51 Songs You Didn't Know Are Covers

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and Part 2 here: • 42 Songs You Didn't Kn...
It's easy to not realise that a famous song is actually not the original version. So today we are going to look at 51 songs where the most well-known version isn't actually the original.
This video was edited by Martino Gasparrini.
And, an extra special thanks goes to Chase Heeler, Peter Keller, Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano 🎹

[@nothingislogical]

Fun fact about “New York, New York”: later, Liza Minnelli would play the role of Lucile Austero on Arrested Development. In one episode, she’s at a bar with Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman. Tobias Funke, played by David Cross, starts singing “New York, New York” for karaoke. Liza’s character rolls her eyes and remarks to Michael, “Everyone wants to be Frank Sinatra.” as a reference to everyone associating the song with him instead of her.

[@aristotleasparaguspodcast1129]

Fun Fact: The Strangeloves, the original performers of "I Want Candy," also wrote "Sorrow" and gave it to the McCoys!

[@moenchii]

Here's a highly regional one: In 1978 the famous East German band Karat released the song "Über sieben Brücken mußt du gehn" (You need to go above seven Bridges). In 1980, famous West German singer Peter Maffay went to a concert of Karat and asked them if he can record his own version of the song which they agreed to. Because the East German Ministry of Culture didn't allow Karat to go on West German TV, the version of Peter Maffay became the standard version in the West. This is also the reason that many people in the (former) West think that Peter Maffays version is the original. Meanwhile the original by Karat is the standard version in the (former) East. Maffay and Karat also have performed this song together on multiple occations since the German reunification in 1990.

[@owenfitzgerald5928]

The 'Love today' on mambo #5 was actually so funny lol

[@Mikeunism1]

David Bennett uploads, and I click on my notification. Best music channel around.

[@Motionmanguyrn]

Very accurate

[@johanmagnussen6753]

You forgot creaming over Beatles and Radiohead

[@Mikeunism1]

@@johanmagnussen6753makes sense, the Beatles are the greatest to do it!

[@marfand7379]

I was absolutely astounded by learning that New York New York was from the late seventies. Wow. I'd always assumed that was from the fifties.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

I know right! Frank Sinatra had quite a few late career hits!

[@AaronAnaya]

The movie it’s from is a period piece. It’s meant to evoke the early 50s.

[@Str0b0]

”Amsterdam” by David Bowie is a cover of the French song ”Amsterdam” by Jacques Brel. It was actually the B-side to Bowie’s single "Sorrow". Although, Scott Walker recorded it in English before Bowie.

[@_girltype]

english-language covers of hit songs are real fertile ground. laura branigan's biggest hits ("gloria" and "self control") are both covers of italian hits by umberto tozzi and raf respectively. similarly there's yellow magic orchestra's "behind the mask" turning up with michael jackson and eric clapton, with radically rewritten lyrics, largely because keyboardist greg phillinganes was a fan

[@geetarwanabe]

8:20 those two superstar songs are identical. Totally the record labels playing some games.

[@omercoh2]

The Danish artist actually sold the rights to the song to some labels, thus covers in multiple languages appeared at the same time all around the world. The Hebrew version by Roni Duani was actually a huge hit over here.

[@hatefuleightyseven2962]

Don't you remember you told me you love me baby?

[@chrisnorman1902]

One of the is R&B, the other is pop

[@apathyisdeath2977]

Today I learnt The Beatles covered a song originally sung by Lando Calrissian-- I mean uhh Billy Dee Williams. I also learnt Billy Dee Williams was a singer before he became a big actor! The more you know! My pick for a song not many people might know as a cover is Ulver's cover of Solitude by Black Sabbath, which sounds like a completely different song. I had no idea until i happened to read the writing credits for the song on the Wikipedia page for Shadows of the Sun!

[@davepeters1311]

blew my mind too lol

[@scottmatznick3140]

Which song by Billy???

