It's been malleable enough to be country, soul, pop, and even rock. Who are Cason & Gayden, and what was it about their exhilarating celebration of amour beyond tonight that prompted 6 dozen covers?
Getting onto this quite late, with apologies, as I didn’t know this song (I guess this is one of the many reasons we come here, right? 😉).
On a first listen, what first comes to mind — and I cannot think of anything else — is how timeless the song is. I had to check to make sure I was reading correctly: 1967?! It’s very interesting that, at least to me, there is nothing in the song structure or overall vibe that would give me any definitive clue about the era it originated from. And I know “timeless” is a word that gets used and overused and gets a bit tired, and yet I can’t help but comment on this: how truly timeless it feels. For me as a soul fan, 1967 is a year I will automatically associate with Aretha Franklin, particularly her career-defining album “I Never Loved a Man…”. Many have said that record is timeless as well, and while I don’t disagree, I feel that some records, perhaps on purpose, do give clues about the time they were conceived, and sometimes that’s what makes them successful. It happens a lot with soul and R&B (else the whole “retro soul” movement wouldn’t be what it is, because there is a certain type of song that will need time clues to make it what it is). I guess all this rambling is simply to say that I find it really interesting how songwriters and artists can play with “time clues”, sometimes hiding them, sometimes deliberately introducing them, both valid strategies or approaches, to give a song a certain feel.
Late schmate......I'm just glad you're here, Andy! I'm actually kinda surprised you hadn't heard this before....in some iteration, due to its ubiquity over the decades (even though your decades, bless your corazon, number but 3+)!
I thought of you while writing this, thinking, if nothing else, you'd favor Knight's original or Carlton's big hit (in the U.S., anyway). I think your "timeless" attribute is apt, here, and it's longevity over time proves it. And, the mixed (and full) bag of arrangement choices producers and artists have made are mind-spinning (and thoroughly enjoyable)!
I was impressed by Love Affair's immediate cover of Knight's, and was also surprised with how thoroughly unique their cover was (a lot of it had to do with Steve Ellis's unique style and phrasing).
Your "time clues" phrase and idea is smart, and so true. I think Love Affair's (if taken as a blind listen) could fool someone into thinking solidly '70s, far away from what was going on, typically, in '67! By the same token, in the other direction, Tears for Fears' "Sowing the Seeds of Love" has, to me, always been such a clever and accurate late-'60s pastiche that is so rare to create without being "cute" or "cloying," and Curt and Roland hit that one out of the park (sorry...baseball reference)!😉
In listening to Love Affair's just now, I'm wondering why Grass Roots didn't take a stab at it....granted, they were late '60s, as well, but they were around in the early '70s. I would've loved to hear Rob Grill singing that! The L.A. added horns helped me make that leap!
I'd love to have your input on Rex'n'Rachel's, if you're game. I'm planning a focused piece on their cover in a week or two, and you can e-mail me any thoughts/critiques/review you'd like, if ya wanna! Especially as you're a first-time listener to the song, itself, much less any of the arrangements! But, inasmuch as theirs, too, was an '80s concoction, you'd have that point of reference, as well!
Your mention of Aretha points me to this story I don't think I've told you: Her 1967 single, "Chain of Fools" (written by Don Covay, produced by Jerry Wexler). Daddy gave it to me. In its release month of November '67, I was 12 1/2! Not only did I love the song, but the sound of the vinyl single was so gritty, no less so than the guitar that begins the song!
That was likely my first time noticing the subtle difference between placing a needle (that's all I knew it by, then!) on a slick LP lead-in shiny vinyl (with its helpful little hump to help catch the needle!), and the flat edge of a 45, where treachery abounds if you mis-judge the flat-surfaced beginning edge! Plus, that 45 starter groove always seemed to have some scratchy sounds that came over the speakers....annoying on most, but on "Chain," the perfect crackly lead-in to that snaky guitar! Probably one of my most vivid and specific music-as-a-kid memory!💖
Thank you, Brad! I feel so bad now for coming in here so late, but as I didn't know the song, I didn't want to wing it by commenting whatever nonsense, and I knew the only way I could comment something meaningful was by listening to, at least, a bit of the original, which I've only managed to find the time to do now (it's been a crazy couple of days, for a whole host of reasons!).
