abstract
| - %22Love of the Common People%22 is a folk ballad written and composed by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins, eventually released in 1970 on Hurley's album John Hurley Sings about People, but first sung in January 1967 by The Four Preps. It had been covered by The Everly Brothers, country singers Waylon Jennings and Lynn Anderson, Pennsylvania Sixpence and also Wayne Newton, all in 1967, The Simple Image, Leonard Nimoy and the Gosdin Brothers in 1968, Elton John and also soul group The Winstons, both in 1969, John Denver on his 1969 album Rhymes & Reasons, and Sandy Posey in 1970, the same year that reggae singer Nicky Thomas had a big hit in Europe with the song. It was also a hit in Ireland for showband star Joe Dolan. Wanda Jackson covered the song in 1971, as did Stiff Little Fingers and English pop singer Paul Young, both in 1982. In 2007 Bruce Springsteen covered it as part of his Seeger Sessions tour, releasing a live version of it as a bonus track on his Live in Dublin album.
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