Green Day covered it in 2004.
An interview with the songwriter, Sonny Curtis
Covers: Wooly Bully
“Wooly Bully” was originally recorded by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1965. It was their biggest hit but they have many other songs worth listening too, the best of which are collected on Pharaohization.
It was covered (in French!) by Michael Doucet and Cajun Brew in 1987.
Covers: Are You Lonely for Me
“Are You Lonely for Me” was written by Bert Berns and recorded by Freddie Scott in 1966. The cover versions include a great one by Al Green (1971) and Philadelphia band Sweet Stavin Chain (1970).
Covers: One Hundred Years from Now
The original version was by the Byrds on their landmark 1968 country-influenced Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Gram Parsons wrote the song but legal reasons prevented his vocal from being used.
Wilco blasted it in a loud cover on a 1999 Parsons tribute album.
Covers: Railroad Bill
Railroad Bill was an African-American desperado in the late 1800s who is buried in Florida.
An African-American folk ballad about him has been recorded numerous times by both black and white artists and with different lyrics. I don’t know the recording dates for many of the versions so I just estimated where they belonged chronologically.
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott with Woody Guthrie 1953?)
Etta Baker &Cora Phillips (unknown)
Etta Baker with Taj Mahal (2004)
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry (2016)
Covers: 4th of July
Dave Alvin wrote “4th of July” which was recorded when he was briefly in the band X on 1987’s See How We Are. The lead vocals are by X’s John Doe. He has continued to perform it during his solo career. The last link below is to a live performance which included David Hildalgo on backing vocals and guitar and the great Flaco Jimemez on accordion.
Dave Alvin Live from Austin TX (1/29/99)
Dave Alvin, David Hidalgo, Flaco Jiminez, Los Cenzontles (2/16/17)
An atheist’s take on religion on records
Easter/Passover/April Fools’ Day seems like the right time to post about religion on records.
I prefer the humorous songs:
“He Calls That Religion”: The Mississippi Sheiks 1930s take on an evil preacher
“Everybody”: John Prine’s 1972 take on meeting Jesus with Steve Goodman on acoustic guitar and David Bromberg on electric guitar
“God’s Song”: Randy Newman (1972)
“O Holy Night Cha Cha Cha” by Brave Combo if you really want to get blasphemous
Even though I don’t believe in any of it, I do respect some serious gospel music
The small label Dust to Digital issued a terrific 6 CD set called Goodbye Babylon in 2004. It includes gospel recordings from the 1920s-1950s including African-American sermons. Here’s an example: “Sow Good Seeds” by Lil McClintock.
The Holmes Brothers released Jubilation in 1993. It has gospel music as R&B flavored by a steel guitar. I don’t think we needed another version of “Amazing Grace” or “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” but “I Had My Chance” and “I’ll Fly Away” are terrific.
Covers: Sitting on Top of the World
I first heard “Sitting on Top of the World” on Cream’s 1968 album Wheels of Fire. The original 1930 version was by the Mississippi Sheiks. Howlin’ Wolf covered it in 1957 in a jazzy arrangement.
The Cream version credited Howlin’ Wolf as the author so his version is clearly their inspiration. I prefer the live version they released in 1969 on Goodbye. To me, the studio version is too slow and unemotional compared to the live one.
Among many other covers is one by Bob Dylan on his 1992 album Good As I Been to You. The Mississippi Sheiks would have been his source since he recorded other songs by them. It is not on YouTube. Taj Mahal’s version on 1993’s Dancing the Blues is more like Howlin’ Wolf’s.
versions:
Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder is a great musician (but not nearly as great as a singer). His first album, produced by Van Dyke Parks, is one of his best and has ornate versions of “One Meatball” and Woody Guthrie’s “Do Re Mi”.
My favorite Cooder album is his second one, Into the Purple Valley, from 1972. Like the first one, Cooder showcases songs from first half of the 20th Century such as “Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All” and “How Can You Keep On Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)”.
I also highly recommend Chicken Skin Music from 1976 which has Flaco Jimenez on accordian and several Hawaiian musicians. His Tex-Mex arrangements of “He’ll Have to Go” and “Goodnight Irene” are among the highlights.
YouTube has video clips of Cooder and his band from this era. Jimenez barely moves!
Austin City Limits (1976 – almost 38 minutes)
Old Grey Whistle Test (1977 – 39 minutes)
Rockpalast “Stand By Me” (1977)
Sad! 