Who Sang It First? Cover Songs, Classic Rock & 80s Memories | Memory Lane FM

Old songs don’t stay in the past, they follow you around. We’re back on the porch with a stack of throwbacks and zero patience for “perfect” radio polish, trading tracks that still hit hard the moment the first line lands. We start with some quick real talk, then jump into a listener voicemail that sparks a classic nostalgia question: what was the first thing you bought with your own money, and what does it still remind you of today? 

From there, the music takes over. We dig into the kind of music trivia that makes you hear a familiar song differently like who recorded it first, why certain covers became the definitive version, and how a track’s vibe changes when it gets pulled into a new decade. Along the way we bounce through iconic names and eras, including Kim Carnes, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Blondie, Rod Stewart, and Motley Crue, with side stories about music videos, chart runs, live shows, and the record store days when discovery meant flipping through shelves. 

Then things go off the rails in the best way when Squeak drops in mid-recording and turns the “break” into an unexpected comedy segment before we get back to the playlist and close out with parting thoughts. If you love classic rock, 80s hits, deep cuts, cover songs, and the kind of music podcast that feels like hanging out with friends, this one’s built for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who misses the old days, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

Transcript

Static Intro And Porch Vibe

SPEAKER_09 0:11

Q the static, let it spin. Old songs, new scars, tune it in. From the back porch to the AM glow, these memories still steal the show. We laugh. We ran, we play it loud. No filter talk. No fake radio crowd. You know the voice, you know the plan. MTO turn in a podcast. Memory lane FMI.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Tom, what's going on, bud?

SPEAKER_05 1:07

Oh, not a lot of things. Just sitting out here on the porch enjoying this what turned out to be a nice day.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Absolutely. It's cloudy.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

Overcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Yes, it is. But uh temperature-wise, I can handle it. There's a nice breeze. Got lucky once again. Exactly. Freaking grass grows in like three days.

SPEAKER_05 1:37

Well, I tell you what, that just shows you what kind of day it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 2:00

I don't think we are going through without you.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Very, very interesting. Very interesting.

Government Rant And Awareness

SPEAKER_01 2:18

What an idiot.

SPEAKER_05 2:19

Well, here's what I think. How much trouble must you be in if the colour of your hair is going to incriminate you or the folding on the funny?

SPEAKER_01 2:33

What an idiot. Obviously you're guilty. And then you play back all the stuff that he said he did. And celebrities, too.

SPEAKER_05 2:42

Yeah, and he brings in like twelve lawyers. One of them wouldn't talk when you shut up. What an idiot. Yeah, I just think wake up and smell the coffee. People are starting to see a coffee. You know, unfortunately, it's not I won you lost. It's people be aware of what your government is doing.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Government is always I was right, you were wrong.

SPEAKER_05 3:12

It's got everything to do with now what's really going on.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Let's be realistic. You got some Republicans on that side too. You know, be realistic here. Now, as far as Democrats, I don't know what they thought with the socialist stuff, but it's getting out of hand. That's another thing. But anyways, we're I'm going for Foxy.

SPEAKER_05 3:43

Anyway, so Fauchie was hopefully.

Voicemail Question First Purchases

SPEAKER_05 3:54

I I'm excited about the the music this week.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

I am too, obviously. But before we break in that, I think we get a couple of voicemails. Yeah, so I like uh reading one question. From Louie Bond. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 4:43

That was the first thing you bought.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Wow. Oh, that sounds a little more exciting than mine. Well at the time, mine was pretty I went out and bought three information for a body. I got money from my mom. Oh, I'm gonna see what I'm buying. Nothing spectacular. But to me, that time is great. My first time. Actually earning some money or getting some money.

SPEAKER_05 5:30

Or paying the free.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Exactly. Anyway. Good question here, Billy Bob. Thanks, Billy Bob. Thanks for listening. Bring back memories. Right, so Tom, you're first this week, bud. So I'm anxious to see what you're gonna shock me with.

Kim Carnes And Song Origins

SPEAKER_05 5:53

Here it comes.

SPEAKER_11 6:10

Her hair was hollow, gold. Her lips a sweet surprise. Her hands are never cold. She's got better days besides. She's time to music on. You won't have to think twice. She's gonna do your snow. She's got that day to size. Hold that please. His nose just take a hold. She wants the home. She's got that day in the dust. She's got that bad day. She'll need you. Just to please you. She's got better days besides. She'll expose you. When she snows you. She knows, yeah. She's got better days.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

All right, Tom. Yeah. Flash from the past.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Little Kim Carnes? Yeah, I kind of think for her. Not a bad song anyway. She's got a great voice.

