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The original version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was written by Scottish singer and activist Ewan MacColl. The song’s subject matter was a bit of a departure for him, as he was mainly known for his political and protest songs. The vocalist is Peggy Seeger, who would often perform the song with MacColl in England. The two would eventually marry, once MacColl got divorced from the woman to whom he was then wed.
The song is made up of Seeger’s voice and MacColl’s arpeggioed guitar lines, evoking a rustic mood with that certain woozy, hallucinogenic feel that separates it from traditional folk tunes. It’s the kind of arrangement that was right in line with the folksy style that was just becoming popular among listeners.
Pop music’s acoustic-based titans (The Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul & Mary; etc.) were just getting started, and their styles (derived from what musicians like MacColl and Seeger were doing) would become essential sounds of the 1960s. Current musicians like Mike and Cara Gangloff, whose music has even more of a psychedelic-pastoral edge, can also trace their roots to songs like this.
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
Around the mid-’80s George Michael split from his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley and successfully proved he could make it as a solo act. The title track to his debut album is a fun, flirty pop number that channels ‘50s Elvis-style rockabilly through a solid Bo Diddley-esque rhythm.
The song was cemented in ‘80s lore by the iconic video of Michael working his guitar and his hips in sunglasses and a leather jacket, a stark contrast to the day-glo bubble gum image he was known for in his old band. And at a time when the music industry was still reluctant to have a star openly declare that they’re gay, the song used just enough vague, gender-neutral lyrics to keep the tabloids and morality police guessing.
This track became one of a string of hits for Michael, including “Father Figure,” “I Want Your Sex,” “One More Try,” and “Kissing a Fool” (one of the greatest pop vocal performances of all time, BTW). “Faith” went to #1 on the Billboard charts, where it stayed for four weeks.
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
From the album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006, Domino)
The world (especially music) was very different in 2006 when Arctic Monkeys released their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. YouTube debuted the year before, occupied by abstract and weird humor, home movies, and music videos and live performances. The best selling album of the year was the High School Musical soundtrack. (Olivia Rodrigo, of “Driver’s License” fame and who began her career on a TV series based on the musical, was three years old at the time.)
One of the first music acts to become popular thanks to the Internet (primitive music blogs, Myspace, non-creepy chat rooms, file-sharing sites), Arctic Monkeys were led by Alex Turner, who at age 19 revived a dismal indie rock scene in the U.K. with 13 rambunctious rock songs on Whatever People Say.... Their debut single, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor,” is a homage to the punk rock of the late 1970s, a short, catchy dance song that can be played at both Sweet Sixteens parties and dive bars where only sixteen people can sit inside.
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
Dance crazes are a staple of pop culture, and back in 1962, “The Loco-motion” was a dance song that supposedly made listeners happy “even when you’re feeling blue.” Written by Gerry Coffin and Carole King for another singer in mind, Dee Dee Sharp, (whose signature song is the dance-fad song “Mashed Potato Time”) who rejected the song, thus allowing their sometime-babysitter, a 19 year old Eva Boyd, to record it. Boyd became Little Eva and “The Loco-Motion” was a big hit, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Little Eva was an overnight success whose popularity was short-lived. Her last hit single was in 1963 and by the end of the '60s, she stopped performing and moved to North Carolina with her children. She died in 2003 from cervical cancer.
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
From the album So Excited! (1982, Planet Records)
One of the most popular songs of the 1980s, The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” appeared in two different albums, So Excited! (1982) and Break Out (1984). In 1982, the song peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100; two years later, it was remixed and re-entered the chart, peaking at #9.
The song became a mainstay in pop culture after its two trips to the Hot 100, appearing in numerous movies from Working Girl (1988) to The Nutty Professor (1996). In a very special episode of “Saved By The Bell”, Jessie Spano sings “I’m So Excited” (just the song title on repeat) when she is having a nervous breakdown caused by too many caffeine pills. “I’m So Excited” is also the title of a Pedro Almodovar comedy released in 2013 that takes place entirely on an airplane.