"Doh!" Best songs given away by the writer to another band?

(By the way, what exactly does "best songs" mean? That those songs are better than anything they recorded for their own albums? Then I think I could be wrong about a couple already.)

first one that comes to mind.

John Phillips gave "San Francisco" to Scott McKenzie.

Lennon & McCartney gave "It's for You" to Cilla Black.

to,,,the love generation

I'm not sure if the question is "did an artist/band give away their best song to another group?" or "what are some of the best songs passed from one artist/band to another?". Some of the latter are Bad Weather by the Supremes (written by Stevie Wonder) and I Wanna Be Your Man by the Stones (I prefer the Beatles version).

Chic -> Lost in Music (Sister Sledge)

or: anyone who writes music for others after the end of their own career? (Linda Perry, Cathy Dennis, Karen Poole (from Alisha's Attic, who wrote Lola's Theme for Shapeshifters), etc?)

"Wanted Man" (given to Johnny Cash)
"I'll Keep It With Mine" (Nico, Fairpoint Convention, etc.) I think Nico did it first?

Has anyone heard "Champaign, Illinois," which Dylan gave to Carl Perkins? I haven't. Only place it seems to be available today is one of those huge Bear Family box sets for Carl's 60's recordings.

For Bob Dylan, this can be a tough line. His versions of songs he (or,maybe more accurately, his publishers) gave to others have eventually appeared on box sets and whatnot (usually years later), though I agree "All Along the Watchtower" doesn't count, as he recorded it first and didn't "give" it to anyone. The three I mentioned were definitely given to others to record, though.

That song fucking rules it. But it was only the lyrics. Would love to hear some sort of Flag variation on it.

Isn't "Hanging on the Telephone" just a cover? Certainly the best-known version, but I'm sure there's also a Nerves version as well.

Carlinhos Brown writes a lot of stuff for other people that he doesn't record, e.g., "Maria de Verdade" (Marisa Monte) and "Meia Lua Inteira" (Caetano Veloso). But I'm not Brazilian and cannot testify to their hit-ness, although they are both great songs.

And the Veronicas gave "All About Us" to Tatu! ;)

Yes. The Nerves recorded it for their debut EP in 1976 (the only recording they ever released, as it turned out), which preceded Parallel Lines by at least a year, maybe two.

HOLY SHIT!

yeah, but Prince had already given it away!

"Count on Me" - Jesse Barish (the decision to give the song to the Jefferson Starship gave him a Top 10 hit but kinda killed his career)

Errrrrrrrrrrrr, it's on his first album. But he did give them "Daddy's Song" and remove it from his second album. And, while we're on the Monkees, Mike Nesmith giving the Stone Poneys, "Different Drum", was nice of him.

Who did the original version of this one? (I mean, Rod Stewart's is the most famous one, but not the first one, I think)

>>>

PP Arnold's version I think.

According to AMG the Koobas is from '68 and PP's is '67.

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", The Shirelles
"Take Good Care of My Baby" Bobby Vee
"The Loco-Motion" Little Eva/Grand Funk Railroad/Kylie Minogue
"One Fine Day" The Chiffons
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" The Monkees
"Up on the Roof" The Drifters
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Aretha Franklin

Altough it doesn't really count, I'd like to point out that both "Trains and Boats and Planes" and "What The World Needs Now" were written for Gene Pitney, but management snafus nixed his chances of cutting them.

xpost

And considering how mediocre his output has been since then it really does look like a silly decision on beck's past. there was a really great pop song in there... ahh well :-(

I dont think Willie Nelson and Carol King, unlike Prince and Springsteen, are as good performers as song writers and its there's a reason/a good thing others have done their stuff.

