Untitled Document

B

	Song	Artist/Date/Label	Remade by
	Babe I Hate To Go (aka Leaving On A Jet Plane)	John Denver 1966 on lp (no label) HDJ 66 John Denver Sings	Mitchell Trio (1967 Reprise 0588, 1967 on lp Reprise 6258 Alive), Peter, Paul & Mary, John Denver (5-29-69)

John Denver Sings was a 250-copy run album that he had pressed himself.

Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You

Joan Baez 1962
on lp Vanguard 2122 In Concert

Association, Led Zeppelin, Great White

The story of "Babe," written as a simple folk tune in the late 1950s, is among the most complex I've encountered. Around 1960 at UC Berkeley, there was a late-night radio show with live acoustic music. All were welcome and, true to the folk tradition, it was usually a mix-and-match affair among performers. One regular was sophomore Janet Smith. Another contributor was Anne Johannson, whose repertoire included her composition "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You." Smith expressed interest in a couple of her songs and, after asking if she could learn them, jotted down the lyrics.

Janet Smith transferred to Oberlin and continued playing at informal hootenannies. In 1962, Joan Baez played a show at the college and accepted an invitation to attend a living room "hoot." Baez took a liking to some songs Smith played and asked her to send a tape of them, including "Babe," to her manager. The subject of the songs' origins and/or authorship never came up.

The publisher affiliated with Vanguard Records (Joan Baez's label) later sent Janet Smith a letter asking if she had written "Babe." In the meantime, Joan had recorded the song and included it on her In Concert album. Initial pressings had no writer's credit for "Babe." Smith located Anne, who had since married UC professor Glen Bredon. This led to a 1964 Joan Baez songbook rightfully listing Anne Bredon as the author.

The Association's 1965 single of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Jubilee 5505) credited Anne H. Bredon.

Fast forward to the 1980s when Janet Smith heard her son's copy of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" by Led Zeppelin. Noticing their album credits for the song read "Trad, arr. by Jimmy Page," Smith got curious and again tracked down Anne, now living on the east coast. As folkies, neither Janet nor Anne had been familiar with Led Zeppelin. Royalty statements to Bredon from Vanguard's Reyerson Publishing had dwindled as Baez's album sales slowed, so she hadn't had reason to think about it.

Anne authorized Janet to pursue their case with Zep's publisher Superhype, agreeing to split any proceeds 50/50. Superhype claimed that since Page learned the song from Joan's album—one with no writing credit, leading him to assume it was an old song—and that Led Zeppelin's arrangement and recording made the song famous, they should share in the rewards. Eventually things were worked out such that subsequent pressings of Zep's version would list Anne Bredon, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. (Anne gets 50% of the royalties and Page and Plant split the other half). Interestingly, Baez's recording still/now credits only Anne, although I've also seen it as "Anne H. Bredon (by assignment from Janet Smith)."

Anne Bredon wrote many other songs and continued to be involved in music and the arts in northern California up to her death in 2019.

Baby Blue

Laurels 1959
on CD The Echoes- Baby Blue Blue Lion 416 (2000)

Echoes (12-60)

Brooklyn vocal group the Laurels (no relation to the Laurels who first recorded "Baby Talk") cut "Baby Blue" in 1959 but couldn't find any takers for the song. The following year the group replaced a couple of members, changed their name to the Echoes, rerecorded "Baby Blue" and had a hit in early 1961.

Baby Face

Jan Garber Orch. w/ Benny Davis 6-29-26
Victor 20105

Art Mooney, Little Richard, Bobby Darin, Wing & A Prayer Fife & Drum Corps.

Baby I Love Your Way

Peter Frampton 1975
A&M 1738

Peter Frampton (1975, on lp Frampton Comes Alive)

Baby Let Me Bang Your Box see Let Me Bang Your Box, (I Love To Play Your Piano)

Baby Let Me Follow You Down see Don't Tear My Clothes

Baby Let's Play House

Arthur Gunter 11-16-54
Excello 2047

Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Link Wray, John Prine, Dave Edmunds

Likely inspired by Eddy Arnold's 1951 hit "I Wanna Play House With You" (RCA Victor 0476).