SPEAKER_05 9:43

I like her voice. I think the one thing that surprises me the most about that song is as soon as I heard that song, I think Kim Carnes, she's not the one that came out with it.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Interesting. No, me either. We live in a cave most of the time, anyway. It's funny, because he looks just like a little version of you. It looks like a little version of me. It's strange. Lucky us. Lucky us. All right. I'm gonna start off a little a little bit different this week. Okay. So hold on to your seat. I've got it. This is what I have.

SPEAKER_05 11:05

I gotcha.

Iron Maiden Facts And Live Stories

SPEAKER_04 11:58

I am a man who walks alone. And when I walk in a dark road, at night or strolling through the park. When the light begins to change, sometimes I'm a little strange. Just when it's dark. Fear of the dark. Fear of the dark. I have a constant fear that something's always near. Fear of the dark. Fear of the dark. I have a phobia that someone's always there. Someone saw with dark road, I am a man who walks.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Man. That was from 1992.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

Well, that'll get your features all fussed up, Roger. Iron Maiden. Yeah. That'll get your features all fussed up.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

That was uh same uh self-titled album on the uh the dark was the only album that came out in 1992. Wow. And another little TV was number 12 in the US on the charts. They don't get a lot of love much in America. In Brazil, people are not charge. They're a great band live. I saw them once, they opened Karaji in the Ultimate Sync tool. And they had this big thing comes out.

SPEAKER_05 19:03

It's like a robot kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

But Bruce Dickinson has a great voice. Did you know Bruce Dickinson was also commercial pilot? He's retired now because I get to a certain age. He gets to fly, but he can't fly commercial. Yeah, he used to fly the band and everything.

SPEAKER_05 19:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

So I love that song, Love Iron Aiden. So I figured I'd play that. So great, great band. So what do you have for us next, Thomas? Okay, well, let's uh just surprise you.

Covers Talk And Bowie Flashbacks

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Try to surprise me here?

SPEAKER_05 19:39

We're gonna get on your little scroll. We're gonna scroll back to old 1981. Okay.

SPEAKER_08 19:54

Sometimes I feel I've got to run away. I've got to get away from the pain you drive into the mom me the love we shall do. I can sleep at night, sorry, I don't know. I give you all the give you love.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

All right, Tom Soft song. Nice. One of those songs that's too short, though. It's kind of too it's one of those songs that you like, but it's too short.

SPEAKER_05 22:27

Right.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Reminds me back in the day, too. I remember when I first heard that song, I thought it was like an old song. It just got that sound that it's a short song.

SPEAKER_05 22:42

Surprise. It is. Yeah, because originally 1964 it was a northern soul track by Gloria Jones. In 1964. Oh crap.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Well, maybe that's why it's got that sound card.

SPEAKER_05 23:01

I thought that was kind of crazy. There's another song from the 80s that was a huge hit. That was just a cover song.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Imagine that. Imagine that. Another time I noticed while playing this. Right. Marilyn Manson does a version of covering this song. I did not know this. I had no idea. Yeah. There's all kinds of though. Yeah. Yeah. Holy crap. Nope. I if I heard it, I don't remember it. I think I would remember that. Yeah. All right. So I'm up, huh? Yeah, let's hear what you got. All righty. I got something a little different than the first song. Okay. So let me uh put that on for you.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

I left to start out.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

All right, Tom. David Bowie, Modern Love. Yeah, there you go. Remember that video like it was yesterday? Little yellow suit dancing on stage. Great song. I don't know. That's why I like the song. Maybe because of the video, but I just like that song.

SPEAKER_05 28:29

It's catchy.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Very catchy tune.

SPEAKER_05 28:31

It's got a good beat and everything. Excellent song.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

And like I said, it just reminds me back in the day of TV. I mean not only radio, but visuals too.

SPEAKER_05 28:42

So TV was a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 29:00

Number two in the UK and number 14 in the U.S. U.S. shitty music, I guess. But anyway. All right. Tom? You're up. I'm up.

SPEAKER_05 29:13

What you got? No, if I can beat that, but we're gonna give it a sweet. Oh, sure.

SPEAKER_11 31:59

Stay close to me. Don't let it be.

SPEAKER_05 32:15

Yeah, good old nineteen eighty-three. I was working at a pizza joint.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 32:24

Just before we moved to North Carolina. I I remember that song was just getting real popular at the place I worked. I was just bringing it back. That was the last big place. I was there for a while and knew everybody.

Squeak Crashes With Chaos

SPEAKER_01 32:55

All right, Tom. I hate to tell you this, but I think uh Squeak's been drinking a lot of your beer, so I think we should let him in right now.

SPEAKER_05 33:02

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

Yeah, we're gonna let them in. We'll take our little break, and uh we'll be back after the little dude's won't. Alrighty.

