Beech Tree News Network

Trent Reznor’s band Nine Inch Nails were the first to record the song “Hurt”. It’s from their second studio album, The Downward Spiral.  Trent wrote the song, released in 1995 as a promotional single from the album.  The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song in 1996.  In 2002, the late Johnny Cash covered the song to commercial and critical acclaim.  The music video is considered the greatest of all time by various publications.  Nine Inch Nails’ original version peaked at #8.  Cash’s version won single of the year at the CMA’s in 2003.  It was ranked CMT’s top video in 2003”Hurt” was nominated for six awards at the 2003 MTV Awards, winning for best cinematography.  It won the 2004 Grammy for Best Short Form Video.  Trent reportedly said, after hearing Cash’s version, that Cash owns the song now.  He’s right.

Tommy James has had his songs covered a lot.  Joan Jett covered the 1968 James song for their LP in 1981.  The song entered the U.S. charts on December 14, 1968 where it stayed for 16 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 and 15 weeks on Cash Box Top 100.  Following a performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 26.  It became #1 on February 1, 1969, a position held for 1 week on Cash Box Top 100.  It peaked at #1 in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, U.S. Billboard and Cash Box 100’s.  Joan Jett’s cover reached the top 10 in the U.S.  Another Tommy James and the Shondells song, “I Think We’re Alone Now” has been covered by pop stars Tiffany(for her 1987 debut self-titled album) where it reached #1.  Green Day front-man Billie Joe Armstrong covered the song, recording it in his bedroom home at his home in California and was released during this Covid pandemic as an act of solidarity for those practicing social distancing and those self-quarantining.  The song was released as a single on April 17, 2020.

  “Mama Told Me Not To Come” was written by Randy Newman.  He wrote it for Eric Burdon’s first solo album in 1966.  Burdon was and is the lead singer for the band War(best known for their song “Low Rider”).  Three Dog Night’s 1970 cover topped the U.S. pop singles chart.  Tom Jones and Stereophonics’ version hit #4 on the U.K. singles chart in 2000.  It topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.  Jones’ version topped the U.K. Indie chart.  

We wrap up with “There’s A Kind Of Hush”.  The song was written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens.  Originally recorded by Stephen’s group the New Vaudeville Band in 1967 as a neo-British music hall number.  The song became a hit in Australia and South Africa.  The song reached #4 in America.  The Carpenters cover reached #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on U.S. Billboard Easy Listening.  (www.wikipedia.com)