Untitled Document

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	Song	Artist/Date/Label	Remade by
	La Bamba	El Jarocho c.1929 Mexican Victor 76102	Andres Huesca, Ritchie Valens, Tokens, Trini Lopez, Los Lobos et al.

Although its roots have been traced back centuries, "La Bamba" evolved into a wedding dance song—actually a son—in Vera Cruz, Mexico in the early 1900s. "La Bamba" has countless variations as it's part of a cultural tradition of endless lyric improvisation.

Credited writer Alvaro Hernández Ortiz performed under the name El Jarocho.

La La La La La

Little Stevie Wonder 5-28-62
Tamla 54070

Blendells, LaSalles

La Mer (aka Beyond The Sea)

Roland Gerbeau & Pierre Guillemin Orch. 1945
French Sofradis 1273

Charles Trenet (3-19-46), Benny Goodman, Bobby Darin

Lady Marmalade

Eleventh Hour 1974
on lp 20th Century 435 Greatest Hits

LaBelle (8-74), Christine Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink

Land Of 1000 Dances

Chris Kenner 1963
Instant 3252

Round Robin, Cannibal & Headhunters, Thee Midniters, Wilson Pickett, J. Geils Band

Last Dance

Paul Jabara 1978
on lp Casablanca 7102 Keeping Time

Donna Summer

Last Kiss

Wayne Cochran 9-18-61
Gala 117

Wayne Cochran (1963 for King), J Frank Wilson (3 times in 1964; for LeCam, Tamara and Josie, 1969 [as "Last Kiss '69"]), Pearl Jam

Writer Cochran was inspired by a grisly auto accident involving Georgia teenager Belinda Clark, who died while on her first date.

Last Thing I Needed, The (aka Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning)

Lost Gonzo Band 1977
MCA 40698

Willie Nelson

Last Time, The see This May Be My Last Time

Last Word In Lonesome Is Me, The

Roger Miller 4-65
on lp Smash 27068/67068 The 3rd Time Around

Eddy Arnold, Terry Bradshaw

Later Alligator (aka See You Later Alligator)

Bobby Charles c. 10-55
Chess 1609

Bill Haley & Comets (12-12-55), Roy Hall

Lavender Blue

Dinah Shore 12-12-47
Columbia 38299

Burl Ives (12-16-48), Sammy Turner

Lazy River (aka Up A Lazy River)

Hoagy Carmichael 11-20-30
Victor 23034

Mills Bros., Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael (1955 for Coral), Bobby Darin, Si Zentner

Leaning On The Lamp Post

George Formby 9-5-37
UK Regal Zonophone 2490

George Formby (1950), Herman's Hermits

The song first appeared in the 1937 British film Feather Your Nest (with George Formby), and then the British stage play Me And My Girl later that year. To my knowledge, there's no soundtrack or cast recording for either production.

Learnin' The Blues

Joe Valino 1955 (early, or late 1954)
Gold Star 253

Frank Sinatra (3-23-55), Julie London, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Valino (1970s for Debut)

It's not clear whether the designated writer, Delores "Vicki" Silvers, was the sole composer or possibly had help from Valino. After a rep from Barton Music—Frank Sinatra's publishing company—heard the song, they acquired its rights. Frank subsquently listened to Joe's record and decided to cut it himself, creating his best-charting single of the '50s.

The tale of "Learnin' The Blues" is convoluted and still a bit mysterious. Credit for uncovering what is known goes to Drew Techner, Marc Myers and Joe Valino's neice Lisa Paolino. See Drew's extensive notes (and hear Valino's original) on www.YouTube.com. See also Marc's August 5, 2008 entry on his site www.jazzwax.com.
Thanks to Drew Techner for the label image.

Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)

Linda Laurie 1973
MCA 40119

Helen Reddy

Leave My Woman Alone see Let That Liar Alone

Leavin' It All Up To You (aka I'm Leaving It Up To You)

Don & Dewey 7-19-57
Specialty 610

Dale & Grace, Donny & Marie Osmond

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Mitchell Trio 1967
Reprise 0588

Peter, Paul & Mary, John Denver

The Mitchell Trio included writer John Denver.

