Under the Covers: R.I.P: I Pity The Fool by Bobby Bland and Davy Jones and the Mannish Boys

Two posts in as many hours. And for very good reason. We just learned that Bobby Bland has died. He was 83. Major bummer. Great, great, great voice.

To go with this week's theme of Under The Covers, we're presenting Bobby Bland performing his 1961 stunner on Duke Records, I Pity The Fool. It's, in my humble opinion, Bobby Bland's greatest recording of many great recordings he made in a career that started in Memphis, Tennessee way back in 1955. Not only does the song kick ass on it's own rights, but it inspired the catch phrase from brilliant actor, Mr. T! You can't go wrong with that.

Bobby Bland

We first came to this record from a very mediocre version performed by Davy Jones and the Mannish Boys. The blonde haired ace-face of a mod front and center on the sleeve would soon change his name to David Bowie and would go on to more original works.

The Manish Boys

We did a post on Bobby Bland's 1960 song, I've Been Wrong So Long way back in 2011. You can listen to that kick ass song here. 

R.I.P. Bobby Bland. We'll see you On The Flip-Side. 

Song of the Week: Bobby Bland -- I've Been Wrong So Long/Cry, Cry, Cry

I've Been Wrong So Long

Cry, Cry, Cry

In my younger years I ran across a reprint of a Davey Jones and the Mannish Boys single. The A-Side was a decent enough song called I Pity The Fool. It grabbed my attention if for no other reason than mod kingpin, Davey Jones, would go on to fame as David Bowie, and, secondly, the song's title was the catch phrase of the criminally underrated actor, Mr T. Not long later I would find myself sifting through dusty record bins in Albany, California when I ran across the same song on a bitching looking orangey and purple label. The song was now being performed by the marketing disaster of a name, Bobby Bland. I figured it was worth the dollar being requested of me and I put it in my stack. Long story short, Bland's original kicked the butt of little Davey Jones' version of I Pity The Fool like Mr. T would kick the butts of evil South American strongmen every week on TV. I said to myself, "I pity the fool who tries to cover a Bobby Bland song, fool."

That introduction to Bobby "Blue" Bland set me to gathering his records whenever I ran across them. Soon enough I was picking up Turn On Your Love Light, which astute record collectors will recognize as a song from Them's second album. Then Stormy Monday Blues, while not the best version I had ever heard, it was clearly the version from which Them learned the staple song. Then I picked up Cry, Cry, Cry, a beautiful and nicely restrained song that showcased Bland's powerful and soulful voice as good as any song I had hear him do. But the flip-side, ahh, that flip-side, was a real head-scratcher. It was one of those songs that made me just stop and listen. It sounded so different.

The song is I've Been Wrong So Long and it is our SoTW. The cool opening guitar riff made me run to my bass and try to figure it out. But as soon as I got the bass in my hands, the song went into a very unpredictable direction. Suddenly I found myself listening to a German style polka or march. WTF just happened? Then, as I struggled to learn that, the song moved into a powerful soul ballad. Holy crow that was cool! I just love it when a song comes so far out of left field that the listener is hit with a sonic fist to the ear. That's what this song does for me.

Cry, Cry, Cry b/w I've Been Wrong So Long was recorded in Chicago on August 3, 1960 and was released on Duke Records #327.

I hope you enjoy. Until next time, We'll see you On The Flip-Side!