Credit: Melanie DuneaRod Stewart had a big hit with his 1989 rendition of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train,” but did you know that former Scandal singer Patty Smyth recorded it first? Well, now she’s done a new version of the tune, and it will be featured on her forthcoming solo album. It’s About Time.
Smyth first recorded “Downtown Train” for her 1987 solo album Never Enough. It reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100. But when Stewart released his cover of the tune in late 1989, it became a massive hit, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100, topping two other Billboard charts and earning him a Grammy nomination.
Patty has now re-recorded “Downtown Train” for It’s About Time, her first new album in 28 years. The single is out now, and the album will arrive on October 9.
In addition to “Downtown Train,” It’s About Time also includes another cover: Bobbie Gentry‘s “Ode to Billie Joe.” The other six songs are brand-new originals, many inspired by Smyth’s 25-year relationship with husband John McEnroe.
By Andrea Dresdale
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