The Tokens did their version in 1961, I know that much.
I have to agree with JKL2000 to some degree. While I really like Yes' version of "America," I very much prefer the original, which reflects the subject more. I don't think the prog version Yes did fits the lyric.
It's worse than that. Not only do they make you hit a new page for every song on the list, each page then makes you hit Bing to figure out who the original artist was.Originally Posted by JKL2000
Yeah, you're basically right. The vocal riff and the melody that goes with the words "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight" come from a song written by South African vocalist Solomon Linda. Linda's song is called Mbube. The song was a huge in South African in South Africa.
Eventually, Mbube was heard by Alan Lomax in the early 50's, who passed the song onto Pete Seeger. When Seeger heard the record, he came up with the arrangement recorded by The Weavers, under the title Wimoweh (an approximate phonetic rendering of the vocal riff).
The Tokens had been performing Wimoweh, based on The Weavers' recording. Their producer kinda hijacked the song, reworked the arrangement, wrote new lyrics, etc, which The Tokens were unhappy about, but they had little choice in the matter. Reportedly, the producer literally phoned in the mix, and then the record label, who released the song as a B-side to an "inferior" number called Tina. It was only because some DJ had the presence of mind to see what his audience would think of the B-side that it became the hit that we know it as.
There was a lengthy article in Rolling Stone about...oh geez, must have been 14 years ago now, but it went into the full history of the song, Solomon Linda, and the subsequent legal wrangling that took place in the decades that followed the Tokens recording. Apparently, Linda's descendants (Linda himself died back in the early 60's) were living in abject poverty, until Pete Seeger realized sometime in the late 90's that royalties were being deposited into a bank account in his name (because he was listed as co-writer or whatever on the Tokens record, which he always insisted he wasn't). When he found out about it, he made arrangements for the money to be given to Solomon Linda's family.
The whole long (sad) story is on Wikipedia.
I made myself a CDR several years ago tracing the evolution of the song, from Solomon Linda's original through the later versions we all know. There were more versions available online than I had room for.
Last edited by rcarlberg; 09-12-2013 at 07:27 PM.
That would be interesting.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
For quite a few years, I had no idea "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)" was a Fleetwood Mac cover. To me growing up, it was a Priest tune...I was actually floored by that discovery!
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See post #24
Humble Pie did a lot of cover tunes, some on studio albums and some only appeared in their live set. They bore no resemblance to the original tunes, and became uniquely Humble Pie tunes. I only knew they were cover tunes because I would read the songwriting credits. Funny thing is that I've heard bands cover Humble Pie covers, i.e. 80's band WASP did "I Don't Need No Doctor" on one of their studio albums, practically duplicating the Pie version on Rockin' the Fillmore. What a way to broadcast how unoriginal you are - to cover ANOTHER band's unique and original cover song note-for-note.
You say Mega Ultra Deluxe Special Limited Edition Extended Autographed 5-LP, 3-CD, 4-DVD, 2-BlueRay, 4-Cassette, five 8-Track, MP4 Download plus Demos, Outtakes, Booklet, T-Shirt and Guitar Pick Gold-Leafed Box Set Version like it's a bad thing...
^I'd bet that up to 75% of cover songs are note-for-note versions.
The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off
Bob Dylan, essentially, does cover versions of his own music. He seems to have a new arrangement every time. In fact, his performances of "All Along the Watchtower" are more like Jimi's version. So, I guess that would be a cover of a cover.
Many people still don't know that Jimi didn't write that.
Not necessarily note-for-note, but I'd say the percentage of cover tunes that sound "a little too much" like the original is closer to 90%. For every example like Devo's version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction or Richie Havens' version of Here Comes The Sun, there's dozens of things like the Great White version of Once Bitten Twice Shy or the myriad covers of SOS where they use the exact same arrangement as the Abba version, changing only the language of the lyrics (and in the case of the Swedish version Agneta herself did for one of her solo albums, they even recycled the same backing tape!). Of course, the whole purpose of most of those Abba covers was to ride their coattails, so changing the arrangement and making the song unrecognizable would have cut into that.
nilsson was in the same recording studios with them when he heard them doing this song...
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
I did not know until a few years ago that "Sentimental Lady" was originally a Fleetwood Mac song...although I don't know if it counts as a cover, since Bob Welch wrote the song.
I also am not sure if "Somebody to Love" or "White Rabbit" count exactly as covers, since they were Great Society songs Grace Slick brought over with her to Jefferson Airplane...
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
When I heard The Power Station's "Bang a Gong" back in the '80s, I had no idea it was a T. Rex song. I didn't even know T. Rex existed.
I still like the Power Station version better ...
I knew it was a cover only because they said it was back when this came out. I liked it too, the Sunday's version that is. Not sure if I've heard the Stones version, nor do I want to since I can't stand them. After hearing the light, smooth female vocals, I can't imagine having to hear Mick Jagger sing this.Please tell me you are kidding. If you are under 25 then you are forgiven. If not then no excuse.
It took me a few listens to realize that Devo's Satisfaction was the Stones song.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
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I blame Wynton, what was the question?
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I didn't even realize it was the same song until I saw the byline on the Devo record. I actually saw the Devo video on MTV first, then heard the Stones version (actually, the live take heard on Still Life...yes, I'm that young, that the first times I heard that song, Under My Thumb, and Let's Spend The Night Together, it was on the notorious Still Life).
When i bought the debut Santers album in April of 1982, i did not know "The Rapper" was a cover until i heard the original on the radio about a year ago.
"and what music unites, man should not take apart"-Helmut Koellen
Wait. There were two Santers albums?! I must have the second one, I think it was called Guitar Alley, has a version of All Right Now on it. Pretty good record, I seem to recall.
There were three-the debut called Shot Down In Flames (82)-Racing Time (82) and Guitar Alley.
"and what music unites, man should not take apart"-Helmut Koellen
Wow, didn't know that. I only ever remember hearing about Guitar Alley, probably because Rik Emmett produced it. It's certainly the only one I ever remember seeing in record stores.
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