"But It's Alright" (aka "It's Alright", due to its lyrics) is a song co-written by J. J. Jackson and

Pierre Tubbs Pierre Tubbs (born Pierre Richard Roman Tubbs, 1942) is a British songwriter, record producer and album sleeve designer. One of his biggest successes is "Right Back Where We Started From", which he co-wrote with J. Vincent Edwards. The song ...

that became a hit on the pop and soul charts in both 1966 and 1969.

Theme

The lyrics address the singer's girlfriend, who has broken his heart by cheating on him. But the song keeps a happy, upbeat tone due to the singer's belief in

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

: "It's alright" because "you've got to reap what you sow, girl" and she will find herself cheated on as well.

History

Described as being "driven by one of the catchiest guitar hooks in the history of rock & roll and a devastating vocal performance", the song was first released by

Calla Records Calla Records was a small, New York City-based independent black owned Soul record label run by Nate McCalla (1930-1980) and active from approximately 1965 to 1977. McCalla was an associate and bodyguard for Morris Levy who headed Roulette Records ...

in 1966, as a single and on the album of the same name. Subsequent to acquiring the Calla Records catalogue, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts re-released the song in 1969, as a single and on the album '' The Great J.J. Jackson''. The single was recorded in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and was one of the first R & B hit singles to have been recorded in England. The song featured some of Britain's top

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

Dick Morrissey Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute. Biography Background He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerged ...

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

and

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s. When first released in 1966, the song reached number 22 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

and number 4 on the

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

chart. When re-released in May 1969, they reached number 45, and remained on the charts for nine weeks. In Canada, it reached number 63. A

Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

version was also recorded by Jackson and released in 1969.

Huey Lewis and the News version

In 1994,

Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News (formerly known as Huey Lewis & The American Express) are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singl ...

covered the song for their album ''

Four Chords & Several Years Ago ''Four Chords & Several Years Ago'' is the seventh album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1994. The title is a play on the first sentence in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address ("Four score and seven years ago ..."). ...

''. It was released as a single, which included the studio version and a live rendition. The single reached number 54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart. An EP CD single was released in Germany by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

Other cover versions

*In 1967, Brother Jack McDuff, with

David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...

, covered "But It's Alright", as an instrumental version, on their album ''

Double Barrelled Soul ''Double Barrelled Soul'' is a 1967 album by American organist Brother Jack McDuff and American saxophonist David Newman which was released on the Atlantic label.Eddie Floyd Eddie Lee Floyd (born June 25, 1937) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 R&B hit song " Knock on Wood". Early life and education Floy ...

and included on Floyd's ''

Knock on Wood Knock on Wood may refer to: * Knocking on wood, an act of superstition Music * Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd song), "Knock on Wood" (Eddie Floyd song), a 1966 song by Eddie Floyd, covered by many performers * Knock on Wood (Amii Stewart album), '' ...

'' album. * In 1969, a version was recorded by Wilmer & the Dukes. *In 1976 a cover was included on ''The Best of Redbone'' by Redbone. *In 1981, Australian band

Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons are an Australian blues music, blues and rock music, rock band that features the singer, songwriter and saxophonist Joe Camilleri (aka "Jo Jo Zep"). The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had severa ...

covered the song, which was released as a single from their '' Step Lively'' album.Particulars of ''Step Lively''
Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-27.

References

{{Authority control 1966 singles 1969 singles 1981 singles 1994 singles Calla Records singles Warner Records singles Huey Lewis and the News songs Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons songs 1966 songs Songs written by Pierre Tubbs