Had a revelation this morning while listening to a HonkyTonk playlist on Spotify that Jerry Reed originally made Amos Moses. For YEARS I just thought it was a Primus song as it has that vibe Les Claypool puts out.
Another for me was Astronomy Domine by Pink Floyd. I originally heard it on Headbangers Ball by Voivod and had no idea it was a cover. A few years later I discovered that it was a cover and to this day Pink Floyd and Voivod are two of my favorite bands.
So, What songs did you surprisingly find out were covers some time after hearing the song by the cover artist?
Tennessee Ernie Ford - 16 Tons - a cover of a Merle Travis song
Nirvana’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the cover of a Leadbelly song
It’s weird you didn’t know that because in their only recording of it, Kurt says “this is a Leadbelly song” before it starts
Most people experienced the song through CD or radio play of the Unplugged in New York album version, which cut right to the start of the song.
But in a topical twist, Kurt Cobain didn’t realize Leadbelly was doing a cover as well, LOL.
Police On My Back by The Clash was originally done by a group called The Equals.
Apparently these are actually pretty well-known covers but I only found out a few years after:
- Tina Turner’s Proud Mary is originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Judas Priest’s The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) is a cover of a Fleetwood Mac song
- Whiskey in the Jar is apparently an Irish traditional song, so both Thin Lizzy’s and Metallica’s (and also the Dubliners’) can be said to be covers
Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower, originally Bob Dylan
