Back in the USA

First released in 1959 as a single on Chess Records, Chuck Berry’s Back in the USA took the 37^th spot on the American Hot 100 and the 16^th spot on the American R&B chart. It also appears on the 1962 album More Chuck Berry. Berry supposedly wrote the song upon returned to the USA after a trip to Australia and witnessing the poor living standards of the Australian Aborigines. Which is a little ironic when you consider how America treated its aboriginal population after colonization.

The song has been covered by a few different people including Jonathon Richman and the Modern Lovers (bonus points if you’ve heard of them), and Linda Ronstadt, who can claim to have had the most commercial success with the song. Her 1978 album Living in the USA went double platinum.

The MC5 released their cover in 1970 on their second album Back in the USA. Though not a commercially successful album it has received notable accolades. In 2011 Rolling Stone ranked it number 451 on one of its 500 greatest album lists. NME Magazine placed it at number 490 on a similar list.

Chuck Berry:

MC5:

Close huh? It’s pretty tough. I think the like the vocals on Berry’s version better, but the MC5 really bring it on their version. I think I have to give the nod to them.

To love somebody

To love somebody was the second single released off of the Bee Gees debut album Bee Gees 1^st. Written by Berry and Rob Gibb, it was originally intended for Otis Redding who was killed in a plane crash before he was able to record it. I’ve heard that Bee Gees 1^st is considered a great record, and is often compared to the Beatles’ Revolver, but I have never listened to the entire thing myself. To love somebody was fairly successful making it on to the charts in several countries: it placed at 41 in the UK, 17 in the US, 9 in Canada, and 6 in Australia to list a few.

The Flying Burrito Brothers covered To love somebody sometime between 1968 and 1970 during the time Gram Parsons was still in their lineup. It remained unreleased until it was included on the 1974 compilation album Close up the Honkey Tonks, which was likely an attempt to capitalize on posthumous interest in Parsons' music. Parsons died in 1973 at the age of 26 from an overdose of morphine and alcohol. Interestingly enough, Otis Redding was also 26 when he died.

To love somebody has also been covered by several other artists including Michael Bolton, the Animals, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, and like 50 other notable ones.

Bee Gees:

Flying Burrito Bothers:

The Burrito Bros. win! Come on. They have Gram Parsons on vocals. What did you expect?

Part of me feels like that’s all I should have said about it, but another part of me wanted to write this paragraph. Depending on which part of me you prefer, you can choose not to read this one: I like how the FBB gave their version a classic country sound, but what really gets it over for me, is that Parsons empties his soul into it. He really sounds heartbroken. They took the song to another level. I do like the Bee Gees version, but I'm not a fan of the string arrangement that is included in it. It’s too much.

1970

This time I’m featuring 1970 by the Stooges. This is probably the least accessible song that I’ve featured so far. I think that I can fairly say, it’s something you’re either going to love or hate. Released in 1970 on the Stooges’ second album Fun House, an album that has been both Panned and praised by critics.

One quote I liked is from Robert Christgau. He said, “Now I regret all the times I've used words like 'power' and 'energy' to describe rock and roll, because this is what such rhetoric should have been saved for. Shall I compare it to an atom bomb? A wrecker's ball? A hydroelectric plant? Language wasn't designed for the job.”

In a funny coincidence, the album was produced by Don Galluci, the keyboardist for the Kingsmen, one of the bands featured in the last post. Fun House wasn’t a commercially successful album upon its release. However since then, it and the Stooges have developed a rather strong following. Both the band and the album are considered important to the development of punk rock.

In 1977 the Damned, the first UK punk band, covered 1970 on their debut album Damned Damned Damned. The Damned changed the name of the song to I feel alright. I’m not really sure why they changed the name, but I think it’s probably a really punk thing to have done. Like Fun House, Damned Damned Damned was not very successful upon is initial release, but has since become popular with modern critics.

The Stooges:

The Damned:

I think the Stooges clearly win. They have the crazy saxophone, and well, really everything about their version is crazy. It’s desperate and wild. It’s rock and roll pushed to the brink. The damned’s version is pretty good. They do some neat stuff, but it just can’t compete with the intensity the Stooges bring with 1970.

