"Everybody has to start somewhere. Businessmen start on the ground floor
and try to work their way up the corporate ladder. Baseball players bide
their time in the minor leagues wishing for an opportunity to move up
and play in the majors. Musical compositions aren't very different-some
songs just don't climb the charts the first time they're recorded.
However, with perseverance, the ideal singer, the right chemistry,
impeccable timing, vigorous promotion, and a little luck, these songs
can become very famous." So writes Bob Leszczak in the opening pages of
Who Did It First? Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. In
this second volume in the Who Did It First? series, Leszczak explores
the hidden history of the most famous, indeed legendary, pop songs and
standards. As he points out, the version you purchased, swayed to, sang
to, and grew up with is often not the first version recorded. Like wine
and cheese, some tunes do get better with age, and behind each there is
a story. Included are little-known facts and amusing anecdotes, often
gathered through Leszczak's vast archive of personal interviews with the
singers and songwriters, record producers and label owners, who wrote,
sang, recorded, and distributed either the original first cut or one of
its classic covers. The second in a series of titles devoted to the
story of great songs and their revival as great covers, Who Did It
First? Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists is the perfect
playlist builder. So whether quizzing friends at a party, answering a
radio station contest, or just satisfying an insatiable curiosity to
know who really did do it first, this work is a must-have.