Lemon Song see Killing Floor

Lemon Tree

Will Holt & Dolly Jonah 11-60
on lp Atlantic 8051 On The Brink

Kingston Trio (1-15-61), Peter, Paul & Mary, Trini Lopez

Based on Jorge Fernandes' 1937 Brazilian recording "Meu limão meu limoeiro" ("My Lemon My Lemon Tree").

Leroy see Greaseball

Let It Be Me

Jill Corey 1957
Columbia 40878

Everly Bros. (12-15-59), Betty Everett & Jerry Butler, Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry, Willie Nelson, Dave Edmunds

Adapted from Gilbert Becaud's 1955 French composition "Je t'appartiens." Introduced by Corey on the TV series Climax.

Let It Shine

Linda Hargrove 1973
on lp Elektra 75063 Music Is Your Mistress

Olivia Newton-John

Let Love Come Between Us

Rubber Band 1966
Columbia 43796

James & Bobby Purify, Delbert McClinton

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

Toppers 1954
Jubilee 5136

Johnny Dollar, Doug Clark & Hot Nuts

Let Me Serenade You see I Will Serenade You

Let That Liar Alone (aka Leave That Liar Alone, aka Leave My Woman Alone)

Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet 8-10-38
Bluebird 7835

Carlisles, Ray Charles

The song had its roots in "Let That Lie Alone," recorded by Rev. Edward W. Clayton (1927, Vocalion 1093) and Mound City Jubilee Quartette (1935, Decca 7058).

Let The Four Winds Blow see Four Winds

Let The Little Girl Dance

Carl Spencer & Video's 1958
Manhattan 507

Billy Bland

Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)

James Rado, Lynn Kellogg & Melba Moore 5-6-68
on lp RCA 1150 Hair cast

5th Dimension

Let Your Love Flow

Gene Cotton 1975
ABC 12137

Bellamy Bros.

Writer Larry Williams was a roadie for Neil Diamond when he composed "Flow" and the song got to Gene Cotton as he and Diamond had the same manager. Cotton's version was issued as a single (taken from his album For All The Young Writers), but only in response to the rapidly-rising hit by the Bellamy Brothers.

Let Your Yeah Be Yeah

Jimmy Cliff 1970
on lp Mango 9794 Reggae Greats (1974)

Pioneers, Brownsville Station, Al Campbell, Buckwheat Zydeco

Cliff's was cut for an A&M album that got scrapped. He then produced the Pioneers' version that became a big UK hit.

Let's Get Together (aka C'mon Everybody)

Eddie Cochran 10-9-58
on lp UK Liberty 1109 Cherished Memories (1962)

Eddie Cochran (Liberty 55166), NRBQ, Humble Pie, Sex Pistols, Stray Cats

Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody" was also cut 10-9-58, using the backing track (take 15) of "Let's Get Together." His single was slightly sped up.

Let's Get Together (aka Get Together)

Kingston Trio 4-2-64
on lp Captiol 2081 Back In Town

Hamilton Camp, Ian & Sylvia, Jefferson Airplane, We Five, Youngbloods

Even though the Kingston Trio's album was subtitled ...recorded live at San Francisco's Hungry i, "Let's Get Together" is a studio recording with added applause.

Writer Dino Valenti's (aka Chet Powers) 1964 demo of the song has also been released.

Let's Get Together Soon (aka Hope That We Can Be Together Soon)

Dusty Springfield 10-16-69
on lp Atlantic 8249 A Brand New Me

Harold Melvin & Blue Notes w/ Sharon Paige

Let's Go Get Stoned

Coasters 4-21-65 Atco 6356...or Ronnie Milsap (Scepter 12109) or Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown (on lp Wand 678 Hold On, We're Coming)

Manfred Mann (rel. 9-65), Ray Charles (12-5-65), Lowell Fulsom, Amboy Dukes, Joe Cocker

Any of these three artists could logically have been the first. Even though the Chuck Jackson/Maxine Brown album was issued in 1966, it's been suggested it was recorded the previous year (they used the same backing track as Ronnie Milsap's). Unfortunately, the Wand and Scepter labels don't seem to have kept recording dates.

Mick Patrick, who wrote the liner notes for the UK CD compilation The Real Thing, The Songs of Ashford, Simpson & Armstead (Kent 318), gives the nod to the Coasters. I'm not sure what he based that on so, short of dates for the others—especially Milsap's—it may not be definitive.

