Cover versions, they are everywhere. But sometimes, are you even aware the song you are listening to is a cover of another song? Here are five that we think you may not have known were cover versions in the first place:
Original: Prince – I Feel For You
Long before he became a household names, Prince wrote ‘I Feel For You‘ which was a demo for Patrice Rushen, though neither appeared on any Rushen album. Instead this track appeared on Prince‘s self titled album which was released in 1979.
Cover: Chaka Khan – I Feel For You
At the height of her career, Chaka Khan released the song in 1984 and it topped the singles chart in the US, UK and Ireland and has become one of her signature songs. The album which is named after the cover song is one of her best selling albums to date.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ULhmJIi4s
Original: Edanswap – Torn
Edenswap were a rock band from LA who had three albums released in the 90s. They may have not had any huge hit of their own, but they did originally record ‘Torn‘. Edenswap were the first band to record the song in English however the first actual recorded version of the song was a translation by Danish singer Lis Sørensen, “Brændt” (which translates to “Burnt“), in 1993. The English version we all know and love now though was originally by Edenswap.
Cover: Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
Three years after leaving soap Neighbours, Natalie Imbruglia released her debut single ‘Torn‘ in 1997 which soon became a worldwide smash. The single topped the charts in Sweden, was a number 2 in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and her home country Australia. The single peaked at #42 in the US too. The song went on to become gold and platinum all around the world and sold over one million copies in the UK making it one of the best sellers in the whole 90’s decade. ‘Torn‘ is by far Imbruliga‘s biggest single and signature hit.
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Original: Girl Thing – Pure and Simple
Simon Cowell after saying a “no” to signing the Spice Girls back in the day, obviously realised he had made a big fat mistake and tried to make his own version of the band. That band was Girl Thing! The girl band consisted of five members, like Spice, but they were not even half as successful. With a debut top 10 single and their second just scoring them in the top 30, the band were dropped from their label after their album was released everywhere minus the UK. One of the songs on their debut album was ‘Pure and Simple‘ which the girls didn’t release as a single but admitted it was close to their hearts.
Cover: Hear’Say – Pure and Simple
After becoming winners of reality show ‘Popstars‘, Hear’Say were made! After becoming a band they released ‘Pure and Simple‘ as their winning debut single which went on to top the singles chart in the UK and New Zealand and was a top three hit in Ireland and Belgium. The single sold over 1.2 million singles in the UK making it the second biggest single of 2001.
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Original: Cher – Take Me Home
In 1979, Cher released single ‘Take Me Home‘ from the same album name in 1979 and it became a hit in the US charting at #8 on the Billboard top 200. The single wasn’t released or promoted overseas that much but is a song Cher has used on her tour set lists throughout the years.
Cover: Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Take Me Home
Straight from teaming up with Spiller on the single ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)‘, Sophie Ellis-Bextor released her debut solo single ‘Take Me Home‘ which was taken from the album Read My Lips. Her version contains new lyrics and a new, disco-tinged instrumental. Critics received it moderately positively, and the track enjoyed commercial success. However, Cher‘s management did not approve of the song’s lyricism. The single went in at #2 in the UK singles chart and #6 in Ireland.
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Original: BC Jean – If I Were A Boy
‘If I Were A Boy‘ is a song written and recorded by US singer BC Jean which her label rejected. Jean has the writing credits for the song, but has never officially released it. This made BC upset and she eventually came to an agreement that it could be covered by a big US star.
Cover: Beyoncé – If I Were A Boy
And just like that, Beyoncé had BC Jean‘s song and made a worldwide return for her career as she was about to release her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce. The song topped the charts in various countries including the UK. The single peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 and went 3x platinum selling over three million copies over there alone. ‘If I Were A Boy’ is one of many signature Beyoncé singles and is still performed regularly on her live sets.
