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The song title "Heartbreaker" has charted many times for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Gene Pitney, Led Zepplin, Ryan Adams and Dionne Warwick as entirely different tunes. This one is from the British singer Jenny Darren's album "Queen Of Fools" in

This is Barry Gibb's 1982 demo for "Heartbreaker". The incredible Bee Gees cover of their own song "Heartbreaker" (Barry Gibb - Robin Gibb - Maurice Gibb) with Barry singing lead on the album "Love Songs". The song was recorded earlier but not released

Co-writer Richard Kerr sings "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" (Richard Kerr - Will Jennings) from his 1978 album "Welcome To The Club". The same team wrote Barry Manilow hits "Looks Like We Made It" and "Somewhere In the Night". Dionne Warwick

Helen Reddy, Kim Carnes, Yvonne Elliman, Batdorf and Rodney along with co-writer Richard Kerr all released "Somewhere In the Night" in 1975. We start with Richard Kerr's version. The British composer also hit for Barry Manilow with "Mandy" and "Looks Like

Chicago area native Tobin Matthews (Willy Henson) recorded "Can't Stop Taking About You" (Goffin - King) in 1963. A great version of the song, it didn't become a hit even though Tobin's tune was gaining recognition. JFK was assassinated and media

It was Buz (Ellis Jr.) Butler who recorded the first version of "Mule Train" (Lange - Heath - Glickman) in 1949. It was co-written by his manager Fred Glickman and Merle Travis played guitar on the record. Later that year Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and

Christopher Kingsley wrote and released "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" (Kingsley) in 1969. Both this and the hit were on the MGM label. Little Jimmy Osmond's mother heard the original recording in 1972 and though it would be the perfect tune you

While posting this I am reading the Robbie Robertson biography "Testimony". It's a wonderful read but I will purposefully keep my comments short as it's so tempting to do otherwise. "The Weight" (Robertson - Danko - Manuel - Hudson - Helm) is from The

Grammy winner King Curtis (Curtis Ousley) issued "Soul Serenade" (Ousley - Dixon) on his 1964 album of the same name. It was King Curtis who played the distinctive sax on the Coasters' "Yakety Yak". As a session musician he worked with such diverse

Bob (Byrd) And Earl (Nelson) were both members of The Hollywood Flames before they released the original "Gee Whiz" (Jeanne Vikki - Jimmie Thomas aka Leon Rene) in 1958. Bob was known as Bobby Day whose solo career included "Rockin' Robin", "Little Bitty

Rick Nelson was first to record "I'm A Fool" (Joey Cooper - Red West) on the 1964 album "Spotlight On Rick". The album was not his most successful effort. The songs co-writer Red West was a member of the Elvis Presley entourage for many years. Dino

Here is the 1967 demo for The Everly Brother's "Bowling Green" (Terry Slater). The single reached the Billboard Top Forty and topped charts in Canada. The song was actually written by the Everly's bass player Terry Slater and Jacqueline Ertel. daughter of

The Chordettes (details elsewhere) recorded the original "That's Old Fashioned" (Bill Giant - Bernie Baum -Florence Kaye) in 1959. Despite being married to a member of The Chordettes, Cadence label owner Archie Bleyer didn't release the song right away.

One of my personal favourites, Laura Nyro (Nigro) wrote and recorded "Save The Country" as a single in 1968. The next year it was issued on the album "New York Tendaberry". Wikipedia "Nyro was inspired to write the song after the June 5, 1968

Germany's Angele Durand (Angela DeGeest) with the Bela Sanders Orchestra recorded "Du Du Du" (Olias - Rothenburg) in 1953. Angele toured with Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker and Edith Piaf. You have to appreciate the harmonies of The Ames Brothers

Known as "The Hokey Cokey" in various lands this novelty tune and dance dates back at least two hundred years. The Ram Trio aka The Sun Valley Trio wrote and recorded "The Hokey Pokey" (La Prise - Macak - Baker) in 1949. Wikipedia: " They have generally

The 1987 Starship (Grace Slick, Mickey Thomas, Donny Baldwin and Craig Chaquico) album "No Protection" contains the track "Set The Night To Music" (Diane Warren). Grace Slick left the group the next year. In 1991 Roberta Flack and Maxi Priest (Elliott)

