I'll Come Running
Here Comes The Night
We're letting our Parrot Records freak flag fly for the third day. The first day found us in Newcastle, England. Then we went to Belfast, Ireland. Today we listen to Lulu and the Luvers who hailed from Scotland.
Lulu scored a hit right out of the gate with her cover of the Isley Brothers' Shout in 1964. That got the diminutive Lulu attention from both sides of the pond. For her second UK single, Lulu recorded a song by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. That single got skipped by Parrot Records here in the US. But the next thing you know, legendary songwriter and producer, Bert Berns, (whom we have written about here extensively), came a-knockin on Lulu's door. He composed the A-Side and produced both sides of her third UK single (second in the US). We present today the unique US version which features a Bert Berns composition/production on both sides. As we tend to do, we're going to start by flipping the damn record over.
The Flip-Side of the November 1964 US single is the far superior song, in our flippy opinion. The song didn't make it onto any UK single, just the US. The song is the Bert Berns composition (under the pen name Bert Russell), I'll Come Running. The song has that trademark four-chord down beat that Berns made famous with songs like his oft-covered Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. But what makes this nasal voiced rocker a little different is the guitar work by session guitarist, Jimmy Page and his brand new wah-wah pedal. That's some pretty characteristically solid work from Page at 1:46. Lulu lets it all fly as she and Jimmy spar as the song fades out.
Here Comes The Night is the A-Side and it is damn solid and well worth being the chosen side. Garage fans will likely more closely associate the song with yesterday's act, Them. This version of the song is the first recording of the Bert Berns composition, predating Van Morrison and Co.'s take on the song by four months. While I will go on record as saying Them's version is the far superior, let's not blow this one off too fast. Lulu's voice is spectacular and Bert Berns' production is lush and fabulous. The guitar riff made famous in the Them version is still there, albeit a bit hidden.
Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!
Never knew this version of Here Comes The Night, which I've never heard before, preceded THEM's version! There are some other differences I think. First the chorus in Lulu's version, with its rather flaccid last chord, is greatly improved by THEM. And also, no key change in THEM's version. Still this is great! That bouncy lyric never fails to impress me.
ReplyDeleteThat lead on I'll Come Running Over seems a little half baked to me.
half baked?
DeleteIt starts off nice, then it's like he doesn't know where to go or what to hit, so he does a couple have baked string slides.
DeleteThat is a GREAT version. That playful guitar break followed by the reverby snare hit!
ReplyDeleteI have. In fact I heard that version first. Very fine version!
ReplyDeleteVery late to the game here. I completely disagree with Jack Hayden. Page's string slides and wah wah are sexy as is Lulu's singing. His work compliments the tone of the song perfectly. He's jerking his guitar off in a sexual way. Not too many people did that in 1964..Also remember that the Mad Hatters version was recorded two years later and ultimately reveals why they never left the garage. Their arrangement is amateurish and laughable. Their Ascot single was better.
ReplyDeleteVickie Rock
Vickie - I agree whole heartedly on the Lulu version of I'll Come Running and Page's lead. I also agree that Jack Hayden is half baked. Oh wait, you didn't say that. Well, I'll say it. Sometimes he is just flat out wrong. Like on this. But Vickie, what the heck? Dissing The Mad Hatters version is great. Yeah, amateurish. But not laughable. I love it!
DeleteBut most of all, thanks for stopping by. We hope we hear a lot more from you here.
Jerking off? Fair enough.
DeleteThanks for your comments, Vickie. Morgan, not so much.
The Them version was actually recorded the week before Lulu's but held off for release until after her version hit the shops. I think he gave Lulu the ballad arrangement because her second single was a rocker and it (undeservedly) flopped. If he'd given her the Them arrangement, she might have had a hit with it and her career might have gone in a completely different direction - less the traditional female ballad route.
ReplyDeleteThat's great info. Thanks for sharing and keep coming on by.
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