They Had It Covered First

Chances are, at least once you have been surprised to discover that a song that you like by a particular artist turned out to be a cover - that is, a song actually written by someone else. Even performers who generally write their own songs sometimes record and/or perform music written by another artist.

I recall being surprised when I learned that 'Call Me The Breeze' - a signature Lynyrd Skynyrd song - was written and first performed by JJ Cale. As it happens, there are many 'signature' type songs associated with a performer who had a big hit, that turned out to be covers of someone else's music.

The following videos are the songs performed by the original artists, made famous by someone else (sometimes a more famous performer) who covered the song, and made it their own. I'll leave it up to the reader to decide whether you like the original or the (usually much better known) cover version better. These videos are performed by the man who wrote the song.

Laid Back

JJ Cale was a unique talent, however he was not especially well known. If you know who he was, then you are probably familiar with his 'laid back' style that is a blend of rockabilly, country, rock and roll, blues, and even some jazz. If you don't know Cale and his music, then you will likely be surprised to know that some of his songs became massive hits for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton, and others. 

Cale was an American treasure, a one of a kind talent. He played music his own way, on his own terms, and he gave us memorable music. He died of a heart attack at 74, in July 2013. 

After Midnight '71