I did one of these in the 80s but I realize this was also a big thing in the 70s as well.  One to begin …

In 1978, American duo England Dan and John Ford Coley had a hit called You can't dance that reached #49 in the US and #62 in Canada, but did you know it was a cover song?  The original version was done by a Canadian band called Jackson Hawke and reached #37 in Canada in 1976

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In 1973, British singer Barry Blue reached #2 in the UK with the song Dancin' (on a Saturday night).  While this never charted in North America, two other versions did:  First in 1974 by an American group called Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids (which peaked at #93 in the US and #80 in Canada), and again in 1975 by a Canadian group called Bond, whose version (to my knowledge), was only a hit in Canada where it peaked at #15

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The Byrds
"Jesus Is Just Alright"
1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdKrHYUZCwM

Doobie Brothers
"Jesus Is Just Alright"
1972

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvy8mROAj0

Dave Mason
"Only You Know and I Know"
1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4mcRpWAyRM

Delaney & Bonnie
"Only You Know and I Know"
1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHFWNMFyRBY

Melanie
"Look What they Done To My Song, Ma"
1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGpxAqoEjUI

New Seekers
"Look What They Done To My Song, Ma"
1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AoCkwXuZOY

Here is Arms of mary, a 1976 song by the Scottish group Sutherland Brothers and Quiver.  This peaked at #5 in the UK and #81 in the US.  A 1978 version by Vancouver based band Chilliwack reached #49 in Canada and #67 in the US.  For decades, I had no idea the Chilliwack version was a cover song, but to this day, I still hear their version on the radio all the time

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Bob Marley & The Wailers
"I Shot The Sheriff"
1973

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XiYUYcpsT4

Eric Clapton
"I Shot The Sheriff"
1974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0xLLPJ0bOw

Does this one count?

Plastic Bertrand
"Ca plane pour moi"
1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgSXjAIkO-g

Elton Montello
Jet Boy Jet Girl"
1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO8wV6iM7e4

Into the mystic is a 1970 song by Van Morrison.  While his was never a single, a version that same year by Johnny Rivers peaked at #51 in the US and #38 in Canada.  Then in 1976, Canadian group Jackson Hawke released a version that peaked at #57 in Canada, which is one of my favourite cover songs ever!

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Does this one count?

Plastic Bertrand
"Ca plane pour moi"
1978

Elton Montello
Jet Boy Jet Girl"
1978



Sure does

Sure does


;D    ;)  8)

^ and just in case some disagree, Captain Sensible of the punk band The Damned did a cover of the Elton Motello version also in 1978

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This one caused some controversy. Stevie Wonder wrote this song specifically for Jeff Beck's new band Beck, Bogert & Appice. The agreement was Wonder would let Beck release the song first. But Beck's album was delayed for contractual reasons and in the interim Berry Gordy convinced Wonder that the song was a smash and to release it himself. He did and it went to #1, effectively cancelling out Beck's version which came out a few months later. Needless to say, Beck was NOT pleased.

Stevie Wonder
"Superstition"
1972
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftdZ363R9kQ

Beck, Bogert & Appice
"Superstition"
1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS3XJQA6voE

Rita Coolidge first did this Leon Russell/Bonnie Bramlett/Rita Coolidge composition on the legendary "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell in 1970. It was called "Groupie". A sanitized and cleaned up version ("I want to sleep with you" becomes "I want to be with you") was a big hit for the Carpenters in 1971. The soulful Coolidge version is head and shoulders above the teenybop Carpenters version, but what can ya do?

Rita Coolidge
"Groupie (Superstar)"
live on the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour in 1970
w/ Leon Russell on piano    O0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDN2bB6sR6Q

The Carpenters
"Superstar"
1971  8-P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbBqJhxbwWY

Joni Mitchell
"Woodstock"
1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEBmKi2xmoU

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
"Woodstock"
1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lx86B6a3kc

Also a big hit in the UK for Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S1BEH2crEs

Allen Toussaint
"Southern Nights"
1975
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCscZ2tPFmI

Glen Campbell
"Southern Nights"
1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsokkO0o3bw

Neil Young
"Lotta Love"
1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mLgLI4814

Nicolette Larson
"Lotta Love"
1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80PTNnrwUO8

“We’re All Alone” written by Boz Skaggs. Between 1976 and 1977, Frankie Valli appeared to have done it first. Then there was Walker Brothers, Rita Coolidge, Three Degrees, LaCosta, and Boz Scaggs own version. I get confused as to what order. There were countless others who covered this song as well. I mainly remember Boz Scaggs and Rita Coolidge versions.

Here is Leo Sayer with the song Long tall glasses (I can dance).  This peaked at UK #4 in 1974, and the next year, reached #9 in the US and #18 in Canada
Also in 1975, a Canadian group called Shooter peaked at #22 in Canada with their version titled I can dance (long tall glasses).  On an interesting trivia note, both versions peaked on the Canadian chart during the same week (May 3, 1975)

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In 1977, American born-Canadian singer Jesse Winchester released a song titled Rhumba man.  It was not a single, but in 1979, a version titled Rhumba girl by Nicolette Larson peaked at #47 in the US and #15 in Canada

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Leon Russell
"This Masquerade"
1972

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn-br0h4rZk

George Benson
"This Masquearde"
1976

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgl1hQmjITY

^ and just in case some disagree, Captain Sensible of the punk band The Damned did a cover of the Elton Motello version also in 1978

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The Damned themselves also had a version. I might still have the cassette somewhere

How about the song Never Can Say Goodbye (written by Clifton Davis)...

