Classic blues and R&B songs have frequently been covered by later artists, with the cover versions often becoming far better known than the original recordings. Similarly, lyrics in older, often obscure, classic blues songs have been used in by other artists or incorporated into the lyrics of later songs.

Here are some examples. We will be updating and expanding these pages regularly but here are some examples to start with:

Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens

CD cover, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, a 5 CD box set on JSP Records
CD cover, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, a 5 CD box set on JSP Records

Sorry, couldn’t resist posting this cover from the Muppet Show:

All Around The World

  1. All Around The World by Little Willie John (1955)
  2. All Around The World by Lou Rawls (1992)

All By Myself

CD cover. Big Bill Broonzy, Volume 3: The War and Postwar years 1940-51, on JSP Records
CD cover. Big Bill Broonzy, Volume 3: The War and Postwar years 1940-51, on JSP Records
  1. All By Myself by Big Bill Broonzy (1941)
  2. All By Myself by Fats Domino
  3. All By Myself by Robert Gordon (1978)
  4. All By Myself by Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin (2014) (also see The Blasters)

 

 

 

 

Back Door Man

CD cover, Howlin' Wolf, The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs 1951-62, on Acrobat Records
CD cover, Howlin’ Wolf, The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs 1951-62, on Acrobat Records
  1. Back Door Man by Howlin’ Wolf
  2. Back Door Man by Willie Dixon
  3. Back Door Man by The Doors (1967)
  4. Back Boor Man by Willie Dixon (1972)
  5. Back Door Man by John Hammond Jr. (2013)

 

 

 

 

Before You Accuse Me (Take A Look At Yourself)

  1. Before You Accuse Me by Bo Diddley (1957)
  2. Before You Accuse Me by Creedance Clearwater Revival (1971)
  3. Before You Accuse Me by Delbert McClinton
  4. Before You Accuse Me by Eric Clapton
  5. Before You Accuse Me by Eric Clapton (acoustic version)
  6. Before You Accuse Me by Magic Slim (2007)
  7. Before You Accuse Me by Eric Burdon (2014)

 

Big Ten Inch

CD cover, Bull Moose Jackson Collection 1945-55, a 2 CD set on Acrobat Records
CD cover, Bull Moose Jackson Collection 1945-55, a 2 CD set on Acrobat Records
  1. Big Ten Inch by Bull Moose Jackson (1950)
  2. Big Ten Inch by Aerosmith (1976)
  3. Big Ten Inch by Dana Gillespie (1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://youtu.be/Rws_7mLTqj8

Black Betty

  1. Black Betty by Leadbelly (1939)
  2. Black Betty by Ram Jam (1977)

Black Girl (In The Pines)

  1. Black Girl (In The Pines) by Leadbelly
  2. In The Pines by Ralph Stanley
  3. In The Pines by Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys
  4. Black Girl by Long John Baldry (1971)
  5. Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Nirvana
  6. Black Girl by Long John Baldry (1994)

Blue Light Boogie

CD cover, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, a 5 CD box set on JSP Records
CD cover, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, a 5 CD box set on JSP Records

This is a Louis Jordan classic that has been covered many times and which was also copied by Frankie Lee Sims under the title She Likes To Boogie Real Low, which had different lyrics and was played at a faster tempo than the Louis Jordan original, but was clearly based on Louis Jordan’s Blue Light Boogie. Johnny Winter covered the Frankie Lee Sims version.)

Bo Diddley

Bony Moroney / Boney Moronie

  1. Bony Moronie by Larry Williams (recorded September 1957 for Specialty Records)
  2. Boney Moronie by Ritchie Valens
  3. Bony Moronie by Gram Parsons (1973)
  4. Bony Moronie by Johnny Winter (studio version – 1975)
  5. Bony Moronie by Johnny Winter (live version – 1975)
  6. Bony Moronie by John Lennon (1978)
  7. Bony Moronie by Dr. Feelgood (1978)
  8. Bony Moronie by Screaming Lord Sutch (1992)
  9. Bony Moronie by Ace Diamond (2008)

Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights

CD cover, Little Walter, Chess Records 50th Anniversary Collection.
CD cover, Little Walter, Chess Records 50th Anniversary Collection.
  1. Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights by Little Walter (on Chess Records)
  2. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights by Pat Travers (live version)
  3. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights by Pat Travers
  4. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights by The Blues Band
  5. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights by Levon Helm Band
  6. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights by Whisky Howl Big Band

