We’re back again, but this time we’re looking at songs by MALE artists which you probably didn’t realise were covers! Last time, we discovered that the originals aren’t always the best, and artists can range from making minor adjustments to the song, to going above and beyond what the original artist intended. Either way, here are 3 songs by male artists that you might have thought were originals but were actually first recorded by someone else! Enjoy 
1.) Mambo No. 5 – Lou Bega
The song that made Lou Bega’s career, Mambo No. 5 was actually first composed and recorded by Cuban musician Pérez Prado in 1949 and released the following year. This instrumental piece provided the foundations for the song which Bega released in 1999 and became a summer hit across many European countries and the USA. And if you think that’s shocking, we also discovered Prado wrote a Mambo No. 8!? Madness.
2.) Red Red Wine – UB40
UB40’s reggae sensation actually first appeared on Neil Diamond’s second studio album, Just For You in 1967. The original only managed to reach No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100, whereas UB40’s version proved to be more popular, reaching No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. This time, both versions of Red Red Wine share the same structure and lyrics, although the original was much more sober, I MEAN SOMBER!
3.) Tainted Love – Soft Cell
This synth-heavy 80s hit that we associate as Soft Cell‘s creation was in fact first composed by the American artist Ed Cobb and recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. Both songs have that undoubtedly bouncy feel, but clearly the world was hungry for a new wave of sound at the time, with Soft Cell’s version of Tainted Love becoming the best-selling single of 1981 in the UK. Impressive!
Did you know any of these were covers? Let us know!
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See you next week!
Written by: Kate Parry