[@davepeters1311]

@@scottmatznick3140 taste of honey

[@jaapsch2]

He was really an actor all along cause he was in the play on Broadway where he sung it, and released the single on the back of that. I didn't know Richard Chamberlain tried being a singer early in his acting career (7:00).

[@apathyisdeath2977]

@@jaapsch2 Makes sense regarding Broadway doesn't it? iirc the late great James Earl Jones also made his name in Broadway, and I think even starred alongside Billy Dee in another movie!

[@SeventhSwell]

Thing about Just Call Me Angel is that here in the US quite a lot of us actually think of the Juice Newton version first.

[@joannwoodworth8920]

Evie Sands’ original version of Angel of the Morning was released in 1967. It was covered by Merrilee Rush and released in early 1968. It was a big, national hit and preceded Juice Newton’s version by 13 years. And the songwriter, Chip Taylor, is the brother of actor Jon Voight. Chip Taylor also wrote Wild Thing, most memorably recorded by The Troggs, Jimi Hendrix, and thousands of garage bands. 😊

[@SeventhSwell]

​@@joannwoodworth8920 Yeah, but I'm just saying more people here in the US probably know the Juice Newton version than the Shaggy version or the Merrilee Rush version. I mean, the Juice Newton version was the biggest hit version of the song in the US (highest charting and best selling). Although, probably more people under 30 know the Shaggy version, I guess.

[@victorhugotoledocofre1366]

Please make a video about *ALL* Beatles' covers, including the Live at Beeb ones 🥰

[@catherine6653]

Richard Carpenter composed the piano introduction in The Carpenters' cover of Close To You. This made their cover unique. The original piano composer Burt Bacharach didn't have the intro.

[@kerlyenai]

"Comme d'habitude" was also covered by Bowie, kind of with "Life on Mars?". He based it more on "My way". That being said, he had tried covering "Comme d'habitude" before Anka but was rejected by the authors (they thought Bowie wasn't famous enough...).

[@babababbaboo7574]

And from his frustration of being rejected, he wrote Life of Mars !

[@randallpink13]

And he wrote something like "thanks Frank" in the liner notes

[@James_Smith489]

"Guitar Song" by Texas is an English re-written version of a French song, "Je t'aime... moi non plus" released in 1967. The 1969 version was the first foreign-language song to reach number 1 in the UK and was actually banned in many countries for being too erotic.

[@MikeDial]

Songwriters, or at least those who hold the rights to the songs, LOVE cover version. Mailbox money.

[@thealextrifier]

One relatively underrated Beatles cover is Money That's What I Want. Lennon did a good job with that imo

[@chrisnorman1902]

I've always found it interesting that with how Bjork's music sounds, that her biggest hit would be a straightforward cover that sounds just like the original

[@madhatterman01]

Lando Calrissian wrote a Beatles song. I don't know what to do with that information.

[@TheInselaffen]

The story behind Life on Mars and My Way is legendary.

[@thesuncollective1475]

Gladys Knight and the Hollies, Billy Preston, Salt n Pepper Wow mindblown

[@lakrids-pibe]

I knew that "My way" was a cover of a french song, but seeing the French singer doing a very energetic (and campy) stage show was a fun surprise. Edit: so this led me down a rabbit hole of Claude François' TV performances , and oh boy, the european pop/schlager scene in the 70s was something else lol It's him with four female backing dancers and they're wearing NOTHING but BIKINIS and high heels!§! He is fully dressed in a tuxedo (and high heels too) and together they do a very choreographed and synchronized disco dance.

[@shuffleup92]

Claude François was the biggest star in France back in these days. He died accidentally in 1978 and became a legend.

[@jaspermcjasper3672]

@lakrids-pibe - If I had a dime for every time I've heard a dj state that "My Way" was written by Paul Anka, I could fill some kind of container with dimes. So Anka merely translated lyrics from French to English.

[@magnusparsons5392]

​@@jaspermcjasper3672Paul Anka's lyrics are completely different from the French version. They are not a translation of 'Comme d' habitude'.

