Wolfman Jack's Forty Five 45's (and the Covers that Followed)
I recently came across this obscure collection put together in 1977 by legendary DJ Wolfman Jack. I discovered the Wolfman like many others when George Lucas' American Graffiti featured him. Do you have the American Graffiti soundtrack? Wolfman Jack's patter is all over the tracks! He had a distinctive gravelly voice and a great ear for music.
The three album set I found is jam packed with original hit songs, many later covered to become hits for other artists. Some of my favorite pre-covers on this record include:
Betty Everett's You're No Good, which was later famously covered by Linda Rondstadt on her best-selling album 'Heart Like a Wheel;'
The Leaves' Hey Joe, which Jimi Hendrix made famous;
Lieber and Stoller's Kansas City, which was a massive hit in 1959 for Wilbur Harrison and which appears on The Beatles' 'Beatles For Sale' album of 1964;
Bob Dylan's It Ain't Me, Babe, here covered by The Turtles who had a big hit with it; and
Endless Sleep by Jody Reynolds (who?) who sold a million copies with his recording of it in 1958 and which was later covered by more than 65 artists including Hank Williams Jr. and Billy Idol.
Yes, Billy Idol.
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