Co-writers Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Joshie Armstead worked for Scepter's publisher Flormar Music, which had first right of refusal on everything they did. "Let's Go Get Stoned" began as a joke phrase following an unproductive session. The next day, they made up more to go with it while in the publisher's office. To the writers' surprise, they were told to finish it and the tune would get sent to Ray Charles. Clearly it got to others first.

Let's Have A Party see Party

Let's Live For Today

Rokes 3/4-67
RCA Victor 9199

Living Daylights, Grass Roots, Lords Of The New Church

The Rokes, a British band working out of Italy, first recorded the melody to "Let's Live For Today" as "Piangi Con Me" (1966, Italian ARC 4081). In late 1966, a Dutch band named Skope cut a version in English titled "Be Mine Again." Once the Rokes did theirs as "Let's Live For Today," it was picked up by the Grass Roots and another English group called the Living Daylights. The Rokes' version was first issued in the UK and it was this recording—a more dynamic mix than what was later released in the US—that the Grass Roots emulated.

Let's Stick Together (aka Let's Work Together)

Wilbert Harrison 1962
Fury 1059/1063

Wilbert Harrison (1969 for Sue), Canned Heat, Bryan Ferry, George Thorogood

Let's Talk About Girls

Tongues Of Truth (aka Grodes) 1966
Current 112

Chocolate Watch Band

This was more of a garage-band classic than any sort of hit. Some friends of mine had a band in the '80s named after the song and abbreviated it L-TAG.

Let's Talk About Us

Jerry Lee Lewis 5-59
Sun 324

Grady Chapman (7-17-59), Billy Lee Riley, Johnny Kidd & Pirates, Dave Edmunds, Otis Blackwell, Smithereens, Van Morrison & Linda Gail Lewis

Let's Work Together see Let's Stick Together

Liar

Argent 1970
Date 1659

3 Dog Night

Liberty Valance, (The Man Who Shot) see Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The

Linda

Ray Noble w/ Buddy Clark
11-15-46
Columbia 37215

Charlie Spivak & Orch., Jan & Dean

The song's title was prompted by an infant Linda Eastman, who ended up marrying Paul McCartney. This bit of trivia has been noted as both fact and fiction but is confirmed on songwriter Jack Lawrence's website.

Despite numerous reports to the contrary, the song "Linda" heard in the 1945 film The Story Of G.I. Joe is a different composition.

Lion Sleeps Tonight see Mbube

Little Bit More, A

Bobby Gosh 1973
on lp Paramount 6073 Sitting In The Quiet

Dr. Hook

Little Bit O' Soul

Little Darlings 1965
UK Fontana 539

Music Explosion

Little Bitty Tear, A

Ray Sanders 5-4-60
Liberty 55267

Burl Ives (2-15-61), Wanda Jackson (4-20-61)

Little Boxes

Pete Seeger 4-26-63
on lp Folkways 5302 Broadside Ballads Vol. 2

Pete Seeger (6-8-63 for Columbia), Womenfolk, Malvina Reynolds, Devendra Banhart, Randy Newman, Elvis Costello, Rise Against

Seeger's Broadside Ballads Vol. 2 album was reissued around 1964 on the Broadside label.

Little Darlin'

Gladiolas 12-28-56
Excello 2101

Diamonds (1-3-57)

Little Drummer Boy see Carol Of The Drum

Little Latin Lupe Lu

Righteous Bros. 1963
Moonglow 215

Kingsmen, Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, Chancellors

Little Miss Sad

Addrisi Bros. 1964
Valiant 6058

Five Empressions (aka Five Emprees) (11-2-64)

Live

E-Types 11-22-66
on CD Sundazed KS-SC11026 Introducing (1996)

Merry-Go-Round

Living Next Door To Alice

New World 1973
Rak 4514

Smokie, Johnny Carver

Lonely Blue Boy see Danny

Lonely Highway, The (aka The Lonely Surfer)

Del Ray & Roamers 1960
Capella 101

Jack Nitzsche

Capella Records was owned and operated by Marty Cooper, who often employed Jack Nitzsche as an arranger. Cooper, listed as a co-writer (along with Jack) of "The Lonely Surfer," had composed "Lonely Highway" using the pseudonym Jay Martin. Both songs were published by Little Darlin' Music. What initally seemed like Jack Nitzsche lifting the melody from an obscure record, now makes sense.