Baby Let's Wait

Young Rascals 1-7-66
on lp Atlantic 8123 Young Rascals

Royal Guardsmen

Baby, Please Don't Go

Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers (aka Big Joe Williams)
10-31-35 Bluebird 6200

Big Joe Williams (1941 [as "Please Don't Go"] on Bluebird 8969, 1947 for Columbia, 1958 for Delmark), Muddy Waters, Them, Amboy Dukes, AC/DC, Cowboy Junkies et al

Not the same Joe Williams (né Joseph Goreed) who sang with the Count Basie band, hence the added moniker "Big."

The melody for "Baby Please Don't Go" was taken from "Don't You Leave Me Here," released by Harvey Hull (Gannett 6106) and by Sunny Boy & His Pals (Champion 15283). The Hull and Sunny Boy records are the same recording, done April 8, 1927.

Baby Take Me In Your Arms

Paper Dolls 1968
on UK lp Pye 18226 Paper Dolls House

Jefferson

Baby Talk

Laurels 1958
Spring 1112

Jan & Dean

Baby The Rain Must Fall

Wee Three Trio 1964
on lp Ava AS53 Baby The Rain Must Fall ost

Glenn Yarbrough

The soundtrack has an instrumental version by composer Elmer Bernstein, as well as the vocal by the Wee Three Trio.

Baby You Come Rollin' Cross My Mind

Jesse Lee Kincaid 1967
Captiol 5906

Peppermint Trolley Company

Back On The Street Again

Steve Gillette 1967
on lp Vanguard 79251

Sunshine Company

Back Stage (aka Backstage)

James Darren 1963
Colpix 708

Gene Pitney

Back When My Hair Was Short

Gunhill Road 1972
on lp Kama Sutra 2061 (first press)

Gunhill Road (1973, Kama Sutra 569)

The first pressing of their album had a version different from the subsequent hit. The original was slower and had numerous drug references in the lyrics (produced by Kenny Rogers!). After the single took off, it and two other re-recordings, and an additional track, were substituted on the LP. The earlier issue was dated 1972 while the later, common one was 1973. Both used the same catalog number although the songs were in a different order.

Bad Boy see Brown Gal

Bad Boy

Larry Williams 8-14-58
Specialty 658

Beatles

Four recordings titled "Bad Boy," by the Jive Bombers, Marty Wilde, Ray Parker Jr. and Miami Sound Machine, are all different compositions from Larry Williams'.

Bad Case Of Lovin' You

Moon Martin 1978
on lp Capitol 11787 Shots From A Cold Nightmare

Robert Palmer

Ball And Chain

Big Mama Thornton & Her Houndogs 1-25-68
Arhoolie 520

Janis Joplin (4-13-68, 1970), Big Mama Thornton (1969, 1975, 1979)

Thornton had previously recorded the song for the small California label Bay-Tone, but to date, it's not been issued.

A live 1967 performance by Janis Joplin with Big Brother & Holding Company, which includes "Ball And Chain," has since been released but I doubt this tape was made with the intent of public issue. Joplin had picked up the song from Thornton ater hearing her perform it in a San Francisco club.

Balla Linda (aka Bella Linda)

Lucio Battisti 1968
Italian Ricordi 10-495

Grass Roots

Ballad Of Ira Hayes see Ira Hayes

Ballad Of Lucy Jordon (aka Ballad Of Lucy Jordan)

Dr. Hook & Medicine Show 1973 (spring)
Columbia 3-10032

Marianne Faithfull, Belinda Carlisle, Dennis Locoierre

Ballad Of Paladin

Johnny Western 8-58
Columbia 41260

Johnny Western (1961, on lp Columbia 1788 Have Gun, Will Travel), Duane Eddy (5-10-62)

The theme song from the TV show Have Gun, Will Travel.
Melodic elements of "The Ballad Of Paladin" are similar to Les Paul & Mary Ford's 1955 Hummingbird (Capitol 3165).

