Little Stevie Wonder Covers Ray Charles

And by Little, it means when he was 12 years old. I mean, look at him.

Tribute to Uncle Ray is the second album released by Stevie Wonder during his Little Stevie Wonder phase in 1962. The album was a tribute to Wonder's mentor, fellow blind musician Ray Charles. The album was followed by other tribute albums to Nat "King" Cole and Sam Cooke by Marvin Gaye and The Supremes respectively. Like his debut, this album failed to generate hit singles as Motown struggled to find a sound to fit Wonder, who was only 12 when this album was released.

Take a listen; it's especially amusing to hear Little Stevie Wonder sing about getting it on.

PLAY: Hallelujah, I Love Her So - Ray Charles
PLAY: Hallelujah, I Love Her So - Stevie Wonder

PLAY: Mary Ann - Ray Charles
PLAY: Mary Ann - Stevie Wonder

PLAY: Drown In My Own Tears - Ray Charles
PLAY: Drown In My Own Tears - Stevie Wonder
PLAY: Drown In My Own Tears - Marie "Queenie" Lyons
PLAY: Drown In My Own Tears - Etta James

You've Really Got A Hold On Me

The Beatles made it famous in 63, but once again, it's Smokey Robinson who wrote this song in 1962 (the Beatles actually changed the title to "You Really" and not "You've Really," but I don't know if that was intentional or just British).

All of these versions are great. I'm particularly fond of Jackie DeShannon's (or Sharon Myers if you meet her in synagogue) singing and early rock sound, but we'll definitely have more on her in a later posting.

PLAY: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
PLAY: The Zombies
PLAY: The Beatles
PLAY: Jackie DeShannon

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

[A little more info about the album cover on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and the James Dean photo , pictured above]

I had no idea how covered this song was until I actually started looking. I have about 25 to go, and I'm pretty impressed. I did just listen to dozens of other shit-ass, pretentious piano versions of this great song... but you don't want to hear them.

That's what I do for you. I am your musical Jesus. I listened to these songs so you wouldn't have to.

Take a listen to this Dylan classic. Twice, and then one more time from The Gaslight in NYC ('62).

And then these really nice tributes to Bob:

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (best arrangement... hands down)
The Small Stars (esp. lead guitar)
Johnny Cash
The Derek Trucks Band (w Susan Tedeschi)
Elvis Presley
Odetta
Ivy League ('65, folksie)
Duane Eddy ('65, country-folk instrumental)

A lot of people make it sort of a love song - slow and easygoing. But it isn't a love song. It's a statement that maybe you can say something to make yourself feel better. It's as if you were talking to yourself. - bob dylan

Mary, Don't You Weep

I don't know why I like spirituals so much. I shouldn't. But the old Negro spirituals almost always sound great, and this is no exception.

Written even before the Civil War, Mary in this song isn't Jesus' girlfriend; it's Mary of Bethany who begged and begged for Jesus to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. Most of the song, though, is about the Exodus from Egypt ("Pharaoh's army got drownded...") with the obvious freedom references that made it popular during slavery and the civil rights movement as one of the many "freedom songs."

The Swan Silvertones' version is the earliest one I could find (the song was first recorded in 1915 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers), but it is by far the most popular. The band was started in 1938 by a West Virginian coal miner, but this song was recorded in 1962.

The Springsteen version is from his recent Seeger Sessions which I think is a great piece of work. I have no idea who Mike Farris is, but for a white guy, he's pretty soulful.

Enjoy.

PLAY: Mary Don't You Weep - The Swan Silvertones
PLAY: Mary Don't You Weep - Bruce Springsteen
PLAY: Mary Don't You Weep - Mike Farris