I know it's a bit embarrassing or at least surprising that I didn't know this song, but as you well know, there are gaps in my knowledge: to start with, due to age; secondly, due to my disparate/disjointed life across two very different cultures; and thirdly (and this is entirely my fault), because for many years I kinda ignored or didn't pay a lot of attention to anything that wasn't soulful enough for my ears (!). It's so silly, I know, but when I tell you I was a rebel at heart, I'm only telling you half of the story, the tip of this iceberg of wildness and untamed behaviour that I was as a teenager.
So, all this to say: only now in my thirties am I starting to discover or at least open myself to tunes and sounds that ten years ago I would have completely discarded for not fitting into the soul/R&B/blues "canon" of sorts (except big names like Beatles or Queen) Shameful I know! LOL.
Yes, I'm definitely up for the challenge! I'll need to find the time to listen to the cover you mention, so I can conjure up something of substance, as I don't want to wing it, especially if it's going to see the light of day (and especially if you give me the honour of a mention or quote on this sacred place!).
I absolutely loved reading your story with the Chain of Fools single. Just imagining what you so accurately described, that crackly, scratchy sound leading to that first guitar riff... gives me goosebumps!! Thanks for sharing!
I certainly respect you in taking the time to become familiar with the song and covers. Thanks for considering contributing to the Rex'n'Rachel cover! I'm glad you're opening your doors (and ears!) to things you've heretofore side-stepped. We all experience those unintended musical biases (me? '80s. Oy. But, I'm in therapy....mainly by reading all the wonderful '80s-centric MusicStack writers!)
Thank you, Brad! If there's one place I would never want to half-arse a comment or contribution, this is the one. For starters, out of the huge respect I have for you. And secondly, because it would be foolish of me, to come here all guns blazing with the homework undone... 😂 I mean, it would be like shooting myself in the foot (or other, even more painful, parts.... LOL).
Interesting that you also have eras or genres you initially discarded or didn't pay that much attention to, and are exploring more fully at a later stage. I think admitting our own biases or preconceptions means we are ready/willing to be proven wrong, which is, in and of itself, a sign of openness, and ultimately, that's what matters the most!
As much as I live and breathe '60s thru '70s, those pesky mid- to late-'80s is my gaping pop-culture fissure. That's when I re-entered college, at 29, to radically switch careers! Upon '87 grad, I entered that new profession! Sifting through, now, the '80s, is so much easier, piece by piece, with our Substackers, here (including you)!
I wondered that myself, Michael.....my source didn't mention it, and I'm not one to pry! For our non-distracting purposes here, I thought it'd be suffice to just let this fact sit on its own to further point out just how rare this song is across genres and decades.
I think we can presume that, rather than being a hit, say, it'd probably be another song that presented itself as an attractive and pliable enough tune to arrange for a variety of artists and arrangements. And, it had to be a song with its roots in the '60s!
Obviously, not every "Everlasting Love" was a hit, but always (as time went on, certainly) presented itself as a pleasant album track, an obvious choice for some as a single, and always a concert crowd-pleaser! All of which results in a bushel-full of covers, and with the law of averages being what they are, those eye-popping Top 40 numbers are gonna happen. And, it helps to start with a bangin' song!
What would be fun is trying to GUESS that second song....a song born in the '60s that lent itself to a lot of covers and across genres! Anyone? Anyone?
This article is somewhat helpful. It doesn't answer the question, but does mention both "Unchained Melody" and "Everlasting Love" and someone suggests "Blue Moon" as a song charting in multiple decades.
Looking this morning, I don't think it is "Girl From Ipanema " I did find this list of most frequently covered songs which seems well done, but I'm not sure which covers made the billboard charts: https://stacker.com/music/most-covered-songs-all-time
Yeah, and that's the challenge, as I know you know, per the original quote in trying to match "Everlasting Love"s cover success over many decades (not just sheer number of total covers overall). "Girl" certainly qualifies from the '60s-birth standpoint. Thanks for all this, Nick!