Lonely Night (Angel Face)

Neil Sedaka 1975
on lp Rocket 2157 The Hungry Years

Captain & Tennille

Lonely Street

Carl Belew 11-10-56
4 Star 1701

Andy Williams, Carl Belew (1960 for Decca)

Lonely Surfer, The see Lonely Highway, The

Long Black Limousine

Wynn Stewart c. 7-58
on lp Bear Family 15261 Wishfull Thinking: The Challenge years, 1958-1963 (1988)

Gordon Terry, Glen Campbell, Bobby Bare, Merle Haggard, Jody Miller, Elvis Presley

Long Black Veil, The

Lefty Frizzell 3-3-59
Columbia 41384

Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Kingston Trio, Bill Monroe, Fred Neil, The Band, Chieftains w/ Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia, NRPS, Sir Douglas Quintet, Nick Cave & Bad Seeds, Mike Ness, Dave Matthews Band et al.

"Veil" writers Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin were inspired by the murder of a New Jersey priest and reports of a veiled woman visiting Rudolph Valentino's grave.

Long Goodbye, The

Paul Brady 2000
on CD Compass 743042 Oh What A World

Brooks & Dunn, Ronan Keating

Long Haired Lover From Liverpool

Christopher Kingsley 1969
Winro 112

Little Jimmy Osmond

Long Tall Texan

Four Flickers 1959
Lee 1003

Jerry Woodard (10-3-60), Murry Kellum, Beach Boys, Lyle Lovett, Doug Supernaw

Supposedly written about Tex Ritter, "Texan" was penned by the Four Flickers' teenage bass player, Henry Strezlecki (whose name shows up with various spellings).

Long Time Gone

Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott
11-99 on CD Howdy Skies 1003 Real Time

Dixie Chicks

Look At Me Girl

Playboys Of Edinburg 1966
Pharaoh 142/Columbia 43716

Bobby Vee (5-27-66)

Look Of Love, The

Stan Getz 12-2-66
on lp Verve 8752 What The World Needs Now

Dusty Springfield (1-29-67, 4-14-67), Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Isaac Hayes, Diana Krall

Look What They've Done To My Song Ma see What Have They Done To My Song Ma

Lookin' For A Love

Valentinos 2-28-62
SAR 132

J. Geils, Bobby Womack

Valentinos members previously recorded gospel songs as The Womack Brothers and their "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" (SAR 123, 1961) was the musical model for "Looking For A Love."

Looking Through The Eyes Of Love

Drifters 3-65
on CD UK Sequel 835 Anthology Six - The Good Life (1996)

Gene Pitney (rel. 7-65), Partridge Family

Louie Louie

Richard Berry & Pharaohs 3-16-57
Flip 321

Rockin' Robin Roberts, Kingsmen, Paul Revere & Raiders, Sandpipers,Toots & Maytals, Richard Berry (1983 for Rhino) et al.

"Louie Louie" was originally the B-side to Berry's take on "You Are My Sunshine." Once "Louie" started to get popular around Los Angeles, "Sunshine" was replaced as the filpside by another Richard Berry composition, "Rock Rock Rock."

Love Hurts

Everly Bros. 7-13-60
on lp Warner Bros 1395 A Date With

Roy Orbison (2-27-61), Everly Bros. (1964), Gram Parsons, Nazareth

Love In Vain Blues (aka Love In Vain)

Robert Johnson 6-20-37
Vocalion 04630

Rolling Stones

Love Is A Wonderful Thing

Isley Bros. 1966
Veep 1230

Michael Bolton

The Isley Bros. successfully sued Bolton, who had taken credit for his hit song and (somehow!) neglected to recognize them as its writers.

Love Is Blue (as "L'amour est bleu")

Vicky Leandros 1967
French Polydor 66 548

Paul Mauriat, Marty Robbins, Claudine Longet, Al Martino, Jeff Beck

Leandros reportedly cut versions of this in many languages, and French was probably her first.

