Song titles people get wrong

[willdav713]

Here is another one.

Steve Winwood "Valerie" I always thought it was "Call on me"

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

There are certain songs whose titles some people get wrong, because the title phrase is mentioned once or not at all, or another phrase is repeated often and is mistaken for the title, or for some entirely different reason. During my time as a DJ I would get requests and be given such erroneous titles, sometimes making it hard for me to find the song.

"Both Sides Now" (Judy Collins): "Clouds"

Both Sides Now was written and first performed by Joni Mitchell, and was included on Mitchell's album "Clouds". Judy Collins' more orchestrated version of this song achieved greater commercial successful than Mitchell's.

 

[FRR]

MacArthur Park Richard Harris Even Harris called it MacArthur's Park three times when he recorded it. Jimmy Webb kept calling him and telling him the correct name but Richard Harris couldn't get it right so Webb gave up.

Kinda makes me wonder if Donna Summer got it right when she recorded it a decade or so later. Webb should have known better. He should have known that artists often take "creative license" when recording a song. He should also have been thankful that someone recorded that song. It was bizarre, even by 1968 standards!

One of the greatest rock tunes of all time. Different, real different, but great!

 

[CTListener]

There are certain songs whose titles some people get wrong, because the title phrase is mentioned once or not at all, or another phrase is repeated often and is mistaken for the title, or for some entirely different reason. During my time as a DJ I would get requests and be given such erroneous titles, sometimes making it hard for me to find the song.

"Both Sides Now" (Judy Collins): "Clouds"

Both Sides Now was written and first performed by Joni Mitchell, and was included on Mitchell's album "Clouds". Judy Collins' more orchestrated version of this song achieved greater commercial successful than Mitchell's.

It's odd that anyone would refer to the song as "Clouds," though. The word only comes up twice, both times in the first verse. In the remaining two, the singer is looking at "love" and "life" from both sides.

 

[firepoint525]

Here is another one.
Steve Winwood "Valerie" I always thought it was "Call on me"

The Eric Prydz remix is indeed "Call on Me."

 

[firepoint525]

MacArthur Park Richard Harris Even Harris called it MacArthur's Park three times when he recorded it. Jimmy Webb kept calling him and telling him the correct name but Richard Harris couldn't get it right so Webb gave up.

Kinda makes me wonder if Donna Summer got it right when she recorded it a decade or so later. Webb should have known better. He should have known that artists often take "creative license" when recording a song. He should also have been thankful that someone recorded that song. It was bizarre, even by 1968 standards!

One of the greatest rock tunes of all time. Different, real different, but great!

If MacArthur Park is a real place, then calling it "MacArthur's Park" would obviously be a mistake. Otherwise, Harris was just taking "artistic license" with the song.

 

[firepoint525]

"The Sounds of Silence" for Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." Even DJs slip up on this one.

Actually, you have it backward. A Jeopardy contestant was once penalized for saying "what is 'The Sound of Silence'?" That Alex Trebek could be a tough one. He said "what we were looking for was 'The Sounds of Silence'." And he didn't give the contestant credit for that.

I have it right, I guess I just phrased it differently than the other posters. "Sounds" is the mistake, "Sound" is correct.

Plural ("Sounds")=correct
Singular ("Sound")=incorrect

You would have missed that Jeopardy question.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

There are certain songs whose titles some people get wrong, because the title phrase is mentioned once or not at all, or another phrase is repeated often and is mistaken for the title, or for some entirely different reason. During my time as a DJ I would get requests and be given such erroneous titles, sometimes making it hard for me to find the song.

"Both Sides Now" (Judy Collins): "Clouds"

Both Sides Now was written and first performed by Joni Mitchell, and was included on Mitchell's album "Clouds". Judy Collins' more orchestrated version of this song achieved greater commercial successful than Mitchell's.

It's odd that anyone would refer to the song as "Clouds," though. The word only comes up twice, both times in the first verse. In the remaining two, the singer is looking at "love" and "life" from both sides.