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/_acHhmtVJJg

Born Under A Bad Sign

CD cover, Albert King, Born Under A Bad Sign, released on Stax Records.
CD cover, Albert King, Born Under A Bad Sign, released on Stax Records.
  1. Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King (1967)
  2. Born Under A Bad Sign by Cream
  3. Born Under A Bad Sign by Booker T & the M.G.’s
  4. Born Under A Bad Sign by Jimi Hendrix
  5. Born Under A Bad Sign by Koko Taylor
  6. Born Under A Bad Sign by Pat Travers
  7. Born Under A Bad Sign by Robben Ford (2010)
  8. Born Under A Bad Sign by Kenny Wayne Shepard (2014)
  9. Born Under A Bad Sign by Paul Rodgers (2014)
  10. Born Under A Bad Sign by Cream (2005 Live version)

 

Bottle It Up And Go

  1. Bottle It Up And Go by Picaninny Jug Band (1932)
  2. Bottle It Up And Go by Picaninny Jug Band (1934)
  3. Bottle It Up And Go by Memphis Jug Band (1934)
  4. Bottle It Up And Go by Tommy McClennan (1939)
  5. Step It Up And Go by Blind Boy Fuller (1938-39) (note: slightly different lyric, but clearly the same song)
  6. Bottle It Up And Go by Big Joe Williams (1941)
  7. Borrow Love And Go by Leadbelly (1943) (note: different title and slightly different lyric, but clearly the same song)
  8. Bottle It Up And Go by Lightnin’ Hopkins
  9. Bottle It Up And Go by Big John Greer (1952)
  10. Bottle Up And Go by John Lee Hooker
  11. Bottle It Up And Go by Bert Jansch (1962)
  12. Bottle Up And Go by John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat (1970)
  13. Step It Up And Go by John Hammond (1981)
  14. Bottle It Up And Go by James “Son” Thomas
  15. Bottle It Up And Go by Mike Sanchez

Bricks In My Pillow

CD cover, Bricks In My Pillow by Robert Nighthawk, on Delmark Records. This CD contains tracks from 1951 and 1952 sessions.
CD cover, Bricks In My Pillow by Robert Nighthawk, on Delmark Records. This CD contains tracks from 1951 and 1952 sessions.
  1. Bricks In My Pillow by Bumble Bee Slim (1935)
  2. Bricks In My Pillow by Big Bill Broonzy (1935)
  3. New Bricks In My Pillow by Bumble Bee Slim (1936)
  4. Bricks In My Pillow by Robert Nighthawk (1951)
  5. Bricks In My Pillow by Robert Nighthawk (1966)
  6. Bricks In My Pillow by Houston Stackhouse
  7. Bricks In My Pillow by Mannish Boys (2012)
  8. Bricks In My Pillow by Tommy McCoy & Lucky Peterson (2014)

 

 

 

Built For Comfort/ I’m Built For Comfort

CD cover, Howlin' Wolf, The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs 1951-62, on Acrobat Records
CD cover, Howlin’ Wolf, The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs 1951-62, on Acrobat Records
  1. Built For Comfort by Willie Dixon
  2. Built For Comfort by Howlin’ Wolf
  3. I’m Built For Comfort by Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated (vocal by Long John Baldry) (1963)
  4. Built For Comfort by Howlin’ Wolf with Eric Clapton (1970)
  5. Built For Comfort by UFO (1973)
  6. Built For Comfort by Roy Rogers (1996)
  7. Built For Comfort by Taj Mahal (1998)
  8. Built For Comfort by Dana Gillespie (2004)
  9. Built For Comfort by Dion (2006)
  10. I’m Built For Comfort by Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows (2013)

Bullfrog Blues

  1. Bullfrog Blues by William Harris (1928)
  2. Bullfrog Blues by Canned Heat
  3. Bullfrog Blues by Rory Gallagher (1973)
  4. Bullfrog Blues by Rory Gallagher (1974)
  5. Bullfrog Blues by Rory Gallagher
  6. Bullfrog Blues by Dave Hole (2009)

C.C. Rider / See See Rider

  1. See See Rider Blues by Ma Rainey (1925)
  2. Maggie Campbell Blues by Tommy Johnson (1929) (Different song, but it contains a line about “C.C. rider”)
  3. C.C. Rider by Leadbelly (1934)
  4. C.C. Rider (take 1) by Big Bill Broonzy (1934)
  5. C.C. Rider (take 2) by Big Bill Broonzy (1934)
  6. See See Rider by LaVern Baker
  7. C.C. Rider by Big Bill Broonzy (1955)
  8. See See Rider by Mississippi John Hurt
  9. See See Rider by B.B. King (1965)
  10. See See Rider by The Animals (1966)
  11. See See Rider by Elvis Presley (1969)
  12. See See Rider by Jessica Williams Quartet (2005)
  13. See See Rider by Elmore James Jr. (2008)
  14. C.C. Rider by Robert Lockwood Jr. (2009)