Love Is Strange

Bo Diddley 5-24-56
on CD Hip-O Select 923102 I'm A Man: The Chess Masters 1955-1958 (2007)

Mickey & Sylvia (10-56), Buddy Holly, Everly Bros., Wings, Kenny Rogers

Bo Diddley wrote "Love Is Strange," but registered it under his second wife's name, Ethel Smith, possibly to avoid having to use Chess Records' publisher. The form of the song had been used previously for Billy Stewart's "Billy's Blues Part 2" (Chess 1625). Guitarist Jody Williams played on both Stewart's and Diddley's recordings and he shared writing credit on "Billy's Blues" with Stewart. After Mickey & Sylvia's version became a hit, Williams sought legal recourse but was unsuccessful.

Why Diddley's recording wasn't issued at the time is unclear. It does seem to be technically inferior to many of his other cuts though.

Love Is The Answer

Utopia w/ Todd Rundgren 1977
Bearsville 0321

England Dan & John Ford Coley

Love Letters

Dick Haymes 3-2-45
Decca 18699

Ketty Lester, Elvis Presley

First heard as instrumental theme music in the 1945 film Love Letters.

Love Letters In The Sand

Ted Black w/Tom Brown 8-27-31
Victor 22799

Gene Austin (9-9-31), Radiolites (aka Benny Goodman, 9-18-31), Pat Boone, Patsy Cline, Leon Redbone

Based on William Henderson's 1881 "The Spanish Cavalier." There are accounts of "Love Letters In The Sand" being introduced by Russ Columbo and his picture even appeared on the sheet music. While he may have performed it live, it doesn't appear that he ever recorded it.

Love Me

Willie And Ruth 2-54
Spark 105

Elvis Presley

Love Me

Bee Gees 3-30 & 4-23, 25-76
on lp RSO 3003 Children Of The World

Yvonne Elliman

Love Me For A Reason

Johnny Bristol 1974
on lp MGM 4959 Hang On In There Baby

Osmonds

Love Me To Pieces

Janis Martin 1-9-57
RCA Victor 6832

Jill Corey

Love Me With All Your Heart

Ames Bros. 1962
Epic 9530

Newports, Ray Charles Singers, Vikki Carr (in Spanish), Johnny Rodriguez, Engelbert Humperdinck

This was a rewrite of "Cuando calienta el sol," made popular by the Cuban trio Los Hermanos Rigual in 1961. Maurice Vaughn penned the English lyrics.

Love Of The Common People

Four Preps 11-23-66
Capitol 5819

Waylon Jennings (2-15-67), Everly Bros. (9-14-67), Winstons, Nicky Thomas, Paul Young

Love On A Two Way Street

Lezli Valentine 1968
All Platinum 2308

Moments

The Moments' hit used the same backing track as Valentine's original.

Love Song

Lesley Duncan 1969
Date 1677

Elton John (3-70), Lesley Duncan (1971 for Columbia), Elton John w/ Lesley Duncan (1976)

Love Song, A

Loggins & Messina 1973
on lp Columbia 32540 Full Sail

Anne Murray, Kenny Loggins

Love TKO

David Oliver 1980
on lp Mercury 3831 Here¹s To You

Teddy Pendergrass, Womack & Womack, Michael McDonald

Love Will Keep Us Together

Neil Sedaka 1973
on lp UK MGM 2315-248 The Tra La Days Are Over

Captain & Tennille

Love's Made A Fool Of You

Buddy Holly 8-58
on lp Coral 57450 Showcase (1964)

Crickets (post-Buddy Holly, 2-4-59), Bobby Fuller Four, The Bunch

Lover Please

Rhythm Steppers w/ Jim Boyer 1960
Louis 103

Dennis Turner (1961), Clyde McPhatter, Billy Swan, Arthur Alexander

The Rhythm Steppers were pals of Billy Swan, who'd written "Lover Please" in high school. The 18-year-old Swan tagged along to their Memphis session—probably at the pre-Stax Satellite Studio—but did not play on the recording.

Lovesick Blues

Elsie Clark 3-21-22
Okeh 4589

Emmett Miller, Rex Griffin, Hank Williams, Sonny James, Frank Ifield, George Strait et al.

Lovin' Things, The

Artie Schroeck 1967
Columbia 43997

Bobby Rydell, Marmalade, December's Children (7-13-68), Grass Roots

Lovin' You

Lovin' Spoonful 1966
on lp Kama Sutra 8054 Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful

Bobby Darin (10-31-66)

Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)

Waylon Jennings 12-7-70
on lp RCA Victor 4487 The Taker/Tulsa

Kris Kristofferson (1-22-71), Roger Miller