I can't offer any citations now, but trade-talk of the '60s claimed "Clouds" as the song's origional working title. After release, as often happens, listeners embraced the hook phrase, "...both sides now". For commercial purposes, the alleged title change would seem to have made sense.

 

[CTListener]

"The Sounds of Silence" for Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." Even DJs slip up on this one.

Actually, you have it backward. A Jeopardy contestant was once penalized for saying "what is 'The Sound of Silence'?" That Alex Trebek could be a tough one. He said "what we were looking for was 'The Sounds of Silence'." And he didn't give the contestant credit for that.

I have it right, I guess I just phrased it differently than the other posters. "Sounds" is the mistake, "Sound" is correct.

Plural ("Sounds")=correct
Singular ("Sound")=incorrect

You would have missed that Jeopardy question.

It was called "The Sound of Silence" on the album Wednesday Morning 3 AM, but "The Sounds of Silence" on the album Sounds of Silence and the single. Sounds to me that either title should be correct. For what it's worth (fitting phrase since all of this ain't exactly clear), the lyrics on S&G's official website are under the title "The Sound of Silence."

 

[firepoint525]

It was called "The Sound of Silence" on the album Wednesday Morning 3 AM, but "The Sounds of Silence" on the album Sounds of Silence and the single. Sounds to me that either title should be correct. For what it's worth (fitting phrase since all of this ain't exactly clear), the lyrics on S&G's official website are under the title "The Sound of Silence."

I'd go with what was on the single, since that was what djs played, what we heard on the radio, etc. Silence itself is, indeed, singular in nature and thought, so I don't know how "silence" could be pluralized, but Paul Simon isn't here, so I can't ask him. At any rate, maybe Trebek should look up that contestant, and have him back on the show! ;D

I remember a dj playing "Sounds of Silence" and then pausing for a second or two (for some intentional dead air!) and then saying something to the effect of "that is one sound that we don't want in radio!" 8)

At least, whether you like it singular or plural, it should be fairly easy to look up in alphabetical order, compared to some of the other titles that we have mentioned here.

I found it listed both ways on youtube, so no help there. ;D

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

The Temptations, My Girl; I first thought they were saying "Mother".

 

[unitron]

The Temptations, My Girl; I first thought they were saying "Mother".

One of your 6 transistors must have been seriously leaky.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

The Temptations, My Girl; I first thought they were saying "Mother".

One of your 6 transistors must have been seriously leaky.

Maybe, but that 2-inch speaker didn't have a lot of range and response.

 

[BobSmolarek]

I heard DJ's mention that kids always requested Journey's Faithfully calling it Highway Run.

 

[EZway2go]

5th Dimension songs have a tendency to be mislabeled...
"Wedding Bell Blues" = "Bill I Love You So"
"If I Could Reach You" = "Oh No Don't Go"
"The Girl's Song" = "If He Hasn't Changed His Number"
"One Less Bell To Answer" = "One Less Egg To Fry" (my favorite)

 

[CTListener]

5th Dimension songs have a tendency to be mislabeled...
"Wedding Bell Blues" = "Bill I Love You So"

Or "Marry Me, Bill."

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

It's In His Kiss (Betty Everett, and later, Cher)

Interestingly, the music trade gladly embraces the fractured perception of Cher's copy, "The Shoop-Shoop Song" as sort of an alternate working title. I can't personally recall any such response to Everett's orgional version, released in the early '60s.

 

[Markieo]

Friend and Lover's "Reach Out Of The Darkness"...they sing "Reach Out In The Darkness" 9 times.

 

[CTListener]

Not hits, but songs just about every American child learns:

"America" -- "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"
"America the Beautiful" -- "O Beautiful"

 

[hornet61]

Not hits, but songs just about every American child learns:

"America" -- "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"
"America the Beautiful" -- "O Beautiful"

Simon and Garfunkle song "Punkys Dilema"....no one can figure that title out..All they remember is "I wish I was a Kellogs Corn Flake"