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The Mighty Diamonds (Donald Shaw, Fitzroy Simpson and Lloyd Ferguson) were the first to record "Pass the Koutchie" (Ferguson - Simpson). You'll find it on their 1982 album "Changes". A koutchie is a drug pipe. British reggae band Musical Youth (Dennis

Eddie Miller issued "Release Me" (Eddie Miller - Robert Yount - James Pebworth) in 1949 because he couldn't get anyone else to record this classic when the tune was composed years earlier. The Cherokee Cowboy, Ray Price 1954 cover got well into the top

Britain's Helen Shapiro recorded the album "Helen In Nashville" in 1963 and it's there you'll find the original recording of "It's My Party" (John Gluck Jr. - Walter Gold - Herb Weiner). When the Beatles toured Britain for the first time, they were

Fleetwood Mac (Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch) recorded the album "Bare Trees" in 1972 and that's where one would find the original version of "Sentimental Lady (Bob Welch). Bob Welch's 1977 first solo album

Former member of the Emmylou Harris Hot Band, Rodney Crowell composed "Shame On the Moon" in 1981. Rodney and Roseanne Cash were once married. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released the album "The Distance" in 1982 and "Shame On the Moon" with

The Outsiders (Sonny Geraci, Tom King, Mert Madsen were the core members) first recorded "Bend Me, Shape Me" (Scott English, Larry Weiss). It's on the Cleveland groups "The Outsiders In" album from 1966. A year later The American Breed (vocalist Gary

Swings Senior Statesman Benny Goodman and vocalist Helen Ward took "Goody, Goody" (Matty Malneck - Johnny Mercer) to the top of the charts in 1936. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (Jimmy Merchant, Sherman Garnes, Herman Santiago and Joe Negroni) hit

Len Barry encouraged the Orlons (Osetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis and Stephen Caldwell) to sign with Cameo-Parkway Records and probably got a big "thank you" from the label owners. The Orlons released "Don't Throw Your Love Away" (Jimmy

German electronic music pioneer Gershon Kingsley (Gotz Ksinski) composed "Popcorn" for his 1969 album "Music to Moog By". In 1972 the Hot Butter (Stan Free and studio musicians Dave Mullaney, Danny Jordan, John Abbott, Bill Jerome and Steve Jerome)

The tune was turned down by the Oak Ridge Boys, then The Marcy Brothers (Kris, Kevin and Kendal Marcy) recorded "Don't Tell My Heart" (Don Von Tress) for their self-titled album in 1991. The next year Miley's daddy, singer/actor Bill Ray Cyrus issued

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys give us their version of the traditional fiddle classic "Ida Red" recorded in 1938 which is the basis for "Maybellene". Chuck Berry's initial release for Chess Records was "Maybellene". It was originally called "Ida

Worldwide star Roger Whittaker was the first to record "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Larry Henley - Jeff Silbar) in 1982 for the album of the same name. The co-composer Larry Henley is the same Mr. Henley who sang with The Newbeats of "Bread and Butter"

You may still see him playing jazz trumpet at Preservation Hall, the retired Dave Bartholomew recorded "Let the Four Winds Blow" (Dave Bartholomew - Fats Domino) in 1952. The band leader, producer and composer was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of

Family Dogg (Albert Hammond and Steve Rowland along with backup personnel) issued "Arizona" (Kenny Young) in 1969. Mark Lindsay, former leader of Paul Revere & the Raiders the first rock group to be signed to Columbia Records, hit the top ten

Once a pianist and arranger for B.B. King, the Julliard trained Joe Jones was the first to release "California Sun" (Henry Glover - Morris Levy) in 1961. Joe discovered Shirley and Lee of "Let the Good Times Roll" fame and not only discovered but

The Kinks (Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Peter Quaife and Mick Avory) recorded "Dandy" (Ray Davies) in 1966 for their album "Face to Face". Many years ago Peter Quaife and I quaffed ales together at a quiet bar in my Ontario home city. After a most pleasant

Marvin (Phillips) & Johnny (Emory Perry) issued "Cherry Pie" (Phillips) in 1954. It's interesting to note that there was a long line of "Johnny's" which once included Jesse Belvin, Carl Green or Bobby Sheen, sometime it was just Marvin overdubbing

Kenny Rankin appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in excess of twenty times. Johnny even wrote the liner notes for Kenny's 1967 debut album "Mind Dusters" which features the original recording of "Peaceful" (Rankin). He performed

In 1990 Grammy winners Asleep at the Wheel (Ray Benson and more drifting members than you can count) recorded "Boot Scootin' Boogie" (Ronnie Dunn) for the album "Keepin' Up Nights" their only release on Arista Records. Over time they recorded for EMI,

Often a member of the Ringo Starr's All-Star Band, Dave Edmunds issued "Queen of Hearts" (Hank DeVito) on his 1979 album "Repeat When Necessary". The single reached the U.K. top twenty although it failed to chart in North America. Judy "Juice" Newton's

