K

  Song Artist/Date/Label Remade by
Kansas City see K.C. Loving
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Kaua i ka huahuai (The Bubbling Spring) (aka Hawaiian War Chant) Hawaiian Quintette 4-18-13
Victor 65339
Tommy Dorsey, Spike Jones, Jo Stafford, Bob Wills, Ted Heath, Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter, Billy Vaughn, Ventures
Written by popular Hawaiian royal Prince Leleiohoku, the song was introduced in the 1912 play The Bird Of Paradise. The original title translates to "We Two In The Spray" or "Surging Of (or To) The Battle." The latter would explain its transformation into "Hawaiian War Chant" in the 1930s.

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K.C. Loving (aka Kansas City) Little Willie Littlefield 8-18-52
Federal 12110
Wilbert Harrison, Sam Butera, Little Richard, Beatles, Albert King
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote the song as "Kansas City" but Federal Records co-owner Ralph Bass changed it to "K.C. Loving," which he thought sounded hipper. Sam Butera & the Witnesses cut it in 1957 as "Kansas City," which included some lyric variations from Littlefield's original: "They got a crazy way of lovin' there and I'm gonna get me some" became "They've got some crazy little women there and I'm gonna get me one." Wilbert Harrison's 1959 hit was likely modeled after Butera's.

Littlefield's original, with the addition of a guitar intro, was reissued as "Kansas City" on a 1959 single (Federal 12351).

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Ke Kali Nei Au (Waiting For Thee) (aka Hawaiian Wedding Song) Helen Desha Beamer & Samuel Kapu 5-22-28
Columbia 1583-D
Bing Crosby (as "Here Ends The Rainbow"), Andy Williams, Elvis Presley
The song was written in 1926 by Charles King for his Prince Of Hawaii operetta. It became "Hawaiian Wedding Song" in 1958 with new English lyrics by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning.

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Keep A-Knockin' Louie (aka Louis) Jordan 3-29-38
Decca 7609
Little Richard
The theme of the song certainly goes back further, including James "Boodle It" Wiggins' "Keep Knocking And You Can't Get In" (Paramount 12662, 2-28) and Bert Mays' "You Can't Come In" (Vocalion 1223, 10-5-28), but since Little Richard was inspired by Jordan's, I've listed it here.

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Keep Growing Strong (aka Betcha By Golly, Wow) Connie Stevens 1970
Bell 922
Stylistics, Prince, Aaron Neville
Co-writer Thom Bell produced both Connie Stevens' and the Stylistics' recordings.

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Keep It A Secret Dinah Shore 8-18-52
RCA Victor 20-4992/47-4992
Jo Stafford (10-52), Bing Crosby (11-12-52), Gene Vincent
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Keep On Dancing Avantis 1963
Argo 5436
Gentrys, Bay City Rollers
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Keep On Singing Austin Roberts 1972
Chelsea 0110
Helen Reddy
Kentucky Bluebird see Message To Martha/Michael, (Send A)
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Key To The Highway Charles Segar 2-23-40
Vocalion 5441
Bill "Jazz" Gillum (5-9-40), Big Bill Broonzy (5-2-41), Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Little Walter, Eric Clapton, Derek & Dominos et al.
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Kiddio Teddy Randazzo 1957
Vik 0289
Brook Benton
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Killing Floor Howlin' Wolf 8-64
Chess 1923
Led Zeppelin (as "The Lemon Song"), Electric Flag, Jimi Hendrix
Led Zeppelin, who claimed authorship, were sued by writer Wolf (aka Chester Burnett) and the case was settled out of court. "Killing Floor Blues" by Kansas City Kitty & Georgia Tom (1930, Vocalion 1565) is not the same song.

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Killing Me Softly With His Song Lori Lieberman 1971 (late)
Capitol 3379 (1972)
Roberta Flack (11-17-72), Al B. Sure!, Fugees
Lori Leiberman saw a 1971 Don Mclean performance at LA's Troubadour club and was struck by his song song "Empty Chairs." She scribbled a poem to express her feelings, then songwriters Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox fleshed it out.

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Kiss Away Thomas Wayne 10-19-65 (mastered)
Racer 3131
Ronnie Dove, Brenda Lee
Given various mastering/industry review clues, it's likely Ronnie Dove's hit version was the first issued. It's still probable Thomas Wayne cut it first but short of more details, it's an open question.

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Kisses Sweeter Than Wine Weavers 6-12-51
Decca 27670
Pete Seeger, Jimmie Rodgers
Melody based on "Drimmer's Cow" (a.k.a. "Drimmin Down"), an Irish folk song lament to a dead cow (!).

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Kitty (aka Mickey) Racey 1979
on lp UK Rak 537 Smash And Grab
Toni Basil, Weird Al Yankovic (as "Ricky")
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Knee Deep In The Blues Marty Robbins 9-4-56
Columbia 40815
Guy Mitchell (11-15-56)
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Ko Ko Mo (aka Ko Ko Mo [I Love You So]) Gene And Eunice & Jonesy's Combo 1954
Combo 64
Perry Como (1-4-55), Gene & Eunice (1-12-55 for Aladdin), Crew Cuts, Flamingos
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Kokomo Denny Doherty & Scott McKenzie c. 1986
on CD Varèse Sarabance 402 067 061 2 John Phillips Many Mamas, Many Papas (2010)
Beach Boys
John Phillips had attempted to reconstitute his group the Mamas and Papas various times. It was one of his configurations, with Doherty & McKenzie, that first cut "Komomo." It may have started as a demo but I suspect Phillips was hoping for its release.

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Kommissar, Der (The Commissioner) Falco 1981
A&M 2532
After The Fire, Laura Branigan (as "Deep In The Dark")
Falco's original was in German while After The Fire's was essentially rewritten into English.

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Kookie Little Paradise Tree Swingers 1960
Guyden 2036
Jo Ann Campbell