As the frontman for The Who, Roger Daltrey is one of the most storied figures in rock history. Daltrey’s reputation as one of rock’s preeminent vocalists helped him to find success as a solo act as well, with five of his first six albums peaking in the Top 50 of the Billboard 200. Fans bought Daltrey’s albums to hear his voice but not necessarily to admire his compositions. Pete Townshend carried most of the songwriting load for The Who, and on Daltrey’s own albums, he relied heavily on other songwriters. He also recorded his fair share of cover songs.
Daltrey has never shied away from interpreting songs that are so good, they are difficult to match, much less top. The original versions of the four songs featured here were all inspired performances. Daltrey managed to record a quality cover version of each one while still putting his inimitable spin on them.
“Walking the Dog” from Ride a Rock Horse (1975)
Years before Rufus Thomas charted with the dance hits “Do the Funky Chicken” and “Do the Funky Penguin,” he had listeners grooving to “Walking the Dog.” Fans of The Who accustomed to the epic bombast of songs like “Baba O’Reilly,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “The Real Me” might have been surprised to hear Daltrey take on this lighthearted tune, replete with lines from fairy tales. Daltrey has fun with the funky number—actually the whole band, including guitarist Russ Ballard and percussionist Tony Meehan, sound like they’re having a blast.
Daltrey had a No. 52 hit with “Walking the Dog” in the UK. It failed to chart in the U.S., where Thomas’ version peaked at No. 10 in 1963. The song has also been covered by numerous other artists, including The Rolling Stones, Johnny Rivers, The Everly Brothers, Aerosmith, and Ratt.
“Avenging Annie” from One of the Boys (1977)
The original was the leadoff track and lone single from Andy Pratt’s self-titled 1973 album. The Boston-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter took on the titular role of the outlaw “Annie” in his version of the song, and he kicks it off by mimicking the sound of galloping horse hooves and pistol shots. Daltrey takes a less playful path with his version, using a more straightforward arrangement and singing “Avenging Annie” from a third-person perspective.
Though his cover is not as daring or fun as Pratt’s original, Daltrey gives his version life with powerful vocals. His Who bandmate John Entwistle deserves kudos for supplying the growling bass lines and low vocals on the line And headed for California. Both Pratt’s and Daltrey’s versions reached Billboard’s Hot 100, but Daltrey’s cover (No. 88) didn’t peak quite as high as Pratt’s original (No. 78).
“Say It Ain’t So, Joe” from One of the Boys (1977)
Murray Head is best known for his contributions to the Jesus Christ Superstar concept album and the musical Chess. In between those two projects, he had his first taste of commercial success as a solo artist with his 1976 album Say It Ain’t So. Effectively the album’s title track, “Say It Ain’t So, Joe” is a moving, impassioned song about leaders whose actions cause the public to lose their faith in them.
Daltrey doesn’t depart too far from the sound of Head’s original, and both vocalists effectively convey the angst of the song’s message. Both versions build to a dramatic conclusion, and the outro to Daltrey’s cover rocks especially hard. Both singles failed to chart in any country, and Daltrey’s version is unavailable on Spotify. However, “Say It Ain’t So, Joe” is Head’s second-most popular song on the streaming service with more than 17 million plays.
“Somebody Told Me” from Parting Should Be Painless (1984)
Just as he had done with “Walking the Dog” and “Avenging Annie,” Daltrey went against the stereotypical image of a hard-rock vocalist when he decided to cover Eurythmics, who were known for their sleek, synth-heavy sound. Instead of going with a familiar hit like the title track or “Love Is a Stranger” from Eurythmics’ breakthrough 1983 album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Daltrey opted for a deep cut. He and his band replicate the eerie, spare sound from Eurythmics’ version of “Somebody Told Me,” and Daltrey sounds right at home. “Somebody Told Me” was probably too quirky to have Top-40 appeal for either Daltrey or Eurythmics, even if either of them had decided to release it as a single. Still, both versions are a satisfying listen.
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