The Original

Composer Monty Norman's background was in musical theatre. Cubby Broccoli was one of his backers. So when everything lines up to start filming the 1st James Bond movie, Monty Norman is hired on to write the soundtrack. It sounded like a holiday, but it wasn't. We dive into the early British rock & roll scene and see how that collided with films about rampant teenagers. Characters with outlandi...

How a bunch of New York punks took a Rocksteady song from 1967 to the top of the charts. We track how Blondie recorded tasty covers as well as their own original songs through their career. A deep dive into Jamaican music, the world of the 'off-beat' - and the influence of Rocksteady on Reggae. If you have ideas for an episode; general comments to glaring omissions or maybe just want to say hello:...

How a songwriter was able to create 2 songs from one source. Wilbert Harrison had a million seller in 1959 with 'Kansas City'. He had to wait 10 years for his next hit with 'Let's work together' in 1969, which was adapted from his 1962 song 'Let's stick together'. Both songs were then covered becoming big hits for Bryan Ferry in 1976 and Canned Heat in 1969. If you have ideas for an episode; gener...

How a self-released song from 2019 ends up being nominated for 5 Grammy Awards in 2025. Anxiety is a great example of 21st Century music. How old ideas are borrowed and sampled and turned into new ideas, blurring the lines of where songs come from and who wrote them. If you have ideas for an episode; general comments to glaring omissions or maybe just want to say hello: originalpod.lastelle@gmail....

The story around Hallelujah is an odyssey that Homer would be proud of: a parade of mystical figures – not quite of this earth. Written by Leonard Cohen and rejected by his record label in 1984, it's release was a non-event. Hallelujah became famous via cover versions. Converted to a solo performance by John Cale, Jeff Buckley picked up on this cover version and recorded Hallelujah for his debut a...

How a Dutch band took an 1840's folk tune to the top of the charts.  Shocking Blue created a psychedelic rock anthem by following ‘the folk process’. A famous song from the 1840’s gets re-interpreted over and over again. It’s no wonder ‘Venus’ sounds so familiar. If you have ideas for an episode; general comments to glaring omissions or maybe just want to say hello: originalpod.lastelle@gmail...

Talking Heads' rhythm section strike gold - turning a holiday in Barbados into chart-topping hits. After the end of a long tour, Talking Heads need a break - so everyone goes off to make a solo album. While many expect frontman David Byrne or keyboardist Jerry Harrison to make the biggest impact, it is drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth who steal the spotlight. Their fusion of funk, hi...

A song that inspired generations of musical outlaws. When Mick Jones and Joe Strummer stumbled upon a cover song by a one-hit wonder from 1966, they had no idea they were uncovering a relic by the original rock & roll band, ‘The Crickets’.  Rising from the shadow of leader Buddy Holly, they re-group to pioneer the model for independent bands of the future. A journey packed with mystery an...

A classic tale of obscurity to fame.  A story that weaves together Motown, Northern Soul, Synth-Pop and the tragic death of Marc Bolan - an unknown song from 1965 gets re-worked into a 1981 global hit. Random events and dumb luck, indie verses mainstream all combine in the most unbelievable journey.  Assembled and presented by Chris Lastelle If you have ideas for an episode; general comm...

A new podcast about music. The idea is to look at famous cover songs and music styles and track down the original version.   Music isn’t made in a bubble and bands don‘t arrive out of nowhere. So we take a deeper dive  – adding context and detail to the timeline, using the music to give you the full picture of a songs history and the musicians involved – revealing the connections and mys...