King's record went to number 1 on the R&B charts[11] and was a Top Ten hit on the US charts twice—in its original release, entering the Billboard chart on May 13, 1961[12] and peaking at number 4 on June 16, 1961, and a 1986 re-release coinciding with its use as the theme song for the film of the same name following its appearance in the film, when it peaked at number 9 on December 20, 1986 – January 3, 1987.
On the week of May 3, 1975, [John Lennon's] version was in its second of two weeks at the peak position number 20 on the US Hot 100
A version of the song was released by American R&B group 4 the Cause as their debut single in 1998. It was a number-one hit in Switzerland, reached number two of the Austrian and German singles charts and number three in New Zealand [but only reached #82 on the billboard charts].
Elvis Presley's version of the song topped the British charts in 1962, spending four weeks at no. 1
Engelbert Humperdinck recorded the song in 1979 on his This Moment in Time LP. The single became an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching No. 44 in the US and No. 11 in Canada.
In 1987, Corey Hart's recording reached No. 1 in Canada[94] and No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
In 1993, British reggae band UB40 covered the original 1961 Elvis Presley recording as the first single from their 1993 album, Promises and Lies. The song was released on May 10, 1993, and eventually climbed to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying there for seven weeks
I have also tried to find a good list of songs that have been covered most frequently, and I feel like that list is missing classic folk / blues / jazz songs. For example
Most of those seem to meet logical criteria, like born in the '60s. Again, that stat was all about Top 40 over several decades, so an '80s Michael Jackson hit is missing a couple of the key decades for bring that second song. Thanks for your efforts, though....while taking a break just a few minutes ago, "Cherish" came to my mind just 'cause I know it was a '60s hit and has been vastly covered. I'm surprised it's not on your list.
See my reply to Michael above, Steve. I wondered, too, but as we dasn't want to get off on a tangent, I didn't search beyond what my source revealed as above. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to hazard a guess...we know the parameters, and I bet a Google search with those Top 40/decades stats might yield the answer!
Great ballad, Stephane! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to a future article focusing more on Rex'n'Rachel's "Everlasting Love," but would be interested on hearing more about how Richard landed his song with Rex for that album!
I seem to recall the Koppelman name being associated with April/Blackwood Music, the Columbia publishing arm, and Babs'n'Mathis, of course, are decades-long legacy CBS artists! Thanks for all this, Stephane!
There are just so many songs for which we know not the origins! And, always having dug the Carlton cover, too, and then Rex and Rachel's, I decided to peek behind the vinyl curtain! There's a lot there for this one! I just requested to be friends with Mac Gayden on FB....we'll see if he responds (or sees this article...I put it up on several FB groups)! Glad you dropped by, Dan!
Getting onto this quite late, with apologies, as I didn’t know this song (I guess this is one of the many reasons we come here, right? 😉).
On a first listen, what first comes to mind — and I cannot think of anything else — is how timeless the song is. I had to check to make sure I was reading correctly: 1967?! It’s very interesting that, at least to me, there is nothing in the song structure or overall vibe that would give me any definitive clue about the era it originated from. And I know “timeless” is a word that gets used and overused and gets a bit tired, and yet I can’t help but comment on this: how truly timeless it feels. For me as a soul fan, 1967 is a year I will automatically associate with Aretha Franklin, particularly her career-defining album “I Never Loved a Man…”. Many have said that record is timeless as well, and while I don’t disagree, I feel that some records, perhaps on purpose, do give clues about the time they were conceived, and sometimes that’s what makes them successful. It happens a lot with soul and R&B (else the whole “retro soul” movement wouldn’t be what it is, because there is a certain type of song that will need time clues to make it what it is). I guess all this rambling is simply to say that I find it really interesting how songwriters and artists can play with “time clues”, sometimes hiding them, sometimes deliberately introducing them, both valid strategies or approaches, to give a song a certain feel.
Late schmate......I'm just glad you're here, Andy! I'm actually kinda surprised you hadn't heard this before....in some iteration, due to its ubiquity over the decades (even though your decades, bless your corazon, number but 3+)!
