Who Did It First? Great Pop Cover Songs and their Original Artists

An argument settler if ever there was one, Bob Leszczak's (Who Did It First: Great Rhythm and Blues Cover Songs and their Original Artists) meticulously detailed assessment will help music aficionados set the record straight when it comes to song authorship. Music lovers who have long associated classics like "Always on My Mind" with Willie Nelson (originally recorded by Brenda Lee) and "I Will Always Love You" with Whitney Houston (originally recorded and written by Dolly Parton) are in for a surprise when they peruse this encyclopedic collection of cover songs. They'll discover that standards such as "I Write the Songs," popularized by Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers's iconic "The Gambler," and even Glen Campbell's hit "Rhinestone Cowboy" were all first recorded by others. Each entry is briefly detailed with a selection of factoids including chart position, sales numbers, and occasionally a list of additional artists who covered it. While entertaining, it's far from definitive: readers looking for Alien Ant Farm's popular cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" or a mention of Social Distortion's cover of "Ring of Fire" will find a great deal of omissions. Leszczak's sweet spot is pop music from the mid-%E2%80%9850s through the mid-%E2%80%9870s. Fans of those eras will likely find themselves humming many a long-forgotten tune such as "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" or "I Write the Songs" as they flip through the pages. (Mar.)