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Ben E. King ended up with records like “Spanish Harlem” and “Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters are enduring hits, but the New Yorker, who died in 2015, will always be best known for “Stand by Me,” a psalm-inspired ballad co-written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
More than six decades after its release, the song has become a modern standard, reinterpreted countless times across genres, eras and cultures. From the early efforts of Otis Redding and Muhammad Ali to the later reworkings of Stephen King and Miley Cyrus, the song continues to find artists willing to reinvent it.
Most recently it was country singer Stephen Wilson Jr., who sang “Stand by Me.” into a scream transformed. These are the must-hear versions.
Muhammad Ali
Chuck D once hosted an ESPN documentary that highlighted Ali’s influence on hip-hop. But before the heavyweight champion claimed to have wrestled a whale, tied lightning and thrown thunder into prison, he recorded this cover of Ben E. King. The track appeared towards the end of his modestly titled album “I Am the Greatest!” from 1963 and almost made it into the top 100.
Otis Redding
Otis Redding recorded “Stand By Me” in 1964. Just three years after Ben E. King. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t treat the song like scripture. The bass line remains. But the overall mood is lighter. Even mischievous, thanks to a brass section that adds color rather than accent.
Steve Cropper plays winding, inventive riffs on his guitar. And then there’s Otis, who sings with passion but consciously avoids turning the lyrics into a desperate plea. He seems to enjoy the groove as much as we all do.
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen were just two years into “Louie Louie” when they recorded “Stand by Me.” In the ’60s that was an eternity, but while other garage bands had gotten heavier and tried to sound like the Yardbirds or the Rolling Stones, the Kingsmen stayed true to their roots, layering a cheap organ over a carefree crawl through the classic bass riff.
It sounds like the obligatory slow song at a Saturday night dance event where the band is waiting to get back to the rave songs.
Ike & Tina Turner
It’s not easy to find the funk in “Stand by Me,” but Ike & Tina Turner found it in a place no one else was looking. By slowing down the tempo and adding dense organ sounds (as well as Ike’s chicken scratch guitar), this groove is so heavy that it makes Tina’s vocals seem almost incidental.
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t give it her all: Tina sings with so much passion that you wonder if she even needs anyone to support her.
Gene Clark
Former Byrd Gene Clark recorded his version of “Stand by Me” during the sessions for the 1971 album White Light and although it lay dormant in the archives until 2002, it is a true gem.
Clark stays true to the song’s fragile feel, but he completely redesigns the composition, ditching the signature bass line and gospel undertones and turning it into a galloping country-rock song for the canyons of Southern California.