I thought of you while writing this, thinking, if nothing else, you'd favor Knight's original or Carlton's big hit (in the U.S., anyway). I think your "timeless" attribute is apt, here, and it's longevity over time proves it. And, the mixed (and full) bag of arrangement choices producers and artists have made are mind-spinning (and thoroughly enjoyable)!
I was impressed by Love Affair's immediate cover of Knight's, and was also surprised with how thoroughly unique their cover was (a lot of it had to do with Steve Ellis's unique style and phrasing).
Your "time clues" phrase and idea is smart, and so true. I think Love Affair's (if taken as a blind listen) could fool someone into thinking solidly '70s, far away from what was going on, typically, in '67! By the same token, in the other direction, Tears for Fears' "Sowing the Seeds of Love" has, to me, always been such a clever and accurate late-'60s pastiche that is so rare to create without being "cute" or "cloying," and Curt and Roland hit that one out of the park (sorry...baseball reference)!😉
In listening to Love Affair's just now, I'm wondering why Grass Roots didn't take a stab at it....granted, they were late '60s, as well, but they were around in the early '70s. I would've loved to hear Rob Grill singing that! The L.A. added horns helped me make that leap!
I'd love to have your input on Rex'n'Rachel's, if you're game. I'm planning a focused piece on their cover in a week or two, and you can e-mail me any thoughts/critiques/review you'd like, if ya wanna! Especially as you're a first-time listener to the song, itself, much less any of the arrangements! But, inasmuch as theirs, too, was an '80s concoction, you'd have that point of reference, as well!
Your mention of Aretha points me to this story I don't think I've told you: Her 1967 single, "Chain of Fools" (written by Don Covay, produced by Jerry Wexler). Daddy gave it to me. In its release month of November '67, I was 12 1/2! Not only did I love the song, but the sound of the vinyl single was so gritty, no less so than the guitar that begins the song!
That was likely my first time noticing the subtle difference between placing a needle (that's all I knew it by, then!) on a slick LP lead-in shiny vinyl (with its helpful little hump to help catch the needle!), and the flat edge of a 45, where treachery abounds if you mis-judge the flat-surfaced beginning edge! Plus, that 45 starter groove always seemed to have some scratchy sounds that came over the speakers....annoying on most, but on "Chain," the perfect crackly lead-in to that snaky guitar! Probably one of my most vivid and specific music-as-a-kid memory!💖
Thank you, Brad! I feel so bad now for coming in here so late, but as I didn't know the song, I didn't want to wing it by commenting whatever nonsense, and I knew the only way I could comment something meaningful was by listening to, at least, a bit of the original, which I've only managed to find the time to do now (it's been a crazy couple of days, for a whole host of reasons!).
I know it's a bit embarrassing or at least surprising that I didn't know this song, but as you well know, there are gaps in my knowledge: to start with, due to age; secondly, due to my disparate/disjointed life across two very different cultures; and thirdly (and this is entirely my fault), because for many years I kinda ignored or didn't pay a lot of attention to anything that wasn't soulful enough for my ears (!). It's so silly, I know, but when I tell you I was a rebel at heart, I'm only telling you half of the story, the tip of this iceberg of wildness and untamed behaviour that I was as a teenager.
So, all this to say: only now in my thirties am I starting to discover or at least open myself to tunes and sounds that ten years ago I would have completely discarded for not fitting into the soul/R&B/blues "canon" of sorts (except big names like Beatles or Queen) Shameful I know! LOL.
Yes, I'm definitely up for the challenge! I'll need to find the time to listen to the cover you mention, so I can conjure up something of substance, as I don't want to wing it, especially if it's going to see the light of day (and especially if you give me the honour of a mention or quote on this sacred place!).
I absolutely loved reading your story with the Chain of Fools single. Just imagining what you so accurately described, that crackly, scratchy sound leading to that first guitar riff... gives me goosebumps!! Thanks for sharing!
I certainly respect you in taking the time to become familiar with the song and covers. Thanks for considering contributing to the Rex'n'Rachel cover! I'm glad you're opening your doors (and ears!) to things you've heretofore side-stepped. We all experience those unintended musical biases (me? '80s. Oy. But, I'm in therapy....mainly by reading all the wonderful '80s-centric MusicStack writers!)
