KNOW IT? I WROTE IT! Vol. 2 Songwriters Versions Of Their Songs CHIP TAYLOR Hal David WILLIE NELSON

KNOW IT?  I WROTE IT! Vol. 2 delivers more songs sung by the folks who wrote them.  

There are a few artists from Vol. 1 who had a couple memorable versions of their songs, like CHIP TAYLOR’s LP version of Wild Thing, and HARLAN HOWARD’s Above & Beyond—a big hit for Buck Owens.  THE CRETONES come back with the other song Linda Ronstadt covered Cost Of Love.  COWBOY JACK CLEMENT returns with a live version of his A Girl I Used To Know that I love, & TOMMY BOYCE & BOBBY HART’s demo of The Monkees Theme is pretty cool, too.  Former Kingston Trio member JOHN STEWART doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously on his own version of Daydream Believer.

RUSS BALLARD’s version of New York Groove is less glam, & more straight ahead rock.  I don’t think I realized that his old bandmate ROD ARGENT was the sole songwriter of The Zombies’ swan song Time Of The Season.  I saw Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach in concert, & couldn’t shake the feeling that, across town, someone was announcing: “Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome Hal David & The Attractions!”  But, I don’t remember Burt singing as beautifully as he delivers This Guy's In Love With You live at The Sydney Opera House.

A little more left of center are SHEL SILVERSTEIN’s own version of A Boy Named Sue, & MICHAEL DES BARRES & HOLLY KNIGHT’s version of Obsession really doesn’t improve on Animotion’s synth-ier version, but is still interesting.  Similarly Starland Vocal Band leader BILL DANOFF’s version of his Take Me Home Country Roads (which John Denver helped with) contains a lost verse--which probably could have stayed lost.  JOHN DENVER’s earliest recording of his Leaving On A Jet Plane also makes an appearance.  

WILLIE NELSON & FARON YOUNG join forces for Hello Walls which a cash-strapped Willie offered to sell to Faron Young after Faron had a huge hit with it.  Faron loaned Willie the money he needed & made him promise to hold onto the song.  JOHNNY RIVERS was best-known for his cover versions of hits by other artists, so some folks may not realize he also wrote some great songs that include Poor Side Of Town, performed here backed by Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. 

ROY ORBISON dropped backstage to say hi to The Everly Brothers who asked if he had any songs and he played them Claudette.  The version here is from A Black & White Night and has lots of big stars backing him.  For proof that LEE DORSEY could write a great song, look no further than the insanely catchy Workin’ In A Coal Mine.  CARL PERKINS was playing guitar for his old friend Johnny Cash when he supplied “The Man In Black” with the smash hit Daddy Sang Bass, and his version has a lot of charm.

ARTHUR ALEXANDER had several songs in The Beatles’ Hamburg setlist, and he performed a fantastic version of Anna (Go To Him) at The Bottom Line.  PAUL McCARTNEY was kind enough to give Badfinger Come & Get it, and in Peter Wolf’s wonderful book Waiting On The Moon, Peter says he was hanging with Lennon & Harry Nilsson when John knocked off Goodnight Vienna made-to-order for Ringo Starr.