Songs older than you think

[maverickeastwood]

I was listening to the Nirvana Unplugged album, specifically "Where did you sleep last night" (awesome tune). Later on, I was going through the where the song had come from and had found that Nirvana wasn't the original composer. Turns out it was a bluesman named Huddie Ledbetter AKA Leadbelly that sang it (not wrote it, it's actually an old folk tune of origins unknown) long before Nivana covered it. So I found a Leadbelly CD at HMV and bought it and also found another song that I never knew was that old! Turns out Ramjets "blackbetty" is a variation of "Looky Looky Yonder" on the Leadbelly album!

Any other CP'ers know of any other tunes that are older than they seem? Kinda neat to know.

[Hemi-Cuda]

i was going to say that i'm surprised so many people don't realize that Metallica's Whiskey in The Jar is a cover, but trying to find the original composer (i thought The Highwaymen did it first) the song is actually a traditional Irish folk song that dates back to the 17th century. so a 400 year gap from when i thought the song was first done is quite the difference

[FlamesAllTheWay]

http://www.coversproject.com/ is a great site for something like this.

I was suprised to learn the Pogues "Cotton Fields" is a very loose cover of a Leadbelly song by the same name. More like a bit of sampling actually.

I got into the Pogues because I heard "Whiskey in the Jar" by Metellica was originally by some Irish band. A search turned up a version the Pogues did, but the song was originally done by a band called the Dubliners.

EDIT: haha, I was typing this before the post above came up. I'm sure the "original" original dates further back. I think the Dubliners were the first to record it though.

[OILFAN #81]

I know that one of my favorite songs ever, Boys of Summer by The Ataris (2003) is done originally by Don Henley (1985).

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by maverickeastwood

I was listening to the Nirvana Unplugged album, specifically "Where did you sleep last night" (awesome tune). Later on, I was going through the where the song had come from and had found that Nirvana wasn't the original composer. Turns out it was a bluesman named Huddie Ledbetter AKA Leadbelly that sang it (not wrote it, it's actually an old folk tune of origins unknown) long before Nivana covered it. So I found a Leadbelly CD at HMV and bought it and also found another song that I never knew was that old! Turns out Ramjets "blackbetty" is a variation of "Looky Looky Yonder" on the Leadbelly album!

Any other CP'ers know of any other tunes that are older than they seem? Kinda neat to know.

There's an amazing demo version of "where did you sleep last night" on Nirvana's box set. It's recorded in such a low quality way that it sounds like it was recorded way back in the day of the early blues recordings.

[Bobblehead]

Well, i hear the advertising the Joe Sports Gala thing today, and because The Animals are playing there they had "House of the Rising Sun" playing in the background. The Animals had a #1 hit with that in '64, but the earliest know recording was back in the '30s and the song itself is older than that.

[maverickeastwood]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Well, i hear the advertising the Joe Sports Gala thing today, and because The Animals are playing there they had "House of the Rising Sun" playing in the background. The Animals had a #1 hit with that in '64, but the earliest know recording was back in the '30s and the song itself is older than that.

I forgot about that one. Leadbelly also recorded "In New Orleans/House of the rising sun". The Animals version appears to be from this particular track. So that makes 3 on this CD!

[flamesdyehard]

It amazing how many people think "ghetto superstar" was original. Until they hear Island in the Stream by Dolly and Kenny.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

i was going to say that i'm surprised so many people don't realize that Metallica's Whiskey in The Jar is a cover, but trying to find the original composer (i thought The Highwaymen did it first) the song is actually a traditional Irish folk song that dates back to the 17th century. so a 400 year gap from when i thought the song was first done is quite the difference

That blew my mind as well. I was helping my parents out with some computer problems one night listening to that song when my dad comes in and says "hey, I know that song" and of course im wondering how the hell he would know any song from Metallica and next thing I know, he is busting out this old Celtic CD and sure enough, it's an oldie! VERY old.

If anything, it made me even more impressed with Metallica for taking an old song like that and making it ROCK!! What the hell were they doing listening to that kind of music? A testament to the band I say.

[FlamesAddiction]

I'm surprised that people don't know those are cover songs - especially the Nirvana version of "Where did you sleep last night". First of all, it doesn't sound like a Nirvana song, and the writing is not similar to other Kurt Cobain songs. Almost half of the Unplugged album are cover tunes.

I guess people don't read liner notes any more....

[StrayBullet]

Okay... so is this a thread regarding song covers or songs that are sampled?

[getbak]

I was surprised when I heard the original version of what I thought was a They Might Be Giants original, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". It was originally recorded in the 50s.

[Flames89]

I believe that the original "Where did you sleep last night" was actually called "Black Girl". Nirvana changed (or at least it kinda sounds like they changed) the words to "My Girl".

Another oldy but goody is White Stripes "St. James Infirmary Blues" - just another old blues song that has been around forever...

[CMPunk]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I'm surprised that people don't know those are cover songs - especially the Nirvana version of "Where did you sleep last night". First of all, it doesn't sound like a Nirvana song, and the writing is not similar to other Kurt Cobain songs. Almost half of the Unplugged album are cover tunes.

I guess people don't read liner notes any more....

Or that Kurt talks about it being a cover before they play it. He talks about someone trying to sell him Leadbelly's guitar but they wanted too much for it

[maverickeastwood]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

That blew my mind as well. I was helping my parents out with some computer problems one night listening to that song when my dad comes in and says "hey, I know that song" and of course im wondering how the hell he would know any song from Metallica and next thing I know, he is busting out this old Celtic CD and sure enough, it's an oldie! VERY old.

If anything, it made me even more impressed with Metallica for taking an old song like that and making it ROCK!! What the hell were they doing listening to that kind of music? A testament to the band I say.

Goes to show how influential something can be, even 400 years later.

[maverickeastwood]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

Or that Kurt talks about it being a cover before they play it. He talks about someone trying to sell him Leadbelly's guitar but they wanted too much for it

...So I'm tone-deaf...or even deaf for that matter

[Montana Moe]

Tons of Led Zeppelin tunes are based on, or covers of old blues tracks.

"Turn the Page" from Metallica is also a cover of a Bob Seger song.

Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" was an old blues tune as well. (Big Mama Thornton)

[troutman]

Originally Posted by flamesdyehard

It amazing how many people think "ghetto superstar" was original. Until they hear Island in the Stream by Dolly and Kenny.

Islands In The Stream was written by the Bee-Gees.

Another example; Gangsta's Paradise (Coolio) is a re-working of Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder.

[Canada 02]

'Hey Hey, My My' is not a bad Oasis song, it is a great song by Neil Young

[Matata]

Originally Posted by maverickeastwood

Goes to show how influential something can be, even 400 years later.

I met an Irishman who told me that 'Whiskey in the Jar' is the *true* Irish national anthem.