I Heard the Cover Version First

[lost highway]

Share those weird times where you are introduced to a song or sometimes the existence of an artist because someone covered them. In many situations this can make you feel sheepish as being a hip music person seems to always mean knowing the source.

 

Here are some common ones I experienced:

 

I heard "These Days" first from Nico and much later from Jackson Browne.

"Bobby McGee" from Janis instead of Kris Kristoferson.

"All Along the Watchtower" from Hendrix instead of Dylan.

 

More obscure:

I heard The Wipers as covered by Nirvana, Husker Du as covered by Lifetime and weirdly "Steppin Stone" played by Minor Threat before the original Monkees.

[brownie]

I had never heard of NRBQ until I heard Yo La Tengo's cover of What Can I Say. And then NRBQ went on to become one of my all time favorite bands. I don't really consider the current band calling themselves NRBQ to be NRBQ, although they're entertaining.

[PopTodd]

I heard Emitt Rhodes first, as covered by The Bangles ("Live")

I heard The McKinleys first, as covered by The Bangles ("Sweet and Tender Romance")

I heard Slapp Happy first, as covered by Bongwater ("The Drum") and Mazzy Star ("Blue Flower")

I heard Roky Erickson/The Thirteenth Floor Elevators first, as covered by a whole bunch of folks (Where The Pyramid Meets the Eye tribute record)

I heard Jonathan Richman first, as covered by The Burning Sensations ("Pablo Picasso")

I heard Gene Clark (solo) first, as covered by Velvet Crush ("Why Not Your Baby?")

[Boss_Tweedy]

R.E.M.'s covers of "There She Goes Again," Pale Blue Eyes," and "Femme Fatale" by the Velvet Underground. 

[dagwave]

First one that comes to mind is "Blinded by the Light."

[Moss]

Pinball Wizard by Elton John when I saw the Tommy movie. Still like his version.

[Analogman]

First one that comes to mind is "Blinded by the Light."

 

 

 

blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche in the middle of the night

[PopTodd]

R.E.M.'s covers of "There She Goes Again," Pale Blue Eyes," and Femme Fatale" by the Velvet Underground. 

I first heard that REM "Pale Blue Eyes" cover, too.

[worldrecordplayer]

I heard Roses Are Free by Phish (many times) before I learned it is a Ween song

 

Speaking of Me and Bobby McGee, I'm pretty sure I first heard that from the Grateful Dead

[remphish1]

Lots of Clapton stuff: Born Under a Bad Sign, Cocaine etc

[PopTodd]

This is probably true for most American kids of a certain age, but I heard

Quiet Riot's versions of "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Mama Were All Crazee Now" before I ever heard Slade. Or, at least right around the same time that I did (when "Run Runaway" was a hit in the US).

[calvino]

A crap load from the Stones. 60's blues/R&B covers through Just My Imagination.

[NoJ]

Judas Priest doing Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust"

[Chez]

Three Dog Night's version of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" written by Randy Newman.

[PopTodd]

Three Dog Night's version of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" written by Randy Newman.

 

Also by Three Dog Night -- "One (Is the Loneliest Number)"—written by Harry Nilsson.

Judas Priest doing Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust"

Me too.

[John Smith]

Three Dog Night's version of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" written by Randy Newman.

And Fleetwood Mac's Green Manaleshi

 

Also Santana doing Black Magic Woman

[Winston Legthigh]

As a kid, heard Aerosmith's Come Together first.

 

In other Beatles news, my college roommate was a big Phil Collins fan. The easiest bet I ever won was when he was pretty certain that Mr. Collins wrote Tomorrow Never Knows (on his album Face Value).

[Knight Rider]

My father in law steadfastly refused to believe that All Along the Watchtower was a Dylan song until I played him the original.

 

I remember how surprised I was to find out that Blinded by the Light was a Springsteen song.  I had heard the cover so many times as a little kid driving around with my mom in her Nova.

[calvino]

Judas Priest doing Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust"

 

That's good one - me too. Same with Green Manaleshi.

[jff]

Venus - Bananarama?  (Originally by Shocking Blue)

 

The Meat Puppets songs Nirvana covered on Unplugged.

 

Where Have All the Good Times Gone - Van Halen (Kinks, originally)

 

Somebody to Love - Agent Orange first, Jefferson Airplane second (Originally by the Great Society)

[Winston Legthigh]

Definitely heard Quiet Riot's Cum On Feel The Noize, and Mama Weer All Crazee Now before Slade's.

 

Pretender's Stop Your Sobbing before Kinks.

 

Green Day's Warning before Kinks' Picture Book.

 

Whatshername's I Will Always Love You - still have never heard Dolly Parton's. 

 

Clash's Police and Thieves before Junior Murvin's. Their I Fought The Law before Bobby Fuller's.

[nalafej]

I literally just found out about the Quiet Riot covers from the previous posts! I had no idea.

 

Van Halen's Kinks cover is definitely another one for me that somebody else mentioned.

 

Guns N' Roses Spaghetti Incident cover album turned me onto the Stooges (Raw Power) and Johnny Thunders ("You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory")

[PopTodd]

 

Whatshername's I Will Always Love You - still have never heard Dolly Parton's. 

Dolly's version is fantastic and so much better.

[Chez]

Ike & Tina Turner's cover of "Proud Mary" written by John Fogerty (CCR).

[Lammycat]

 

 

Guns N' Roses Spaghetti Incident cover album turned me onto the Stooges (Raw Power) and Johnny Thunders ("You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory")

I may be one of the few people who actually like this album. The  version of "Since I Don't Have You" and The Misfits' "Attitude" and Fear's "I Don't Care About You" are well done....

 

 

Green Day's Warning before Kinks' Picture Book.

 

 

I learned something new today!

 

 

I