-- sublime frequency (i_am_an_exit8...), Sunday 5:58 PM. (sublime frequency)

wrong, jackson browne wrote "these days" as a member of the nitty gritty dirt band and it appeared on their debut album, about a year before Chelsea Girls came out.

willie is about as classic a performer as they get.

what about "our lips are sealed"? i think it was actually co-written by jane weidlen and terry hall so i guess so maybe it doesn't quite fit but it is an odd case of a collaboration being recorded by both collaborators' bands.

did anyone else ever hear that vanessa paradis record that lenny kravitz wrote? it's really good faux francoise hardy/girl group/sunshine pop!

todays 20p special.
never even knew of this album until i saw it today.
it's a lot of fun.
and quite possibly the best thing LK has ever done (not that i have heard everything of his, but still.. ).
not sure about the VU cover version though.

Stevie Wonder "Can't Help it" to MJ !

https://soundcloud.com/majikreed/stevie-wonder-i-cant-help-it-live-in-studio

and MJ again : Toto's "Human nature", of course !

Many revelations itt but this:

Oh! Stevie Wonder gave "It's a Shame" to the Spinners and "Tell Me Something Good" to Rufus & Chaka. Those two have to be near the top.
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, March 26, 2006 10:24 AM (9 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

...blew my mind. The Spinners bit, I mean. I have long adored that song.

Remember when Elvis Costello wrote that entire album for Wendy James, the singer from Transvision Vamp? Maybe not his best stuff, but still pretty unexpected.

Um, Jackson Browne let the Eagles have Take It Easy. Springsteen let Enrique Iglesias have "Sad Eyes," which is a nice song, and gave "Protection" to Donna Summer. Actually, he gave some great stuff to all sorts of people. "Talk to Me" to Southside Johnny (for whom he wrote two albums of stuff), a couple of albums for Gary US Bonds, gave "Jeannie Needs a Shooter" to Zevon, etc. I think Springsteen and Prince are the most prolific at this, writing or playing on entire albums for other acts.

I was coming here to say that "Basement Kiss" off of that Wendy James album is one of my favourite Costello songs. Haven't heard the rest of the album.

"Love Thy Will Be Done" is a glorious Prince song but I'm glad he gave it to Martika because I love her voice on it.

Chris Judge Smith, founder member of Van der Graaf Generator, gave Peter Hammill some great songs - "Four Pails", "Been Alone So Long", "Time for a Change".

yeah, Prince has plenty : Bangles, Martika, Appolonia and Vanity6, The Times...

What about when a writer almost gives it to another band then takes it back?

"Hungry Heart" by Springsteen, for The Ramones, then changed his mind (or, his manager changed it for him)

Can definitely hear Joey singing it.

Lee Hazlewood gave away "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" which he intended to record himself before Nancy Sinatra pried it away from him

Brian Wilson giving "Guess I'm Dumb" to Glenn Campbell is up there imo, that song is incredible

Yes, it is. Along the same lines, a bunch of American Spring songs, particularly 'Fallin' In Love' (written by Dennis).

(Also, if you haven't heard the Dani Sheridan version of 'Guess I'm Dumb', get on it.)

Eff it, y'all need to hear these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5neKNaRMq0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnl0hRNnpao

Brian Wilson giving "Guess I'm Dumb" to Glenn Campbell is up there imo, that song is incredible

It's very good but I hate Campbell's singing on it.
The instrumental/backing vocals version is great.
Actually, I put it on my "revised" version of "Summer days" (which is much better than the original version) !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH6NVrnA8jc

What about when a writer almost gives it to another band then takes it back?

This, or course, is what Prince did with "Kiss": he gave it to Mazarati, then heard their demo of it and decided the tune was great, so he did it himself after all. Mazarati, of course, were not too happy about it.

Seems to be his only "Co-produced" track, certainly in his imperial days

What about when a writer almost gives it to another band then takes it back?
"Hungry Heart" by Springsteen, for The Ramones, then changed his mind (or, his manager changed it for him)
― Mark G, Thursday, January 21, 2016 9:18 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Can definitely hear Joey singing it.
― The Return of the Thin White Pope (Tom D.), Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:16 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I heard it the other way, that Johnny Ramone didn't like it and turned it down, that's what Springsteen seemed to say in the HBO doc

Same thing with Powderfinger, Neil Young wrote it for Skynyrd but sounds like they didn't end up using it

if we're talking brian wilson's american spring songs, "sweet mountain" has to be near the top.