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 as creators of 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 28 songs and their “well-cooked” covers.

  1. Aretha Franklin. “Get It Right” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ojbYbEMhMGet It Right (1983). Luther Vandross. “Get It Right” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gp2fsVUqKoI Know (1998).

  2. Bill Withers. “Use Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_T6GE_EOksStill Bill (1972). Aaron Neville. “Use Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnUTp4qC1ccThe Tattooed Heart (1995).

  3. Billy Paul. “Me & Mrs Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYOQDnWFXYI360 Degrees of Billy Paul (1972). Freddie Jackson “Me & Mrs Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQ4ZUJs75YTime for Love (1992).

  4. Bob Dylan. “Emotionally Yours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tanRn5I_sEmpire Burlesque (1985). The O’ Jays. “Emotionally Yours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx5L2mWFwOkEmotionally Yours (1991).

  5. Brenda K. Starr. “I Still Believe” https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jnFLtvr3HYYBrenda K. Starr (1987). Mariah Carey. “I Still Believe” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVbeMWAPWmcNumber 1s (1998).

  6. Brenda Russell. “Get Here” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwwk1v6ZDxUGet Here (1988). Oleta Adams. “Get Here” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXW-_fDr4UICircle of One (1990).

  7. Carole King. “You’ve Got A Friend” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR_Ff5A8RkTapestry (1971). Bebe & Cece Winans “You’ve Got A Friend, featuring Aretha Franklin” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JhSF8cYFSATapestry Revisited (1995).

  8. Chaka Khan. “Ain’t Nobody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcAv1cGAeXEEpiphany : The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1 (1983). Diana King. “Ain’t Nobody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7oEfOeaMITougher Than Love (1995).

  9. Commodores. “Sail On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVgFvYcOKC8Midnight Magic (1979). Destiny’s Child. “Sail On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctOpALy0LAcDestiny’s Child (1998).

  10. Con Funk Shun. “Love’s Train” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TfkPv6tf3QThe Best of Con Funk Shun (1982). Dru Hill. “Love’s Train” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3f_q-wcmEDru Hill (1996).

  11. Cyndi Lauper. “True Colours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExkmlgRNIhMTwelve 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=cv1B0ejhFVEExtension Of AMan (1973). James Ingram. “Someday We’ll All Be Free” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWXXMyT1waQIt’s Real (1989).

  13. Erma Franklin. “Piece Of My Heart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5zAZjmcWyAPiece 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=Vww8DCNtPNgCheap Thrills (1968).

  14. Eternal. “Angel of Mine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKomiiJiPVAGreatest 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=FHhZPp08s74Love 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-6QZTUHeaven Knows (1985). Lalah Hathaway.“Heaven Knows”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp75syvk598Lalah Hathaway (1990).

  17. Jennifer Rush. “The Power of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIJCY1ZhRFoThe Power of Jennifer Rush (1984). Céline Dion. “The Power of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5RRGN43g58The Colour Of My Love (1993).

  18. Leonard Cohen. “Halleluyah” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-kVarious Positions (1984). Jeff Buckley. “Halleluyah” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYrXK5ek_PQGrace (1994).

  19. Lesley Gore. “It’s My Party” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjdH_NmmO0II’ll Cry If I Want To (1963). Amy Winehouse. “It’s My Party” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGitRnNonx8Q: Soul Bossa Nostra (2010).

  20. Minnie Riperton. “Lovin’ You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaUnHJjS8APerfect Angel (1974). Shanice Wilson. “Lovin’ You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFCF0u-xc1QInner Child (1991).

  21. Nancy Wilson. “Sunny” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joR2vHev4IsLush Life (1967). Boney M. “Lush Life” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghGiv7YLC7QTake 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_vQWhatever Gets You Through The Day (2001).

  23. No Doubt. “Don’t Speak” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7uiJcxIsK4Tragic Kingdom (1995). Leela James. “Don’t Speak” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crgIGBDfGz4Change Is Gonna Come (2005).

  24. 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--JcMBSABurnin’ (1991).

  25. R Kelly. “More and More” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8K4i3Qk5KIThe R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1. (2003). Joe. “More And More” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8XOQ1pe4EgAnd Then…… (2003).

  26. Rose Royce. “I’m Goin’ Down” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5AoGzjKFoCar Wash (1976). Mary J. Blige. “I’m Goin’ Down” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsY2uiXkee4My Life (1994).

  27. The Beatles. “Come Together” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo Abbey Road (1969). Michael Jackson “Come Together” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp_iORAu5q4‍ ‍HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995).

  28. The Jacksons. “I’ll Be There” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBhSh7y_IkMThird Album (1970). Mariah Carey. “I’ll Be There” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIt3dx4an9cMTV Unplugged Special (1992).

Kensedeobong Okosun

Kensedeobong Okosun 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 work has appeared on Nigeria’s Sun News Online and 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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