Fun House is really best enjoyed as a full album. It really creates an amazing atmosphere. The music is almost tangible. Except maybe LA Blues. That’s really just the band spiraling out of control and self-destructing at the end of the album. I mean it’s the perfect way to end such a fervent album, but it is not for everyone.

Damned Damned Damned is really good too, it has some weak moments, but the strong songs, like New Rose, Neat Neat Neat and Fan Club are great. And let’s face it, not every really good album is really good all the way through.

Louie Louie

Congratulations, it turns out that this November has accumulated the most views out of any month ever for my blog. I’m not really sure how that happened. I’d just like to thank you all for your hard work. Together we have earned an arbitrary achievement. Well done everyone!

Apparently this song is the most covered song of all time. I don’t actually know if that’s true. Wikipedia said it has been covered 1,600 times and counting. That seems like a large number. Previously, Stand by Me was the most covered song I had included in the blog. It was listed as having 400 covers, but apparently 7 million performances. 7 million is a lot (but not really. A lot is a piece of property).

I’m pretty sure most people are familiar with this song. Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. What I think most people don’t know, is that the Kingmen’s version is a cover. I didn’t, but someone did. Just to illustrate how frequently the Kingsmen’s cover is mistaken as the original, when you do a YouTube search for their version the second search suggestion that comes up is the Kingsmen Louie Louie original.  

The original version was written by Richard Berry sometime between 1955 and 1957, when the song was released. The song’s full story is actually really interesting. Berry’s version was originally released as a B-side and became popular on the West Coast, and was later rereleased as an A-side. It didn’t appear on any Billboard Charts, however.

The Kingsmen covered Louie Louie in 1963. Their version peaked at number 2 on the Billboard chart, and spent a total of 16 weeks in the top 100.

Originally I had planned to include the Beach Boys version, but after listening to Berry’s version I decided to use it instead. The Beach Boys cover is much like the original in structure. I still thought it was worth mentioning. If you’d like, you can listen to it, and compare it to the other two. It would be like a blog post in your own head. Or if you’re feeling especially critical, you can even post a comment and say what you think.

Richard Berry:

The Kingsmen:

I totally thought that I was going to be super sick of the Kingsmen’s version, and that it would be an easy choice. It’s really not though. You can understand the words in Berry’s version so that earns it points, but the Kingsmen rock the song so hard. Their version has such a strong opening, and their singer has got a pretty decent rock and roll scream. I think the Kingsmen win this one. Even considering how over exposed their version has been over the last 50 years. Berry’s version is good too, and it can be a welcome change to the familiar.

4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

4^th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) first appears on Bruce Springsteen’s second album, the 1973 release The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle. There were no singles released from the album; however, Sandy and Rosalita, became fan favorites, and received radio airplay prior to the release of 1975’s Born to Run. Sandy was released as a single in Germany in 1975.

The Hollies recorded Sandy as a single in 1975, and included it on their album, Another Night. Their version only received minor airplay, and only reached the 85^th spot on the American pop chart.

I'm a fairly big Springsteen fan, but Sandy was never really one of his songs that jumped out at me. I always preferred songs like E Street Shuffle and Rosalita when listening to Wild and Innocent. I actually got the idea to feature this song after listening to the Hollies cover and really enjoying it. I've never listened to them back to back before, so I'm interested to see what the outcome will be.

Bruce Springsteen:

The Hollies:

Yeah I know, it’s another super long song. Sorry about that. It’s totally worth listening to though.

Okay, so this song is super good. I know it’s all slow and stuff, and it’s long. But seriously, it’s so poetic and it’s a great story. It paints a great word picture. I should have loved this song way sooner. It’s going to be another tough decision. The Hollies have awesome harmonies and a string arrangement, and Springsteen has the accordion. I'm not exactly sure whether those last two things are positive or negative qualities of their perspective versions. As close as it is, it’s not really hard to choose. Springsteen wins. His performance is so emotional. It’s like he’s living the song while he sings it. That just makes me believe in the song so much more.

Carol

Chuck Berry first released this original song in 1958. It peaked at number 18 on the American pop chart and number 9 on the R&B chart.

The Rolling Stones covered it for their self-titled debut album. There was also a version recorded on the 1970 live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! featuring Mick Taylor on guitar.

