EDDIE HOLLAND - LEAVING HERE (MOTOWN)

This is the original of a song that was covered by many British bands of the period. The early Who (as the High Numbers, probably); the Birds (Ronnie Wood's early band); and later Motorhead, Pearl Jam (American), and the Strypes (Irish). The first time I noticed this song was when the Who's version was released on Odds and Sods in about 1974; I had never heard this original by Eddie Holland.

I was about to say something about how nice it was for the writers of these songs when the English bands covered them, but you have to add: 1) when they actually put them on the records (the Who waited ten years to put this on a record); and 2) when they didn't just steal the song and put their own names on it (not mentioning any names, but just imagine Ned's heparin). The Rolling Stones get the big credit on the covers putting money in people's pockets. Their first few LPs were mostly covers, and they always credited the original writers, many of whom were black Americans. That was admirable.