'Coldest Days of My Life' - Walter Jackson (1970 B-side on Cotillion) song by Eugene Record & Carl Davis; later recorded more memorably by Eugene Record with the Chi-Lites (#8 r&b; 1972) Walter Jackson (singer) - Wikipedia
'I Had a Talk with God Last Night' - James Cleveland and the Angelic Choir (1963) The members in the choir are not credited on the album; but an eleven-year old Geraldine Griffin is named here as the featured singer on the track. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/PeaceBeStill.pdf Re-written as 'I had a talk with my man' by Leonard Caston and Billy Davis; a 1964 hit for Mitty Collier, covered the following year as an LP track by Dusty Springfield. 1972 Mitty Collier recording with the original gospel words; she later became Pastor Mitty Collier Mitty Collier: I Had A Talk With God Last Night / III A.M. 1972 A conversation with Pastor Mitty Collier - Gospel Roots Of Rock And Soul Cover versions of I Had a Talk with My Man written by Leonard Caston Jr., Billy Davis | SecondHandSongs
'A-11' - Don Deal (1963) first recording of Hank Cochran's song, later by Buck Owens and his Buckaroos; and in 1965 the first country hit (Billboard #26) for Johnny Paycheck Cover versions of A-11 by Don Deal | SecondHandSongs Don Deal, The Eddie Cochran Connection
'I'm in the Mood for Love' - Little Jack Little and his orchestra (1935) first recording of the song by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields Cover versions of I'm in the Mood for Love by Little Jack Little and His Orchestra | SecondHandSongs I'm in the Mood for Love - Wikipedia
'I Can't Hear You' - Betty Everett - the first recording of the Goffin - Kong song, later versions included Lulu and Dusty Springfield. Issued as the 1964 follow-up single to Betty Everett's 'Shoop Shoop Song' but peaked at #66 on Billboard's Hot 100. Cover versions of I Can't Hear You by Betty Everett | SecondHandSongs
"Tomorrow" from the musical Annie began life as "Replay", from an educational film about the generation gap produced by the Arrow Shirt Company (1970): FF to 2:30
"On Top of Old Smokey" is an old folk song of unclear origin. The first commercially recorded version was by George Reneau in 1925. Unfortunately that version is not on YouTube. Bradley Kincaid cut the song in 1929, doing the less common "sparking" version rather than the more familiar "courting" lyrics. Note how he does not draw out the first syllable in "Smokey" and "lover" in the first verse.
The Groovie Ghoulies/Rolling Gravestones - "Chick-a-Boom" (1971) The story is a bit complicated, but apparently this song was written for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch cartoon show, and first heard there. Learning that RCA planned to release it as a single Dick Monda, one of the show's music staff, gathered a different set of studio musicians for another version on another label, and that became the hit for "Daddy Dewdrop".
'How long has this been goin' on?' - Lee Wiley with Max Kaminsky's Orchestra (piano - Fats Waller) (1939) first recorded version of George & Ira Gershwin's song Cover versions of How Long Has This Been Going On? by Lee Wiley with Max Kaminsky's Orchestra | SecondHandSongs How Long Has This Been Going On? - Wikipedia
Reneau's version is available here. (It requires a free Box.com account, but once you sign in then you should be able to download the song. If not, let me know and I can upload it somewhere.) This is a cool bit of trivia from a personal perspective, as I've got Reneau ancestors in my family tree. (A quick search indicates that George's 5th-great-grandfather John Reno, was my 6th-great-grandfather.)