The Pudding released "The Magic Bus" (Pete Townshend) in 1967 but it didn't chart. It's difficult to find information on this obscure band. I tried. If you have anything to add please let me know. The Who's (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon and

Cleveland clinical therapist, acting coach, actress and singer Andrea Carroll (DeCapite) recorded "Please Don't Talk To The Lifeguard" (Sylvia Dee - George Goehring) in 1961. Sylvia Dee also wrote "Too Young" while George Goehring attained fame with

Jazz singer and civil rights activist Oscar Brown Jr. released "The Snake" in 1963. This track is from the album "Tell It Like It Is". Mississippi's Al Wilson enjoyed success when he recorded the Johnny River's production of "The Snake". The single

Ann Peebles 1974 Memphis soul album "I Can't Stand the Rain" contains the 1972 track "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (Earl Rabdle) produced by Willie Mitchell. The single peaked at number thirty-one on the R&B chart. Paul Young's cover of "I'm

"What Becomes Of the Brokenhearted" (Witherspoon - Riser - Dean) was issued by Jimmy Ruffin in 1966. The Motown release was written for The Spinners but David Ruffin, Jimmy's brother, of The Temptations intervened. The single spotlighted The Funk

In the summer of 1972 The Chi-Lites (Creadel Jones, Marshall Thompson and Clarence Lester) sang "Oh, Girl" as written, produced by Eugene Record who also sang lead. This is on the album "A Lonely Man" and the smooth single topped both the pop and R&B

"Tubular Bells instrumentalist Mike Oldfield released "Family Man" (Mike Oldfield, Terry Cross, Rick Fenn, Mike Frye, Morris Pert and Maggie Reilly) as a single with Scottish vocalist Maggie Reilly in 1982.This was a track on the album "Five Miles Out".

"Three Coins In the Fountain" (Jule Styne - Sammy Cahn) from the movie of the same name starring Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire and Jean Peters won the Academy Award For Best Original Song in 1954. Wikipedia: "Three Coins in the Fountain" refers to the act

The wonderful Grammy and Academy Award winner, composer, poet and actor Paul Williams recorded "I Won't Last A Day Without You" (Paul Williams - Roger Nichols) in 1972 for his album "Life Goes On". Brother and sister Richard and Karen Carpenter recorded

The Ink Spots (Bill Kenny, Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson and Hoppy Jones) first recorded "Maybe" (Allan Flynn - Frank Madden) in 1940. The single peaked at number two on Billboard when the group was so popular that they had their own barber, valet and

Fred Astaire sang "The Way You Look Tonight" (Jerome Kern - Dorothy Fields) to Ginger Rogers in the 1936 film "Swing Time". This track is from the movie soundtrack which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. In 1961 The Lettermen (Jim Pike, Tony Butala

"Behind The Eyes" is the 1975 album and here you'll find the power pop tune by Tim Moore "Rock And Roll Love Letter". This is the same author of the polar opposite sound and the originator of the Art Garfunkel hit "Second Avenue". Tim was a session

Cajun Bobby Charles (Guidry) wrote "See You Later, Alligator", "Walking To New Orleans" and "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do". Although he didn't compose the tune Bobby was first to record "What A Party" (P. King _ D. Bartholomew) in1960 for Imperial Records.

Ike and Tina Turner introduced the Phil Spector produced, Jack Nitzsche arranged "River Deep, Mountain High" (P. Spector - J. Barry - E. Greenwich) with The Wrecking Crew in 1966. It's been said the lack of success of the single, which peaked at

Produced by co-writer Jerry Ross, Dionne Warwick's sister, the late Dee Dee Warwick's (Delia Warrick) "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (Gamble - Ross) was issued in 1966 and just barely entered the Top One Hundred. Ashford and Simpson helped provide the

This is a demo of Loretta Lynn's (Webb) "Fool Number One" (Fulton) recorded in 1960, Owen Bradley wanted it for Brenda Lee and he traded the song for Brenda Lee in return for Owen signing Loretta to Decca records. Like so many other posts here, it's not