Carol has been covered by several other notable bands whom I won’t make note of here.

Chuck Berry:

The Rolling Stones:

This is the second time the Stones have been featured. The first time was for the song Mercy Mercy. They won that one. They win this one too. Don’t get me wrong it’s really close. I think the lead guitar is stronger on Berry’s version. But I kind of like how they sped it up and Mick (I’m assuming it’s Mick) clapping his hands is great. Also there is this weird rattling in the background of Berry’s version. As far as I can tell it’s supposed to be there, but I have no idea what it is, and it drives me nuts. Don’t get me wrong though I do like Berry’s version. Oh and the Stones have this version too (seriously, if you listen to any of these listen to this one). It’s really hard to top 1969’s Super-Mick.

You've really got a hold on me

Recorded in 1962 by the Miracles, Smokey Robinson’s You've really got a hold on me was a huge hit in the winter of 1962. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Top 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart. Originally the B-side to the song Happy Landing, You've really got a hold on me was made into a hit by Deejays who flipped the record over. It was the Miracles second single to sell over a million copies.

This will be the second time the Beatles will be featured as a team. They recorded You've really got a hold on me on their second album, With the Beatles. They recorded it over 7 takes in 1963.

The Miracles:

The Beatles:

So Smokey’s version is pretty awesome. The Beatles’ version is pretty awesome too. Smokey’s vocals are great and hits all those wicked high notes. John does a really great vocal on this one too. And he does that thing on the second chorus when he says “hold… on me.” That’s super awesome. This one’s going to be really tight. (Ha. See what I did there?) Anyway, I'm giving this one to the Beatles. I know that you can totally find actual live footage of Smokey ripping this song to pieces on the internet. But I have this arbitrary rule that dictates that I only compare studio versions with other studio versions. Except for those times that I broke it.

Anyway, this is now the second time the Beatles have won, while covering someone else’s song. Now I don’t want to be rash and get too far ahead of myself, but this won’t be the last time the Beatles will be featured, and I have a feeling they’ll be going on a terror. And you’re probably saying, “But A.J. you write this stupid thing. You know who’s going to win before you even start.” That’s not true faithful reader. I admit I often have an idea who will win; I have listened to most of these songs before. However, I never make the final decision until I've listened to both versions back to back. Often it takes more than one listen before I can decide. Now, I will even admit one more thing to you. Sometimes my preconceived ideas of who I expect to win, combined with my utter disdain for ties, can slightly influence the outcomes. This is the result. 

Tin Solider

The Small Faces released Tin Solider in 1967. Steve Marriott had originally written the song for P.P. Arnold, but after he finished writing it Marriott decided the song was too good to give away. P.P. Arnold, not one to be bitter about the ungifting, can be heard singing background vocals on the track. The song was actually banned when the line “I want to sit with you” was mistaken by the BBC as “I want to sleep with you.” It is one of the most well-known songs the Small Faces has in their catalogue. It reached the ninth position on the UK singles chart. Also of note, the publication Mojo Ranked Tin Solider the 10^th best single of all time. That beats out any of the singles released by the Rolling Stones or the Who. Not too shabby.

This is the first time I've featured the Small Faces, but I have featured the Faces, a another incarnation of the band, after a change in their line up resulted from Steve Marriott Leaving and Rod Stewart and Ron Wood joining in his place. Prior to that Wood and Steward were both playing in the Jeff Beck Group, whom I have also featured. Ha. It’s like I just did three degrees of Jeff Beck, or is that two degrees.

Anyway. A bunch of bands have covered this song. Even Humble Pie, another Marriott band. Today, will be looking the Streetheart’s version.

Streetheart is Regina/Winnipeg band whose popularity peaked during the mid-70s and early 80s. They are currently still touring. I think. Streetheart Recoded Tin Solider for their 1980 album Drugstore Dancer. It’s one of their most popular songs. That’s literally all I could find out about their version.

Small Faces:

Oh man. Street Heart is really going to need to bring it.

