Jackie Lee Discography

Part 5 - Cover versions

VICKI SALLEE  There goes the lucky one  Dot? US 7", 1962.  Pounding cover of a Jackie & The Raindrops song composed by Len Beadle and Bob Conrad.  Quite different from the original with a bigger sound and spoken middle eight.  The song was apparently picked up by Reprise producer Chuck Sagel for Vicki.  Featured on the European bootleg Girls, Girls, Girls vol.12 (Marginal MA025 '95).

ANNEKE GROENLOH  Niets ter wereld kan ons scheiden  Philips 318784 NL 7", 1962.  Dutch language cover of Jackie's one-off German single with The Angels.

GILLIAN HILLS  Oublie, oublie-la  DiscAZ 972 France  7", March 1965.  Also issued as a single on DiscAZ AZ1187.  The Beat Girl starlet who subsequently became rather more of a household name, or at least she found a recording contract, in France.  This is a cover of Jackie's 'My heart is your heart' with different lyrics and was Gillian's final recording to be issued in France.  So it's not really a cover, but an adaptation; similar relationship as Delphine's 'La fermeture eclair' to We The People's 'In the past', if not quite as outré.  A nice oddity, nonetheless, and the majority of Ms Hills' recordings are worthy of investigation.  The Universal compilation 'Gillian Hills : Vue intégrale', aka Volume 9 of the series Twistin' The Rock (549905-2), contains this track and is a faultless collection of another overlooked chanteuse.

EILEEN REID & THE CADETS  If I had my life to live over  Pye Ireland  7", 1966.  Revival of Jackie's 1960 track.  Compiled on the Pulse/Castle Irish Showband Collection CD box set

CONNY VAN DEN BOS  Mijn man  Philips 333691  Netherlands   7", 1967.  Dutch version of Jackie's Just like a man also featured on Conny's second eponymous album issued as Philips GS056.  Conny recorded the song in English three years later for her sixth album (confusingly, her fourth self-titled).  Conny was better known at this time in Benelux than Jackie was anywhere. 

SIMONE  Er sieht aus wie ein Mann  Telefunken U55967  Germany  7", 1967.  Frightfully obscure German version of Just like a man with an almost identical arrangement to Jackie's.  Simone was a pseudonym of singer Gitta Walther.




LILL LINDFORS  Du Är Den Ende  Polydor LPHM 46 258 Sweden 7", 1967.  A scarce LP by this Swedish singer features a version of Just like a man with lyrics translated by Patrice Hellberg.


    

MALCOLM HAYES  I gotta be with you  Filmways FW101 US  7", 1967.   Outstanding original of the outstanding Emma Rede B-side.

JIM BEAN’S BRASS BAND  Born to lose / Southern comfort  Decca F12676 7", September 1967.  A-side is instrumental version of 'Robbery' soundtrack song.

CLAUDINE LONGET  White horses  A&M 936 7", 1968, US issue.  Also issued throughout Europe and even in New Zealand, although surprisingly this track has not yet turned up on CD.  Listening to Mlle Longet's cumulo nimbus version of the song, no-one could have predicted that one day her infamy would rival that of Charles Manson and John Inman.  

TINA MASON  Just like a man  Capitol T2785 LP, 1968, US issue.  An interesting version of Jackie's near-hit is included on the album Something Wonderful.  The album has been made available on CD by Now Sounds / Cherry Red.
 

CITY OF WESTMINSTER STRING BAND  White horses  Pye NSPL18242  LP, 1968.  Super cheesy version on the album A Touch Of Velvet, A Sting Of Brass.  A John Schroeder production featuring funky Ray Davies.

PINKY & PERKY  Hit Parade  Music for Pleasure MFP1282 LP, 1968.  Includes cover of 'White horses' which is not quite so appealing as that by Claudine Longet. Neither is it quite as appalling as it could have been.  Maybe it's the negative memory of two rickety wooden pigs on monochrome telly, but hearing the helium-voiced duo backed in a big band swing style on Jackie's greatest hit is actually surprisingly moving.  I guess it just demonstrates the pure genius of the original composition.

UNNAMED ARTIST  Today's Chart Busters  Marble Arch MAL835 LP, 1968.  Includes cover of 'White horses'.

DONALD TORR  My cherie amour / Never will I be  CBS 4383 7", June 1969.  B-side is a cover of the Jackie Lee-Barbara Moore composition originally recorded by Jackie as her B-side to 'Love is now'.  Arranged by Barbara Moore and produced by Finito.  Donald Torr was a Trinidad-born singer and dancer with The Young Generation, and was thus regularly seen on British TV during the late-60s and early-70s, appearing on variety shows hosted by the likes of Rolf Harris.  Donald recorded a further single entitled 'Green green yesterday' (CBS 4769) which has no Jackie connections.

CONNY VANDENBOS  Just like a man  Philips 6410 005  Netherlands   LP, 1970.  The fourth self-titled album by Dutch star Conny features an English language version of the song she recorded three years earlier in Dutch. 

