Save The Last Dance For Me - Other Versions

Other Versions

• Jay and the Americans released a cover version of the song on their 1962 album, She Cried.

• Buck Owens released a cover version in 1962; it peaked at #11 on the US country charts and appeared on Together Again.

• Ike & Tina Turner released a cover version of the song on their 1966 album, River Deep - Mountain High.

• Jerry Lee Lewis recorded a version of the song during his later years on Sun Records in the early 1960s.

• Swedish group The Spotnicks had an instrumental version of the song (called "Valentina") in their 1964 album "The Spotnicks in Spain".

• Billy Joe Royal released a version of the song on his 1967 album, Billy Joe Royal Featuring Hush.

• During the Get Back/Let It Be Sessions of January 1969, The Beatles played a short, impromptu variation of this song. It was in the original lineup of songs to be included on the album that would become Let It Be.

• In 1969, John Rowles recorded a version arranged and conducted by British arranger, bandleader, Johnny Arthey, released on 7" vinyl by MCA-UK the following year.

• Harry Nilsson covered the song, in a rather dark fashion, on his 1974 album, Pussy Cats which was produced by his friend and drinking buddy John Lennon.

• The Walkmen did a cover of Pussy Cats which included "Save the Last Dance for Me". Also in 1974, the Canadian group The DeFranco Family reached #18 on the Billboard pop chart with their version of "Save the Last Dance for Me", with lead vocals sung by the 14-year old group member Tony DeFranco.

• In 1978, country music singer-songwriter Ron Shaw recorded the song on Pacific Challenger Records; this version reached the Top 40 on the Billboard country music chart.

• Emmylou Harris recorded the song in 1979, after learning that Shaw's version had been successful. Her recording reached the top ten on the U.S. country singles charts. The song appears on her album Blue Kentucky Girl.

• The Forgotten Rebels recorded the song on their 1981 album This Ain't Hollywood.

• The song was covered by Mud in 1982. In 1983 Herbie Armstrong included a haunting version of the song on his solo album 'Back against the wall'. Mort Shuman himself endorsed it, certain it would be a hit. Sadly the distribution company went bust and only 800 copies of the CD were ever distributed.

• The song was translated into French by André Salvet and François Llenas and recorded by, among others, Petula Clark, Dalida, and Mort Shuman himself.

• Geno Delafose recorded the song as a zydeco version on the CD LaChason Perdu in 1998 on Rounder Records. Bruce Willis released a version which appears on his 1989 album, If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger.

• Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell recorded it on his 2003 album, Daniel in Blue Jeans. In the 2000s, UK musician and ex-band member of Fox, Herbie Armstrong, recorded a slower, minor version of the song and released it as a single from his album, Last Dance.

• In 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town performed this song on the second season of The Sing Off.

• In 2012 Leonard Cohen performed this song as a part of his Old Ideas World tour.

• In 2010, Matchbox 20 lead singer Rob Thomas performed a live acoustic version at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.