Streetheart:

Wow, Streetheart’s is pretty good. This is harder than I thought it would be. But I just think that Marriott’s vocals are stronger. Sorry Kenny. It’s still a real strong effort. I was impressed. I should also probably mention that I really like Marriott’s sing yell. I personally think it’s one of the best in all of rock n roll. I see Streetheart also decided to go with “sleep with you at the end.” Really close though. Good job everybody.

Drown in my own tears

Drown in my own tears was written by Henry Glover. It was recorded by Ray Charles in 1956. It was first recorded in 1951 by Lula Reed, so this will be another post that doesn't feature the first actual recording of the song. Drown in my own tears is a single from Ray Charles’s Atlantic period. A time when Charles was dominating the R&B and Jazz charts.

Aretha Franklin recorded her version of the song for the 1967 album I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

Ray Charles:

Aretha Franklin:

This is the first time I've featured Ray Charles, and the second time I have featured Aretha. The first time I featured her she lost dubiously to the Band, on the Weight. She probably, could have, and maybe she should have won that one. But hey, I'm not perfect.

This one is a pretty tough decision. Both songs start off really strong, but in the last minute or two, I feel like Aretha’s version takes a bunch of liberties, and overall I prefer Ray’s version. So it looks like Aretha has lost again. Well, that’s just not right.

All I really want to do

Dylan and the Byrds are going head to head for the third time. So far there has been one tie: Chimes of Freedom, and one win for the Dylan: Spanish Harlem Incident. This time I’m choosing between their respective versions of All I really want to do. Oddly enough, all three of these songs were first recorded for the same 1964 album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan:

The Byrds:

All I really want to do is a fairly popular Dylan song, and probably one of the best known non-political sons, at least before going electric. The Byrds version was released as their second single in June 1965, and reached number 40 on the American pop chart and number 4 on the UK chart. It was also released on their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man, which just so happens to be the same album the other 2 songs were on as well.

Okay, so the Byrds win this round. It’s all tied up.

I just really like the Byrds Harmonies on this one. Plus they made it shorter. I think I’ve said this before but I kind of like short song. They don’t give you time to get bored of them. I do really like the harmonica on Dylan’s version, but I’m not a huge fan of that part where he tries to sing high on the chorus.

Dear Mr. Fantasy

Dear Mr. Fantasy is a song originally recorded by Traffic for their 1967 album Mr. Fantasy. The words were written by Jim Capaldi, and the music was written by Steve Winwood and Chris Wood. The album made it to number 16 in the UK and number 88 in the US. It’s probably also notable that Dave Mason left the group before the album was release, yet three of his songs appear on the UK version, three on the US version (each release has a slightly different track listing). It’s been covered by several bands including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Crosby Stills Nash and Young.

Canadian group Big Sugar covered the song in their 1995 EP, Dr. M.F. The song was released as a single in Canada and reached the number 59 spot on the Canadian pop charts.

Traffic:

Big Sugar:

I know, I know, I keep doing long songs. It’s not on purpose I promise. I totally pick these based on impulse. I know 5 minutes (and we have to do it twice) is a really long time so sit and actively listen to a song, but we’ve got to do it. So let’s just grit our teeth and bear it.

Okay. This was way easier than I thought. The 90s took a crap all over Big Sugar’s version. So I’m clearly picking Traffic’s to win. It’s got the Winwood Solos and the Harmonicas. You can’t go wrong. Even Winwood’s voice. Rolling Stone said, "[Winwood] probably [has] the major blues voice of his generation." They loved the album Mr. Fantasy. I don’t know if I’d go that far. He sings real good (well) though. Keep in mind I’m really bias and a total jerk though. So if you really love big sugar and you think their version is the best, and you didn’t even know that it was a traffic song before this, don’t be sad, I’m sure you are one among many who think the same thing. You guys are just wrong, and that’s okay.

20th Century Boy

T. Rex released 20^th Century Boy as a single in 1973. The song is written by T. Rex front man Marc Bolan. In the early 70s T. Rex was arguably the biggest band in the UK with a sting of 8 top 20 hits. During that time the mania that surrounded T. Rex was referred to as T. Rextasy, and was often compared to the mania that surrounded the Beatles. Despite that success, they never really got over in the US. The exception to that being the single Get It On (Bang a Gong), which reached number 10 state side. 20^th Century Boy peaked at number 3 on the UK singles chart. It wasn’t originally included on an album, but appears on a reissue of the 1973 album Tanx. It charted again in the UK in 1991 when it appeared in a Levis ad starring Brad Pitt. I think that’s the second time one of the songs I’ve featured has charted for a second time because of a Levis ad. Seems like pop music and advertising do go together. Who would have known? They’re used so rarely in ads these days.

