"I Ain't No Miracle Worker" is a song by the American
garage rock
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
band,
the Brogues
The Brogues were an American garage rock band formed in Merced, California, in 1964. Much of the group's brief recording career was marked by distorted-guitar melodies and rhythm and blues, R&B-influenced vocals. They released two regionally suc ...
, written by
Annette Tucker
Annette May Tucker is an American songwriter, who found success in the 1960s as co-writer of songs for The Electric Prunes ("I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", "Get Me to the World on Time"), The Brogues (" I Ain't No Miracle Worker"), The K ...
and Nancie Mantz, and released as the group's second and final
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
on
Challenge Records, in November 1965 (''see''
1965 in music
List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1965.
__TOC__
Specific locations
* 1965 in British music
* 1965 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
*1965 in country music
* 1965 in jazz
Events
*January 4 – Fender Musical Instrum ...
). The composition is now considered a classic of the musical genre of garage rock, and has reappeared on several
compilation albums
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
and has been
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by other musical artists. The Brogues' original rendition was musically influenced by their contemporaries on the
R&B circuit and the
British Invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on b ...
.
Background
The Brogues version
The Brogues
The Brogues were an American garage rock band formed in Merced, California, in 1964. Much of the group's brief recording career was marked by distorted-guitar melodies and rhythm and blues, R&B-influenced vocals. They released two regionally suc ...
were hurried to record a follow-up
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
after the regional success of their debut, "Someday". Over the span of a few months, the group's rebellious image and dynamic stage show launched them into prominence on the West Coast. In mid-1965, the band, bolstered by their addition of ex-Ratz
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 ...
Gary Cole, entered Sunset Recorders in Los Angeles to record "I Ain't No Miracle Worker", which was penned by the songwriting duo of
Annette Tucker
Annette May Tucker is an American songwriter, who found success in the 1960s as co-writer of songs for The Electric Prunes ("I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", "Get Me to the World on Time"), The Brogues (" I Ain't No Miracle Worker"), The K ...
and Nancie Mantz, coupled with "Don't Shoot Me Down". The song's lyrics are about an individual who has no pretensions about himself and confesses in the subdued chorus "I ain't no miracle worker"/"I do the best that I can". The Brogues reworked Tucker's original instrumental arrangement with a jangling
Byrds
The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining th ...
-inspired
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
section and fuzz-toned guitar melody. The buzzing distorted sound was produced by
lead guitarist
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featured ...
Eddie Rodrigues's shredded
speakers
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** In ...
in his
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...
. In addition to the striking guitar
motif, the song is also marked by Cole's soulful vocal, Rick Campbell's
electronic organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...
interjections, and Bill Whittington's heavy
bass line.
"I Ain't No Miracle Worker" was released in November 1965 on the
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
, Challenge. Upon release however, the single failed to breakout nationally as a consequence of the record company's advertising focus being directed toward
The Knickerbockers
The Knickerbockers were an American garage rock band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1964. They released the 1965 hit "Lies (The Knickerbockers song), Lies", which was known for its resemblance to the Beatles. The band was formed in 1964 ...
' hit, "
Lies". Additionally, the Brogues could not promote the single as they disbanded after two of their members were
conscripted
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
into the armed forces.
[ Since its initial distribution, "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" is immortalized on the 1998 ]compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, 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 rele ...
reissue of the compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
'' Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968'' and later ''Trash Box
''Trash Box'' is a 5-CD box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. This box set is similar to the earlier ''Pebbles Box'' (a 5-LP box set) and includes almost all of the same recordings in tha ...
''. The B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
, "Don't Shoot Me Down" is featured on '' Pebbles, Volume 10''.
Other versions
The Chocolate Watchband
The Chocolate Watchband is an American garage rock band that formed in 1965 in Los Altos, California. The band went through several lineup changes during its existence. Combining psychedelic and garage rock components, their sound was marked by Da ...
recorded their own version of "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" in 1968 for their second album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
'' The Inner Mystique''. The group's rendition is swayed more toward psychedelia
Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...
with its sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
-like guitar instrumentals played cohesively with its conventional 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 ...
arrangement. The song reaches a climax with lead vocalist David Aguilar's half-shouted chorus. In 2015, the Chocolate Watchband re-recorded the tune for the album ''I'm Not Like Everybody Else'', along with their other better-known tracks. Other versions of "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" were also released by the Italian beat group I Corvi
I Corvi (Italian for "The Crows") is an Italian beat group who were successful in the 1960s.
The group was formed in Parma in 1965, to perform cover versions of popular American and British records. The original members were Angelo Ravasini (voc ...
, which became their biggest hit, Jimmy and the Offbeats, Gene Pierson
Gene Pierson (born Giancarlo Salvestrin, 29 April 1946) is a musician, who had an early solo career in New Zealand and then in Australia. His 1960s and early 1970s songs, "Love, Love, Love", "You Got to Me" and "Reach Out", achieved local chart ...
, The Barracudas
The Barracudas are an English surf music, surf rock band formed in late 1978. The band's original line-up consisted of Jeremy Gluck (Singing, vocals), Robin Wills (guitar and vocals), Starkie Phillips (Bass guitar, bass and vocals) and Adam Phil ...
, and Scott Miller & the Commonwealth (under the name "Miracle Man") on 2001's '' Thus Always to Tyrants''.
References
{{authority control
1965 songs
Songs written by Annette Tucker