I Can Love You Like That

All-4-One, nicknamed the Dukes of R&B, hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 with this love song. I didn't know (not being a Country music connoisseur) that I Can Love You Like That was originally released earlier that same year by John Michael Montgomery. Interestingly, All-4-One's biggest hit, I Swear, was also released by Montgomery and climbed high on the Country charts prior to their successful cover in 1994.

Proud Mary

Although I prefer the original 1969 version sung by Creedence Clearwater Revival, right now I've got Tina & Ike's slow intro in my head. Two years after the song reached #2 on the charts for CCR, the Turner's cover landed at #4. Proud Mary's success led to a Grammy for Turner and remains a signature piece for her live performances.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Not sure why I woke up with the Platters this morning, not that I mind. The quintet served as a bridge between the Tin Pan Alley music era and the new Rock 'n' Roll of the 1950's. Under the direction of their manager Buck Ram, the Platters excelled at remaking old jazz, gospel, and R&B standards into pop hits. Written for Roberta, a 1933 musical, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes became a popular cover song for pretty much everyone. Jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday sang it, as well as rock and pop icons like Cher and Barbara Streisand. Even Led Zeppelin used part of the song during their 1971 tour in Osaka, Japan. The Platter's 1958 version of the song became the quintessential recording and was used in movie and television soundtracks alike.