That’s probably one of the lessons Bob Seger learned when he shared his love of a Tom Waits song with Rod Stewart, back in the summer of 1989.
Seger recorded “Downtown Train” in early ’89, and mentioned it to Stewart during a visit to London that summer.
"The next thing I knew,” Seger told Billboard, “a month later he recorded 'Downtown Train' in London, and two months later, he recorded it in the same studio I recorded it in Los Angeles."
Once Stewart’s version was released and became a hit, Seger was pretty much forced to bury his version, for the time being; more than 20 years have passed since then.
Seger's current version of "Downtown Train," freshly recorded for an upcoming new album, will be released to radio Monday morning.
Billboard reports that Stewart and his representatives have long denied that he stole the idea to record "Downtown Train," and any hard feelings have settled over the years. Stewart offered an olive branch, of sorts, by recording Seger's "Still the Same" as the title track of his 2006 covers album "Still the Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Time."
Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are currently rehearsing for a US tour, which kicks off March 26 in Toledo.
Here’s the original version of the song Rod burned Bob on:
Tom Waits Tom Waits – Downtown Train (1985)
See also:
Bob Seger: tickets for first 4 concerts on sale this week
Bob Seger tops the hennemusic Hot 10
Bob Seger announces 2011 North American tour
