From an idea by our editor Jens, the first in a series of spotlighting Covers Albums.
Certainly not the first, but somehow, the Pinups album may qualify as the "mother" of all covers albums. On closer look, Bowie's notorious salute to the mid 60s British rock scene contained two American* songs in origin:
"Sorrow" was first an album track on "Hang On Sloopy" by The McCoys, released October 1965. Covered succesfully by UK group The Sorrows the next year, this was the version Bowie remembered in his liner notes.
Initially recorded by its writer Billy Boy Arnold, "I Wish You Would" was covered by The Yardbirds (featuring Eric Clapton) almost a decade later to ultimately inspire Bowie's.
Tracklist:
1955 "I Wish You Would" (Billy Boy Arnold) by Billy Boy*, The Yardbirds
1964 "Everything's Alright" (The Mojos) by The Mojos
1964 "Rosalyn" (Jimmy Duncan, Bill Farley) by The Pretty Things
1964 "Don't Bring Me Down" (Johnnie Dee) by The Pretty Things
1964 "Here Comes the Night" (Bert Berns) by Them
1964 "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend) by The Who
1965 "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend) by The Who
1965 "Sorrow" (Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer) by The McCoys*, The Sorrows
1965 "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" (Ray Davies) by The Kinks
1966 "Shapes of Things" (Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf) by The Yardbirds
1966 "Friday on My Mind" (George Young, Harry Vanda) by The Easybeats
1967 "See Emily Play" (Syd Barrett) by Pink Floyd
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