51 Songs You Didn't Know Are Covers

this video is sponsored by HD piano I've already made two videos about songs you may not have known are actually covers but there's so many examples out there so today we're going to look at 51 more examples of songs that you didn't know are covers starting with Madonna's 1998 track ray of light the ray of light actually started life in a very different form as the 1971 folk track seph by the folk Duo Curtis moldon and [Music] I in 1981 softel had a syn pop hit with the song Tainted Love Tainted [Music] Love but this

song was actually originally recorded back in 1965 by Gloria Jonesy lovey love one of Tom Jones's best known songs is his 1968 hit help yourself just help my lips my word but help yourself is actually an English language version of an Italian song called G it's rare for non-english language songs to be a hit in English-speaking Nations so songs that find success in other other parts of Europe for example can often get translated into English language versions for example the sugar babes 2003 hit to Lost in You is actually an English language version of the

French song K performed by French singer Patricia [Music] Cass you [Music] you another very famous song that's started Life as a French song is my way made famous of course by Frank Sinatra I did it my way my way began as a French song called K deud in 1967 2 years later Paul Anor set an English lyric to it creating my [Music] way many of Frank Sinatra's most famous recordings are actually cover versions and this is because he comes from the era when covering songs was a really really common thing to do back in the'

40s 50s and 60s if a song was a hit for one singer many of the other singers would then record their own version meaning that many of the songs by Ella Fitzgerald or Frank snater or other singers of that era are not necessarily the original recording for example New York New York which is often associated with Frank Sinatra was actually originally recorded by Liza Manelli for the climatic scene of Martin scor's 1977 film New York New York New York New York I want to wake up New York New York I want to wake another Frank

Sinatra signature song is Fly Me to the Moon but surprise surprise this is also a cover version Fly Me to the Moon let me play Frank released his version in 1964 but the the original version was released 10 years earlier under the title in other words and was actually in a different time sign show it was in 34 rather than the 44 we know from Frank Sinatra's version and it was actually Quincy Jones who arranged that Franken arra version into 44 time to the Moon let me another Frank Sinatra classic is something stupid which he

recorded as a duet with his daughter Nancy Sinatra in 1967 can I go andoil it all by saying something stupid like I love but this song was actually first recorded by its songwriter C Carson parks along with his wife Gail foot under the name Carson and Gail one year earlier than Frank's version now let's look at a few examples suggested by you guys I've always known land of a thousand dancers to be a song by Wilson picket know how it like but the song was first recorded 4 years earlier by its songwriter Chris [Music] Kenna

The First Cut Is to deepest has been recorded by various artists perhaps most wellknown amongst them Rod Stewart in 1977 First Cut Is theep I know but the song was actually originally written by Cat Stevens with the First Recording released being by PP Arnold 10 years earlier than Rod Stewart's version both is theep Midnight Train to Georgia is one of gladdest night in the Pip's most famous songs but it was originally recorded by its songwriter Jim wle under the title midnight plane to Houston oh Midnight Train Georgia [Music] midnight He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

is one of the Holly's most enduring songs brother the Holly version came out in September 1969 but actually earlier that year the original version came out performed by Kelly Gordon he's my brother I'm sure you've heard the 1960s song the The Twist by Chubby Checker come on baby let's do the TST however the original version of The Twist was released 2 years earlier and performed by Hank Ballard and the midnighters come on baby the most famous version of Isaiah little prayer is by ARA Franklin forever stay in my heart as is the case for many

of the songs written by Bert Barak and how David it was originally performed by Dion Warwick another classic song written by Bert Barak and how David is close to you and I think most people would be most familiar with the Carpenters version of this [Music] song however close to you was first recorded 7 years earlier by Richard Chamberlain they long to be close to you I'm sure you regrettably remember the one hit wonder performed by The baraha Men released in the year 2000 called who let the dogs out who let the dogs but this song

was actually a cover the original version was released by the songs songwriter an slim Douglas and released 2 years prior in 1998 who let the dogs out let the dogs out another one hit wonder released around the turn of the century is Mumbo number five by Lou beger Mambo Number Five started as an instrumental mambo song released in 1949 by cuan musician damazo Perez Paro [Music] 50 years later German singer L beger added his own vocal Melody over the top creating the version of Mumbo number five that we all know and love today in 2003