"Reuben James" is based on Wesley Watkins and Walter DeBerry, two men who worked out of a little sharecropper's shack across the road from Alex Harvey's father's country store. When young Harvey's father was hospitalized with tuberculosis, those two men

Session musician Danny Flowers wrote "Tulsa Time" in about a half-hour during bad weather and while staying at a Tulsa hotel. This was probably recorded at his home with him and his guitar. Once a member of The Pozo Seco Singers, Texan Don Williams

Tony Award winner Gwen Verdon starred in the 1955 Broadway hit and the 1958 movie "Damn Yankees" where she sang "Whatever Lola Wants" (Richard Adler - Jerry Ross). It was Lola Montez who initiated the phrase. Lola was the mistress of Bavaria's King

"Take Me To the River" (Green - Hodges) first appeared on the 1974 Al Green album "Explores Your Mind" as produced by Willie Mitchell. The song was not issued as a single. The 1978 Talking Heads album "More Songs About Buildings and Food" contains the

The first two verses are in Maori, the next two in English on the original 1927 issue of "Po Atarau" (Maewa Kalhau - Clement Scott) by Ana Hato and Deane Waretini. This was used to say farewell to Maori soldiers heading to WW 1. The tune is based on

Waring's Pennsylvanians (Fred and brother Tom Waring, Freddy Buck, Poley McClintock and various orchestra members) recorded "Sleep" (Earl Lebieg) late in 1923. This topped the charts of the day and was the band's theme song for years. The orchestra issued

According to Wikipedia: When Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood wrote and composed "Gimme Dat Ding," it was one selection from their musical sequence "Oliver in the Overworld," which formed part of the British children's show, Little Big Time, hosted by

Albert Hammond interprets his own composition "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" (Albert Hammond - John Bettis) in a live casual television appearance. Diana Ross recorded "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" as the lead single from her 1991 album "The

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (Jimmy Merchant, Herman Santiago, Joe Negroni and Sherman Garnes) reached the Billboard top ten in 1956 with "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" (Santiago - Lymon - Goldner). The song was originally titled "Why Do Birds Sing So

Session musicians Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers formed Chic with Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin, Tony Thompson and Raymond Jones. This is the group's interpretation of "Upside Down" (Nile Rodgers - Bernard Edwards). Guitarist, songwriter, producer,

Steve Dorff performs "I Cross My Heart" (Dorff - Kaz) with a simple electric keyboard but he sure gets the emotion across. Steve composed a bunch of themes for television shows, movie soundtracks and hits like "Every Which Way But Loose", "Through The

Five foot one, blonde jazz vocalist Janet Brace was first to record "Teach Me Tonight" (Gene De Paul - Sammy Cahn) in late 1953. The single peaked at number twenty-three on Billboard the next year. With Carmen Miranda as their mentor, The DeCastro

The film "White Nights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp and other famous folk was released in 1985 and featured the song "Separate Lives" composed by Stephen Bishop. The tune was nominated for an Academy Award, losing out to Lionel Richie's "Say

The Mystics (Al Contera, Albee and Phil Cracolici, Bob Ferrante and George Galfo) issued "Hushabye" (Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) in 1959 peaking in Billboard's top forty at number twenty. Al Caiola was on guitar. Alan Freed used the song as his closing theme

Ric Cartey's 1956 release "Young Love" (Ric Cartey - Carole Joyner) with The Jiva-Tones was a B side when first issued. The single, written by Ric and his girlfriend, never charted even though it was issued later on RCA Victor. "The Southern Gentleman"

The 1986 animated movie "An American Tale" highlighted "Somewhere Out There" (Horner - Mann -Weil). Wikipedia: "Steven Spielberg, the producer of An American Tail, invited songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to collaborate with James Horner on four

"Shots From A Cold Nightmare" (Moon Martin) is the Moon (John) Martin 1978 album containing "Bad Case Of Loving You". The song didn't chart. Robert Palmer's 1979 cover of "Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" from the album "Secrets" peaked at

