Song of the Week: "You Don't Love Me", Willie Cobbs

Today's Song of the Week brings you one of the Flip-Side's favorite riffs ever recorded. We first heard this riff on Manfred Mann's killer song, L.S.D. as released in 1965. That same year, Dutch band Cuby+the Blizzards, who were featured with a Song of the Week back in December of '08, cut a great version of the Manfred Mann tune as well. The Tell-Tale Hearts, the Lionhearted and the Mossmen also covered L.S.D.

But today's SotW is the original incarnation (we think). It's by Arkansas bluesman, Willie Cobbs and it was recorded across the river in Memphis in 1961. Cobbs' original composition is called You Don't Love Me and it is a real gem. Saxophone, muddy guitar with a nifty lead posited right in the middle of the song, sleepy vocals and that undeniable killer riff makes it easy to understand why so many bands lifted parts or all of this song over the years. We also think this original version is the best of them all. Though Tommy Raye's slow, organ heavy version recorded for Penn Records is also a gem. Keep watching these pages as that may make an appearance on SotW soon. Incidentally, the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers covered Cobbs' song giving this riff a life well beyond that of most songs. Click here to listen to Willie Cobbs perform You Don't Love Me.

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