Shauna has been writing and editing things for cash and prizes for well over a decade, and while her first love is pop culture and celebrity dish, she's also done work for Fortune 500 companies and even written a book. Feel free to contact her at goldengateblond at the gmail -- but keep in mind she really hates people who refer to themselves in the third person, so never ever do that with her. Seriously. (Man, does she hate that.)
Shauna W
‘Torn’ by Natalie Imbruglia
'Torn' has a bit of a complicated history. Scott Cutler and Anne Preven, two members of alternative rock band Ednaswap, wrote the song along with producer Phil Thornalley in 1993. But since Ednaswap hadn't yet been formed, a Scandinavian group recorded 'Torn' first. Ednaswap finally released it themselves in 1995, and Natalie Imbruglia covered it two years later.
‘I Turn to You’ by Christina Aguilera
'I Turn to You' is one of the scores of hit songs written by Diane Warren (seriously, the woman must write in her sleep too). The original was recorded for the 1996 'Space Jam' film soundtrack by R&B quartet All-4-One, but the track didn't get much attention until Christina Aguilera covered it four years later.
‘Don’t Turn Around’ by Ace of Base
Tina Turner first had a go at 'Don't Turn Around' in 1986 -- a full year before Swedish pop group Ace of Base was even formed and almost a decade before they took the song to No. 4 on the pop charts.
‘If I Were a Boy’ by Beyonce
Toby Gad and BC Jean wrote 'If I Were a Boy,' and Jean intended to use it herself. Her label at the time turned it down, but Beyonce made a hit of it in 2008 -- and that's when things reportedly got incredibly messy.
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany
When Tommy James & the Shondells took 'I Think We're Alone Now' (written by versatile songwriter Ritchie Cordell) to No. 4 in 1967, legendary rock critic Lester Bangs dismissed it as "the bubblegum apotheosis." So one can only imagine the scathing words he'd have used to describe mall queen Tiffany's version in 1987.
‘I’m Goin’ Down’ by Mary J. Blige
The soulful 'I'm Going Down' was written and produced by Norman Whitfield, known for his seminal work with Motown in the '60s. Unlike many other songs that are used in movies only after they become hits, this one was first performed by Rose Royce on the soundtrack for the 1976 film 'Car Wash' -- and it got a whole new audience when Mary J. Blige covered it almost two decades later.
‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ by Cyndi Lauper
You may be surprised to learn that the chick anthem 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' was actually written by a guy. Singer Robert Hazard, who wrote and recorded it as a demo in 1979, meant it as more of a male observation about women -- but Cyndi Lauper saw it in a whole different way.
‘Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)’ by Lou Bega
'Mambo No. 5' was originally a 1949 instrumental dance piece composed and recorded by Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado, often called "King of the Mambo." He couldn't have known that 50 years later, Lou Bega would sample it, add lyrics including a string of girls' names, and turn it into a pop music hit.
‘Saving All My Love for You’ by Whitney Houston
Prolific songwriters Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin penned 'Saving All My Love for You,' which was a minor hit in 1978 for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. But it wasn't until a young ingenue named Whitney Houston recorded the song that it became the (sometimes annoying) earworm it is today.
‘I Want Candy’ by Bow Wow Wow
By 1965, songwriters and producers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer had already penned hits for other artists (like the Angels' 'My Boyfriend's Back'). But when they wrote 'I Want Candy' along with Bert Berns, the trio decided to record it themselves as the Strangeloves -- nearly 20 years before it became a new wave phenomenon for Bow Wow Wow.