GERALD  White horses  Philips 6006 036  7",  1970.  Sqeaky Pink and Perky-esque cover by the Tony Blackburn's singing pixie.

UNNAMED ARTIST  Junior Hits  Music for Pleasure MFP1365 LP, 1970.  Includes cover of 'White horses'.

UNNAMED ARTIST  White horses Music for Pleasure 24  7", 1970.  Same version as on the album MFP1365.

COUNT PRINCE MILLER  Rupert the bear  Penny Farthing PEN799  7", 1972.  Produced by Junior Lincoln, and presumably recorded in England, a reggae interpretation of 'Rupert' shows both how popular the song had become, and also how early reggae knew no boundaries.  Attractively eccentric version of Jackie's biggest hit.  

UNNAMED ARTIST  Rupert  Music for Pleasure FP10048  7", 1973

UNNAMED ARTIST  Rupert  Boulevard 4153  LP, 1974

SOPHISTICATED BOOM BOOM  White horses  BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, 1982

TRIXIE'S BIG RED MOTORBIKE  White horses  BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, August 1983

NUTWOOD PALS  Rupert  Rose RRS1  7", 1983.  A Ron Roker disco job.

TOY DOLLS  Rupert  Volume VOLT10 12", 1984.  By a strange coincidence, I was in a band in Sunderland in '84/'85 who shared rehearsal space with the Toy Dolls.

REAL MACABRE  White horses  PUSH2 7", 1985

JAMIE WEDNESDAY  White horses  Pink PINKY06 12", 1985.  Included on their debut release, the Vote For Love EP.  The band subsequently evolved into Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.

ANGLO BUBBLIES  Rupert  Tintrax 7", 1986

ALL ABOUT EVE  White horses, 1986-88.  The band included this song in their live set and also cut it as a demo.  Not issued commercially.

TRASH CAN SINATRAS  White horses  Go Discs GOD46 7" & 12", 1990.  B-side of 'Circling the circumference'

LONG HAIRED LOVERS  Rupert  Insane INS100  7", 1991.  Never heard this, but assume it is the Beadle-Roker song.

KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION  White horses  One Little Indian 111TP7CD UK / A&M 314-588377-2 US CDS, 1994.  A b-side to 'Now it's time to say goodbye'.  Strangely the song is credited to 'Marion' Carr and Ben Nisbet.  A blissed-out interpretation, not totally dissimilar to that of the Trash Can Sinatras.

LUSH  Rupert  4AD, 1994.  Not a commercial release.

MORWENNA BANKS  White horses  Garden GROW2 7", 1995.  Comedienne and actress backed by The Adventures Of Parsley.  Probably best known in the UK for the series Absolutely

    

VARIOUS ARTISTS  Algebra Spaghetti  Reverie / Siesta 70  Spain  CD/LP, 1998.  Includes a cover of 'Rupert' by SUNSHINE DAY.

    

IAIN BALLAMY  Pepper St Interludes  Feral ASFA102 CD, 2000.  Features three evocative arrangements of 'White horses', with tenor sax, button accordian, cello, drums and the haunting voice of Norma Winstone.  A highly recommended album.  Jackie loves it.  Check Iain's website

SOUNDTRACK  Me Without You  Sony (Europe/US) CD, 2001.  Features cover of 'White horses' by LUCY STREET, a fluffy Swedish female trio.  The movie itself uses Jacky's original of the song as the opening theme, but this is not included on the soundtrack collection.  The Lucy Street version of 'White horses' closes the film.

VIBRATOS  The Ghost Of Old Compton Street  Waffles Music WM2 / CDVIB01 '01  CD.  Shadows-y instrumental album which features a fairly routine run through of 'White horses'.  There is also an even more basic version of the album entitled Self-Gratification which contains only the backing tracks of each piece.  The Vibratos feature Warren Bennett, son of the Shads' Brian.

GALITZA  Laugh Like A Horse EP  Wrath WRATHCD05 '02  CDS.  A ROCK band from Leeds who have covered 'White horses' on their debut recording.  They sound like Deacon Blue to me, although some might disagree.

THE WEDDING PRESENT  White horses  BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, September 2004
 

CERYS MATHEWS  White horses  V2  '07  CD.  Former Catatonia chantoose applies her distressed vocal cords to Jackie's classic.  From the album Songs for the Young at Heart.

DEAN & BRITTA  White horses  Zoe  2007  CD.  Former Luna/Galaxie 500 members remake Jackie's classic in the style of Lee & Nancy.  Featured on their album Back Numbers.

THE SHAPISTS  White horses  Zoe  2014.  Sparkly cover by British trio featuring a Strawberry Switchblade.  Hear it here
 

MARI WILSON  White horses  WG  2016 CD.  Faithful performance of the song featured on Mari's album Pop Deluxe.

All additions and amendments gratefully received  

© SMR Panter 2000-2019