'For the Good Times' - Bill Nash (1968) first of the many recordings of the Kristofferson song For the Good Times (song) - Wikipedia Cover versions of For the Good Times by Bill Nash | SecondHandSongs
'You can make it if you try' - Gene Allison (1957/8) covered by Solomon Burke on the B-side of 'If You Need Me', but the Stones may have known Gene Allison's version from the Vee Jay compilation LP "The Blues", issued in the UK with sleeve notes by Alexis Korner Various - The Blues Cover versions of You Can Make It if You Try written by Ted Jarrett | SecondHandSongs Gene Allison, 1934-2004
'Tim Brook' - the Carver Boys (1929) appears to have been the first recording of the song about two racehorses from the 1870s, Ten Broeck & Molly McCarty, which became a bluegrass standard as 'Molly and Tenbrooks' following versions by the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Cover versions of Tim Brook written by [Traditional] | SecondHandSongs Molly and Tenbrooks - Wikipedia
Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians - "Stack o' Lee Blues" (aka "Stagger Lee") (1923) Instrumental Ma Rainey's version (1925) Gertrude "Ma" Rainey & Her Georgia Band-Stack O'Lee Blues Classic and ridiculously rare version (only one copy is known to exist) on the short-lived Black Patti label, one of the few black-owned record companies of the 1920s. Long Cleeve Reed & Little Harvey Hull-Down Home Boys Original Stack O'Lee Blues BLACK PATTI 8030
'Message to Martha' - Jerry Butler, recorded in 1962 but remained unreleased until the end of 1963 when it was included on the LP "Need to Belong" (later retitled "Giving Up on Love") where it was incorrectly credited to Leiber & Stoller .... a German Language version 'Kleine Treue Nachtigall' by Marlene Dietrich may have been released earlier on a German EP; and as a B-side on the French Barclay label (said to be the only song of Bacharach's that Marlene recorded, although she also sang 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' in concerts) Marlene and Burt, Kleine, Treue Nachtigall. Marlene Dietrich / Orchester Burt Bacharach - Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich - Bitte Geh' Nicht Fort (Ne Me Quitte Pas) Lou Johnson had the first version on a US single titled as 'Kentucky Bluebird (send a message to Martha)' (October, 1964) although that was changed on the UK single Lou Johnson - Message to Martha (Kentucky bluebird)
'Jail House Blues' - Whistler acc. by his jug band (1924) aka 'In the Jailhouse Now' In the Jailhouse Now - Wikipedia Cover versions of Jail House Blues by Whistler acc. by His Jug Band | SecondHandSongs
Dick Thomas - [I've Got Spurs That] "Jingle Jangle Jingle" (1942) Thomas introduced the song in the 1942 film The Forest Rangers. This soundie may or may not be the same recording. Became a #1 hit for Kay Kyser a few months after it was introduced.
'Mockin' Bird Hill' - the Pinetoppers (vocal chorus by the Beaver Valley Sweethearts; Colleen & Donna Wilson) The most successful version on Billboard's country chart (#3; Les Paul & Mary Ford's cover #7); but Les Paul & Ford and Patti Page had the big pop hits with the song (Top 5). Cover versions of Mockin' Bird Hill written by Vaughn Horton | SecondHandSongs Mockin' Bird Hill - Wikipedia Hillbilly-Music.com - Beaver Valley Sweethearts The tune had its roots in Scandinavia - 'Livet i Finnskogarna' (Life in the Finn Woods) Livet i Finnskogarna 'Norsk Bondvals'' (Norwegian Farmer's Waltz) Olle Johnny - Norsk Bondvals Odeon D 5425 innsp. 1939
'Rose Conley' - Grayson & Whitter (1927/8) Gilliam B. Grayson & Henry Whitter, the earliest known recording of the song aka 'Rose Connelly'; and 'Down in the Willow Garden', which appears to have been derived from an Irish ballad Cover versions of Rose Conley written by | SecondHandSongs Down in the Willow Garden - Wikipedia
'Ram-Bank-Shush' - Lucky Millinder (1952) 1957 #10 r&b hit for Bill Doggett; 1961 #29 Billboard hit for the Ventures Cover versions of Ram-Bunk-Shush by Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra | SecondHandSongs
'Someday (you'll want me to want you)' - Elton Britt some credited to Jimmie Hodges, but it appears that the actual writer may have been Hugh Starr; a #2 country hit in 1946 with many subsequent versions including in 1949 both the Mills Brothers and Vaughn Monroe. In the UK Ricky Nelson's recording was issued as his follow-up single to 'Poor Little Fool' and peaked at no.9 Cover versions of Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You) by Elton Britt | SecondHandSongs Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You) - Wikipedia
