Photos from Top:
Tip Tops
In-Men Ltd.
Pieces of Eight
Calvin Lindsay & Hysterics
Tempests
Scotty Todd
Above: A few of the bands from the Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music that have recorded their version of “Ain’t No Big Thing” We'll add others soon.
Many moons ago, I was talking with Marion Carter of Ripete Records about cover versions of the classic Beach Music songs. I felt pretty sure that the Tams’, "I’ve Been Hurt" was the most covered of all the classics but he said it was “Ain’t No Big Thing.” We put on the web site, a link called “MOST COVERED songs and listed the various highly covered songs of “The Hey Baby Days of Beach Music. “ I wasn’t just wrong about it not being “I’ve Been Hurt”, I was wrong about "I've Been Hurt" being the most covered song originally recorded by the Tams. It appears that “Dancing Mood”, an early Tams 'recording written by Ray Whitley was the most covered Tams song. It seems that there are many reggae versions of the Tams classic.
As far as “Ain’t No Big Thing” is concerned, at least 22 versions have been recorded including the original by the Radiants. Most of the cover versions were by bands that are included in the book.
A sound clip of the Tip Tops version of the song can be heard at:
http://www.heybabydays.com/sounds.htm
Click on The Tip Tops “Ain’t No Big Thing”
Here’s the list we have compiled:
Radiants
Tempests
Tip Tops
Wingtips
Scotty Todd
Calvin Lindsay & Hysterics
Catalinas
In-Men Ltd.
Jesters
Spontanes
Embers
Holiday Band
Soul Inc.
The Fabulous Flares
Pieces of Eight
Medium Cool
The Electrons
Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
The Jordan Brothers
The East Coast Band
Café
Angel Rissoff
Dirk & Tony (added)
Bob Marshall & the Crystals (added)
Little Joe & The Latinaires (added )
Rickey Vee & The Stardusters (added)
Know any more, let us know… We are up to 24 !
As for the Radiants, they have several more great songs that belong on any Beach Music juke box including:
“Voice Your Choice”
“Don't It Make You Feel Kinda Bad”
10 comments:
I had no idea there were that many covers of "Ain't No Big Thing"!
I know of 30 cover versions of Sam & Dave's "You Don't Know Like I Know" (though not all are soul versions). And I know of 57 covers of "Hold On I'm Coming"!
jeff,
There are probably a few more covers of the song out there that's not listed. The song was huge among the Beach Music crowd as consequently many bands playing those parties memorialized it to vinyl. Interestingingly, like many of the BM classics, it never got far uo the popular top 40 chart.
Thanks,
Greg
Re: Ain't No Big Thing....I have it by Bob Marshall & Crytals (Virginai Beach). But of course no one sang it any better than Dirk & Tony at the Athens Holiday Inn about 1973. Thanks for the memories.
chris
Regarding "Ain't No Big Thing...I have a cover by Bob Marshall & Crystals (Virginia Beach I believe). But about the song, nobody did it much better than DIRK & TONY at Athens Holiday Inn about 1973. Thanks for the great memories.
Chris,
Thanks for your input. As an ex deejay, you must have a treasure trove of memories. It seems like yesterday that I was begging you at Wolf radio in Alma to plug one of my shows in Waycross. It was over 40 years ago...What great times! Regarding "Ain't No Big Thing", Marion Carter was right about that one. If Dirk & Tony & Bob Marshall & The Crystals are not on the list, we'll add them. Both D&T and BM&C were known for the great shows.Here's how I started that list: Marion Carter gave me his list and I compared it to what was shown at All Music. Interestingly, the duplications between Marion's list and All Music's were few with Marion actually having the most individual entries. I wonder how many more will surface. It's amazing to have so many different groups cover a song that never made the pop top 40.
Thanks,
Greg
Two more versions for your list:
Little Joe & The Latinaires
Rickey Vee & The Stardusters
(both Latin Soul versions)
Cheers,
Ross
Thanks, I'll add them ; sorry it took so long to notice your comment.
Regards,
Greg
FOUND 3 MORE FOR YA...
LITTLE JR JESSE & THE TEAR DROPS - AIN'T NO BIG THING
Teardrops - Ain't No Big Thing
SLY,SLICK & WICKED - IT AIN'T NO BIG THING
SORRY TEARDROPS ARE THE SAME
The label on the Ain't No Big Thing version by Bob Marshall is actually credited as by Bob Marshall's Crystals, not Bob Marshall and the Crystals, as some have suggested.
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