Music meant for others

[zravkapt]

Some famous and not-so-famous songs were originally intended for one particular artist who never actually ended up recording the songs anyway. Off the top of my head I can think of...

-Bowie's "Golden Years" was apparently written for Elvis Presley.
-I recall reading that Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back" was intended for Rod Stewart.
-The Simple Minds hit "Don't You Forget About Me" was first offered to Billy Idol.
-I know "Mutt" Lange produced the Loverboy song "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" but I think it was first offered to Def Leppard.
-Michael Jackson was going to work with The Neptunes for his "comeback" album about ten years ago. For whatever reason it didn't happen but The Neptunes already made music for the album. When Justin Timberlake wanted to work with The Neptunes for his first solo album, they just used the music they originally made for the would-be MJ album.

Any more examples?

[The Fantastic Progo Rican]

I just saw on VH1 Classic that Heart's These Dreams was originally intended for Stevie Nicks.

[Scott Bails]

Continuing the Stevie Nicks theme, Trevor Rabin supposedly wrote "Love Will Find a Way" for her, but decided to keep it for Yes.

[Thebigdipper]

Stevie Wonder wrote Superstition for Jeff Beck as a thank you for playing on a previous album. The record company insisted he recorded and released it himself. So, he gave him 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers instead....

N

[Magic Mountain]

Stevie Wonder offered the song "Superstition" to Jeff Beck, but then had a change of heart and kept it for himself

[rcarlberg]

[everythingtoexcess]

No proof, but I heard that Pour some Sugar on Me was written for Shania Twain.
Boys of Summer was written for Tom Petty.
Once you get that information and listen to both of those songs, you can easily hear the other artists doing them.

[Scott Bails]

I'd like Shania Twain to Pour Some Sugar on Me, if you know what I mean.












And I think you do.

[ThomasKDye]

A famous one: George Harrison was going to give "Something" to Jackie Lomax.

[davis]

does this count?

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/virgilmusic3

[zravkapt]

^It fits the thread title...and there's a cover of The Commodores' "Brick House" on there.

[trurl]

No proof, but I heard that Pour some Sugar on Me was written for Shania Twain.

I'd think that song was written years before she came along- don't know that though. Either way he (Mutt) wrote her a song that sounded exactly like it, only they put a fiddle in it *lol*

[davis]

I'd like Shania Twain to Pour Some Sugar on Me, if you know what I mean. And I think you do.

she could stand to pack on a few pounds, imo, but yeah

[GuitarGeek]

Paul Stanley once claimed that he actually originally wrote Hard Luck Woman for Rod Stewart. I don't know if he ever actually offered the song to Rod, but the story goes that after Beth broke big, Neil Bogart wanted Peter to sing another ballad on the next album. So if you ever hear that song it and you think it sounds like Kiss trying to do their version of a Maggie May type of song, that's because that's exactly how Paul envisioned it.

Back in the late 60's, a blues musician named Johnny Jenkins released a record called Ton Ton Macoute. The album was apparently originally recorded with the intention of it being a Duane Allman solo record (this being around the time that Duane as a hot shot session guitarist in Muscle Shoals). For whichever reason (I think relating to the formation of the Allman Brothers Band), the Allman solo record project was abandoned before they cut the vocals (yeah, Duane was gonna sing on it), so Johnny sort of took over the sessions and it became his record.

Stevie Wonder actually wrote Superstition for Jeff Beck, as a thank you for Jeff playing on one of Stevie's records, but when Barry Gordy heard it, he persuaded Stevie to record it himself. I've heard a few other stories like that, where some record producer or "staff songwriter" or whomever wrote a song that they intended to give someone they were working with, but their manager or someone at the record company said "No, you're keeping that one for yourself". I was watching one episode of Unsung, I forget who it was, who wrote a song for The Whispers, but after some reflection, he decided that "The Whispers have enough hits of their own".

[davis]

Robert Johnson had the foresight to write 'Cross Road Blues" for Eric Clapton.


But seriously, Lennon & McCartney wrote "I Wanna Be Your Man" for the Stones.

[Mister Triscuits]

Bette Midler (I guess through her manager) asked Pete Townshend for a song, so he wrote "And I Moved" for her. The manager thought it was inappropriate and refused to pass it on to Midler, so Townshend recorded it himself.

[GuitarGeek]

Apparently, some of the Rod Temperton songs that Michael Jackson (and probably a few other people) had recorded were initially offered to Heatwave, the group that Temperton played keyboards with. Keith Wilder, one of the vocalists with Heatwave was interviewed once, and he mentioned that he asked Rod why he didn't give them Rock With You, I think was the song he mentioned, and Rod said "I offered it to you guys, but your brother said no" (Keith's brother Johnny was more or less the de facto leader of Heatwave).

Another one I remember was Ben E. King saying that he actually never intended to sing Stand By Me. He wrote the song for The Drifters, as a "peace offering" I guess after he left the group but when he was told that "We don't need your stupid song", he decided to record it himself, and of course it was a huge hit.

[3LockBox]

Stevie Nicks wrote Leather & Lace for Waylon Jennings (at his request) for him to sing with his then wife, Jessie Colter. After some delay, Nicks finished to song, but Colter and Jennings had split up. Jennings decided he liked the song well enough to sing just himself but Nicks nixed the idea, saying she'd written the song as a duet and refused to release it to Jennings. She went on to record the song with Don Henley.

[JKL2000]

No proof, but I heard that Pour some Sugar on Me was written for Shania Twain.
Boys of Summer was written for Tom Petty.
Once you get that information and listen to both of those songs, you can easily hear the other artists doing them.

Did Shania Twain exist when Pour Some Sugar on Me was written? I feel like I heard that song way before I ever heard of Shania Twain (though I barely know who Shania Twain is).

[Howler Monkey]

Did Shania Twain exist when Pour Some Sugar on Me was written? I feel like I heard that song way before I ever heard of Shania Twain (though I barely know who Shania Twain is).

Sugar came out in 1987. Mutt and Shania didn't get together until the nineties.

[davis]

Did Shania Twain exist when Pour Some Sugar on Me was written? .

Yeah, but she was still a hozer, eh.

[JKL2000]

I would pronounce her name Shahn-Yuh, because there's no way I'm going to pronounce it Shuh-Nie-Uh. Of course, I've never needed to say her name out loud.

[No Pride]

Stevie Wonder wrote Superstition for Jeff Beck as a thank you for playing on a previous album. The record company insisted he recorded and released it himself. So, he gave him 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers instead....

... which he originally wrote for his ex-wife, Syreeta Wright, who recorded it before Jeff. Of course, I like his version a whole lot better.

[bill g]

Brian Wilson wrote 'Time To Get Alone' for Three Dog Night to record, but ended up doing it himself.

[Progtopia]

Thomas Dolby's "Hyperactive!" was a song he wrote for Michael Jackson after the two met while they were editing videos in neighboring suites and Jackson suggested Dolby write him something. Jackson never got back to him about doing it, so Dolby included it on The Flat Earth. He tells this story on tour these days.