"I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" is a song by

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pop-

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Fine Young Cannibals Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) was a British pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele (musician), David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat (British band), The Beat), and singer Roland Gift (fo ...

. It was released as the fourth single from the band's 1988 album '' The Raw & the Cooked''. The song reached the top 40 charts in the United Kingdom,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It also appeared on the CD version of the compilation album '' Now 16''.

Composition

Written by

lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

Roland Gift Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

David Steele, "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" contains prominent drum beats with keyboards and finger-picked guitar accompaniment. The song utilises, throughout the track, a sample from "

Funky Drummer "Funky Drummer" is a single released by James Brown in 1970. Its drum break, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled music recordings. Recording and composition "Funky Drummer" was recorded on November 20, 1969 ...

" by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

writer Jo-Ann Greene described the song as having "a futuristic jungle beat and an almost housey production".

Release and reception

"I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in November 1989 and spent eight weeks on the chart, peaking at number 20. The song also peaked at number 29 in Austria and the Netherlands, number 35 in Canada, and number 54 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Dave Thompson of Allmusic praised Gift for " s introspective lyrics and almost wistful performance". The song was featured in a 2009 episode of the American television series ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

'' on FX.

Track listing

;7" Vinyl #"I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" - 4:20 #"Motherless Child" - 2:33 ;12" Vinyl, CD Maxi-Single #"I'm Not The Man I Used To Be" (7" Mix) - 4:20 #"I'm Not The Man I Used To Be" (12" Remix) - 4:42 #"I'm Not The Man I Used To Be" (Instrumental) - 4:25 #"Motherless Child" - 2:37

Chart performance

References

{{authority control 1989 singles Fine Young Cannibals songs Songs written by David Steele (musician) Songs written by Roland Gift I.R.S. Records singles 1989 songs