Banana Boat (Song) see Day Dah Light

Banks Of The Ohio see Down On The Banks Of The Ohio

Battle Of New Orleans

Jimmie Driftwood 10-27-57
on lp RCA Victor 1635 Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs

Johnny Horton (1-27-59), Jimmie Driftwood (4-27-59, on RCA Victor 7534), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Based on the 19th century song "The Eighth Of January."

Following the success of Johnny Horton's hit, Driftwood's album was reissued (with the same label number) under the title Battle Of New Orleans.

Despite it being labeled as from the album Newly Discovered Early American Folk Song, Driftwood's 45 RCA Victor 7534 is the later recording.

Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw

"Little" Jimmy Dickens 10-14-49
on lp Harmony 7311 Best (1964)

Luke The Drifter (aka Hank Williams), Dion

Be My Girl (aka Be My Boy)

Ray Peterson 1960
Dunes 2002

Paris Sisters

The song was co-written by Phil Spector who, coincidently, produced both Ray Peterson's and the Paris Sisters'.

Peterson's original was reissued in 1963 on Dunes 2027.

Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy

Sensational Epics 1967
Warner Bros 7168

Gentle Touch, Tams, Sonia

Beat Me Daddy (Eight To The Bar)

Will Bradley w/ Ray McKinley and Freddie Slack 5-21-40
Columbia 35530/36956

Glenn Miller, Andrew Sisters, Commander Cody & Lost Planet Airmen, Asleep At The Wheel

The title refers to instructions to play eight beats in a musical measure (bar). Will Bradley's pianist Freddie Slack was known as Daddy Slack, so vocalist Ray McKinley would often call for him to start a song with eight beats to the bar.

Beatnik Fly, The see Blue Tail Fly

Beautiful People see My Beautiful People

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

Miracles 4-13 & 29-64
on lp Tamla 271 Away We A Go-Go (1966)

Jimmy Ruffin, Temptations (5-10 & 11-66)

Because They're Young

James Darren 1959
Colpix 142 (1960)

Duane Eddy & The Rebels (3-11-60)

On the 45 label, Darren is listed as Jimmy.

Short of unearthing a session date, it's reasonable to assume Darren's was first since "Because They're Young" was written for the movie of that title, shot in 1959 and released in April, 1960. Since Duane Eddy's hit was cut on March of 1960, it's highly unlikely Darren's was done after that.

Beddy Bye see Strangers In The Night

Before And After (Losing You)

Fleetwoods 11-12-64
Dolton 302

Chad & Jeremy (3-3-65)

Before The Next Teardrop Falls

Duane Dee 7-20-67
Capitol 5986

David Houston (c. 7-67), Freddy Fender

It's possible David Houston's was first but, without a specific date for his, the nod goes to Duane Dee's.

Before You Accuse Me (Take A Look At Yourself)

Bo Diddley 8-15-57
Checker 878

13th Floor Elevators, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eric Clapton (many times, first in 1992)

Begin The Beguine

Xavier Cugat w/ Don Reid 9-5-35
Victor 25133

Paul Whiteman, Joe Haymers, Artie Shaw, Django Reinhardt, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker, Esquivel, Ella Fitzgerald

While on a world cruise, writer Cole Porter was inspired by rhythms he heard in the Dutch East Indies. Although he had reservations about its structure and lenth, "Beguine" was inclcuded in the stage musical Jubilee. The play opened October 12, 1935 with June Knight singing it, and Cugat had already recorded his version the previous month. As a composition,"Beguine" was all but ignored until Artie Shaw cut his popular arrangement in 1938.

Bella Linda see Balla Linda

Bell That Couldn't Jingle, The

Paul Evans 1962
Kapp 499

Bobby Vinton, Bobby Helms, Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert

Bend Me Shape Me

Outsiders 3-23-67
on lp Capitol 2636 In

Models, American Breed, Amen Corner

Bésame Mucho

Los Cadetes Del Swing 5-22-40
Mexican Victor 76271

Emilio Tuero (c. 1941), Andy Russell, Jimmy Dorsey, Carmen Miranda, Coasters, Beatles, Placido Domingo, Diana Krall et al.

