Blog Layout
5 SONGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW WERE COVERS
Quite often on Forest Radio we like to delve a little deeper than the big hits and play songs you never hear on the radio. Invariably that often includes original versions of songs that became bigger as cover versions.
So we thought we'd share a few here. Five songs that you didn't know were covers ... or perhaps you did!
1. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
This song was a huge hit in 1981 for Marc Almond and David Ball aka Soft Cell. However the original version dates back to 1964. It was written by Ed Cobb from The Four Preps and was released as a B side by Gloria Jones twice in 1965 and 1976. However both times the single failed to chart.
It was also covered by Marilyn Manson in 2001 and Imelda May.
Ooh, fun fact. Gloria Jones went on to sing and play keyboards in T-Rex. She was also in a relationship with Marc Bolan and they have a son together, Rolan.
2. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
This was a big solo comeback hit for George in 1987 from his much acclaimed album Cloud 9. Originally it was James Ray who recorded the song back in 1962.
It was written by Rudy Clark who also wrote It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song). This could also be classed as a hidden cover. It was a number one for Cher in 1990 but originally recorded by Betty Everett in 1964.
3. Blondie - Denis
This song was the first big UK hit for Blondie and one of many hidden gems they covered during their career.
The original was about a girl, Denise and was a big do-wop hit in the US by Randy and The Rainbows in 1963.
Blondie went on to record Hanging On The Telephone
in 1979. This was a minor hit for The Nerves
the year before and written by Jack Lee. Fun fact: he also wrote Come Back and Stay
which was covered by Paul Young in 1983.
The Tide Is High
was another big hit for Blondie. This was originally performed by The Paragons
in 1967 as a B side to Only A Smile.
Wow! This was only meant to be a list of 5. We're already up to 6!!
3. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
This was the song that launched Cyndi Lauper's career. It was on her debut album She's So Unusual
and a big hit worldwide in 1983.
The original though was written and recorded by American musician Robert Hazard in 1979. It was only ever recorded as a demo (hence why it sounds a little scratchy in this YouTube clip). It has since been covered by over 30 different artists. Cyndi's version was nominated for two Grammys.
Another of Cyndi's big hits, I Drove All Night
was essentially a cover version too. That song was written by the songwriting duo of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly for Roy Orbison. Although Roy recorded his version in 1987 it didn't actually get released until after his death in 1992. By that time Cyndi had already recorded her version, had a big hit with it and moved on (her version was a hit in 1989).
4. Kim Carnes - Betty Davis Eyes
We all know the Kim Carnes version of this song. In fact it spent 9 weeks on top of the Billboard chart and was a number 1 in a total of 21 countries in 1981. It also won two Grammys.
It's original version was recorded 7 years before by Jackie DeShannon who wrote it with Donna Weiss. It can be found tucked away quietly on Jackie's New Arrangement
album. Kim Carnes performed major surgery on the original DeShannon version making it almost unrecognisable.
Ever wondered what the real Betty Davis thought of it? She liked it. She was 73 when the Kim Carnes version was a hit. In fact after it won two Grammys she wrote to both Kim Carnes and Jackie DeShannon thanking them for making her a 'part of modern times'.
5. Toni Basil - Mickey
It took a couple of stabs for Toni Basil to have a hit with this song. When it did finally get noticed in 1982 it did pretty well. It made number 2 in the UK and then got to number 1 a few months later in both the US and Canada.
Originally though Mickey was a girl. The original was recorded as Kitty
by Racey. They had a few bigger hits in the late 70's and early 80's (Lay Your Love On Me, Some Girls).
The song was written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. They're they guys who wrote many big glam hits for The Sweet, Smokie, Suzi Quattro and Mud. Click here
to read more about how Mike Chapman made Blondie a household name.
Noteable mentions
Well we went over our original promise of 5 cover versions a while back so we thought let's really go for broke and mention 5 that may be a little more obvious.
1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
This behemoth of number one hits was all over 1992 thanks to Whitney and the movie The Bodyguard. It was written by Dolly Parton as a goodbye to her former partner Porter Wagoner.
Dolly recorded her version in 1973 and it went on to be a number one twice, in 1974 and in 1982.
