Songs written by people you never realised

[bighairyfaeleith]

How many times have you heard a song that you thought, hold on, how is he/she singing that, that was twenty years before it was writtent by xxx

Example, today on last fm I was treated to "Always on my mind" being sung by johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. I thought hold on, the pet shop boys didn't do this until the 80's or something. So I done some digging on wikipedia and found out it was written by three country music guys and has since been covered by over 300 artists.

Other songs that spring to mind are

Knockin on heavens door - Written by Bob Dylan(Still my favourite version) and covered by Eric Clapton, Guns and Roses and many more.

Anyone got any other good ones?

[Phil D. Rolls]

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How many times have you heard a song that you thought, hold on, how is he/she singing that, that was twenty years before it was writtent by xxx

Example, today on last fm I was treated to "Always on my mind" being sung by johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. I thought hold on, the pet shop boys didn't do this until the 80's or something. So I done some digging on wikipedia and found out it was written by three country music guys and has since been covered by over 300 artists.

Other songs that spring to mind are

Knockin on heavens door - Written by Bob Dylan(Still my favourite version) and covered by Eric Clapton, Guns and Roses and many more.

Anyone got any other good ones?

I suppose the one that takes a lot of people by surprise is that Neil Diamond wrote Red Red Wine, which was eventually slaughtered by UB40.

[bighairyfaeleith]

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I suppose the one that takes a lot of people by surprise is that Neil Diamond wrote Red Red Wine, which was eventually slaughtered by UB40.

There you go, never knew that one either.

[Beefster]

'He's Gonna Step On You Again' by John Kongos. Until a couple of years ago, I assumed that it was a Happy Mondays original. Having said that, the Mondays' version is way better.

Not the same thing but most folk think that 'Killer' is a Seal song and Adamski, who was the main man behind it, gets forgotten.

[CropleyWasGod]

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I suppose the one that takes a lot of people by surprise is that Neil Diamond wrote Red Red Wine, which was eventually slaughtered by UB40.

He also wrote I'm a Believer for the Monkees. Unfortunately, he didn't write Daydream Believer for them

[Alec Splode]

Roberta Flack's classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"; made famous in Clint Eastwwood', "Play Misty For Me" was written by Kirsty McColl's dad Ewan,...a Scots socialist folk singer !!!

Status Quo's .."Rockin' All Over The World"...was written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival !

"Stars on 45" disco trash was directed by Jaap Eggermont, the man behind Golden Earring and the fabulous "Radar Love".

[Barman Stanton]

That big Coolio hit 'Gangsters Paradise' was originally on Stevie Wonders amazing 'Songs in the Key of Life' as Pastime Paradise. Of course the Stevie version is much better!

[Phil D. Rolls]

I'm sure everyone knows that "I Will Always Love You" was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton.

[Calvin]

Not songs or people I like but I find it quirky that 'It's Raining Men' was written by Paul Shaffer.

[bighairyfaeleith]

Stairway to heaven, get ready for this now, was not written by rolf harris, but actually some band called Led Zeppelin in 1971.

Seriously it's true.

[brianmc]

Manic Monday by the Bangles was written by Prince ,as was Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares to You(I think!).

[Aubenas]

'Smile (though your heart is breaking)' written by Charlie Chaplin

[matty_f]

Most of oasis' songs were originally written by the beatles.

[bighairyfaeleith]

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Most of oasis' songs were originally written by the beatles.

Couldn't have chosen much better song writers, those manc lads are no as daft as they look

[Peevemor]

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Roberta Flack's classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"; made famous in Clint Eastwwood', "Play Misty For Me" was written by Kirsty McColl's dad Ewan,...a Scots socialist folk singer !!!

As was Dirty Old Town.

[Peevemor]

Actor Hugh Fraser (not mega famous but a face you'll know as he's been in loads of things - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Fraser_%28actor%29)

6062.jpg

... co-wrote the theme tune for Rainbow.

[Pretty Boy]

Angels by Robie Williams was written by an Irishman called Ray Heffernan.