The Clovers (John Bailey, Harold Lucas, Billy Mitchell, Matthew McQuater and Harold Winley) "Devil or Angel" (Blanch Carter) was issued in1955 and peaked at number three on the R&B chart. In 1960 "Devil or Angel" was just one of Bobby Vee's

Originally recorded by Grand Ol' Opry stalwart Roy Acuff in 1945 "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (Fred Rose) was released only as a single. Fred Rose and Roy Acuff were the founders of the independent label, Hickory Records and the men behind

"Fuedin' Banjos" (Arthur Smith) was composed and recorded in 1955 by banjo players Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith and Don Reno. Arthur owned and operated a sound studio in Charlotte, North Carolina where he produced Billy Graham's Hour of Decision radio

Italy's Anna Indentici and the Sandpipers recorded "Quando M'innamoro" (Livraghi - Pace - Panzeri) in 1968 at the San Remo Music Festival. Featuring English lyrics by Barry Mason Engelbert Humperdick's (Arnold Dorsey) "A Man Without Love" made the top

Sir Cliff Richard and the Shadows (Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan) were the first to perform and record "I Gotta Know" (Paul Evans - Matt Williams) at London's Abbey Road Studios in 1959 for the album "Cliff Sings". The B side of

Grammy winner Willie "Mabon" Dixon wrote and recorded "Seventh Son" (Willie Dixon) in 1955. Willie won a Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship novice division in 1937, turned professional and was a sparring partner for Joe Louis. In the

Australian country singer/songwriter Al Geoffrey McElhinney composed "I've Been Everywhere" (Geoff Mack) and in 1962 Lucky Starr (Leslie Morrison) made it a hit in their homeland. Using an atlas Geoff Mack re-wrote the song for Hank (Clarence) Snow

Big band vocalist/actor Dick Haymes' "The More I See You" (Harry Wareen - Mack Gordon) was featured in the 1945 motion picture "Bill Rose's Diamond Horseshoe" starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. Under the mentorship of label owner Herb Alpert, Chris

One of those responsible for the award winning "Jersey Boys", Frankie Valli (Castelluccio) released "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" (Bob Crewe - Bob Gaudio) in 1965 from the album "Solo". Other members of the Four Seasons were on the session but

This tune titled "Tell Me Why" is not to be confused with the Four Aces or Eddie Fisher hit in 1951 or the Bobby Vinton version in 1964 or the Beatles song from the same year. It's not to be confused with the Genesis tune from 1993 or the Wynonna

Composed in 1932 and dedicated to George Gershwin according to one of the most credible experts, Arnold Rypen, it was band leader/composer/violinist Paul "King of Jazz" Whiteman who was first to record "Willow Weep For Me" (Ann Ronell) and take this

The Pinetoppers (George Vaughn Horton and brother Roy Horton) and the Beaver Valley Sweethearts issued "Mockingbird Hill" (George Horton) in 1950. The melody is based on a Swedish waltz called "Life in the Woods". Other Vaughn Horton compositions by the

The Rivileers (Herb Crosby, Gene Pearson, Alfonso Delaney, Milt Edwards and Errol Lennard) first recording was "A Thousand Stars" (Alfonso - Carolyn Grissom) in 1954. Kathy Young and the Innocents (Darron Stankey, Jim West and Al Candaleria) reached

"The father of country music" and "the singing brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Blue Yodel #8" in 1930. Since then the title morphed into "Mule Skinner Blues" (Jimmie Rodgers) when Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys recorded the tune. Called The

Originally written as an instrumental piece by orchestra leader Borney Bergantine in the early thirties and played by the orchestra many times "My Happiness" was not recorded until the forties with lyrics by Betty Peterson. The Marlin Sisters (Goldie

Motown's Eddie Holland was first to record "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" (Eddie Holland - Lamont Dozier - Brian Holland) in 1964 although it wasn't released for more than four decades. Detroit's Kim (Agatha) Weston backed by the

A Mouseketeer in 1955, Judy Harriet (Spiegelman) recorded "Tall Paul" (Bob Roberts - Dick Sherman - Bob Sherman) in 1958. The following year fellow Mickey Mouse Club member Annette Funicello had her breakthrough cover as "Annette and the Afterbeats"

Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By the Light" (Bruce Springsteen) is the first track from his 1973 album "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.". Incidentally the correct line is: blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night".

Once a session musician for acts like Sam Cooke, Little Richard, The Beatles and Ray Charles R&B, soul, rock and gospel artist Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful" (Billy Preston - "Beach Boy" Dennis Wilson - Bruce Fisher) is from the 1974 album

The is Carole King's demo for "Go Away Little Girl". Carole as usual for that period, composed the melody. Bobby Vee (Velline) was first to record the unreleased "Go Away Little Girl" (Gerry Goffin - Carole King) in the same session he did "It Might As