20^th Century Boy has been covered by a whole bunch of people since its release. I’m featuring the Replacements version. It was included as B side on the single I Will Dare, along with a cover of Hank Williams’s Hey Good Lookin’. It also appears as a bonus track on the 2008 reissue of the 1984 album Let It Be. A critically acclaimed album, Let It Be has received several accolades over the years. In 2003 Rolling Stone ranked it the 239^th greatest album of all time, and called it a post-punk masterpiece. In 1989 Rolling Stone ranked it number 15 on their best 100 albums of the 80s list. When VH1 did its miniseries, VH1's 100 Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll they ranked Let It Be number 79. There’s more, but I feel like I’m starting to overdo it. Anyway, it’s an awesome album. You should probably check it out.

T. Rex:

The Replacements:

I totally like both versions of this song, but it’s pretty clear to me that the T. Rex version is better. I'm a huge fan of both these bands. Check them out if you haven’t. T. Rex’s Born to Boogie is one of the best rock and roll DVDs you can buy.

Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane, written by Lou Reed, and recorded by the Velvet Underground was released on the 1970 album Loaded. It’s also appeared on various live albums. When Loaded was first released the bridge was removed from the song. The full length version was released in 1995 on the Peel Slowly and See boxed set, and in 1997 on Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition. I’m going to use the full length version for the purposes of this blog.

Mott the Hoople cover Sweet Jane in the David Bowie produced album All the Young Dudes. Their version was released as a single in several countries including Canada, and the United States. Their version doesn’t appear to have charted.

The Velvet Underground:

Mott the Hoople:

It took me a really long time to be able to sit through both versions. They’re too long. Don’t get me wrong, I really like both of them. I just keep getting up and walking away from the computer. It kind of seems like I might have a short attention span. That and it’s kind of hard to do this longer songs. It’s feels a lot easier to get distracted when you listen to the same song twice, and the longer the song is the harder it is to do, especially if you’re trying to concentrate on it.

The VU’s version I better. There’s just something about the way Lou Reed sings it. It’s also the whole feel of the song. Its intro is also pretty cool. Mott the Hoople's version is really good, just not as good. I really like the guitar solo at the end of Mott the Hoople’s version. I think it’s probably the most notable thing about their version. 

Can’t get next to you

I can’t get next to you was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and recorded by the Temptations in 1969. It was the number one song on the Billboard pop chart over the two week period from October 11^th to October 25^th. It also topped the R&B single chart, but for 5 weeks, October 4^th to November 1^st. It’s the second of the group’s four number-ones, and one of their best-selling singles.

Al Green covered the song on his 1971 album Al Green Gets Next to You. It was released as a single. It didn’t fare as well on the charts as the Temptations version, only reaching number 60 on the Top 100 and number 11 on the R&B chart.

Temptations:

Al Green:

This is the Temptations second appearance on my blog. The first time was when I featured the song My Girl and put their version up against Otis Redding’s cover. This is Al Green’s first appearance.

This one is pretty close (I might say that all the time).

The Temptations’ version is a bit faster and features 5 voices. Each member of the group singing verses. I also really like all the shouting at the beginning of their version. It has a really solid opening.

Al Green’s version is modified greatly. The pace is noticeably slower. Wikipedia describes it as a slow-burning plea for love. I think that is an accurate illustration of this version.

Now I’m not going to lie to you guys, I slept most of today. So when I say I’m not making this one a tie because I’m not being lazy, you know I’m still being pretty lazy. But this one is pretty tough, and I’ve listened to each version about 4 or 5 times now. This one could have probably even been a tie. But I won’t do it. I’m going to give it to Al Green.

Spanish Harlem Incident

Bob Dylan wrote this song and released it on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan. It's a really good album. It's probably my favorite of his acoustic albums. 