SPEAKER_07 33:15

Hey, Squeak! What? Something went wrong earlier, buddy. It is. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, see, shit's happening. Okay. What's happened? Uh the first recording is going up, but it's only audio. Oh. Oh. We can probably use that shit. We could. Little toys. Yeah. I hope they don't find out. We're videotaping us out. We're not showing that going on, but here we are. Hey, you have. Oh no, no, no, go the other way. The other way. Okay. Let's stupid together. You don't have a pen? I have a pen. That's why it's a hundred and forty six point three. Why wouldn't it be forty seven? Someone else is five. Neighbor is waiting away. I never said I was. I'm just letting you know. I know. I just in a white Oh anyway. I don't know. Okay, well that made no damn fucking sense to me. But whatever. I wanted to tell you I jumped into somebody and they told me to tell you, hey. Another good friend of yours, I guess. Oh, there was two of 'em. It wasn't. I didn't believe they were real, but yeah, they were. What the hell? Oh, you do know 'em. I know all of them. They seem like good friends of yours. I seem like stupid people. Who lives with a nice looking girl? Okay. What do they do and they don't know the high house? Are we talking about the seven doors? Is that who these guys are? What the hell? You know them? I know. I should have known when they called me grumpy and fucking dopey. I thought they were kidding. Like some nickname. And I got some stupid hats. Are your buddies gay? They must be. Frankie, Johnny, Jojo. Sojam. Who knows? How stupid. The keyborns? Yeah. How can I? I've never ever heard the keyboards mention these people. Well, would you? I thought it was a fairy tale. Would you mention them if you knew? I've never seen them before this time. Well, because I try to hide them. You try to hide them. Well, I don't want you to see them. So they are friends of yours. No, they're not friends. You see what this has started, right? What what happened? Well, you gotta be about these two little dumbasses, right? Who lives in a house with his ass? Never mind this. Well, what's weird? It has seven little deers. I have no idea. Maybe snow white shit. Well anyway. Have you ever even met Snow White? How do you know they're telling you the truth? They could be all pounding each other. You know, that's a very good idea. What does an Ashville do? What does he do? What about poor sleeping? That's what I've been doing. But you know them. So um this explains the whole swirl incident. What? That wasn't me at all. That was the squirrel again. Well, anybody that lives in a fucking train folks, I may remind you, has a beautiful soundtrack to it. Oh, why did we get all this? Okay. So I see all this. Okay, how do you see that? Anybody lives in a damn tree is a damn tree. I live in a I live in a hole. You live in a hole, right? Everybody that lives in a tree is a number. Say that again. Where do you live? Say it again. I have a nice hole. Okay. Doesn't that sound strange to you? I live in a hole. I live in a hole in the ground. Your imagination, sweet. I never got a chance to talk to you after that. I didn't hear from you. I thought something happened. No, I would have heard of that. Well I see you. Okay, give me your version of it. Okay. Somebody, buddy, we're familiar. You already know, so we're not gonna talk about it. I mean to somebody. Did you do something to somebody? Did somebody do something to you? That's my right. I'm going to play the thing. Okay. Okay. That doesn't matter with everything. Anyway, I did hear what went on. Oh, I know you had some business dealings with Mr. P at one time or another. Just once. Did you really try to step some No, I never did this here. Did you try to rip Mr. Powh? Is it like there's some beer money out here? I'll take that. Someone gave me money. Okay. And I was thirsty. Okay. And I thought that was very nice of you. Okay, now I didn't wait. You have a problem. I don't have a problem. You have a problem. I don't have any beers. That's a problem. What are you drinking right now? That was my juice. I don't think it says chameleo. Maybe tomato? Tomato. Yeah, that sounds delicious. You could have had a VA. There was a V8 somewhere. Okay, so you get all your vitamins. Oh boy. Listen, buddy. I gotta take off. Been here long enough. Let's see how this stupid thing that's with trying out comes out. I'd like to see that. And uh I will see you next time, Squeak. Turn four. Alright, better folks.

Bon Jovi Blondie And Deep Cuts

SPEAKER_01 43:47

Alright, what the hell, Tom? Well, what was going on? I wonder what happened with Mr. P and Squeak.

SPEAKER_05 43:54

Oh my god, he's got himself into some other kind of issue now.

SPEAKER_01 43:58

I'm I'm anxious to hear this. I just can't imagine the BLC be forty.

SPEAKER_05 44:54

And I gotta tell you, I kinda like the guy's voice. I don't know why, but I always it's uh quiet.

SPEAKER_01 45:01

So anyways, Tom, this is what I got next.

SPEAKER_11 45:28

What more can I do? It's nothing that I had to try to be straight. It's nothing that I didn't see for the cheese. So many things I want to do with me.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

Little Bon Jovi. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 48:58

I never heard that song really from him.