[@jaspermcjasper3672]

@@magnusparsons5392 Good correction. Thanks for being on your toes. So, okay, Anka wrote new English lyrics. He still didn't write any of the music, and he didn't write any of the original French lyrics. But one hears all the time that Anka "wrote" it. Usually, for a pop song, the word "wrote" refers to music AND words. I'll give a nickel back for all those dimes, and will fill a slightly large container with nickels, as nickels are larger.

[@magnusparsons5392]

​@@jaspermcjasper3672Yes, I know what you mean. French people always say that Claude François wrote it, but I'm pretty sure it was a guy called Jaques Rivaux. But he's not famous so who cares about him?

[@colinbaker3916]

I’ve heard Paul Gambaccini say that The Twist was based on an earlier song called Whatcha Gonna Do by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters.

[@vhhawk]

13:35 I love these so much David. Check out Roy Clark's live version of The Great Pretender. Would love an episode dedicated to some of Clark's interpretations.

[@princesspiranha]

"(They Long To Be) Close To You" always remembers me of the Simpsons. 😂Marge has a new doorbell with that song's tune, but it's stuck and goes on repeat. The whole neighborhood gets angry about it

[@AaronAnaya]

At 0:54 the version Tainted Love you played isn’t the original. The Vixen version was recorded in the 70s with Marc Bolan.

[@flyxelf]

A common move in the k-pop industry is to purchase the rights to english-language songs and have them translated. Two examples I think of are "press it" by taemin (originally for bruno mars) and "lucifer" by shinee (originally by bebe rexha)

[@TheLobsterCopter5000]

I'm most familiar with the Phil Collins version of You Can't Hurry Love, but apparently that's a cover.

[@joselembo4661]

If I'm not wrong, It was first recorded by Diana Ross and The Supremes.

[@drrumak]

I am way more familiar with the Warwick version of "I Say a Little Prayer". It looks like in the US and Canada, that was actually the more successful version. And also, the version in the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding" (sung by the cast, I guess) is much closer to the Warwick version than the Franklin version.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

The version of "A Taste of Honey" that I'm most familiar with was by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. For "Angel of the Morning," it's the version by Merrilee Rush.

[@jaapsch2]

"Who let the dogs out" has a rather more complicated history, and it is hard to say who wrote it. The 99% invisible podcast dedicated a whole episode to it, ep#389.

[@Stephen_Lafferty]

I knew most of these but I was surprised by Bucks Fizz/Tina Turner and The Buggles being trumped by their own co-writer! If I see a David Bennett video upload, I clear time and space to watch it ASAP!

[@Skeptical_Numbat]

...The one we all know, and... er... "love"...

[@shadowclaw878]

I don't think you've mentioned "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" yet, it was originally by Klaatu and covered by The Carpenters

[@darkIkarus]

I don't know if they were already in the previous videos and I forgot about them, but how about "Désenchantée" which was a great hit by Kate Ryan but originally by Mylène Farmer. Then there's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" which was originally by Cher, but the Nancy Sinatra version got more popular especially due to its use in Tarantino's "Kill Bill".

[@dr.tre90]

Wow, a 25 min. video. This will be about 1,5 hours to watch with all the new songs and music rabbitholes it introduces me to while watching😂

[@josephfisher9427]

there are few songs that people overlook when it comes to covers If Paradise Is Half As Nice by Amen Corner - the original was: Il Paradiso by Patty Pravo Scende la Pioggia by Gianni Morandi - the original was: Elenore by The Turtles Les Champs-Élysées by Joe Dassin - the original was: Waterloo Road by Jason Crest Suddenly You Love Me by the Tremeloes - the original was: Uno Tranquillo by Riccardo Del Turco Jesamine by The Casuals - the original was: When Jezamine Goes - The Bystanders Everlasting Love by Love Affair - the original was: Everlasting Love - Robert Knight Let's Live for Today by The Grass Roots - the original was: Piangi con me by The Rokes (also Be Mine Again by The Skope is first English version) Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks - the original was: Le moribond by Jacques Brel Jackie by Scott Walker - the original was: La chanson de Jacky by Jacques Brel Amsterdam by Scott Walker - Amsterdam by Jacques Brel

[@CanardsandCapers]

"Our Lips are Sealed" would have similar circumstances to "Video Killed the Radio Star." The song was cowritten by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall. The Go-go's version was released first in 1981 followed by Fun Boy Three version in 1983. Both versions are superb.

