The Prejudiced Beginning of Cover Records

Written By Kensedeobong Okosun

A musical reinterpretation or cover is a reflection of three dynamics, namely: “an inter-genre stylistic variation, a commemoration of a deceased or the reintroduction of an older artist to a younger audience and, reverence of the original artist” (Okosun, 234 Black Power in Hemispheric Perspectives, Raussert & Steinitz 2022).

An intergenre stylistic variation is seen when artists recreate songs that deviate from their normative genres. Instances would include Stevie Wonder’s soulful interpretation of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”, Whitney Houston’s cover of country music icon Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” or Bruce Springsteen’s rocky cover of Jimmy Cliff’s reggae piece “Trapped”.

Consider Miki Howard’s take on a plethora of Billie Holiday’s songs which are remade into an album, namely Miki Sings Billie- A Tribute to Billie Holliday (1993), or Leela James’ reinterpretation of Etta James’ songs in Loving You More……..In The Spirit of Etta James (2012). Both singers reintroduce the younger generation to the music of African America’s seasoned vocalists. These dynamics venerate the original artist, dead or alive.

However, the advent of music covers in music history is any thing but romantic, as it emerges from the confines of racial prejudice and separatism. Radio played a significant role in the proliferation of rhythm and blues music to African American communities. White radio DJs like Gene Nobles and John Richbourg factored therein in the 1950s and 1960s and entertained a mixed-racial audience in the millions. On the other hand, pop radio declined the promotion of African American artists often describing them perjoratively as loud, rough and misaligned for pop radio, while playing appropriated versions of the same songs made by white artists, who seldom acknowledged the original black artists who made them. In other words, soul music and rhythm & blues were only good enough for white consumption when performed by white artists.

According to Portia K. Maultsby, “Those recordings by white artists were known as “covers” - imitative and often sanitized versions of the newly released rhythm and blues songs”. Cover records gained ubiquity on pop radio, but would suffer a deadly blow of rejection when the target audience, White teenagers realised that they were counterfeits of the originals made by Black artists. Consequently, they would traverse through the Black neighbourhoods to obtain the original recordings,as their identity formation was primarily influenced by African American culture. (Burnim Mellonee V. & Maultsby, Portia K. “Rhythm and Blues/R&B”. African and American Music, 2015, pp 253).

This was the era of separatism or segregation and mainstream agents in the media functioned to create a mental dichotomy/polarity within society and music, which undermined a thriving racial relation, mutual love and respect in the American society. As always, this post concludes with a playlist of 26 songs and their “well-cooked” covers.

  1. Aretha Franklin. “Get It Right” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ojbYbEMhM Get It Right (1983). Luther Vandross. “Get It Right” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gp2fsVUqKo I Know (1998).

  2. Bill Withers. “Use Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_T6GE_EOks Still Bill (1972). Aaron Neville. “Use Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnUTp4qC1cc The Tattooed Heart (1995).

  3. Billy Paul. “Me & Mrs Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYOQDnWFXYI 360 Degrees of Billy Paul (1972). Freddie Jackson “Me & Mrs Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQ4ZUJs75Y Time for Love (1992).

  4. Bob Dylan. “Emotionally Yours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tanRn5I_s Empire Burlesque (1985). The O’ Jays. “Emotionally Yours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx5L2mWFwOk Emotionally Yours (1991).

  5. Brenda K. Starr. “I Still Believe” https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jnFLtvr3HYY Brenda K. Starr (1987). Mariah Carey. “I Still Believe” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVbeMWAPWmc Number 1s (1998).

  6. Brenda Russell. “Get Here” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwwk1v6ZDxU Get Here (1988). Oleta Adams. “Get Here” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXW-_fDr4UI Circle of One (1990).

  7. Carole King. “You’ve Got A Friend” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR_Ff5A8Rk Tapestry (1971). Bebe & Cece Winans “You’ve Got A Friend, featuring Aretha Franklin” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JhSF8cYFSA Tapestry Revisited (1995).

  8. Chaka Khan. “Ain’t Nobody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcAv1cGAeXE Epiphany : The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1 (1983). Diana King. “Ain’t Nobody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7oEfOeaMI Tougher Than Love (1995).

  9. Commodores. “Sail On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVgFvYcOKC8 Midnight Magic (1979). Destiny’s Child. “Sail On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctOpALy0LAc Destiny’s Child (1998).

  10. Con Funk Shun. “Love’s Train” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TfkPv6tf3Q The Best of Con Funk Shun (1982). Dru Hill. “Love’s Train” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3f_q-wcmE Dru Hill (1996).

