Article: The Music In Me: Where’d That Come From?

[Gilbert Klein]

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[Al Jones]

Fortunately, there were huge regional differences in moral standards for pop radio in the 60's. I distinctly remember Them's original Gloria being all over AM radio in L.A.

 

It was the lines "and then she come to my room and then she make me feel all right" that got their version banned in most markets, making way for the cleaned up Shadows of Knight a few months later.

 

There were similar issues a few years later with Van Morrison's first solo release, "Brown Eyed Girl." The record company resolved the problem by removing  "making love in the green grass" and replacing It with "laughin' and a-runnin', hey, hey."

 

If you're into original versions, check out volume one and volume two of "You Heard It Hear First."

[firedog]

Really interesting column.

I listened to that cover of Gloria and thought "okay, not bad."

Then I listened to Them.

A great example of the difference between a pretty good band, and a band with real talent. Not only are the playing and lead singing several orders of magnitude better than the cover, even the backing vocals are about 10 times better - delivered with real conviction.

[esldude]

Funny thing a few years after Gloria was first recorded, the FM station where I lived which is about all I listened to, was owned by a guy not a conglomerate.  He played what he liked most AOR stuff.  He played two versions of Gloria.  Them and one by Jimi Hendrix.  It was later in life before I heard any other versions. 

 

There was the cover by Patti Smith in the 70's which was alright imo.

 

[esldude]

Just now, esldude said:

Funny thing a few years after Gloria was first recorded, the FM station where I lived which is about all I listened to, was owned by a guy not a conglomerate.  He played what he liked mostly AOR stuff, but could be anything if he liked it.  He played two versions of Gloria.  Them and one by Jimi Hendrix.  It was later in life before I heard any other versions. 

 

There was the cover by Patti Smith in the 70's which was alright imo.

 

 

[Bullwinkle]

I was sixteen when Patti's Horses hit our gang's teen senses, and it was the one and only G-L-O-R-I-A-A for all of us... but only for a couple of years as the earlier versions came to us a few years later.

 

Of course, one of my favorite Early and Later contrasts is this one (which still makes me laugh my socks off):

 

Joan Baez:

 

Judas Priest:

 

[Bullwinkle]

Feeling of the staircase, definitely-- Gilbert, linked below is maybe the best yarn on the many manifestations, mutilations and mutations of one legendary pop song I have ever read.

 

https://www.steynonline.com/6003/the-lion-sleeps-tonight

 

[Mike27]

I love finding originals I never knew existed. Just today, a friend posted the original Wayne Cochran version of "The Last Kiss" to Facebook. Hypothetically, I might have heard it at age 8 but don't remember. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

18 hours ago, Bullwinkle said:

I was sixteen when Patti's Horses hit our gang's teen senses, and it was the one and only G-L-O-R-I-A-A for all of us... but only for a couple of years as the earlier versions came to us a few years later.

 

Of course, one of my favorite Early and Later contrasts is this one (which still makes me laugh my socks off):

 

Joan Baez:

 

Judas Priest:

 

 

I only knew the Judas Priest version!

[classfolkphile]

I remember hearing Them's "Gloria" before the later version and not thinking much of the latter.

 

Also heard Otis's "Respect" first but in that case had a hard time deciding which I liked better. Eventually Aretha, but not by a lot.

 

As for "Hey Joe" I only have a faint recollection of the Leaves' version (from when I'm not sure) but before Hendrix came out with his, I was loving both Love's and The Byrd's releases. All great.

 

 

[johnnyturbo]

"On The Road Again"

 

From The Even Dozen Jug Band, of which John Sebastian was a member.

 

 

[Mike27]

On 4/20/2017 at 8:40 AM, Al Jones said:

Fortunately, there were huge regional differences in moral standards for pop radio in the 60's...

Yes, but in the same Birmingham, AL where one station's DJs tried to organize a Beatle-record-burning, the one most people listened to (WSGN) played Them's version first, as well as the correct Brown Eyed Girl. They recognized that their nighttime competition was Chicago's WLS, which came booming in an hour after sundown and only faded for a moment 2-3 times an hour...

 

Not much later, teenage-me chatted up a few of the jocks, who then let me hang out a few times while they did their thing. For a few weeks there was a card above the board "Don't say the name of the new Spanky & Our Gang song on air!"

 

It was of course "Give a Damn." OK for them to sing it, we just don't say that word at our station. A far cry from animated bears telling you exactly how and why you need to use toilet paper like we have now...