I knew you'd feel that "Chain" story! Cool.
Thank you, Brad! If there's one place I would never want to half-arse a comment or contribution, this is the one. For starters, out of the huge respect I have for you. And secondly, because it would be foolish of me, to come here all guns blazing with the homework undone... 😂 I mean, it would be like shooting myself in the foot (or other, even more painful, parts.... LOL).
Interesting that you also have eras or genres you initially discarded or didn't pay that much attention to, and are exploring more fully at a later stage. I think admitting our own biases or preconceptions means we are ready/willing to be proven wrong, which is, in and of itself, a sign of openness, and ultimately, that's what matters the most!
As much as I live and breathe '60s thru '70s, those pesky mid- to late-'80s is my gaping pop-culture fissure. That's when I re-entered college, at 29, to radically switch careers! Upon '87 grad, I entered that new profession! Sifting through, now, the '80s, is so much easier, piece by piece, with our Substackers, here (including you)!
Honoured to be of help from my humble corner!
“…it’s one of only 2 songs to have…”
What’s the other one? Or is that a future “Inside Tracks”?
I wondered that myself, Michael.....my source didn't mention it, and I'm not one to pry! For our non-distracting purposes here, I thought it'd be suffice to just let this fact sit on its own to further point out just how rare this song is across genres and decades.
I think we can presume that, rather than being a hit, say, it'd probably be another song that presented itself as an attractive and pliable enough tune to arrange for a variety of artists and arrangements. And, it had to be a song with its roots in the '60s!
Obviously, not every "Everlasting Love" was a hit, but always (as time went on, certainly) presented itself as a pleasant album track, an obvious choice for some as a single, and always a concert crowd-pleaser! All of which results in a bushel-full of covers, and with the law of averages being what they are, those eye-popping Top 40 numbers are gonna happen. And, it helps to start with a bangin' song!
What would be fun is trying to GUESS that second song....a song born in the '60s that lent itself to a lot of covers and across genres! Anyone? Anyone?
While not an exhaustive list, here are 25 of the most covered songs in music history.
Table Of Contents
1. “Yesterday” // The Beatles
2. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” // The Rolling Stones
3. “Love Me Tender” // Elvis Presley
4. “Billie Jean” // Michael Jackson
5. “Eleanor Rigby” // The Beatles
6. “My Way” // Frank Sinatra
7. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” // Simon & Garfunkel
8. “Ain’t No Sunshine” // Bill Withers
9. “Hallelujah” // Leonard Cohen
10. “And I Love Her” // The Beatles
11. “Time After Time” // Cyndi Lauper
12. “I Walk the Line” // Johnny Cash
13. “God Only Knows” // The Beach Boys
14. “House of the Rising Sun” // The Animals
15. “Cry Me A River” // Julie London
16. “Imagine” // John Lennon
17. “All of Me” // John Legend
18. “Over The Rainbow” // Judy Garland
19. “Summertime” // Abbie Mitchell
20. “Love Yourself” // Justin Bieber
21. “Blackbird” // The Beatles
22. “Amazing Grace” // John Newton
23. “The Look Of Love” // Dusty Springfield
24. “White Christmas” // Bing Crosby
25. “Silent Night” // John Freeman Young
Before I read it, I had thought of "Cherish" as my submission/guess!
I thought “Unchained Melody” at first, but going back that far my guess now is it’s one of the Christmas songs - quite likely “White Christmas” - 1942
This also has some good finds -- it mentions "I will always love you " charting in the 70s, 80s, & 90s.
https://www.grunge.com/456374/songs-that-hit-no-1-by-two-different-artists/
This article is somewhat helpful. It doesn't answer the question, but does mention both "Unchained Melody" and "Everlasting Love" and someone suggests "Blue Moon" as a song charting in multiple decades.
https://musicfans.stackexchange.com/questions/214/what-song-has-had-the-most-versions-that-have-made-the-singles-charts
Wow!! That’s a great find! Thanks!!
Looking this morning, I don't think it is "Girl From Ipanema " I did find this list of most frequently covered songs which seems well done, but I'm not sure which covers made the billboard charts: https://stacker.com/music/most-covered-songs-all-time
Yeah, and that's the challenge, as I know you know, per the original quote in trying to match "Everlasting Love"s cover success over many decades (not just sheer number of total covers overall). "Girl" certainly qualifies from the '60s-birth standpoint. Thanks for all this, Nick!
The other one I've found that is close but doesn't quite make it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_by_Me_(Ben_E._King_song)
[60's and 80's]
King's record went to number 1 on the R&B charts[11] and was a Top Ten hit on the US charts twice—in its original release, entering the Billboard chart on May 13, 1961[12] and peaking at number 4 on June 16, 1961, and a 1986 re-release coinciding with its use as the theme song for the film of the same name following its appearance in the film, when it peaked at number 9 on December 20, 1986 – January 3, 1987.
On the week of May 3, 1975, [John Lennon's] version was in its second of two weeks at the peak position number 20 on the US Hot 100
A version of the song was released by American R&B group 4 the Cause as their debut single in 1998. It was a number-one hit in Switzerland, reached number two of the Austrian and German singles charts and number three in New Zealand [but only reached #82 on the billboard charts].
I have one that's very close:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Help_Falling_in_Love
Elvis Presley's version of the song topped the British charts in 1962, spending four weeks at no. 1
Engelbert Humperdinck recorded the song in 1979 on his This Moment in Time LP. The single became an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching No. 44 in the US and No. 11 in Canada.
In 1987, Corey Hart's recording reached No. 1 in Canada[94] and No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
In 1993, British reggae band UB40 covered the original 1961 Elvis Presley recording as the first single from their 1993 album, Promises and Lies. The song was released on May 10, 1993, and eventually climbed to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying there for seven weeks
I'm somewhat surprised "Hey Joe" isn't in this list. It shows up on a lot of '60s albums.
Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/20811/most-covered-songs-in-music-history
So, maybe one of those?
I have also tried to find a good list of songs that have been covered most frequently, and I feel like that list is missing classic folk / blues / jazz songs. For example
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Infirmary_Blues
Most of those seem to meet logical criteria, like born in the '60s. Again, that stat was all about Top 40 over several decades, so an '80s Michael Jackson hit is missing a couple of the key decades for bring that second song. Thanks for your efforts, though....while taking a break just a few minutes ago, "Cherish" came to my mind just 'cause I know it was a '60s hit and has been vastly covered. I'm surprised it's not on your list.
Good point! I had forgotten he mentioned two songs!
See my reply to Michael above, Steve. I wondered, too, but as we dasn't want to get off on a tangent, I didn't search beyond what my source revealed as above. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to hazard a guess...we know the parameters, and I bet a Google search with those Top 40/decades stats might yield the answer!
another wonderful song on rex smith album richardwoldparker songwriter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aZR-ZLejjE
https://www.facebook.com/richard.wold.75
Great ballad, Stephane! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to a future article focusing more on Rex'n'Rachel's "Everlasting Love," but would be interested on hearing more about how Richard landed his song with Rex for that album!
parker/wold was koppelman/bandier staff writer he placed songs to johnny mathis & barbra streisand more on buzzzzzzzzzz & rex https://www.discogs.com/release/23939819-Buzz-Cason-Caught-Up-In-A-Dream
https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/21782/covers#nav-entity
I seem to recall the Koppelman name being associated with April/Blackwood Music, the Columbia publishing arm, and Babs'n'Mathis, of course, are decades-long legacy CBS artists! Thanks for all this, Stephane!
brad you re welcomed related to jamie kyle maybe
Nope. Kyle is my nom-de-tune!
Always loved the Carl Carlton version. Wasn't familiar with some of the others! Thanks for sharing!
There are just so many songs for which we know not the origins! And, always having dug the Carlton cover, too, and then Rex and Rachel's, I decided to peek behind the vinyl curtain! There's a lot there for this one! I just requested to be friends with Mac Gayden on FB....we'll see if he responds (or sees this article...I put it up on several FB groups)! Glad you dropped by, Dan!