The Byrds covered it on their 1965 debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man.  It's one of four Dylan covers they did on that album.

This is totally the second time I've but the Byrds up against Dylan, (the first time was Chimes of Freedom) and it's totally not going to be the last because the Byrds covered him like crazy.  I was originally planning this post to be The Velvet Underground versus Mott the Hoople, or Wilson Picket versus Solomon Burke, but I was out walking tonight, and my iPhone dealt me Dylan's version of Spanish Harlem Incident. I hadn't listened to it in a few years, so I impulsively decided to blog it instead. Don't worry. I'll get around to the other ones eventually.

Bob Dylan:

Byrds:

I really love this song. The decision isn't too hard for me. Both versions are good, but Dylan wins. There's just something really honest about his version.

Send me some Lovin’

I've been finding it a bit more difficult to keep up with making these posts lately. I'm full of excuses though, so I'm going to blame it on how I cut the heck out of my thumb on Sunday. I know, I know, I've been being lazy way longer than that, but I'm so lazy even my excuses are bad. They're always bad.

Anyway in keeping with being lazy I'm doing the song Send me some lovin'. It was co-written in the 50s by Leo Price and John S. Marascalso, and recorded by Little Richard in 1957. It was released as a single and made it to number 54 on the Billboard top 100 and number 3 on the R&B chart. In 1958 it appeared on Little Richard self-titled second album.

The Crickets also recorded it in 1957 on their debut album, The Chirping Crickets, but I’m not featuring that version.

I’m featuring the Sam Cooke version. I know I just did Sam. Look, I said I was being lazy. It's even the second time I've featured Little Richard and you know how I keep going on about how I'm trying not to avoid repeats (even though they are inevitable). Anyway, Sam released his version as a single in 1963. It hit number 13 on the Billboard Top 100 and number 2 on the R&B chart. It also appeared as the last song on the first side of Sam's 1963 album Mr. Soul.

The song has also been covered by Stevie Wonder, Hank Williams Jr., Otis Redding, and John Lennon. Incase anyone is interested.

Little Richard:

Sam Cooke:

Okay, this one is tough. Way tougher than I expected. Both versions are great. Little Richards version is faster.  He puts so much energy into his performance. And those parts where he really gets on the mic and really pushes his voice are awesome. Sam’s version is a bit slower but it comes off so classy. It also has those background vocals, which I'm not going to lie are kind of minus points. It's not that I don't like them; I just feel they make the song seem kind of dated. But Sam's voice is so smooth that when light passes through the air his voice is vibrating, it actually travels faster than it does in a vacuum.

So yeah, I can't decide. Umm, I'm just going to make this one a tie and chalk it up to being lazy. I think that's pretty fitting.

That’s it, I Quit, I’m moving on

This is a Sam Cooke song that was released as a single in 1961. It reached the 31^st spot on the US Pop Chart, and the 25^th spot on the R&B Chart. I think it’s also worth mentioning that over the span of his 8 year career that he had 29 singles chart on the Billboard Top 40 and 20 singles in the top ten of the R&B chart.

Adele has apparently been covering this song for her entire career. A live version was included in the bonus tracks of the 2009 expanded edition of her album 19. There doesn't appear to be a studio version of it. The album was pretty successful, reaching number 4 the US and number 1 in the UK.

Sam Cooke:

Adele:

So I like the Sam Cooke version better. (No surprise there right? You guys must think I'm such a jerk. I kind of am.) Anyway, I like Adele's version. It's good; for example, I like how she changed the gender roles. If you've read some of my other posts you'll know I love it when artists so that. It kind of simpler, because it's just her and her guitarist, and the way she sings it is more sped up. I think the song loses a lot without drums. And I'm not a huge fan of how she sped it up. I think the way Sam paces version is really what makes it so great. I give her credit because her version is live and it's still really good. I think that's a good way to measure an artist. But if you read the Try a littletenderness post, or even the very first post in this blog you'll know that I always talk about how Sam recorded the best live performance ever.

Some Kind of Wonderful

It would seem that the rate at which I blog has slowed significantly. Don’t worry; I have a ton of excuses for why. This week my excuse is that my old back injury from when I was 21 is acting up again, and I've been in constant pain for the last few days, despite taking about 1000 milligrams of pain killers every four hours.

