Songs You Might Not Know Were Covers (Round 8): Dedicated to the One I Love (#5)

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Getting cooler here, which means I either turn on the furnace or put another cover on the bed. I’ll opt for the latter. Speaking of covers, here’s another song from the grand history of hits that you may not know was actually a cover. #5: Dedicated to the One I Love There was something special about the Mamas and Papas. Those harmonies! Those songs! Nobody got fat except Mama Cass! (A line from “Creeque Alley,” if you didn’t know.). In 1967, “Dedicated to the One I Love” was a top 3 smash for them. Some people who swayed to the Mamas and Papas’ version remembered an earlier version, from 1961, by the Shirrelles. That “girl group” was one of the pioneering groups in the late 50s of the “girl group” sound, with their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame emphasizing their importance. Their 1961 hit, which peaked at #3, was actually the second time they had released it as a single. The first time, in 1959, it flopped. Of course, that was two years after the original version of the song was released. In 1957, an R&B band from North Carolina called the “5” Royales recorded the song that their guitarist, Lowman “Pete” Pauling, co-wrote. While their original of “Dedicated to the One I Love” didn’t get much public attention, the musicians sure took notice of it. Including Eric Clapton, who cited Pauling’s guitar work as influential. Including, of course, the Shirrelles, who covered the song. And including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who inducted the “5” Royales in 2015. Dedicated to the One I Love Written by Lowman “Pete” Pauling and Ralph Bass Originally recorded by the “5” Royales, 1957 Famously covered by the Shirrelles, 1959 and 1961 Also famously covered by the Mamas and Papas, 1967 The original, by the “5” Royales: