"I'm Tore Down" or "Tore Down" is a blues song first recorded in 1961 by

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Most ...

(who was then known as "Freddy" King) for

Federal Records Federal Records was an American record label founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of Syd Nathan's King Records and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was run by famed record producer Ralph Bass and was mainly devoted to Rhythm & Blues releases. The compa ...

. Pianist

Sonny Thompson Sonny Thompson (probably August 23, 1916 – August 11, 1989), born Alfonso Thompson or Hezzie Tompson, was an American R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Biography There is some uncertainty over Thompson's origins, as ...

, who played on several early King songs, is credited as the songwriter. When Federal released it as single in 1961, with the instrumental "Sen-Sa-Shun" as the B-side, it reached number five on ''Billboard's'' Hot R&B Sides singles chart. Federal parent company King Records included the song on King's first album ''

Freddy King Sings ''Freddy King Sings'' is an album by blues singer and guitarist Freddie King. Released in 1961, it was King's first album and includes four singles that appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine's R&B and Pop charts. In 2008, ''Freddy King Sings'' was ...

'' (1961). In 1971, King recorded a longer version for his

Shelter Records Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop ...

album ''Getting Ready...''

Other renditions

English rock musician Eric Clapton recorded "I'm Tore Down" for his 1994 blues tribute album ''

From the Cradle ''From the Cradle'' is the twelfth solo studio album by Eric Clapton released on 13 September 1994 by Warner Bros. Records. A blues cover album and Clapton's follow-up to his successful 1992 live album, ''Unplugged,'' it is his only UK numbe ...

''. For his recording, Clapton uses an arrangement close to King's original, including the falsetto vocal phrases and guitar fills. Reprise Records released a

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

in 1994, which reached number five on ''Billboard's''

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...

chart. Clapton has performed the song on several occasions; live recordings appear on '' Live in Hyde Park'' (1997) and John Mayall's ''

70th Birthday Concert 70th Birthday Concert may refer to: * 70th Birthday Concert (John Mayall & the Bluesbreaker album) * 70th Birthday Concert (Duke Ellington album) {{dab ...

'' (2003). A studio version by Northern Irish guitarist and singer Gary Moore is included on the 2021 album ''How Blue Can You Get''. In an album review for ''Classic Rock'' magazine, Hugh Fielder describes it as "a hard-hitting, well-greased version of Freddie King’s I’m Tore Down, with Moore’s mean, gritty voice sliding all over the place and his vicious guitar phrases doing much the same".

References

{{authority control 1961 songs 1961 singles Freddie King songs Songs written by Sonny Thompson Blues songs Federal Records singles Gary Moore songs