Other Versions
A blues standard, the original Sonny Boy Williamson song has been covered many times. The most successful early version was that by The Larks, originally a vocal group which had developed out of gospel group, The Selah Jubilee Singers. The group's recording of "Eyesight to the Blind", with vocals and guitar by Allen Bunn, who later worked solo as Tarheel Slim, reached #5 on the Billboard R&B charts in July 1951.
Mose Allison released the song on Seventh Son and is featured on Allison Wonderland Anthology. Guitarist Mike Bloomfield recorded the song on I'm with You Always.
The song was also included in The Who's 1969 rock opera album Tommy. The song is parenthetically called "The Hawker". In the film version of Tommy, the song was performed by Eric Clapton and Arthur Brown. It is the only song in Tommy not written by a band member.
Versions of the song have also been recorded by other rock artists:
- Jack-Knife - I Wish You Would (album) (1979)
- Aerosmith - Honkin' On Bobo (2004)
- Gary Moore - Close As You Get (2007)
- Eric Clapton - Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies. This song is part of a 24-minute jam featuring Carlos Santana.
- The Smithereens - The Smithereens Play Tommy (2009)
Read more about this topic: Eyesight To The Blind
Famous quotes containing the word versions:
“The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
—Stephen Bayley (b. 1951)