Based on Enrique Gránados' "Nightingale Aria" for his 1914 opera Goyescas.

beschwipste Drahtkommode, Die (aka The Crazy Otto)

Der schräge Otto 1954
German Polydor 22 009

Johnny Maddox

Fritz Schulz-Reichel was a German pianist whose nickname was Der schräge Otto or Crazy Otto. His 2-sided medley of American and German songs, done in ragtime style, became quite popular in his homeland. ("Die beschwipste Drahtkommode" translates to "The Drunken Piano" or "The Tipsy Ivories.") Then Amercian Johnny Maddox copied this medley for the US market, titling it "The Crazy Otto."

Best, The

Bonnie Tyler 1988
on lp Columbia 44163 Notes From America

Tina Turner

Tyler's album was titled Hide Your Heart outside of the US.

Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me see You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Betcha By Golly, Wow see Keep Growing Strong

Bette Davis Eyes

Jackie DeShannon 1975
on lp Columbia 33500 New Arrangement

Kim Carnes

Better Be Good To Me

Spider 1981
on lp Dreamland 5007 Between The Lines

Tina Turner

Better Man

Bad Radio 1989
on cassette Tower Records Demo (no label, no #)

Pearl Jam

Future Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder wrote the song while in high school and first recorded it with his band Bad Radio. The group's cassette tape was sold at the San Diego Tower Records shop and thus became known as the Tower Records Demo. Even though "Better Man" is labeled as a live recording, the audience sounds were dubbed in by Vedder.

Beyond The Sea see La Mer

Big Boy Pete

Don & Dewey 1-20-59
Specialty 659

Olympics, Kingsmen (as "Jolly Green Giant")

Big City Miss Ruth Ann

Heroes Of Cranberry Farm 1970
Jamie 1386

Gallery

Big Noise From Winnetka, The

Bob Haggart & Ray Bauduc 10-14-38
Decca 2208

Bob Crosby & Orch. (numerous times), Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, World's Greatest Jazz Band, Bette Midler

Haggart (bass and whistling) & Bauduc (drums) were part Bob Crosby's band and the instrumental "Big Noise" was the B-side of a full Crosby recording. The two worked up this showpiece in which Bauduc ends up rhythmically playing Haggart's bass strings with his drum sticks while Bob fingers a solo. Haggart provides the main part of the melody with his whistling.

Bigger They Come The Harder They Fall, The (aka The Harder They Come)

Jimmy Cliff 1971
UK Island WIP 6110

Jimmy Cliff (1972 for Mango, 1976 for Warner Bros.), Joe Jackson, Rockers Revenge, Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia

Cliff reworked his original as the title song for the 1972 epic reggae film The Harder They Come. He also recorded an interim version (also titled "The Bigger They Come The Harder They Fall") that was included on the 2003 expanded CD issue of the soundtrack.

Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (aka Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey)

Arthur Collins c. 6-02
on cylinder Columbia 872

Arthur Collins (1902 for Edison), Bob Roberts (c. 1904), Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald

There was a real Bill Bailey (Willard "Bill" Bailey), a black vaudeville performer, whose late night partying supposedly prompted his wife to lock him out. Songwriter Hughie Cannon suggested Bailey spend the night in a hotel with the hope his wife would beg for his return. At least that was Cannon's view when he composed the song. Bailey himself often denied this version of its genesis but regardless, it makes a good story.

"Bill Bailey" was introduced by John Queen in the minstrel show Town Topics and Collins was the first to record it. Its popularity inspired a number of sequels such as "I Wonder Why Bill Bailey Won't Come Home" and "Since Bill Bailey Came Back Home."

Billy (I Always Dream Of Bill)

Anna Chandler 1911 (rel. 3-11)
on cylinder Edison Amberol 833

American Quartet (7-27-11), Orrin Tucker w/ Wee Bonnie Baker, Kathy Linden

Billy - Don't Be A Hero

Paper Lace 1974
Mercury 73479

Bo Donaldson & Heywoods

Although Paper Lace's original hit number 1 in the UK, it barely charted in the States and was overshadowed by Bo Donaldson's chart-topping version.

Birdland see We Like Birdland

Birds Of A Feather

Joe South 1967
Capitol 2060

Paul Revere & Raiders

Black & White see Ink Is Black

Black Angel Blues (aka Sweet Little Angel)

Lucille Bogan 12-17-30
Brunswick 7186

Robert Nighthawk, Tampa Red, B.B. King (1956 and many other times), Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy et al.

