View Full Version : Songs famous recording artists wrote for (or gave to) other recording artists


AKA
07-19-2026, 03:14 PM
Paul McCartney wrote the song “Come and Get It” for Badfinger, who were signed to The Beatles’ Apple Records at the time. McCartney recorded a full demo of the song at EMI Studios on the morning of July 24, 1969. The demo was first officially released on The Beatles Anthology 3 in 1996 and subsequently issued with a new stereo mix in 2019 on Abbey Road: Super Deluxe Edition.

Though credited to The Beatles on both releases, this recording is all Paul and Paul alone: piano, bass, maracas and double-tracked vocals. It took him less than an hour to record the whole thing.

This was the result:

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Here’s Badfinger’s version of the “Come and Get It,” from the album Magic Christian Music. It was recorded at EMI and produced by McCartney on August 2, 1969. The single was released on Apple Records on December 5, 1969, peaking at number 7 in the United States, and number 4 in the United Kingdom.

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ThisLittlePiggy
07-19-2026, 04:43 PM
John Lennon Gave 'Fame' To David Bowie

Zoneboy
07-19-2026, 04:53 PM
Neil Young wrote and gave "Lotta Love" to Nicolette Larson.
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AKA
07-19-2026, 04:53 PM
John Lennon Gave 'Fame' To David Bowie

Kind of. Bowie, Lennon and Carlos Alomar wrote it together during a jam session. I guess John wrote the hook and then wrote the bulk of the lyrics with Alomar. But it was a collaboration.

Zoneboy
07-19-2026, 05:04 PM
Dolly Parton wrote "Kentucky Gambler" for Merle Haggard.
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AKA
07-19-2026, 05:10 PM
Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys) wrote, arranged, conducted and produced “Guess I’m Dumb” for Glen Campbell.

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Dude111
07-19-2026, 07:32 PM
John Lennon is beautiful :)

Zoneboy
07-20-2026, 12:00 AM
Eddie Rabbitt wrote "Kentucky Rain" with the intention of recording it himself. Elvis Presley also wanted to record the song which left Eddie with a dilemma, record it himself or let Elvis have it. We all know the choice he made and has said he never regretted it.

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AKA
07-20-2026, 04:06 PM
“She’s a Mystery to Me” by Roy Orbison, written by Bono and The Edge of U2.

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Hawkee
07-21-2026, 02:56 AM
If you listened to Donna Summer's 70's hit Dim All The Lights a fact that may surprise you about that song is that Donna Summer originally wrote Dim All The Lights for Rod Stewart and she had planned to give Rod the song but at the last minute Donna changed her mind and kept Dim All The Lights for herself and she had a hit with that song. Dim All The Lights was also covered by Laura Branigan in 1995 as her final hit before her tragic death in the 2000's

AKA
07-21-2026, 03:36 AM
Here’s one with a few twists and turns.

Bruce Springsteen wrote and worked on “Because the Night” during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions. At a certain point, he knew he wasn’t going to use the song, so Jimmy Iovine talked Bruce into giving it to Patti Smith, whose Patti Smith Group was recording their album, Easter.

Patti completely re-wrote the lyrics to the verses from a woman’s point of view, but kept the chorus and the song’s melody as Bruce had written them.

Here’s the Patti Smith Group’s recording of “Because the Night,” released as a single on March 2, 1978. It peaked at #13 in the United States and #5 in the UK.

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Meanwhile, Bruce’s original version of the song became a staple at E Street Band concerts:

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In 1993, 10,000 Maniacs covered Patti Smith’s version of the song on MTV Unplugged. That rendition was released as a single, peaking at #11 in the U.S. and #65 in the UK.

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Springsteen later recorded a cover of Patti Smith’s version of the song with the E Street Band. It was released in 2010 on an expanded box set reissue of the Darkness on the Edge of Town album.

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JO Sweet Heart
07-22-2026, 01:03 AM
Alan Jackson wrote "I Can't Do That Anymore" for Faith Hill.

God bless you and them always!!!

Holly

GoldenTV
07-22-2026, 01:43 AM
"Lady" is a song written by Lionel Richie and recorded by country music artist Kenny Rogers in 1980.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T1J8JuTtR8&list=RD0T1J8JuTtR8&start_radio=1

Hawkee
07-26-2026, 04:06 AM
Here's some more music facts about famous songs that other artists gave to other artists,
1. Bobby Hebb wrote his hit Sunny for another artist who was a good friend of his and Bobby was ready to give Sunny to his friend to sing. But unfortunately Bobby Hebb's friend became really sick and passed away and when Bobby Hebb couldn't find another singer to sing Sunny he decided to keep it and the result was a monster hit for Bobby Hebb
2. Most of us know that I Swear was a successful hit for John Michael Montgomery on the country charts but what few people knew about I Swear was that John Michael Montgomery actually asked 90's group All-4-One to do a cover of I Swear and All-4-One said yes and jumped at the chance and John Michael Montgomery actually was impressed with the awesome cover All-4-One did of I Swear. Another John Michael Montgomery song was covered by All-4-One which was I Can Love You Like That which was on their second album And The Music Speaks

stevea
07-26-2026, 07:04 AM
Kentucky Rain (Eddie Rabbitt) recorded by Elvis Presley

I'm pretty sure Neil Diamond songs were done by other artists. Ditto Elton John. I'll do some checking later.

Zoneboy
07-26-2026, 07:36 AM
Mac Davis wrote "In the Ghetto" for Elvis Presley.

AKA
07-26-2026, 01:40 PM
Prince wrote “Manic Monday” for Apollonia 6, but ended up giving it to the Bangles instead.

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Prince’s 1984 demo was posthumously released in 2019.

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JO Sweet Heart
07-27-2026, 08:08 PM
2. Most of us know that I Swear was a successful hit for John Michael Montgomery on the country charts but what few people knew about I Swear was that John Michael Montgomery actually asked 90's group All-4-One to do a cover of I Swear and All-4-One said yes and jumped at the chance and John Michael Montgomery actually was impressed with the awesome cover All-4-One did of I Swear. Another John Michael Montgomery song was covered by All-4-One which was I Can Love You Like That which was on their second album And The Music Speaks
Where did you read or hear that it was John Michael's idea that All For One cover the song?

God bless you and the group and John Michael always!!!

Holly

Hawkee
07-28-2026, 03:07 AM
Where did you read or hear that it was John Michael's idea that All For One cover the song?

God bless you and the group and John Michael always!!!

Holly

I read this story on All-4-One's bio on Apple Music and All-4 One does a new version of I Swear as a duet with John Michael Montgomery on their recent album and the duet version is so nice
Thank you very much for your reply JO Sweet Heart
Hawkee

AKA
07-30-2026, 06:39 PM
David Bowie wrote and produced “All the Young Dudes” for Mott the Hoople.

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Bowie later recorded his own version:

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