2. Valerie - Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse
This has almost become one of Amy's signature songs after she sang it for producer Mark Ronson on his Version album in 2006. It got to number 2 in the UK a year later.
The original was a much slower indie rock affair written and recorded by The Zutons in 2006 also. It made the top 10 in the UK and was written about celebrity make up artist Valerie Star.
3. The Beatles - Twist and Shout
The Fab Four did a lot of covers on their first few albums and by the time John Lennon screamed his way through Twist and Shout it had already done the rounds quite a few times.
Phil Medley and Bert Berns wrote it (both pretty well established songwriters in the early 60's). It was recorded first by The Top Notes (and produced by Phil Spector). When The Isley Brothers covered it in 1962 it became a hit in the US Billboard 100 and the first top 20 hit for the Isleys.
4. The Clash - I Fought The Law
By 1979 The Clash were already an established part of punk royalty (if that was a thing). I Fought The Law appeared on their EP The Cost of Living and quickly became the stand out track for radio.
Its origins go back to 1958 with the original version by Sonny Curtis (from The Crickets) going largely unnoticed. The Bobby Fuller Four however took it to the top 10 in 1966. It has since gone on to earn a place on the Rolling Stone magazine's coveted 500 best songs of all time list.
5. Aretha Franklin - Respect
Aretha's version of this song is now regarded as one of her finest moments and one of the best songs of the late 60's R&B era.
The song was originally written and recorded by Otis Redding for his highly acclaimed 1965 Otis Blue album. Aretha's version picks it up a notch from the original and it was Frankin's arrangement that made it the standard we know and love today.
9th June 2024 Here's this week's playlist from our Sunday request show. Many of our listeners have been asking if they can get a list of all the songs we play, so here it is. Chris Taylor was in charge this Sunday with producer Lucy. This weeks theme was songs with a vowel at the start. If you haven't heard of us before make sure you join us every Sunday 10am.
Here on Forest Radio, we love to celebrate peoples birthdays. So here are 5 birthdays in September from musicians that have had a major influence in the music industry. You may even share a birthday with one of these legends.
There's one big thing that sets us apart from our competition. We do it all for free. From the very beginning our aim was to create a radio station we would want to listen to. Twenty two years later and Forest Radio is the fastest growing internet radio stations in Essex. But in order for us to continue playing the good time oldies we need your help.
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a band or artist we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 500 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about Duran Duran. But don't get too comfy, it is only 500 words (ish).
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a band or artist we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 250 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about Jerry Lee Lewis. But don't get too comfy, it is only 250 words (ish).
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a band or artist we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 400 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about Chas & Dave. But don't get too comfy, it is only 250 words (ish).
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a musical genre we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 600 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about classical music. But don't get too comfy, it is only 600 words (ish).
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a band or artist we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 400 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about Phil Collins. But don't get too comfy, it is only 400 words (ish).
Here's one of our potted histories. Everything you need to know about a band or artist we play on Classic Hits Forest Radio all squeezed into 400 words (ish) (just in case you were going to count). So pull up a chair and find out everything you need to know about Meat Loaf. But don't get too comfy, it is only 400 words (ish).
Reggae is a musical genre that originated from Jamaica and gained popularity in the 1960s. The genre was highly influenced by American jazz, ska, rocksteady and rhythm and blues. Usually, reggae music is off beat, has a slow tempo and is drum and bass heavy. Lyrics often were politicised and stressed the social and economic injustices in the world. The genre is often linked to Rastafarianism and has spread to countries across the world. Reggae spread to the UK in the 70s and influenced bands such as UB40, Steel Pulse and Aswad. Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley and the Wailers and UB40 are three of the most influential and successful reggae artists of all time. See below a little about each artist.
Classic Hits Forest Radio
Classic Hits Forest Radio is a service of Radio Forest (CIO), a registered UK charity and a not for profit voluntary organisation. We are not
associated or affiliated to any other media group.
Our local news is provided by
Everything Epping Forest.
Contact us
Radio Forest
The Plain Epping Essex CM16 6TN
Classic Hits Forest Radio and Forest Radio are registered trademarks of Radio Forest CIO.