Black Betty

Lead Belly (aka Leadbelly) 4-1-39
Musicraft 223/224

Leadbelly (1948 for Folkways), Ram Jam, Tom Jones

Alan Lomax made a 1933 field recording of "Black Betty" sung by James "Iron Head" Baker and a group of fellow Sugarland, Texas prisoners. It has been issued on various Rounder Records compilations.

Leadbelly's record was issued as part of a multi-disc (alternately four or five) 78 set Negro Sinful Songs, on Musicraft Album 31.

Ram Jam's hit was recorded and first released as by the group Starstruck, before it was edited and issued under the subsequent band's name.

Harry Belafonte's 1965 "Black Betty" (on LP Ballads, Blues And Boasters) is a different song.

Black Magic Woman

Fleetwood Mac 2-22-68
Epic 10351

Santana (5-69)

Black Girl (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?) see In The Pines

Black Mountain Side see Black Water Side

Black Water Side (aka Black Mountain Side)

Bert Jansch 1966
on lp UK Transatlantic TRA 143 Jack Orion

Led Zeppelin

The song, also known as "Down By Backwaterside," is a traditional British folk composition, with many instrumental and vocal recordings through the years. It was Bert Jansch's arrangement that "inspired" Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page (via Al Stewart). Jansch initially considered legal action against Led Zeppelin but didn't pursue any since the song was not his to begin with.

Bert Jansch's Jack Orion LP had a 1970 US issue (Vanguard VSD 6544).

Bless The Broken Road see Broken Road, The

Blinded By The Light

Bruce Springsteen 1972
Columbia 45805

Manfred Mann

Blowin' Away

Laura Nyro 11-29-66
on lp Verve Folkways/Verve Forecast 3020 More Than A New Discovery

5th Dimension

Nyro's album (her first) was issued under various titles including More Than A New Discovery, The First Songs and with no title. The song order also changed.

Blue

Bill Mack c. 3-58
Starday 360

Kenny Roberts, Le Ann Rimes (1993, 1996)

Legend incorrectly has it that Bill Mack had Patsy Cline in mind when he wrote the song. Mack composed "Blue" in 1956 while simply strumming his guitar, with lyrics just coming to him. Cline's husband Charlie Dick later pitched the song to her but she never got to cut it before her death in a 1963 plane crash.

Blue Christmas

Doye O'Dell 1948
Exclusive 65X

Riley Shepard, Jesse Rogers, Russ Morgan (8-31-49), Hugo Winterhalter, Ernest Tubb, Billy Eckstine, Elvis Presley

O'Dell's, Shepard's and Rogers' were all issued in later 1948. Research is ongoing to definitively determine whose was recorded first.

Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain

Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys 8-2-45 (1947)
Columbia 37822/20357

Elton Britt (5-21-46), Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson

Blue Guitar (aka You Shook Me)

Earl Hooker 5-3-61
AGE 29106 (1962)

Muddy Waters (6-27-62), Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Willie Dixon, Etta James, B.B. King et el.

Chess Records made arrangements to use Hooker's instrumental recording, overdubbed Muddy Waters' vocal (with lyrics by Willie Dixon), creating the enduring blues number.

Blue Hawaii

Jack Denny w/ Sonny Schuyler 2-19-37
Master 105

Bing Crosby (2-22-37), Billy Vaughn, Elvis Presley

Blue Monday

Smiley Lewis 12-14-53
Imperial 5268

Fats Domino (3-30-55), Buddy Holly, Dave Edmunds

Blue Moon

Glen Gray & Casa Loma Orch. w/ Kenneth Sargent 11-16-34
Decca 312

Ted Fio Rito (11-19-34), Frankie Trumbauer & Orch (11-20-34), Connie Boswell (1-15-35), Billy Eckstine, Elvis Presley, Marcels, Ventures, Herb Lance & Classics, Mavericks

The melody for this song had various titles and lyrics prior to becoming "Blue Moon." It was first written as "Prayer (Oh, Lord Make Me A Movie Star)" to be sung by Jean Harlow in Hollywood Revue—an unproduced 1933 film. Then it became "The Bad In Every Man," sung by Shirley Ross in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama.

