In 2003, Crow released one of the singles that would define her career with “The First Cut Is the Deepest.” Though it feels like an original song, it was actually a cover of a classic by a soul singer.
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“The First Cut Is the Deepest” was written by legendary singer/songwriter Cat Stevens and originally recorded by soul singer P.P. Arnold. It was released as a single in April 1967 off Arnold’s album, The First Lady of Immediate. Her version, which features a horn section and brilliantly soulful vocals, is a stark contrast to Crow’s more soft-spoken, acoustic approach. It reached the Top 20 on the UK Singles chart. Before Crow got her voice on it, Rod Stewart, Keith Hampshire and Papa Dee also cut it, with Stevens recording his own rendition for his 1967 album, New Masters.
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At the time, she had the success of her hit duet with Kid Rock, “Pictures,” behind her. The duet peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and reached the Top 5 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. But “Cut” proved that Crow had staying power on the country charts all on her own. More than 30 years after its release, Crow put her voice on it and released it as the lead single off her greatest hits album, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow. The song peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary and Adult Alternative Songs charts, in addition to reaching No. 35 on the Hot Country Songs chart, marking her first solo Top 40 hit on the country charts.
“I just felt like it was one of those songs that probably kids that are younger generation than myself…wouldn’t know anymore and it was such a great song,” Crow explained on the Today Show in 2004 about why she decided to cover the song, adding that she was “really surprised” that her version was so well-received by fans. “Cat Stevens originally wrote it and then Rod Stewart put it out in 1977, which was kind of my era…I think nobody thought that a cover would do as well as it did. I was surprised.”
The song earned Crow a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2005.
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