SPEAKER_01 49:00

1984 off the self-titled album. Huh. Number twelve in the US. Well. I love that song. It's one of the there was a video to it, and it was a but it was one of the deeper tracks or song, but that song just love it. Of course, brings back memories back in the day, you know, obviously listen to the lyrics, you know.

SPEAKER_03 50:28

I'm gonna be on the one. I'm not the kind of girl who gives up judge like that. Oh no, not the time to do that, season. But it's the way you do the things you do to me. I'm not the kind of girl who gives up jaws like that. Oh no, I have a number. I'm not being gone to me.

SPEAKER_11 52:52

I'm gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_05 54:17

Yeah, right there down the old line with little blondie. Nothing wrong with Blondie. Nothing was wrong with Blondie.

SPEAKER_01 54:30

Good song, another song case you can't see.

SPEAKER_05 54:37

However, originally recorded.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

I can get it from the sound of the city.

SPEAKER_05 54:55

I mean, she did a great justice.

SPEAKER_01 54:58

Okay, well, I'm gonna go on, and this might surprise you.

SPEAKER_11 55:01

Okay, I love to do it with the letter, I love the letter, I love you, after sea, go to the man as a man, as we menace.

SPEAKER_01 57:56

Right in a row. Who knew? That it was strange. I just when once you put that song on, I was like, oh shit. Completely neighborhood. It's pretty awesome. Well, last couple songs. Oh, and before I forget that song came out in 1979. And it was on the beat album. And that album also was number two in the UK and 27 in the US. That song. So that's what that song should be. So anyway. What you got for us, yeah, Tom.

Rod Stewart To Motley Crue Finale

SPEAKER_05 58:33

Alright, here's the last one.

SPEAKER_11 58:48

Some guys have fallen up. Some guys have fallen lane. Some guys get all the brakes.

SPEAKER_10 59:00

Some guys do nothing but complain. Alone in the crowd, pulling up first after working on the dream. The guy next to me has a girl in his own small team. How does it feel when the girl next to me you said she love me? When there's love everywhere, but there's none for me.

SPEAKER_11 59:34

Some guys have all the Some guys have all the Some guys get all the Sun guys give me Summer Summer Summer Summer, I love five trees, really, I used to hug me. So what is there for them? All of the feed that you have all the way How do you do that? You have nothing to say Some guys have all the Some guys have all the days some guys get all the place Some guys can let you see.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:01

Great truth by Rod. Back in the youth too.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:06

You know? A four was about to come. I had the old story if you've been following us before.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:38

Come on, I'm not high. I can make every song on it over and over. Like I said, I have many albums, but that one that's I just remember like I said on another podcast when I came out blew my mind. Anyway. We're gonna end with my last song and we'll come back and shoot the shit a little and say our goodbyes.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:54

I'm treating it. Only on a later tack, don't you feel?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:48

All right, Tom, Motley Crew, Live Wire. Wow. One of my favorite crew songs. Yep. That was a big, big follower of the crew back in the day. Yep. Not so much anymore, unfortunately. I like to think of them how they used to be. Right. They weren't the most talented band, but every concert was like an experience. And the first time I heard that song, I went to see Ozzy. They opened up for Ozzy. I didn't know I talked about this before. I didn't know Marty Crew was. That song came out again, and I'm like, what the hell is that? Within the next five weeks or a month, I went to this reach of record stores. Remember those times. And it was a cool thing to just go and watch and fucking flip. I remember finding that album, and on the back, it's like a circle and they got sunglasses for cool. And I said, I'm gonna get this album. And then after that, shouted the devil. But yeah, that's pretty much it. That was my monthly crew. That's why I picked that song. There you go. After my youth again.

Parting Thoughts And Where To Listen

SPEAKER_01 1:09:48

But anyways, Tom. Any uh we want to talk about before we get off. I don't mean get off like that. We did that already.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:56

I was gonna say, we can't do that again. Wow. Anyway. Parting thoughts. After that? I can't talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:19

Great music. Great music. Cool stuff.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:26

And what's cool about it is we each learned something today, and just it was cool about music.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:32

I mean we shouldn't do this with our pants off.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:35

Well, that was the last time we got on that. So anyway.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:43

Every time.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:44

Yep. We might not learn anything, but you will.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:47

Hopefully, people learn from our mistakes. But anyway, Tom, great show today. I enjoyed myself.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:54

Me too. Another good one. But uh as always, I'd like to thank God for our gift of gab.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:01

Everyone, thanks for listening. Don't forget to check us out on uh all the platforms and website, mtartpod.com. Check out the website, leave a little message in the microphone down on the right. Or you can text us too. It's anonymous, so no worries. So, people uh take care. God bless.