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Which version is the original?The theoryThe original is the first public version of a song. In practiceTo keep it simple we usually take the first release of a song as the original. Example: Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell is an original.
However, if it is known that before the first release it was recorded by another artist one should take the first recording by this other artist as original version. Example: Although The Shadows released Apache before Bert Weedon, the original is attributed to Bert Weedon because he recorded it first.
Finally, if it is known that even before this first recording a different artist performed this song publicly, then this first performance should be set as the original. Example: We consider the original of the standard Summertime to be the version sung by Abbie Mitchell during the opening night of the musical "Porgy & Bess", on october 10, 1935.
The special case: traditionalsDefining the originalThe original is defined as "the first public version" of a song, "public" being the key of the definition. In this sense, traditionals have no original. As a consequence we will create an original, with credits to "traditional", and without any performer. Example: Scarborough Fair, an English folk song from the late medieval times has no original performer.
Cover hierarchyIf an artist altered a traditional in a significant way we can set him as "new original": all songs clearly based on the latter are linked to it. Significant means in this case we know exactly what has been changed or added in the new original. We allow "new originals" not to be released. Example: Scarborough Fair/Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel. As you can read in the comments, their version incorporates the counter melody of The Side of a Hill into the "Canticle" section. All Scarborough Fair versions doing the same should be linked to their version.
If it is unclear who changed what, it is better to keep it simple and link all covers to the "original original". Guidelines index | What is a cover song? > |
Did you know?Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Saint Etienne was originally written by Neil Young and performed by Neil Young in 1970. 
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