I Pity the Fool

For the TV series starring Mr. T, see I Pity the Fool (TV series).
"I Pity the Fool"
Single by Bobby Bland
from the album Two Steps from the Blues
A-side "I Pity the Fool"
B-side "Close to You"
Released 1961
Format 7" single
Recorded Houston, Texas, 1960
Genre Blues
Length 2:30
Label Duke 332
Writer(s) Deadric Malone (credited)
Joe Medwick (claimed)
Producer(s) Don Robey
Bobby Bland singles chronology
"Cry, Cry, Cry"
(1960)
"I Pity the Fool"
(1961)
"Don't Cry No More"
(1961)

"I Pity the Fool" is a song originally recorded by Bobby Bland in 1961 for Duke Records. The song was credited to Deadric Malone, a pseudonym of Duke Records owner Don Robey.[1] David Bowie covered it under the name The Manish Boys in 1965 and it was released as his second single.

According to author Charles Farley, the song was actually written by Joe Medwick (born Joseph Medwick Veasey), who would regularly sell his completed songs, which also included "Farther Up the Road", to Robey for small sums (recollections of the sum vary between $5 and $100).[2]

Bobby Bland version

The recording was made in Houston, Texas in 1960 probably with Joe Scott and Melvin Jackson on trumpets, Pluma Davis on trombone, Robert Skinner and L.A. Hill on tenor saxophone, Rayfield Devers on baritone saxophone, Teddy Raynolds on piano, Wayne Bennett on guitar, Hamp Simmons on bass, John "Jabo" Starks on drums and with unknown flute, choir and strings.[3][4]

Bland was enjoying a highly successful point of his career, at the time sending five consecutive songs into the Billboard R&B chart. The song "I Pity the Fool" became one of his biggests hits of his career, topping the R&B chart and also reaching #48 on the pop chart.[5]

The Manish Boys (with David Bowie) version

"I Pity the Fool"
Single by The Manish Boys
B-side "Take My Tip"
Released 5 March 1965
Format 7" single
Recorded 15 January 1965, IBC Studios, London
Genre
Length 2:08
Label Parlophone R5250
Writer(s) Deadric Malone
Producer(s) Shel Talmy
David Bowie singles chronology
"Liza Jane"
Davie Jones & the King Bees
(1964)
"I Pity the Fool"
The Manish Boys
(1965)
"You've Got a Habit of Leaving"
Davy Jones & the Lower Third
(1965)

The Manish Boys' (at that time featuring David Bowie) version was released in 1965. The recording was produced by Shel Talmy, who was also producing the early singles and albums by The Who and The Kinks. Jimmy Page was Talmy's regular session musician and he played the guitar solo on "I Pity the Fool".

During these sessions Page gave Bowie a guitar riff, which he didn't know what to do with. Bowie later used this guitar riff in two different songs, first on "The Supermen" from 1971 and second on "Dead Man Walking" from 1997.

The B-side, "Take My Tip" was the first song written by David Bowie (then known and credited as Davie Jones) to be released on record. [6]

Track listing

  1. "I Pity the Fool" (Malone) - 2:08
  2. "Take My Tip" (Davie Jones) – 2:15

Production credits

Other singles and compilations

Other covers

References

  1. Deadric Malone Biography on All Music
  2. Charles Farley, Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2011, p.88
  3. Liner notes to "Bobby Bland / I Pity the Fool - The Duke Recordings, Vol. One (MCA)"
  4. Blues Records 1943-1970, Vol. 1 A to K, Mike Leadbitter & Neil Slaven (Record Information Services)
  5. Bobby "Blue" Bland - Charts & Awards: Billboard Singles
  6. David Buckley (1999), Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story, p. 29

External links

Preceded by
"Pony Time" by Chubby Checker
Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single (Bobby Bland version)
March 27, 1961
Succeeded by
"Blue Moon" by The Marcels
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