Some sources list Fio Rito's recording date as 10-19-34 but I assume that is a typo. Please advise if you know definitively!

Blue Moon Of Kentucky

Bill Monroe 9-16-46
Columbia 20370/37888

Elvis Presley, Bill Monroe (1954 for Decca), Ray Charles

Blue Skies

Imperial Dance Orchestra 12-10-26
Banner 1905

Ben Selvin, George Olsen, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Willie Nelson, Cassandra Wilson, Lyle Lovett, Dr. John, Rod Stewart et el.

The song was first performed by Belle Baker in the 1926 Broadway production Betsy. Al Jolson sang it in the early talkie movie, 1927's The Jazz Singer.

Blue Tail Fly, The (aka Jimmy Crack Corn)

Burl Ives 1944
on 78 album Asch 345 The Wayfaring Stranger

Andrew Sis. & Burl Ives, Big Bill Broonzy, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger, Johnny & Hurricanes (as "The Beatnik Fly"), Burl Ives (many more times)

While roots of the song go back to the 1840s, no one seems to have recorded it before Ives. He performed it on his 1940 radio show (also called The Wayfarin' Stranger) but didn't formally cut it until 1944.

Ives' 78 set was reissued in 1947 on the Stinson label. He also had 78 & 33 1/3 albums out on Okeh and Columbia titled The Wayfaring Stranger, but they contained different material.

Blue Turns To Grey see When Blue Turns To Grey

Blue Velvet

Tony Bennett 7-17-51
Columbia 39555

Arthur Prysock (7-23-51), Clovers, Moonglows, Bobby Vinton

Blue Yodel # 8 (aka Muleskinner Blues, aka Good Morning Captain)

Jimmie Rodgers 7-11-30
Victor 23503

Maddox Bros., Bill Monroe, Woody Guthrie, Joe D. Gibson, Fendermen, Dolly Parton, Cramps, Van Morrison

The Fendermen's hit was based on Joe D. Gibson's arrangement.

Blueberry Hill

Sammy Kaye w/ Tommy Ryan 5-31-40
Victor 26643

Glenn Miller (6-13-40), Gene Autry (8-20-40), Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino

While Gene Autry introduced the song in the film The Singing Hill, Kaye's was recorded before Autry's commercially-issued version.

Blues With A Feeling

Rabon Tarrant w/ Jack McVea & His Door Openers 1947
Black & White 119

Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal, Carey Bell & Lurrie Bell

Boat Song, The (aka If I Had A Boat)

Lyle Lovett 1985
on lp Fast Folk 208 Fast Folk Musical Magazine October 1985

Lyle Lovett (1987 for MCA/Curb)

Body And Soul

Jack Hylton 1929
Victor 36027

Paul Whiteman, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Anita Baker, Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse et el.

British band leader Jack Hylton cut the first version. The song was then introduced in the US, with additional lyrics by Edward Heyman and Robert Sour, in the 1930 Broadway review Three's A Crowd.

Bo Jangles (aka Mr. Bojangles)

Allen Damron 1967
WAM 6874

Bobby Cole, Jerry Jeff Walker (6-20-68 for Atco, 1977 for MCA), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Singer/poet/actor Allen Damron managed the Austin, Texas folk club the Chequered Flag in the later 1960s. The venue helped develop the "Austin sound" and featured many Texas performers in their early years. Damron made some live recordings of Jerry Jeff Walker compositions, had this 45 pressed (perhaps 1,000 copies) and gave them away at the club.

In November, 1967 Jerry Jeff Walker performed "Mr. Bojangles," with accompaniment by David Bromberg, on New York City's WBAI radio. The show's host, Bob Fass, recorded Walker and Bromberg's in-studio performance and continued to feature it on his Radio Unmentionable program. In fact, Fass was so captivated by the song, he played it repeatedly for weeks, sometimes multiple times in an evening. Bob Fass created demand for "Mr. Bojangles" before it was even put to vinyl! This version was later issued on Walker's 1969 album Five Years Gone (Atco 297). It may have been done prior to Allen Damron's, but it wasn't recorded with the intent of being issued.