The story goes that they met in a pub in Dublin had a few beers and went back to the guys flat. He let William hear a few songs he had been working on, Williams liked one called 'An Angel instead' phoned Louis Walsh who organised studio time to make a recording. When Hefferman heard it on an album he got in touch and signed a waver of any rights to the song for £7500.

[Judas Iscariot]

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Angels by Robie Williams was written by an Irishman called Ray Heffernan.

The story goes that they met in a pub in Dublin had a few beers and went back to the guys flat. He let William hear a few songs he had been working on, Williams liked one called 'An Angel instead' phoned Louis Walsh who organised studio time to make a recording. When Hefferman heard it on an album he got in touch and signed a waver of any rights to the song for £7500.

Lifted straight from wikipedia..

Would be stretching things to say Heffernan wrote the song..

[Alec Splode]

The Beach Boys "Never Learn Not to Love" was written by Charles Manson.

[Hibs Class]

This Night by Billy Joel was co-written by Beethoven

[Hibs Class]

The Living Years by Mike & the Mechanics was co-written by B A Robertson

The Bee Gees wrote lots for other people including Chain Reaction (Diana Ross), Islands in the Stream (Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers), Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick) and Woman in Love (Barbra Streisand)

[Bad Martini]

Turnbulls Tornadoes (1973) .... listen to the intro and verse then listen to John Lennon (Happy Xmas - War Is Over .. which was 1971) ... uncanny ................I keep telling everyone Lennon was a Hibs fan or, was the Tornadoes songwriter a Lennon fan

[Pretty Boy]

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Lifted straight from wikipedia..

Would be stretching things to say Heffernan wrote the song..

Not from Wikipedia. From an old copy of Q magazine dealing with the very same topic as this thread. May have been lifted from there onto Wikipedia i suppose.

[chorley_fm]

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I suppose the one that takes a lot of people by surprise is that Neil Diamond wrote Red Red Wine, which was eventually slaughtered by UB40.

I think Neil Diamond wrote quite a few songs

[CropleyWasGod]

You'll Never Walk Alone wasn't written by Gerry Marsden or some wee nyaff from the East End of Glasgow.

[Aubenas]

Turnbulls Tornadoes & Happy Christmas War is over both use a well known American folk tune - Skewball or Stewball about a racehorse. Don't think Lennon ever claimed the tune. Can't remember what it said on the Tornadoes' record, though Sheila (Mrs Tom) Hart wrote the lyric

[Bad Martini]

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Turnbulls Tornadoes & Happy Christmas War is over both use a well known American folk tune - Skewball or Stewball about a racehorse. Don't think Lennon ever claimed the tune. Can't remember what it said on the Tornadoes' record, though Sheila (Mrs Tom) Hart wrote the lyric

I think my thinking aboot Lennon being a Hibby is more accurate

[Pete]

Slight tangent but I didn't realise until recently that Divine Comedy wrote the Father Ted theme tune.

Also, the title song for the kids TV show "Engy Benjy" is written and performed by Clint Boon, Lead singer of the inspiral carpets.

There you go.

[Phil D. Rolls]

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I think my thinking aboot Lennon being a Hibby is more accurate

It's hard to think that the teenage Lennon, on his annual holiday in Ednburgh's Ormidale Terrace, didn't give a passing thought to Hibs. Except for the fact that he had no interest in football whatsoever.

[Mibbes Aye]

Remember being mildly surprised when I first heard that Cathy Dennis wrote "Can't Get You Out of My Head" for Kylie.

A quick search reveals Dennis has writing or co-writing credits for a string of hits including "I Kissed A Girl" by Katie Perry; "Toxic" by Britney Spears; "About You Now" by Sugababes and most of S Club 7's back catalogue.

She's certainly stepped out of her brother Shaun's shadow now

Classic X Factor ballad and big hit for Celine Dion, "All By Myself" was originally written and performed by some bloke called Eric Carmen but a big chunk of the melody is directly lifted from Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, which was written around the turn of the twentieth century.