[@davebops2478]

Thanks David. I'm glad your channel is flourishing, it's one of my favourites.

[@johnab67]

Led Zeppelin may have called other people's songs their own work but you have to admire Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones playing them live left handed

[@halfgoodexe]

"Cold Blows the Wind" by Ween is a modernized English version of folk song "The Unquiet Grave."

[@jaidynr87]

Great video as always! I think the best covers are the ones that take a swing in a completely new direction. I think Elvis Presley was the best at this, check out his covers of ‘promised land’, ‘my babe’, ‘you’ve lost that loving feeling’, and a personal favourite, his version of ‘my way’. I’ve always loved how Sinatra’s version sounded like a celebration of life, while Elvis’s sounds like a funeral

[@binbashyt]

You can tell that you're a KZbinr when you accidentally type "Bill Haley & His Coments". 😂

[@beresfordquimby]

51 Songs You Didn't Know Are Covers...if you're under 30. :)

[@johnhantsuk8461]

Bryan Ferry's version of Let's Stick Together was probably more influenced by Canned Heat's version called 'Let's Work Together' which got to no. 2 in the British charts in 1970.

[@lorenzor2555]

“It’s now or never” by Elvis is actually a cover of the italian (neapolitan) song “O sole mio” by Edoardo di Capua

[@johnhantsuk8461]

In the UK it was Jonathan King who had a hit with a cover of Hooked on a Feeling. He very cleverly used to find catchy European songs then redo them himself and release them under pseudonyms. Another classic by him was of course Una Paloma Blanca, which in turn was covered by the Wurzels with their excellent 'I'm a Cider Drinker'!

[@johnnydepp4866]

Still no rhcp’s cover of stevie wonder’s higher ground ?

[@DavidBennettPiano]

I thought everyone already knew that one? 😅

[@robo3007]

​@@DavidBennettPiano I didn't 👀

[@katemckinney2365]

Hi, I knew about Inversions of chords but i only just found out about "voicings" 😮 Please make one of your amazing videos! CONGRATULATIONS on 1M subscribers!!

[@BlueSkies32]

Always interesting and insightful 🙏🏼

[@Domitianvs]

Okay, maybe the pronounciation of the Ö in Björk isn't 100% correct (still close though!), but I tip my hat to you for giving it a good go!

[@simonvaughan6017]

Going by your spelling of the word, your pronunciation of "pronunciation" isn't 100% correct, either!

[@seaningram3285]

16:50 Also, 80s Country singer Juice Newton covered "Angel Of The Morning" in 1981.

[@Psychlist1972]

I always thought the original version of Angel of the Morning was the one by Juice Newton. There are a TON of versions of this out there, but I wasn't aware of the Shaggy one.

[@FF-bs6hy]

Was Valerie already included? Winehouse cover, Zutons original

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

[15:18] Björk - It’s Oh So Quiet (Horst Winter cover) [16:24] Shaggy - Angel of the Morning (Juice Newton cover)

[@ancienbelge]

14:40 I was sure I was hearing the 2nd theme of "Londonderry Air"

[@Gappasaurus]

20:35 Ah yes, the Housemartins featuring a young Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook on bass 😄

[@kevinkerkhoff6670]

So with 3 videos of these kind, I start to wonder. How many of the all the TOP 10 songs are actually originals or covers.