Jerry Jeff's demo of the song—cut after the WBAI performance—was issued on his 1999 CD Best Of The Vanguard Years. At the time, Vanguard passed on the song, leading Walker to Atlantic/Atco Records where he made his hit version.

Walker is ambiguous regarding the exact order of these "Bojangles" recordings in his 1999 autobiography Gypsy Songman. My take is: Walker's WBAI, Damron's, Bobby Cole's, Walker's Vanguard demo, then Walker's Atco hit. Regardless, Allen Damron's was the earliest done for release—as well as the first to hit the streets.

Boll Weevil Song, The see Mississippi Boweavil Blues

Bonanza

Marty Gold 10-22-59
on lp RCA Victor 2163 Swingin West (1960)

Buddy Morrow, David Rose, Al Caiola, Johnny Cash, Lorne Green

Boom Boom

John Lee Hooker 10-26-61
Vee Jay 438

Animals, John Lee Hooker (many more times), Big Head Todd & Monsters w/ John Lee Hooker

Boom Boom Boomerang

Ginny Wright & Tom Tall 1955
Fabor 121

DeCastro Sisters

Boom, Boom Out Goes The Lights

Little Walter 12-55
Checker 867

King Biscuit Boy, Pat Travers

Boot Scootin' Boogie

Asleep At The Wheel c. 4-90
on lp Arista AL-8550 Keepin' Me Up Nights

Brooks & Dunn

Born Free

Matt Monro 2-20-66
Capitol 5623

Roger Williams (6-1-66), Hesitations

From the film of the same title.

Composer John Barry's instrumental theme was also issued (MGM 13591).

Born In Chicago

Paul Butterfield Blues Band 12-64
on lp Elektra S-78 Folksong '65

Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965), Nighthawks, George Thorogood, Nick Gravenites & John Cipollina, Pixies, Chicago Blues Reunion, Tom Petty

Born To Lose

Ted Daffan's Texans w/ Leon Seago 2-20-42
Okeh 6706/Columbia 37667

Ray Charles

Written by Daffan, under the name Frankie Brown, following a chance remark at a poker game.

Bossa Nova, Baby

Tippie & The Clovers 10-19-62
Tiger 201

Elvis Presley (1-22-63)

Bottle Of Wine

Judy Collins 3-21-64
on lp Elektra 280/7280 The Judy Collins Concert

Tom Paxton, Fireballs, Havalinas

Bounty Hunter

Nomads 1961
Rust 5028

Al Caiola

As the B-side to Al Caiola's "Bonanza," "Bounty Hunter" wasn't really a hit but both he and the Nomads were credited on the original sheet music and it was included on Caiola's Golden Hit Instrumentals album. Certainly it must've gotten attention somewhere, if not nationally.

The song does bear some resemblance to Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser" (Jamie 1104, 1958)

Boy Named Sue (aka A Boy Named Sue)

Shel Silverstein 12-14-68
RCA 74-0158

Johnny Cash (2-24-69), Todd Snider

Writer Silverstein was inspired by a reference to a male attorney named Sue Hicks, who had worked on the 1925 John Scopes evolution trial.

Boy Watcher (aka Girl Watcher)

Ginger Thompson 1968 (January?)
1-2-3 1702

O'Kaysions (spring 1968), Christine Day

The song has a confusing and fuzzy history, so this is not a definitive entry! There is a lot of contradictory information, including court transcripts, that makes conclusions difficult. Singer Ginger Thompson, who still performs, says she doesn't remember when her version was cut.

In 1962 16-year-old Pat Parker & The Way Mates had a record out (two different versions, both on Skyland 1000) titled "Boy Watcher." It was credited to the Way Mates' manager Buck Trail, a pseudonym (along with Buck Killette) used by writer Ron Killette. Parker's recording bears little resemblance to the O'Kaysions' "Girl Watcher" hit though. Jump to early 1968(?) for Ginger Thompson's "Boy Watcher," also credited to Buck Trail, and you hear what something very similar to the O'Kaysions' hit.. It's unclear how the song went from Parker's to Thompson's arrangement. The O'Kaysions' record credited not only Trail but group member and manager Wayne Pittman. Ron Killette sued Pittman, they came to an agreement but ended up back in court disputing the settlement as well as engaging in slander accusations.

