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Song of the Day #5,187: ‘The Tide is High’ – The Paragons

In 1980, Blondie’s ‘The Tide is High‘ reached #1 on the British, Canadian, New Zealand and American charts, giving the band its third chart-topper in the United States. The reggae treatment was a new sound for Blondie, whose previous hits ‘Call Me’ and ‘Heart of Glass’ were very synth-heavy.

It turns out that stylistic departure was in keeping with the song’s origins. ‘The Tide is High’ was first recorded by a Jamaican ska band called The Paragons, who included the track on their debut album, 1967’s On the Beach.

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Song of the Day #5,186: ‘Love Hurts’ – The Everly Brothers

I really like when a cover tales a song in a whole new direction.

In 1975, Scottish hard rock band Nazareth released a passionate power ballad treatment of ‘Love Hurts’ that reached the top ten in the U.S. and Australia and #1 in three other countries. It’s the only version of this song I know, and I assumed the tune originated with them.

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Song of the Day #5,185: ‘Venus’ – Shocking Blue

Here’s a song I might have known was a cover if I were a little older, or a little more up on the 1960s Dutch rock scene.

In 1969, psychedelic rock band Shocking Blue released ‘Venus’ in the Netherlands and saw it reach #1 in nine countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Lead singer Mariska Veres, often compared to Cher, delivers the track with an alluringly sultry nonchalance.

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Song of the Day #5,184: ‘I’ve Got My Mind Set On You’ – James Ray

George Harrison’s 1987 single ‘Got My Mind Set On You’ holds a special position among post-Beatles solo work. It marked Harrison’s third #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, giving him one more than both John Lennon and Ringo Starr (McCartney’s #1 hits were all recorded with Wings or as duets, complicating matters).

The song is also the last #1 hit by any member of The Beatles to date. Come on, Paul and Ringo… it’s not too late!

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Song of the Day #5,183: ‘If I Were a Boy’ – BC Jean

My daughters and I recently watched a YouTube video listing “songs you didn’t know are covers.” I immediately thought that would make a great theme for the blog.

While the video included some songs that everybody knows are covers (Jimi Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and Nirvana’s ‘The Man Who Sold the World,’ for example), I did find myself quite surprised by much of the list.

I’ll share a selection of those over the next few weeks.

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