Today's song is Some Kind of Wonderful. It's written by John Ellison who recorded it with his group Soul Brothers Six in 1967. Their version reached number 91 on the Billboard Top 100.

Grand Funk Railroad recorded it in 1974. Their version is probably more well known. It did better on the charts, reaching number 3.

There also happens to be another song of the same name recorded by the Drifters in 1961, but that's a totally different song.

Soul Brothers Six:

Grand Funk Railroad:

This one wasn't as much of a landslide victory as I expected, but the Soul Brothers Six version is still better. I like John Ellison's vocal way better. And the part where he tells the listeners he doesn't believe they know what he's talking about, that's like the best part of the song.  Or when he says she makes him want to scream and then he does. It's those little things that make all the difference. It keeps the song fresh and reduces the repetition. I feel like Grand Funk Railroad's version is too long and gets too repetitive. I kind like their harmonies and how they have different guys singing different parts at the same time. But it's not enough. I don't know how they took their version to number 3 when the Soul Brother's version only made it to 91. But then again Huey Lewis and the News took their version to number 7 in 1994, so chart ranking might not be the best way to gauge the song.

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

Most people are probably familiar with this song. I first heard it when I was kid, by the California Raisins. It was a time in my life when giant talking raisins seemed pretty plausible. Most people are probably familiar with the Marvin Gaye version. But I think a lot of people would be surprised to learn the full story surrounding the song.

It was written in 1966 by Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. The song was originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles; however, Berry Gordy, the owner of Motown Records, rejected the song telling Whitfield and Strong to make it stronger. They recorded the song again with Marvin Gaye in 1967, but it still did not please Gordy, and the song was rejected again.

After the second rejection, Whitfield recorded the song with Gladys Knight & the Pips. Gordy agreed to release this version in September of 1967. It climbed to Number 2 on the Billboard Chart.

The version of the song Marvin Gaye recorded was used on his 1968 album In the Groove (it was later renamed I Heard it Through the Grapevine). After the album was released Gaye's version started to gain the attention of Radio DJs. After the song began to grow in popularity, Gordy finally agreed to release the song as a single. It was released in October 1968, after which, it climbed to the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts, and stayed there for 7 weeks, from December 1968 to January 1969. During that time it was the Motown label’s biggest hit single.

Since its release, Gaye's version has received much critical acclaim as a soul classic. It was ranked number 80 on a Rolling Stone 500 greatest songs list, on a later version of the list it was re-ranked at number 81. The commemorative 50th Anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100 issue of Billboard magazine in 2008 listed it as the 65^th biggest song to appear on the chart. It was also inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame for historical, artistic and significant value.

I decided that I would adhere to the Beatles precedent (Let it Be was recorded before Abby Road, yet the albums are listed in order of release), and put Knight's version first even though Gaye recorded his earlier.

Gladys Knight & the Pips:

Marvin Gaye:

This one is pretty tough. It's hard to argue with all the acclaim Gaye received for this song, but whenever I listen to Knight's version, I always think, this one is better. However, When I listen to Gaye's version, I always think, no this one is better. And right now after listening to them both back to back, that is apparent. Gladys Knight & the Pips rocked the heck out of this song, but Marvin Gaye is Marvin Gaye, and he tears this song to pieces. Marvin is the clear winner.

Stand By Me

I think most people are pretty familiar with this song. It was written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. It's based on a spiritual song called Lord Stand by Me, and has apparently been covered 400 times.  It was originally released in 1961. It reached number 1 on the R&B charts, number 4 on the pop charts and number 27 on the UK charts. It was re-released in 1986 following the Stand by Me movie, and a Levi Jeans ad, after which, it peaked at number 9 on the US pop charts and number 1 on the UK charts. It was named the fourth most recorded song of the 20^th century by BMI. Rolling Stone has ranked it number 122 on their 500 greatest songs of all time list. And it has also received a Towering Song Award from the Song writers Hall of Fame.

 So, I'm pretty sure everybody knows which cover I'm featuring. I've actually been planning on doing this one for a while, and since the last two posts where Paul posts I figured, I’d do one that featured John to balance things out.

