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Who Did It First?
Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists
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- 69,99 $
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- 69,99 $
Description de l’éditeur
“Everybody has to start somewhere. Businessmen start on the ground floor and try to work their way up the corporate ladder. Baseball players bide their time in the minor leagues wishing for an opportunity to move up and play in the majors. Musical compositions aren’t very different – some songs just don’t climb the charts the first time they’re recorded. However, with perseverance, the ideal singer, the right chemistry, impeccable timing, vigorous promotion, and a little luck, these songs can become very famous.” So writes Bob Leszczak in the opening pages of Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists.
In this third and final volume to the Who Did It First? series, readers explore the hidden history of the most famous, indeed legendary, rock songs and standards. Did you know that the Wild Ones had a “Wild Thing” before the Troggs? Were you aware that it took a second shot for “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love” to make the charts? Had you heard that Guy Villari and the Regents dated “Barbara Ann” five years before the Beach Boys? Were you privy to the fact that there was “Hanky Panky” going on with Ellie Greenwich and the Raindrops, as well as the Summits, before Tommy James and the Shondells made the song a number 1 classic? Some of the information contained within these pages will shock, rattle and roll you. You may fancy yourself a music expert, but this third and last in a series of titles devoted to the story of great songs and their revival as great covers is filled with eye openers. In many instances, one’s eyes will open even wider as a result of the list of cover artists (with Paul Anka’s remake of Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” leading the pack).
Who Did It First?Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artistsis the perfect playlist builder. So whether quizzing friends at a party, answering a radio station contest, or just satisfying an insatiable curiosity to know who really did do it first, this work is a must-have.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An argument settler if ever there was one, Bob Leszczak's (Who Did It First: Great Rhythm and Blues Cover Songs and their Original Artists) meticulously detailed assessment will help music aficionados set the record straight when it comes to song authorship. Music lovers who have long associated classics like "Always on My Mind" with Willie Nelson (originally recorded by Brenda Lee) and "I Will Always Love You" with Whitney Houston (originally recorded and written by Dolly Parton) are in for a surprise when they peruse this encyclopedic collection of cover songs. They'll discover that standards such as "I Write the Songs," popularized by Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers's iconic "The Gambler," and even Glen Campbell's hit "Rhinestone Cowboy" were all first recorded by others. Each entry is briefly detailed with a selection of factoids including chart position, sales numbers, and occasionally a list of additional artists who covered it. While entertaining, it's far from definitive: readers looking for Alien Ant Farm's popular cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" or a mention of Social Distortion's cover of "Ring of Fire" will find a great deal of omissions. Leszczak's sweet spot is pop music from the mid- 50s through the mid- 70s. Fans of those eras will likely find themselves humming many a long-forgotten tune such as "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" or "I Write the Songs" as they flip through the pages.