[@ChrisOwenGuitar]

Didn’t Scott English co-write and record “Brandy” a year before Bunny Walters’ version? I could be wrong.

[@angelaflierman]

Mr. Big's version of Wild World is a cover from the Cat Stevens original.

[@marcotrosi]

Brandy was released in 1971 by Scott English, Bunny Walters' version is from 1972

[@LunazulBaraka]

Mr Postman also covered by The Carpenters

[@James_Smith489]

One song that's isn't really a cover but instead was rewritten is "Holding out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Originally the songwriter/producer Jim Steinman released it in 1981 as "Stark Raving Love". The first, and most memorable, part of the song is identical.

[@Skymoc4]

I love these videos because it exposes me to so many new songs and artists that peek my interest. More videos like this please 🙏

[@Skeptical_Numbat]

The Marvel X-Men style cover art of *Renegades Of Funk!* by *_Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force_* was done by - of all people - by Bob Camp! (+) (+) - If you don't know about *Ren & Stimpy,* then I can but pity you...

[@instorypl]

And the funny thing is that these covers are usually better than the originals, except maybe the direct covers 😉

[@BONNIEGRESHAM]

I will always hear Willie Nelson’s voice when I think of “You Were Always on my Mind”

[@Fitzrovialitter]

Jake Holmes co-wrote with Bob Gaudio The Four Seasons' Genuine Imitation Life Gazette.

[@OnlyOneCannoli785]

If you're doing one more of these, you could include The Orange Theme by German trance duo Cygnus X, a reworking of Wendy/Walter Carlos' theme from The Clockwork Orange film, which was a reworking of Henry Purcell's funeral music for Queen Mary from 1794.

[@TheInselaffen]

Can we get Radiohead to cover The Beatles and blow David's tiny mind?

[@stewart2449]

The definitive version of Fly Me to the Moon is surely Julie London’s?!

[@Fivemonthslater1]

Yet again, I’m more familiar with the originals than the covers. 😬 I don’t think I’m THAT old!

[@jaspermcjasper3672]

David Bennett's videos are in the cream of the crop for pop music. That's why I watch and subscribe. But he does himself a disservice by choosing to include the phrase "that you didn't know" in his video's titles. It fundamentally miscategorizes his videos. Such a click-bait title indicates that the video is targeted towards a different market, towards shallow 20-somethings who ACTUALLY don't know that Big Time Rush's "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is a cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by a group who performed in Liverpool long ago. WE, David Bennett's audience, are NOT those people, and it's rather insulting to us to be lumped in with the know-nothings. Whenever I watch one of these "that you didn't know are covers" videos, there is ALWAYS at least ONE song that I did NOT know is a cover. And that's why I watch. I'm guaranteed to learn something. But when the older record is by The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, or The Kinks, where does Professor Bennett get the nerve to say "You Didn't Know" about the original? More often, the result is "An Old Record That I Didn't Know Had Been Covered", as it's the NEWER version of which I'm unaware. I think a long time ago Bennett used a title more like "... That You May Not Know Are Covers". That title is friendlier and less presumptuous.

[@jaspermcjasper3672]

Okay, I typed all that and I find that the on-screen words and the spoken words are NOT the insulting "You Didn't Know" but are the reasonable "You May Not Have Known". Okay, if you're going to make the actual CONTENT reasonable, why use the UNreasonable phrase for the TITLE?

[@soulextracter]

If two different artists are given the same song by its writer, I wouldn't consider the second one a cover. As in the case with the Tina Turner hit What's love got to do with it. Both her and Bucks Fizz recorded their separate versions independently of each other. But that's just my opinion.

[@EugeneMWeathers]

Best version of 'My Way' is by Sid Vicious! 😜

[@johnnydepp4866]

How true😂

[@DAVID-ks9vp]

Try also Hatler

[@keithmarshall7715]

Didn't David Bowie get asked to write the lyrics to my way and have his efforts rejected.