John released his cover in 1975. It appeared on his album Rock 'n' Roll. His version reached number 20 on the Top 100 and number 30 in the UK. It did better in Canada making it to number 10.

Ben E. King:

John Lennon:

Ben E. King totally wins this one. I like John's version. I enjoy how he says stand by me extra times, but It's just not as good.

Live and Let Die

So for the second half of my Paul is doing a concert double header, I totally picked the song Live and Let Die. Yeah I know. I totally just picked the two most obvious Paul songs. Sorry if you expected more.

Paul wrote the song as the opening theme for the 1973 James Bond film of the same name. The single charted at number 2 in the US and number 9 in the UK. It was more successful than any previous Bond theme song at that time.

There's apparently a little bit of debate about the grammar of some of the lyrics. The argument is basically over whether the line reads: "this ever changing world in which we live in," which is of course incorrect, because you're not supposed to end on a preposition, or whether it reads: "this ever changing world in which we're living," which is much more correct (note: if everyone followed that rule, people would be saying which all day, which could be a good thing if you like that word). Apparently, when Paul asked, he said he couldn't remember which it was, but that he's pretty sure it was the latter. Good choice Paul. When in doubt, go with what's correct. I was always sure the former had been used though. I think Paul is just lucky that line is so ambiguous, or else instead of saying he didn't remember, he would have had to say, “Well, you know, prepositions weren't at the forefront of my thoughts while I was writing the song.” Besides, it's way better to keep people guessing anyway.

The song has been covered quite a few times. I swear everything get's covered way more than you think. I mean seriously, Geri Halliwell covered this song. If anyone who reads this actually knew that. I'm impressed. Anyway, of course I'm not featuring her version. As I'm sure you've already guessed, I'm going to feature the Guns n' Roses version. (They actually use a capital N, but I think that's dumb, so I used a lower case one. It just looks better.)

Guns n' Roses recorded their version for their 1991, simultaneous double album release Use Your Illusion. The song appears on Use Your Illusion I. It was the fourth single released from those albums. It charted at number 20, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1993. Also the music video for the song was made just before Izzy Stradlin (the coolest member of the band) quit the group. It is the last Gun n' Roses video in which he makes an appearance. Also the cover art of Use Your Illusion is a portion of School of Athens the Fresco by Raphael, which is kind of cool. I wonder if that was public domain or if they had to pay to use it.

Paul McCartney:

Guns n' Roses:

Okay, so I should probably clear the air, and say that I used to really like Guns n' Roses, like 10 lots worth, way more than just one. What I'm saying is, I probably liked them more than they deserved. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they suck now; I just don’t like them that much anymore. I still think that Appetite probably deserves a spot on every top five best first full length album release list. That album is rock solid. GNR Lies is pretty good too. The first 4 tracks which were initially released at an EP before Appetite are sick. And I'll still come out and say that they would have been something to see in the early mid 80s when they were still all basically just a bunch of homeless kids who would get obliterated every night, and then blow the walls off every bar in LA. It probably would have been spectacular. But Use Your Illusion is really self-indulgent, and frankly is pretty boring. However, there are some great songs on it. I bet it could have been a great album if it had been released as just a regular one, instead of two double ones. And then the Spaghetti Incident is basically just a recording of a band breaking up. Lots of bands have done that though, so you can’t really fault them for it too much. Chinese Democracy? Yeah that's a thing. It should have been released in 99' cause all the leaked demos were better than what ended up appearing on the album. Okay, I'm being such a dick. I'm sorry Axl. I know, I know, you're an artist.

Wow. Well, I went off track there. This is getting long. I know it's not like really long. But if there's one thing I hate, it's overly long blog posts. I'll try to wrap this up quick.

So who wins? For me this one is actually pretty close. I think both are a little cheesy. Paul's is cheesy in a this is a movie theme song a about a secret agent and it sounds like it way, and GNR's version is cheesy in a heavy 90s kind of way. This one could almost be a tie for me, but I hate ties so much. I'm going to say the Guns n' Roses version wins. I kind of feel like I'm wrong, but I think I'd feel more wrong if I said Paul won. I don't know, maybe I should have made it a tie. I'd ask what you guys think, but I already know the answer: silence.