British R&B singer Jia released the hit song Superstar are must be of Superstar but this song was actually first released earlier in 2003 in January by Danish artist Christine Milton know who you are but you must be some kind of Superstar on the Beatles earlier albums they included many cover versions to bulk out the track list covers that they used to perform back in Hamburg and in the cavern as part of their life set for example Till There Was You that the Beatles included on their with the Beatles album is originally a show tune from

the musical The Music Man I never saw them at all Till There Was You H them at all there was you a taste of honey that the Beatles included on their debut album Please Please Me actually started life as an instrumental from the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey with the vocals and lyrics being added in 1961 by Billy D Williams A Taste of Honey A Taste of Honey A Taste of Honey a taste Please Mr Postman that the Beatles also recorded for their with the Beatles album was originally performed by the Marvel ANS

bman oh yeah bman oh and for one more example Act Naturally which was the bside to The Beatles Yesterday was originally recorded by Buck Owens and the buckaroos and all got to do is act naturally and all I got to do is act naturally I imagine you'll recognize the song You Are So Beautiful made most famous by Joe Cocker You are so beautiful but this song was actually written and first performed by Billy Preston the same Billy Preston who played keyboards for the Beatles during their Let It Be album you are So Beautiful to this

is the 1993 song What A man performed by Salt and Pepper with [Music] envog the salt and pepper version of this song it's actually a reworking of a 1968 soul song performed by Linda Lindell a a again Linda lindel was a white soul singer who was often supporting acts like James Brown and itina Turner and in fact due to her association with these black artists the white supremacist the kuuu clan threatened Lindell forcing her to withdraw from music until Sultan Pepper's version of the song repop poiz the track giving her the confidence to continue a

career in music you may recognize the track Renegades of Funk performed by A Rage Against the Machine but this is actually a cover the song was first recorded back in 1983 by Africa bambata and soul Sonic [Music] force in fact The Rage Against the Machine album that this comes from Renegades is a cover album all of the songs on it are covers another example of a covers album is David Bowie's 1973 album Pinups probably the most well-known recording from this album is Bowie's version of sor [Music] which was originally recorded by The McCoys back in

[Music] 1965 another covers album is almost Blue by Elvis Castello and the attractions this album was a collection of country music covers most notably good year for the Roses what a good year for the r good year for the Roses was written by Jerry Chestnut and originally performed by George Jones in 1970 it's been a good for the many of the songs we're looking at today are available to learn right now at HD piano you don't need to know anything about sheet music all of the songs are laid out in these really easy to understand

tutorials where the shooter plays through it and then walks you section by section through what you need to do very little jargon very accessible the first chord we playing is an A Minor we're playing this A minor chord in second inversion so if you want to start learning some songs at the piano right now do check out HD piano by following the link down below thanks very much in 1987 Freddy Mercury released the song The Great Pretender yes I'm the great Pretender this song was actually first released 32 years prior performed by The Platters yes

I'm the great Pretender Chen Conor's most famous song is nothing compares to you nothing compares Nothing Compares but this song was originally written by Prince and first performed by the band the family which was a project Pi by Prince where although he didn't perform any of the vocals he did perform many of the [Music] instruments I'm pretty confident you'll know the song You Raised Me Up but you may know it by Wes life or you may know it by Josh groin you ra me up so I can't stand on M You raise me up so

I can stand however the original version of the song was released by the song's songwriter rol Loveland under the name Secret Garden you me up I stand on another song that Wes life have performed is Mandy now of course Mandy is most famously performed by Barry Manalo back in 1974 where you came and you gave with without takeen oh man well you came and you I but Mandy began life as Brandy and was first performed 2 years prior to the Barry Manalo version by the singer bunny [Music] Watters one of bier's most successful songs is

it's oh so quiet oh so quiet sh sh but anybody who's listened to other BK Music knows that this song really doesn't sound like BK and that's because it's a cover version the original English language version of it so quiet was released by Betty Hudson in 1955 it's so so [Music] Qui although the song actually began Life as a German song 3 years prior performed by hor winter still those in the UK might remember the song it's not over yet performed by the claxon in 2007 but this song was actually originally performed back in 1993

by the artist [Music] Grace in 2001 Shaggy released the song Angel angel you're mying Angel sh's version of Angel is actually a blend of a sample of the 1973 track The Joker by the Steve Miller Band and what is effectively the original version of Angel a song called Angel of the Morning first performed by Eevee Sans back in 1967 Angel of the Morning in 1994 American R&B group all for one had a hit with the song I Swear [Music] iar star but I swear was originally performed one year earlier by the country artist John Michael

