Frank W Hoffmann

Cover Recordings, 1900 - 2016 Frank W Hoffmann

The first volume of COVER RECORDINGS, 1900-2016 (Paw Paw Press, 2016) examined several manifestations of recorded song repetition. It highlighted the on-going influences of regional rhythmic formats such as New Orleans music. It traced several loving tributes to African-American bluesmen by white artists like Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, John Hammond, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It focused on the educational role of old records in the artistic development of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. It identified the career-extending value of previous hits for Johnny Rivers and Linda Ronstadt. It explored revivals of classic Christmas tunes. It examined the retrospective use of R& B hits by blue-eyed soul artists like Michael Bolton, Joe Cocker, Michael McDonald, and The Righteous Brothers. And it revisited controversial attempts by major record companies to overwhelm small independent labels and young black performers through immediate covers of new 1950s releases. Artists reviewed in this latter area include Pat Boone, The Chordettes, The Crew-Cuts, The Diamonds, The Fontane Sisters, The McGuire Sisters, and Gale Storm. This second volume of COVER RECORDINGS, 1900-2016 expands the discographic information on recording repetition dramatically. The text is extensive, though not comprehensive. Specifically, this supplementary study investigates the use of cover recordings in different contexts for different purposes. First, it identifies a variety of recording artists, including The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Hank Williams, and Stevie Wonder, whose songs have been frequently covered. Second, it illustrates an array of topical and stylistic cover recording practices. Subjects presented are comedy and novelty songs, British Invasion group tunes, country music classics, a cappella song revivals, doo-wop/R& B/soul numbers, instrumental hits, rock 'n' roll song revivals, and Motown hits. Beyond these extensive song listings, this resource guide concludes with several book and CD reviews that address the historic roots and cultural implications of cover recordings. A massive bibliography is also provided.