How many one-hit-wonders "own" a song first performed by someone else?

[Orrex]

Manfred Mann's Earth Band, anyone?


I'm sure that fans could name a zillion songs by Mr. Mann, but I couldn't name more than "Blinded By The Light" if my life depended on it.

[hellbound-liberal]

1. I know I'm gonna catch hell for this but how about Patti Smith "Because the Night"?

I prefer 10,000 Maniacs version but I think Patti really owns it.

[ThomCat]

8. I've never heard that. Is it online anyplace that you know of?

:)

[VenusRising]

16. Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs - Because the Night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR1rylYdUxA

[jonnyblitz]

11. actually "because the night " is a Bruce Springsteen song

thought Patti is the first I heard do it.

[hellbound-liberal]

13. Here is a link to a YouTube version by Patti Smith and Sarah Maclachlan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQONvl9Czko

This is a good version too but Natalie Merchant puts chills down my spine!

I just realized that Patti Smith co-wrote Because the Night with Bruce. I think she also had a hit with a cover that she did of Gloria which I believe was by someone else originally.

[jonnyblitz]

21. I know the Doors did a version of Gloria but I am not sure if jim

morrison wrote it. I should do a google but i am lazy. I wasn't aware they wrote the song together! (Smith and Springsteen):hi:

[Kat45]

24. "Gloria" was written by Van Morrison and originally recorded by hiis band, Them

Patti Smith's version had some different lyrics. :hi:

[VenusRising]

15. Woot!!

Totally agreed! Natalie Merchant blew that song away.

[hellbound-liberal]

17. I couldn't help it. I had to listen to it. Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR1rylYdUxA

Still gives me goose bumps!

[VenusRising]

19. I posted the link upthread.

:rofl:

GMTA!!

:pals:

[NC_Nurse]

18. She cowrote the song with Springsteen.

Her version kicks ass. I like Natalie Merchant, but Patti owns this one.

[slj0101]

2. Soft Cell, "Tainted Love."

[Orrex]

Good one! (nt)

[Dora]

3. Who did that one first?

Or are you referring to the EP that included The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?"

[slj0101]

5. Gloria Jones, in 1964.

I had to look it up. I couldn't remember who did it first.

[usaftmo]

26. Absolutely!

I heard her version once, and Soft Cell did so much justice to it. :applause:

[Orsino]

4. Dylan's "Mighty Quinn" was a hit for them long before.

Probably makes them more than one-hit wonders.

[Orrex]

7. Maybe, but

Stop 20 people on the street and ask them to name a Manfred Mann song. Of the three who can name any, I'd bet that they'd name "Blinded by the Light."

YMMV, and I could be wrong, of course...
:shrug:

[Orsino]

12. And I never heard their "Mighty Quinn" until the eighties, I think. n/t

[ceile]

6. "Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards(sp)

Some 60's band did it first.

[soleft]

9. Heard it Through the Grapevine

Who do you think of? Gladys Knight or Marvin Gaye. I think of Gladys.

[blockhead]

20. I think of CCR. nt.

[RandomKoolzip]

10. Manfred Mann: "Doo Wah Diddy."

No, it wasn't by The Earth Band, but by Manfred Mann's original line-up, before Mike D'Abo joined D'abo joined in '66. - after he joined, they scored with a version of Bob Dylan's "Mighty Quinn." But many of their songs were covers anyway, however brilliantly they performed them.

[enigmatic]

14. Earthquake's version of "Friday On My Mind"

better than The Easybeats, IMO..

[jonnyblitz]

22. the strangeloves originally did "I want Candy" made famous

by Bow Wow Wow in the 80's. the video of it by the strangeloves USED to be on youtube but its not any longer so I can't provide a link. I am not sure if Bow Wow Wow is considered a one hit wonder but I can't think of any other songs by them off the top of my head.

[last_texas_dem]

23. Jimi Hendrix

Yeah, I'm being tongue-in-cheek here, as I don't think anyone really considers Jimi Hendrix to be a one-hit wonder. But technically, his one Top 40 single, "All Along the Watchtower", is a cover, and he pretty much made it his own.

In terms of Manfred Mann, the "Earth Band" did have a couple of other hits, including another cover of a track from Bruce Springsteen's debut, "Spirit in the Night", but "Blinded by the Light" is probably the only track most people identify with them. But pre-Earth Band, Manfred Mann (the group) actually had a few hits that have "survived" to a degree, including "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Sha La La", "Pretty Flamingo", and "The Mighty Quinn." I've heard all of these on the oldies stations at least once or twice, so they can't have been totally forgotten.

[mark414]

25. Talking Heads cover of Al Green's 'Take Me To The River"

great fucking version

oh wait...the OP said one-hit wonders...my mistake

still a great cover though

[usaftmo]

27. Although he's not a one-hit wonder

I like Lenny Kravitz's version of "American Woman" a lot better than the original. Same goes for his version of "Are you gonna go my way".