The Christian hymn "Morning Has Broken" (Farjeon) was published in 1931. The melody is the same as the Christmas Carol "Child In the Manger" and the Scottish Gaelic poem "Bunessan" or "Leanabh an Aigh" (Child Of Wonder) with lyrics by Scotland's Mary

Cat Stevens commercial version of his "Here Comes My Baby" was never released as a single from the 1967 debut album "Matthew and Son". Born Steven Georgiou he is now Yusuf Islam. Wikipedia: "In 1976 Stevens nearly drowned off the coast of Malibu,

Super talented Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (Smokey and Claudette Robinson, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers and Ronnie White) hit number twenty-three pop and number five on the Billboard R&B charts with "More Love" (Smokey Robinson) in 1967. Written for

Kenny O'Dell's (Gist) 1978 album "Let's Shake Hands And Come Out Lovin'" contains the writer's version of "Behind Closed Doors". The eclectic Charlie Rich, The Silver Fox, charted with the first recording of "Behind Closed Doors" from the 1973 album of

Producers of the movie "Serious Charge" commissioned the late composer Lionel Bart (Begleiter) to write songs for the film, One of those songs, "Living Doll" was written in ten minutes as a "light rock and roll song". The star of the movie, Cliff Richard

In 1946 Merle Travis recorded "Dark As A Dungeon" and "Sixteen Tons" for the album "Folk Songs of The Hills, Back Home/Songs Of The Coalmines". Many of Merle's songs were inspired by his Kentucky home. Merle had a unique guitar style that influenced Chet

This is the original demo of "Like A Virgin" (Billy Steinberg - Tom Kelly) sung by Tom Kelly using a Roland Jupiter 8 keyboard at his home studio in 1983. This was played for Michael Ostin, at Tom Kelly's home. Michael was Senior Vice President at Warner

John Robert "Mutt" Lange wrote "All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You" for Don Henley who turned it down. Dobie Gray (Lawrence Brown) recorded the song in 1979. Heart's (Anne and Nancy Wilson, Howard Leese, Denny Carmassi and Mark Andes) completely

Songwriter, singer, producer the late Johnny Cymbal sings "Cinnamon" (Tobin - Cymbal) from a writer's circle recorded in Nashville in 1993. Johnny recorded under many aliases including "The Sideshow", "Dallas", "The Non-Conformists", The Cymbal Roberts

Eric Carmen's 1975 first solo and self titled album includes "All By Myself" (Eric Carmen) based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18. The single peaked at number two on Billboard's Top One Hundred. Wikipedia: "Carmen thought

Angela Lansbury starred in Disney's 1991 animated hit film and sang the title song "Beauty And The Beast" (Ashman - Menken). Angela recorded the tune in one take. Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson formed a duet to record "Beauty And The Beast" which also

Dennis Lambert recorded live at Joe's Pub in NYC with members of Tavares singing "Nightshift" (Walter Orange - Dennis Lambert - Franne Golde). Both Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye died the year before this hit and the tune is considered as a tribute to

Former member and co-founder of Traffic and once a member of Fleetwood Mac, Dave Mason released "Only You Know And I Know" (Mason) in 1970. This is from the solo album "Alone Together". Delaney and Bonnie (Bramlett) and Friends (various members

"Wade In the Water" is a spiritual associated with the Underground Railroad. Apparently Harriet Tubman used the song to tell escaping slaves to get into the water so slaver's dogs lost the trail. This track is from the album "Black Secular Vocal Groups"

Fran Warren (Wolfe) was the vocalist with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra in 1946 when they recorded "A Sunday Kind Of Love" (Belle - Leonard - Rhodes - Prima). Yes that's Louis Prima who had a hand in the composition. Claude played with Benny Goodman,

A required member of The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch) recorded "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (Tom Petty - Mike Campbell) as a demo. One of Tom's guitar teachers was Don

"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" was composed in 1937 by Irving Berlin. It was introduced in the musical "On the Avenue" in1937 by Dick Powell and Alice Faye (Leppert). Big band leader, composer, saxophonist and clarinettist Les Brown and his

Carl Perkins recorded "Matchbox" on a partial lyric suggested by his father. The song is based on twenties tunes called "Match Box Blues" recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson and Ma Rainey's "Lost Wandering Blues". The Sun label single was recorded in 1956