Cadillac Baby

  1. Cadillac Baby by Roy Brown (1950)
  2. Cadillac Baby by Bill Sherrill
  3. Cadillac Baby by Colin James (1993)
  4. Cadillac Baby by Sandy Mack (2001)
  5. Cadillac Baby by Ireland Bothers (2008)
  6. Cadillac Baby by B.B. & The Blues Shacks (2008)
  7. Cadillac Baby by Blues Eaters (2014)

Catfish Blues

  1. Catfish Blues by Robert Petway (1941)
  2. Catfish Blues by Skip James (1963)
  3. Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
  4. Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix
  5. Catfish by Taste (1970) (Rory Gallagher played lead guitar for Taste)
  6. Catfish Blues by Junior Wells & Buddy Guy (1991)
  7. Catfish Blues by Gov’t Mule (2002)
  8. Catfish Blues by Taj Mahal & Neal Pattman (2005)
  9. Catfish Blues by Taj Mahal & Toumani Diabate (2000)
  10. Catfish Blues by Donna Lynn Kay (2006)
  11. Catfish Blues by Cathouse Blues Band (2007)
  12. Catfish Blues by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (2007) [note: Jimmy “Duck” Holmes runs the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, Mississippi]
  13. Catfish Blues by Gary Clark Jr. (2014)

Checkin’ Up On My Baby

CD cover, Sonny Boy Williamson, Chess Records 50th Anniversary Collection.
CD cover, Sonny Boy Williamson, Chess Records 50th Anniversary Collection.
  1. Checkin’ Up On My Baby by Sonny Boy Williamson
  2. Checkin’ Up On My Baby by Taj Mahal (1968)
  3. Checkin’ Up On My Baby by John Mayall
  4. Checkin’ Up On My Baby by Dr. Feelgood
  5. Checkin’ Up On My Baby by Gary Moore

 

 

 

 

 

Confessin’ The Blues

  1. Confessin’ The Blues by Jay “Hootie” McShann
  2. Confessin’ The Blues by Little Walter
  3. Confessin’ The Blues by Walter Brown
  4. Confessin’ The Blues by Chuck Berry
  5. Confessin’ The Blues by Rolling Stones
  6. Confessin’ The Blues by Esther Phillips
  7. Confessin’ The Blues by T-Bone Walker (1968)
  8. Confessin’ The Blues by B.B. King
  9. Confessin’ The Blues by B.B. King & Marty Stuart

Corrina, Corrina

  1. Corrine, Corrina by Charlie McCoy and Bo Carter (1930s)
  2. Corrina, Corrina by Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys
  3. Corinna, Corrina by Sleepy John Estes
  4. Corrina, Corrina by Big Joe Turner
  5. Corrinna, Corrina by Bob Dylan (1962)
  6. Corinne, Corinna by Dean Martin (1963)
  7. Corrinna, Corrina by Boz Scaggs (2013)

Crawlin’ King Snake

  1. Crawlin’ King Snake by Big Joe Williams (1941)
  2. Crawlin’ King Snake by Tony Hollins (1941)
  3. Crawlin’ King Snake by John Lee Hooker
  4. New Crawlin’ King Snake by Howlin’ Wolf
  5. Crawlin’ King Snake by Etta James
  6. Crawlin’ King Snake by Muddy Waters
  7. Crawlin’ King Snake by Muddy Waters (live)
  8. Crawlin’ King Snake by The Doors (1971)
  9. Crawlin’ King Snake by George Thorogood
  10. Crawlin’ King Snake by Peter Green
  11. Crawlin’ King Snake by Peter Green Splinter Group

Cross Cut Saw Blues

  1. Cross Cut Saw Blues by Tommy McClennan (1939)
  2. Crosscut Saw by Albert King (1967)
  3. Cross Cut Saw by Albert King (live version 1969)
  4. Cross Cut Saw by Otis Rush (live version- 1986)
  5. Crosscut Saw Blues by Eric Clapton (1978)
  6. Cross Cut Saw Blues by Leslie West (2004)

Cross Road Blues

CD cover, Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings. This is the edition we are currently recommending.
CD cover, Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings. This is the edition we are currently recommending.
  1. Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson (1936)
  2. Standing At The Crossroads by Elmore James (1960)
  3. Crossroads by Cream (1966)
  4. Crossroads by Derek and the Dominoes (1970)
  5. Crossroad Blues by Steve Hill Blues Band (2008)
  6. Crossroad Blues by Sam Mitchell (2009)
  7. Crossroads by Erja Lyytenen (2012)

 

 

 

 

Crossroads

Cream, Wheels of Fire, album cover. Released in 1968 this album contained covers of several classic blues songs.
Cream, Wheels of Fire, album cover. Released in 1968 this album contained covers of several classic blues songs.