Arguably the best known version is by the Jackson 5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n9hRsDnk84

A little remembered cover by Isaac Hayes, released right on the heels of the J5's version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTElJKcOwhc

And then the Disco remake by Gloria Gaynor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oDJnNO9jro

In 1970, Elton John had his first chart appearance anywhere when the single Border song reached #34 in Canada.  The B-side called Bad side of the moon, became a hit for April Wine in 1972, where it peaked at #16 in Canada and #6 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under chart (that's US #106)

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Before British group Hot Chocolate were known in North America, they had a small run of hits in their native UK.  One such single was called You could have been a lady which peaked at UK #22 in 1971.  The following year, a version by April Wine reached #2 in Canada and #32 in the US

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Another group to bring a Hot Chocolate song to North America was Stories.  The song was Brother Louie.  The Hot Chocolate original peaked at UK #7 in 1973.  The Stories version peaked at #1 in both the US and Canada that same year

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Does "You've Got A Friend" qualify? Carole King wrote it, recorded it for her 1971 album Tapestry, and later that year, James Taylor released his own version and took it to the top of the charts.

Does "You've Got A Friend" qualify? Carole King wrote it, recorded it for her 1971 album Tapestry, and later that year, James Taylor released his own version and took it to the top of the charts.


Not to mention artists covering themselves. Danny O'Keefe released "Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues" in 1971 and it got some airplay, then he rerecorded it and released it again in 1972. The 1972 version was the one that was the hit that everybody knows. Truth be told, there's not a lot of difference between the two. I was a little confused by this in 1972 because I had already heard the first version, and then the second version started getting a lot of airplay and at first I thought they were just playing the first version again, not knowing it had been redone. But it sounded a LITTLE different and I thought "what's going on here?", before I figured it all out. Keep in mind, information wasn't as easy to come by then as it is now. There's confusion on Youtube to this day about which version is which.

Another group to bring a Hot Chocolate song to North America was Stories.  The song was Brother Louie.  The Hot Chocolate original peaked at UK #7 in 1973.  The Stories version peaked at #1 in both the US and Canada that same year

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I liked Stories better version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z9I54AuJy0
Leo Sayer ‎– Easy To Love

Boule Noire - Easy To Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZNsSrTlVtM

"House At Pooh Corner" might or might not qualify. The first recording was made by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, but then Loggins & Messina recorded it the following year. However, Kenny Loggins wrote it.

In 1975, Fleetwood Mac released a self titled album that included Say You Love Me which was at the time just an album track.  In 1976, a Canadian singer named Shirley Eikhard released a version of it and it peaked at #34 in Canada.  A few weeks after this release, Fleetwood released their version, which ended up charting higher at #29 and also peaked at #11 in the US and #40 in the UK.

Because of the similarities of the song and when they charted, there was a good number of people in Canada, and even still to this day, who don't really know that (a) Shirley's version is a cover song and (b) it was originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac.  As you can tell from these two comparisons, Shirley's voice sounds a little similar to Christine McVie, so when Fleetwood released theirs as a single, a lot of people who heard it on the radio either thought it was Shirley, or a different mix of the Shirley version

Shirley Eikhard - Say You Love Me (1976)
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Fleetwood Mac - Say You Love Me (1976)
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In 1975, Fleetwood Mac released a self titled album that included Say You Love Me which was at the time just an album track.  In 1976, a Canadian singer named Shirley Eikhard released a version of it and it peaked at #34 in Canada.  A few weeks after this release, Fleetwood released their version, which ended up charting higher at #29 and also peaked at #11 in the US and #40 in the UK.

Because of the similarities of the song and when they charted, there was a good number of people in Canada, and even still to this day, who don't really know that (a) Shirley's version is a cover song and (b) it was originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac.  As you can tell from these two comparisons, Shirley's voice sounds a little similar to Christine McVie, so when Fleetwood released theirs as a single, a lot of people who heard it on the radio either thought it was Shirley, or a different mix of the Shirley version.


Hmmm, that is quite interesting. :o

Here is the American group Coven with their 1971 hit One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack).  This peaked at #26 in the US and #22 in Canada.

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Here is the original version simply titled One Tin Soldier by a Canadian band called The Original Caste.  While this first entered the chart in 1969, it peaked at #6 in Canada in January of 1970 and also peaked at #34 in the US

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Larry Evoy - Here I Go Again (1977)
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Guys 'n' Dolls - Here I Go Again (1975)
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- Larry Evoy is a Canadian best known as the lead singer of the group Edward Bear

- Guys 'n' Dolls are known for launching the careers of two of it's singers:  David Van Day and Theresa Bazar who left the group in 1977 and came together under the duo Dollar