  11. Cyndi Lauper. “True Colours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExkmlgRNIhM Twelve Deadly Cyns….And Then Some (1986). Phil Collins. “True Colours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnO0Ixdyz5Y ….Hits (1998).

  12. Donny Hathaway. “Someday We’ll All Be Free” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv1B0ejhFVE Extension Of A Man (1973). James Ingram. “Someday We’ll All Be Free” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWXXMyT1waQ It’s Real (1989).

  13. Erma Franklin. “Piece Of My Heart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5zAZjmcWyA Piece Of Her Heart: The Epic And Shout Years (1967). Big Brother & The Holding Company with Janis Joplin. “Piece Of My Heart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vww8DCNtPNg Cheap Thrills (1968).

  14. Eternal. “Angel of Mine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKomiiJiPVA Greatest Hits (1997). Monica. “Angel Of Mine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQN0EA8OaJI The Boy Is Mine (1998).

  15. Gloria Gaynor. “I Will Survive” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhZPp08s74 Love Tracks (1978). Chantay Savage. ”I Will Survive” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUhK9uZQ5Z4 I Will Survive (Doin’ It My Way - 1996).

  16. Jaki Graham. “Heaven Knows” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s_NJ-6QZTU Heaven Knows (1985). Lalah Hathaway.“Heaven Knows”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp75syvk598 Lalah Hathaway (1990).

  17. Jennifer Rush. “The Power of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIJCY1ZhRFo The Power of Jennifer Rush (1984). Céline Dion. “The Power of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5RRGN43g58 The Colour Of My Love (1993).

  18. Leonard Cohen. “Halleluyah” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k Various Positions (1984). Jeff Buckley. “Halleluyah” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYrXK5ek_PQ Grace (1994).

  19. Lesley Gore. “It’s My Party” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjdH_NmmO0I I’ll Cry If I Want To (1963). Amy Winehouse. “It’s My Party” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGitRnNonx8 Q: Soul Bossa Nostra (2010).

  20. Minnie Riperton. “Lovin’ You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaUnHJjS8A Perfect Angel (1974). Shanice Wilson. “Lovin’ You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFCF0u-xc1Q Inner Child (1991).

  21. Nancy Wilson. “Sunny” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joR2vHev4Is Lush Life (1967). Boney M. “Lush Life” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghGiv7YLC7Q Take The Heat Off Me (1976).

  22. Nina Simone. “I Wish” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inNBpizpZkE I Got Life And Many Others (1967). Lighthouse Family. “I Wish” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zdu5gIr_vQ Whatever Gets You Through The Day (2001).

  23. Prince. “I Hear Your Voice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9FUDpQqraA (1991). Patti LaBelle. “I Hear Your Voice’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTd--JcMBSA Burnin’ (1991).

  24. R Kelly. “More and More” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8K4i3Qk5KI The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1. (2003). Joe. “More And More” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8XOQ1pe4Eg And Then…… (2003).

  25. Rose Royce. “I’m Goin’ Down” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5AoGzjKFo Car Wash (1976). Mary J. Blige. “I’m Goin’ Down” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsY2uiXkee4 My Life (1994).

  26. The Jacksons. “I’ll Be There” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBhSh7y_IkM Third Album (1970). Mariah Carey. “I’ll Be There” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIt3dx4an9c MTV Unplugged Special (1992).

Kensedeobong Okosun

Kensedeobong Okosun (M.A Bielefeld University) is a music enthusiast, music researcher, music journalist with expertise in music selection & planning, vocalist and an author. Her academic article “Sisterhood and Soul Music as expressions of Black Power” is featured in the edited volume, Black Power in Hemispheric Perspective (Raussert & Steinitz, eds, 2022). She has reviewed Dorothea Gail’s Weird American Music for the Forum for Interamerican Research (fiar, 2019). Her literary review on Nigerian music titled “Nigerians and their Music” has been published on the Nigerian news platform Sun News Online, while her article “Remembering Victor Uwaifo, “Guitar Boy” and the quest to meet Mami Wata” graced The Nigerian Observer.

Kensedeobong’s blog highlights music’s interconnectivity with society and comprises personal music experiences, researched information, concept playlists for multiple themes, etc.

A hard-core 90s R&B fan, she utilises the vehicle of memory, to position long forgotten music of yesteryears on the front-burner.

She is persuaded that music is a core conduit of collective harmony, equanimity, vitality and healing. And as such requires criticality in the filtration process, in order to disseminate meaning. Her blog promotes music equality and diversity.

She resides in Germany.

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