Songs They Gave Away

[2 of 3]

Lot's of established artists have written music for others. Some good stuff was given away. What's ever more interesting, is that the songs given away, ended up sounding so much like the artist they were written for. For instance:

Paul writing Wings of a Nightingale for The Everly Brothers. Even Pauls demo sounds like an EB tune.

Jeff Lynn's You Got It, for Roy Orbison..... That sounds like one of Roy's songs right after the first listen.

Stevie Wonder has given lot's away, so has Prince. How many more can you come up with?

[maccastheman]

I don't know how many I can come up with, but some of my favorite songs written by one artist for another artist or made famous by another artist include:

The Glamorous Life - Sheila E. (Prince)*
Leave Virginia Alone - Rod Stewart (Tom Petty)
Get Ready - The Temptations (Smokey Robinson)*
The Way You Do The Things You Do - Temptations (Smokey Robinson)*
My Girl - Temptations (Smokey Robinson)*
Manic Monday - The Bangles (Prince)*
Until You Come Back to Me - Aretha Franklin (Stevie Wonder)*
I Feel For You - Chaka Khan (Prince)*
Nothing Compares 2U - Sinead O'Conner (Prince)
Respect - Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding) -Not really written for her, but still...
Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley (Otis Redding)*
Because the Night - Patti Smith (Bruce Springsteen)*
You Bowed Down - Roger McGuinn (Elvis Costello)*
Don't Let Him Waste Your Time - Nancy Sinatra (Jarvis Cocker)*

And many, many more...

[chris]

nice list, mtm. here is a question i'm sure i can predict what the answer will be, but here goes anyway. Can anyone name a Beatles (or solo song for that matter) that was done better by someone else, latter covering that song?

I don't think A Little help from my Friends by Joe cocker was better, but that one was close.

I have heard a down and dirty bluesy rendition of Oh Darling during a local version of Breakfast with the Beatles, but I can't recall who did it

Concrete Blonde did a nice version of Beware of Darkness

And Guns and roses did a nice version of Live and Let die, but not better

[maccastheman]

I like the Faces version of "Maybe I'm Amazed." Rod Stewart was quite a force back then. (Before he went 99% commerical)

[2 of 3]

That's a great list, but I was thinking more of songs that were specifically written for someone else. Like the songs that were written for Carl Perkins or Johnny Cash.

Surf City by Jan and Dean....did the Beach Boys every record that one? It's a Brian Wilson song I'm guessing.

[chris]

I suppose Neil Diamond wrote tons of stuff for the Monkees. You can write off the Monkees if you wish. they may not have changed the world with thier music, but they had some pretty catchy stuff.

Barry Gibb also wrote for others. (sorry I can't be more specific and name some actual songs...getting old I guess)

Carole King made a mint for herself writing early Rock n Roll classics for others before she finally found her voice and released the classic Tapestry (which was practically a greatest hits album)

[maccastheman]

Some of Barry Gibbs stuff he wrote for others:

Guilty - The only Barbara Streisand song I can bare to listen to

Heartbreaker - Great song for Dionne Warwick

Islands In the Stream - Written for Diana Ross but song by Kenny Roger and Dolly Parton.

[maccastheman]

That's a great list, but I was thinking more of songs that were specifically written for someone else. Like the songs that were written for Carl Perkins or Johnny Cash.

Surf City by Jan and Dean....did the Beach Boys every record that one? It's a Brian Wilson song I'm guessing.

I went ahead and put an asterisk next to the ones I know were written for others - 11 of the 14 I listed. I say that not to be a smart ass, but it's amazing how many songs guys like Smokey Robinson, Otis Redding, and Prince wrote for other people considering how many hits they each had of their own.

[chris]

And sorry, 2/3 to veer off topic.

[2 of 3]

No need chris ...but I was just thinking about how much a song written for someone else, sounded like that someone else. If Wings Of A Nightingale were not recorded by the Everly's... it still sounds like them. I think that is a testiment to the song writer...that is seriously cool to be able to do that.