Songs about a musician meeting the Devil at a crossroads (or a cemetery) and selling his soul to the Devil in exchange for musical prowess date back to Tommy Johnson in the 1920s and Robert Johnson and Peetie Wheatstraw in the 1930s, and before. (See the Crossroads page on this site) Here are some examples of songs with this theme.

  1. Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson (1936)
  2. Travelin’ Riverside Blues by Robert Johnson (1937)
  3. Standing At The Crossroads by Elmore James (1960)
  4. Crossroads by Cream (1966)
  5. Crossroad Blues by Steve Hill Blues Band (2008)
  6. Crossroads by Erja Lyytenen (2012)

Down The Road Apiece

CD cover, Rockin' And Drinkin' by Amos Milburn, a 2 CD set released on Jasmine Records
CD cover, Rockin’ And Drinkin‘ by Amos Milburn, a 2 CD set released on Jasmine Records
  1. Down The Road Apiece by Amos Milburn (1953)
  2. Down The Road Apiece by Chuck Berry (1960)
  3. Down The Road Apiece by Manfred Mann (1964)
  4. Down The Road Apiece by Rolling Stones (1965)
  5. Down The Road Apiece by Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers (2009)

 

 

 

 

Dust My Broom

CD cover, Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings. This is the edition we are currently recommending.
CD cover, Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings. This is the edition we are currently recommending.
  1. I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom by Robert Johnson (1937)
  2. Dust My Broom by Elmore James (first recorded 1951 – on Trumpet Records)
  3. Dust My Broom by Ike & Tina Turner
  4. Dust My Broom by Canned Heat (1967)
  5. Improvisations On Dust My Broom by Earl Hooker (1968)
  6. Dust My Broom by Taj Mahal (1968)
  7. Dust My Broom by Hound Dog Taylor
  8. Dust My Broom by ZZ Top (1979)
  9. Dust My Broom by Albert King
  10. Dust My Broom by Etta James (2003)
  11. I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom by Robert Lockwood Jr. (2009)
  12. Dust My Broom by Jeff Healey Band
  13. Dust My Broom by Johnny Winter (2011)

Easy Rider Blues

  1. Easy Rider Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson
  2. Easy Rider Blues by Leo Soileau and Moise Robin (1929)
  3. Easy Rider Blues by Leadbelly
  4. Easy Rider Blues by Albert Ammons
  5. Easy Rider Blues by Pat Travers (2012)

Fattening Frogs For Snakes

  1. Fattening Frogs For Snakes by Sonny Boy Williamson
  2. Fattening Frogs For Snakes by Sonny Boy Williamson and The Animals
  3. Fattening Frogs For Snakes by Alexis Korner and Memphis Slim (1960)
  4. Fattening Frogs For Snakes by John Hammond (1981)

Flatfoot Sam

Frankie And Johnny

  1. Frankie and Johnny by Jimmie Rodgers (1930)
  2. Frankie and Johnny by Lena Horne
  3. Frankie and Johnny by Pearl Bailey
  4. Frankie And Johnny by Big Bill Broonzy (1955)
  5. Frankie’s Man Johnny by Johnny Cash
  6. Frankie and Johnny by Brook Benton (1961)
  7. Frankie & Johnny by Jerry Lee Lewis (1961)
  8. Frankie And Johnny by Champion Jack Dupree (1959)
  9. Frankie and Johnny by Elvis Presley
  10. Frankie and Albert by Joe Callicott (1967)

 

Further On Up The Road / Farther Up The Road

  1. Farther On Up The Road by T-Bone Walker
  2. Farther Up The Road by Bobby “Blue” Bland
  3. Further On Up The Road by James Brown
  4. Farther On Up The Road by Lonnie Mack
  5. Further On Up The Road by Joe Cocker (1970)
  6. Further On Up The Road by Freddie King (1974)
  7. Further On Up The Road by Roy Buchanan (1974)
  8. Further On Up The Road by Eric Clapton (1975)
  9. Farther On Up The Road by Robin Trower (1977)
  10. Further On Up The Road by Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks
  11. Further On Up The Road by Magic Slim & the Teardrops (1990)
  12. Further On Up The Road by Gary Moore (2003)
  13. Further On Up The Road by Johnny Cash
  14. Further On Up The Road by Steve Miller Band
  15. Further On Up The Road by Joe Bonamassa (2010)
  16. Further On Up The Road by Gary Moore (2009)
  17. Further On Up The Road by John Hammond (2013)

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