"I Pity the Fool" is a

soul blues Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music. Origin African American singers and musicians who grew up listening to the electric blues by ar ...

song originally recorded by

Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was descr ...

in 1961 for his first Duke Records album, '' Two Steps from the Blues''. Many music writers believe it was written by

Joe Medwick Joseph Michael Medwick (November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975), nicknamed "Ducky" and "Muscles", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals during the " Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also pla ...

, although Duke owner Don Robey (using the pseudonym "Deadric Malone") appears on the songwriting credits. The lyrics tell of a man, who, while pitying others for falling for a certain woman, knows that he is also shamed. After its release as a single, it became one of Bland's biggest hits and most identifiable songs. Subsequently, several artists have recorded renditions.

Original song

Bland described "I Pity the Fool" as one of the first songs to fit his emerging style. Although he did not recall the writer, he acknowledged

's contribution. However, Bland biographer Charles Farley identifies Medwick as the actual writer. Medwick (born Medwick Veasey) was a Houston, Texas-area, independent songwriter/broker. He regularly sold his completed songs to Duke owner Robey for small sums, along with any claim for the songwriting credit. Bland recorded "I Pity the Fool" during the second session for his album ''Two Steps from the Blues''. Overseeing the November 12, 1960, session in Chicago was band leader and arranger Joe Scott. He used a six-piece horn section with twin trumpets. Wayne Bennett's contrasting lead guitar along with the horn arrangement are key elements of the song. Music writer Chris O'Leary describes Bland's vocal: Blues historian David Evans calls Bland, "the picture of utter humiliation in this frightening outburst, sounding like he is going to do harm to himself or someone else. This is powerful soul blues at its emotional best."

Releases and charts

"I Pity the Fool" was the first single released from ''Two Steps from the Blues''. It entered the ''Billboard's'' Hot R&B Sides chart in February 1961, where it reached number one. The single also appeared at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. As one of his most successful songs, it appears on numerous compilation albums, such as ''Bobby Bland: I Pity the Fool – The Duke Recordings, Vol. One'' (1992).

Personnel

* Joe Scotttrumpet *Melvin Jacksontrumpet *Pluma Davistrombone *Robert Skinnertenor saxophone *L.A. Hilltenor saxophone *Rayfield Deversbaritone saxophone *Teddy Raynoldspiano * Wayne Bennettguitar *Hamp Simmonsbass * John "Jabo" Starksdrums *unknownflute, choir, and strings

The Manish Boys (with David Bowie) version

The Manish Boys' (at that time featuring

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

) version was released in 1965. The recording was produced by

Shel Talmy Sheldon Talmy (born August 11, 1937) is an American record producer, songwriter and arranger, best known for his work in the UK in the 1960s with the Who, the Kinks and many others. Talmy arranged and produced hits such as "You Really Got Me" ...

, who was also producing the early singles and albums by

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

and

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhyt ...

. Jimmy Page was Talmy's regular session musician and he played the guitar solo on "I Pity the Fool". During these sessions Page gave Bowie a guitar riff, which he didn't know what to do with. Bowie later used this guitar riff in two different songs, first on " The Supermen" from 1970 Nicholas Pegg (2000), ''The Complete David Bowie'', pp.209–210. and second on " Dead Man Walking" from 1997."Changes 2.1", Joe Gore, Guitar Player magazine, June 1997, pp 45–58. The B-side, "Take My Tip" was the first song written by David Bowie (then known and credited as Davie Jones) to be released on record.

Releases

Both the A and B-side was re-released by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

in the UK in March 1979 on one side of a 7-inch single. On the B-side of this re-release was " You've Got a Habit of Leaving" and " Baby Loves That Way". This version was again released by

See For Miles Records See for Miles Records (SFM) was a British record label which was one of the first British re-issue specialists predating the emergence of compact discs. See for Miles reissued most of the records of many labels including Dandelion Records on C ...

in the UK in October 1982, and as a 12-inch picture disc in June 1985. The re-release by See For Miles in 1982 took the edge off a collector's market since EMI's March 1979 reissue disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived. Both tracks appear on the CD compilation '' Early On (1964-1966)'' from 1991, but both have alternate vocals.

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: * David Jonesvocals, alto saxophone * Johnny Fluxrhythm guitar * Jimmy Pagelead guitar *John Watsonbass guitar *Mick Whitedrums *Bob SollyLeslie organ *Woolf Byrnebaritone saxophone *Paul Rodrigueztenor saxophone, trumpet ;Technical *

producer *

Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...

engineer

Renditions by other artists

As one of Bland's most popular songs, several artists have recorded "I Pity the Fool". Soul singer

Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are " I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband ...

recorded it for her 1971 album ''Part Time Love''. Released as a single by

Hi Records Hi Records is an American soul music and rockabilly label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1957 by singer Ray Harris, record store owner Joe Cuoghi, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch (formerly producers for Sun Records), and three silent partne ...

, her version reached number 18 on ''Billboards R&B chart and number 85 on its Hot 100.

References

{{authority control 1960 songs 1961 singles Bobby Bland songs 1965 singles Blues songs David Bowie songs Song recordings produced by Shel Talmy Songs written by Don Robey Parlophone singles Duke Records singles