Of course it's possible Ginger Thompson copied the O'Kaysions, but will we ever know for certain?

Boys

Shirelles 1960
Scepter 1211

Beatles

Brand New Cadillac

Vince Taylor & His Playboys 1959
UK Parlophone 4539

Clash

Brand New Me, A

Jerry Butler 4-5-69
Mercury 72960

Dusty Springfield (fall 1969)

Brandy (aka Mandy)

Scott English 1972
Janus 171

Barry Manilow

Apparently Manilow changed the title to avoid confusion with the Looking Glass hit "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)."

Brazil see Aquarela do Brasil

Break-A-Way (aka Breakaway)

Irma Thomas 12-5-63
Imperial 66013

Irma Thomas (1977 for Maison De Soul), Tracey Ullman, Detroit Cobras

Co-writer Jackie DeShannon's demo has been issued.

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Leper Messiah 1992
on cassette (no title, label or #)

Deep Blue Something (1992 for Doberman, 1995 for Interscope)

Leper Messiah evolved into Deep Blue Something. "Breakfast At Tiffany's" was first copyrighted in 1991 so the original recording may have been done that year, but the Leper Messiah tape is labeled 1992.

Breezin'

Gabor Szabo/Bobby Womack 12-70
Blue Thumb 200

George Benson

Brickyard Blues see Play Something Sweet

Bright Dreams/The Garden (aka Theme From A Summer Place)

Max Steiner 1959
on lp Elektra 60107 Diner ost (1982)

Hugo Winterhalter, Percy Faith (1959, 1969, 1976), Billy Vaughn

As far as I can tell, the Diner soundtrack was the first release of Steiner's movie recording. It wasn't originally known as "Theme From A Summer Place," but titled "Bright Dreams/The Garden." It's likely Hugo Winterhalter's version introduced the revised name.

While the Diner recording has an edited intro, the complete soundtrack for A Summer Place was finally issued in 2003 (Brigham Young University MS112).

Bring It On Home

Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck "Rice" Miller)
1-11-63
Checker 1134

Led Zeppelin

Broken Hearted Me

England Dan & John Ford Coley c. 10-78
on lp Big Tree 76015 Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive

Anne Murray

Broken Road, The (aka Bless The Broken Road)

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 1994
on CD Liberty 28169 Acoustic

Marcus Hummon, Rascal Flatts

Brother Juke-Box

Don Everly c. 9-76
ABC/Hickory 54012

Mark Chesnutt

Brother Louie

Hot Chocolate 1972 (rel. 3-23-73)
Rak 4515

Stories (4-73)

Brown Gal (aka Bad Boy)

Lil Armstrong 10-27-36
Decca 1092

Lil Armstrong (1950 for Gotham), Jive Bombers (as "Brown Boy," 1949, 1952, as "Bad Boy,"11-30-56)

Bucket's Got A Hole In It, The (aka My Bucket's Got A Hole In It)

Tom Gates 6-25-27
Gennett 6184/Challenge 355/Champion15305

Washboard Sam, Hank Williams, T. Texas Tyler, Louis Armstrong, Sonny Burgess, Ricky Nelson, Robert Plant et el.

Built For Comfort

Willie Dixon w/ Memphis Slim 12-3-59
on lp Prestige-Bluesville 1003/Status 1003 Willie's Blues

Howlin' Wolf (8-14-63 and many more times), Taj Mahal, UFO, Dion et el.

Bull Doze Blues (aka Going Up The Country)

Henry Thomas 6-13-28
Vocalion 1230

Canned Heat, Blazers

Some lyric lines from Texas Alexander's 1927 "Farm Hand Blues" (Okeh 8526) found their way into the song, but not enough to make it the same composition.

"Goin' Up The Country" by Barbeque Bob (Columbia 14316 D), recorded 4-13-28, is a different song.