The history of rock and roll is sadly replete with examples of white musicians ripping off black musicians. Too often the original artists don’t get credit or (more importantly) money for their creative efforts.

So let’s turn the tables this week and listen to black artists covering songs written and recorded by white folks.

Otis Redding “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones)
The Stones only wish they could rock this hard. Nice punchy horn section.

Wilson Pickett “Sugar Sugar” (The Archies)
More soul than a bubblegum song deserves.

Stevie Wonder “Blowin’ In The Wind” (Bob Dylan)
It’s not often that you’ll see “Stevie Wonder” and “crap” in the same sentence, but that’s the case here. He just has no feeling at all for what this song is about.

Isaac Hayes “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” (Glen Campbell)
This is an edited version. The song originally included a four-minute rambling introduction about the nature of love. I thought that if I left it in nobody would stick around to hear the music. And that would be a shame because Chef really mines a deep vein of love and regret from this tune.

Booker T. and the MGs “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (U2)
It’s nice for what it is, but it just pales beside “Time Is Tight.”