COVER vs ORIGINAL: ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’

The song, “Son Of A Preacher Man”, was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield in 1968

John Hurley (1941-1986) and Ronnie Wilkins (b.1941) wrote the song “Son Of A Preacher Man” for Dusty Springfield in 1968. It was recorded for her “Dusty In Memphis” album and released as the lead single in November that year, peaking at No.10 in the US and No.9 in the UK, where it became her last top ten hit there until “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” with the Pet Shop Boys in 1987.

While few have dared to cover the song, one version is notable and also faithful. That came from British singer Dina Carroll, who recorded the song for her ill-fated, self-titled third studio album. Her version was planned to be released as a single in 1999, but both it and the album were mysteriously shelved. The song finally saw commercial release in 2001 on Carroll’s “Best Of” compilation, much to her fans delight.

But which version is the best? DUSTY’s original or DINA’s cover?

Take a look at some of the other posts in this series and don’t forget to follow the playlist.