"Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" is a 1978 song, written and originally recorded by
Moon Martin and sung a year later by
Robert Palmer. The song became one of Palmer's definitive hits.
Background
Moon Martin originally recorded the song in 1978. Martin's record label
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
released the song in the United Kingdom and Spain as a stand-alone vinyl single but inserted the song into the United States release of Martin's album ''Shots from a Cold Nightmare''. His original recording did not enter the music charts.
Robert Palmer version
A year later, the song appeared on Robert Palmer's album
''Secrets''. In Palmer's home country, the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at #61 on the
UK Singles Chart on July 7, 1979.
The version became more successful in other countries. In the United States, Palmer's version reached #14 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, #10 on the ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' Top 100, and #1 on the Canadian ''RPM'' chart in 1979. The Palmer version was remixed with heavier guitars and drums for his greatest hits collection ''
Addictions: Volume 1''. The song was nominated for
Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the
22nd Annual Grammy Awards. In the Netherlands, it reached #2 on the
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...
chart on August 4, 1979, five weeks after its debut (July 7) on the chart.
In New Zealand, it reached #20 in the
Top 40 Singles Chart on the week of October 7, 1979,
five weeks after its debut at #43 on the chart (September 9).
The song begins with a stanza written in typical eight-bar blues structure and chord sequence and then progresses to a 10-bar blues chorus.
''
Billboard'' reviewer Ed Harrison praised Palmer's rendition as "the kind of intelligent rock tune."
Other covers
Bad Company singer
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is an English-Canadian singer. He was the lead vocalist of numerous successful rock bands, including Free (band), Free, Bad Company, The Firm (rock band), the Firm and The Law (English band), the L ...
covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1992
slasher film ''
Dr. Giggles''.
Mexican-American singer
Tatiana recorded a Spanish-language cover version in 1994 for her album ''Un Alma Desnuda'' and was released as the second single from the album.
A cover version of the chorus also is part of the theme of the American syndicated series ''
The Doctors''.
Australian
Adam Brand and the Outlaws covered the song on the 2016 album ''
Adam Brand and the Outlaws''.
Chart performance
;Weekly charts
;Year-end charts
References
{{authority control
1978 songs
1979 singles
Robert Palmer (singer) songs
Island Records singles
RPM Top Singles number-one singles