According to Wikipedia Fred Hellerman and The Weavers (Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Pete Seeger) were first to record "The Roving Kind". This was based on the sea shanty titled "The Pirate Ship" and issued just days before the Guy

One of the most successful songwriters on the fifties, Bob Merrill sings and plays piano on his composition "Sparrow In The Tree Top". Please consider me one of Bob's fans. Guy Mitchell (Al Cernik) had the hit with "Sparrow In The Tree Top" in 1951 with

The Tamla/Motown five man group The Messengers (Greg Jeresek, Peter Barnes, Jesse Row, Jeff Taylor and Augie Jurishica) issued "California Soul" (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) as a B side in 1967. The genesis of group started as a high school band

It was 1934 when Britain's Lew Stone and his band first issued "Isle of Capri" (Grosz - Kennedy) with trumpeter Nat Gonella as the vocalist. Noteworthy is the fact that Al Bowlly was a vocalist with the band at the same time. England's Ray Nobel and

The demo for "Don't Forbid Me" (Charles Singleton) was sent to Elvis Presley's home where it was ignored, in Elvis' words "with all the junk that comes there". This was revealed by Elvis during the Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry lee

Lead guitarist for Bon Jovi for more than a quarter century, songwriter and producer Richie Sambora with an in concert version of the tune he wrote with Jon Bon Jovi and Desmond Child especially for Cher. "We All Sleep Alone" features the vocals of

Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra first recorded "In the Chapel In the Moonlight" (Billy Hill) peaking at the top of the charts in 1936. On their way to tour the U.S. east coast the band stopped in Rockford, Illinois. Here his trademark was

"Waiting For Tonight" (Christensen - Garvin - Temple) was first issued by 3rd Party (Maria Christensen, Elaine Borja and Karmine Alers) in 1997 on the group's debut album "Alive". Jennifer Lopez covered "Waiting For Tonight" in 1999 for her debut album

"Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)" (Evelyn Danzig - Jack Segal) was written in part by Evelyn Danzig who was a professional pianist. Wikipedia: ""Scarlet Ribbons" was written in only 15 minutes in 1949 at Danzig's home in Port Washington, New York after she

Singer, pianist, writer and producer Neil Sedaka composed "Lonely Night (Angel Face)" on the 1975 album "The Hungry Years". This was on Elton John's Rocket Records label and featured Elton on "Bad Blood" along with the slower version of "Breaking Up Is

Here is the "Detroit" version of The Miracles (Bill Robinson, Bobby and Claudette Rogers, Ronnie White and Pete Moore) original "Shop Around" (Smokey Robinson - Berry Gordy). Recorded at a faster tempo The Miracles featuring William "Smokey" Robinson

Here is the demo of The Motels (Martha Davis and a revolving group of members) singing "Take My Breath Away" (Giorgio Moroder - Tom Whitlock). It was released later on the 2001 album "Anthologyland". Featured in the film and issued as the first single

"Who Do You Think You Are" (Clive Scott - Des Dryer) surfaced late in 1973 by Jigsaw (Des Dryer, Clive Scott, Barry Bernard, Tony Campbell and Kevin Mahon), when it was recorded as an upcoming album track for "I've Seen The Film, I've Read The Book". The

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey first recorded "See See Rider Blues" (Ma Rainey - Lena Arant) aka "C. C. Rider" and "Easy Rider" in 1924. This is a traditional delta blues song. Wikipedia: " The term see see rider is usually taken as synonymous with easy rider. In

American born Irishman Seamus Egan composed "Weep Not For The Memories". This instrumental is from his 1990 album "A Week In January". Sarah McLachlan and Dave Merenda added lyrics so the tune became "I Will Remember You" (Sarah McLachlan - Seamus Egan

"Summertime Blues" (E. Cochran - J. Capehart) was released as a B side in 1958. The Eddie Cochran single reached number eight on Billboard. Eddie played guitar as a back-up musician with Jody Reynolds, Al Casey, Johnny Burnette, Wynn Stewart and Jewel