Montgomery [Music] I st Nora Jones most well-known song was her 2002 track don't know why don't know why I didn't come don't know why it was written by Nora Jones guitarist Jesse Harris and first performed by his band back in 1999 don't know why I didn't come if you've seen The Blues Brothers film then you'll remember Shake a Tail Feather performed by Ray [Music] Charles but just like all of the other songs performed in The Blues Brothers film shakeer tail feather is a cover version and was first performed by the five du tones back in

[Music] 1963 in my previous video about cover versions I mentioned that the song The Mighty Quinn by Manfred man was actually a cover version but another Manfred Man song that was also a cover version is DOA Diddy Diddy Do didy Diddy was first performed one year prior to the Manfred man version back in 1963 by the American vocal group The exciters I always thought that TR A Little Tenderness was an Otis reading song but the original version of trialist with tenderness was actually recorded 34 years earlier back in 1932 and performed by the ray Noble

Orchestra Try a Little Tenderness during his solo career Roxy Music lead singer Brian Ferry has recorded many cover versions and a song that you may not have realized was a cover version is his 1976 version of let's stick together come on on together let's stick together was first performed back in 1962 by the songs songwriter Wilber Harris on come [Music] together a classic Tina Turner hit is What's Love Got to Do With It released in 1984 What's Love Got to Do got to do it the song was written by greme Lyall and Terry Brittain and

first offered to Cliff Richard who rejected it it was then later offered to Buck Fizz who did record it but then didn't release their version after Tina Turner's version became a hit the bux Fizz version wasn't released in many years later in the year [Music] 2000 so although the bux F version was recorded before the tinaa version the tinaa version was still the first recording of the song made publicly available quite a distinctive song is Hooked on a Feeling by Blue SED Hooked On A but this song was first performed back in 1968 by BJ

Thomas HED on a in 1986 the British group the house Martins released the song Caravan of Love join the of Love Caravan of love was first performed one year earlier by eisy Jasper Eisley who were one half of the classic I Le brother lineup eny the of that same year Simply Red released the song money's too tight to mention that was itself a cover version of the 1982 song by the Valentine's [Music] prophets the song always on my mind has been performed by various different artists over the years the most recent noteworthy version is by

Pet Shop Boys with their 1987 recording going to number one in the UK and across [Music] Europe but the song was first released back in 1972 performed by the artist Gwen McCrae in 1982 the band bow wow wow released the song I want candy I want candy this song was first released 17 years prior by the band The Strange loves an iconic early rock and roll song is Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets now although Bill Haley was performing this song live as early as 1953 due to some disputes he wasn't

able to record it until later in 195 5 4 and by the time he'd done that the song had actually already been recorded and released by The Band Sunny Day and his nights as I discussed in a previous video many lead Zeppelin songs are effectively covers of old blues songs for example When the Levy Breaks was first recorded by Memphis mini and Kansas Joe McCoy back in 1929 Le is going to break if it keeps on rain Le is going to break now the reason they say are effectively cover versions is because Zeppelin had a

bad habit of sometimes not really crediting the original artist granted Zeppelin would often quite dramatically transform the songs that they were covering but they were still effectively cover versions for example their song Dazed and Confused was extensively based on a song by the same name by the artist Jake Holmes been daed and Confused for so long it's not true I'm and Confused stay AG sometimes it's not completely clear what version of a song is the true original for example Video Killed the Radio Star was written by Trevor Horn Jeff DS and Bruce woly now although

the most famous version of the song is by the bugles a band that featured the song writers Trevor Horn and Jeff DS radi radi the third songwriter on the song Bruce wooly actually managed to release the song 3 months earlier than the bugles [Applause] version so by a strict definition I guess we would say the Bruce woly version here is the original as it was released first but the bugles version is not only more popular but it was also performed by some of the songs songwriters so I think it too can be considered an original

version not a cover and the last song We'll look at today is Blame It on the Boogie made most famous by The Jacksons in [Music] 1978 but this song was actually first performed one year earlier by Mick Jackson and by the way Mick Jackson is no relation to the Jackson 5 on the [Music] good so there we go 51 more songs that you may or may not have known are cover versions if you can think of any other examples then do include them down below in the comments and maybe I'll make a fourth installment in

the series [Music]