[@lakrids-pibe]

"Even a Fool Learns to Love" as his version was called

[@keithmarshall7715]

@lakrids-pibe Thanks. I remember now.

[@simonrussell4986]

Yep, and he ended up writing Life on Mars due to the rejection (similar step down in bassline)

[@simonvaughan6017]

If you go to Mick Jackson's Wikipedia entry, it says, "Not to be confused with Michael Jackson."

[@IngieKerr]

Nice list. I did _fairly_ well in my internal "Oh yes I did" competition ;) But a good few novel ones to me. Also, and no offence to Beatles fans everywhere [I've seen yous, I know yous're out there] ... but often with those early Beatles covers I prefer the originals. Mr Postman being a prime example :) Some of these also made me think there's potential for a _"songs that were re-recorded in another language, but by the original singer"_ list... [ether to English, or from] I can think of a fair few, tho I'll omit them from this comment as that might spoil any surprises. :)

[@marcadiadd5681]

What’s next? You’re going to tell me that “Funkytown” wasn’t originally by Pseudo Echo?”

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

Not so fun fact, The First Cut is the Beepest is about a young girl loosing her flower way too early.

[@BruceEEvans1]

First allow me to say I hate that term, cover. It is quickly argued that it is used to give credit to the original recording artist. I say, no. It is used to steal the thunder of the newest recording. If you listen to these examples you may come to the conclusion, as I have, that the "cover" version is very much better than the original version and is the real reason the song became a hit. Also, I have never heard of the Metropolitan Opera House "covering" Giuseppe Verdi when they perform Rigoletto. How old does a work need to be before a new performance is not a "cover?" I hate that term.

[@danger_the_kid]

Love buzz by nirvana is a cover of a very obscure dutch rock Band called shocking blue

[@WayneKitching]

Shocking Blue sang the original version of "I'm Your Venus."

[@frankowalker4662]

I only knew of about 10 of those.

[@aristotleasparaguspodcast1129]

If people legitimately think "Please Mr. Postman" and "Act Naturally" are Beatles originals then that's a fricking problem

[@Avendesora]

You people pick the weirdest things to decide everyone should have known from birth lmao

[@travisgaming2066]

In my opinion, "act naturally" just works as a ringo song and is one of their best covers.

[@aristotleasparaguspodcast1129]

@@travisgaming2066 It's a good cover, one of my favorites by the Beatles. But I still know it best as a Buck Owens song

[@travisgaming2066]

@@aristotleasparaguspodcast1129 fair enough

[@danbal4185]

The '61 original version of Please Mr Postman is already a great song but the cover by The Beatles is one of the best ever made in my opinion, John Lennon's voice gives me the chills every time.

[@laurentanneet]

It is pronounced as Vega not Bega, being Spanish originated naming.

[@ergovisavis]

Mambo #5 is the worst earworm ever

[@BrandonGruber0]

I will always blame it on the boogie. Always.

[@jeremiahlyleseditor437]

Was Hans Zimmer in that band?

[@ChrisCordingley]

I think the "didn't know" depends on how old you are. We old-fogies knew most of them 😉

[@dananthony6258]

I always thought Tom Jones’s voice was annoying.

[@apl2606]

Patricia Kaas is Swiss, not French.

[@Chrisbajs]

♫♪♫ And then I go and spoil it all by doing something like explooode you ♫♪♫♫♪

[@stewart2449]

I must be ancient, I’m much more familiar with the originals in many cases.

[@CheeZboi1234]

Yo new vid

[@CheeZboi1234]

Ive been waiting for a new cover vid

[@hatefuleightyseven2962]

Shake A Tail Father?

[@TheLobsterCopter5000]

What do you mean, "regrettably"? Who Let the Dogs Out is a great song.

[@guitaristssuck8979]

52. Creep

[@TeShiky]

You should get rid of the last 2 words in the title

[@EyeofHorus33]

God Madonna is awful 😂.. that voice of Tom Jones though man! Wow!