Hard to Handle (song)
"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song written by American soul singer Otis Redding along with Al Bell and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by Redding, it was released in 1968 as the B-side to "Amen" (shortly after the singer's sudden death in 1967). The song also appears on the 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached number 38 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 51 on the pop chart.[1]
"Hard to Handle" | |
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Song by Otis Redding | |
from the album The Immortal Otis Redding | |
Released | June 1968 |
Recorded | 1967 |
Genre | Soul, funk |
Length | 2:17 |
Label | Atco |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | Steve Cropper |
Official audio | |
Hard To Handle (Official Lyric Video) on YouTube |
American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, reaching number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their rendition.
The Black Crowes version
"Hard to Handle" | ||||
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![]() | ||||
Single by the Black Crowes | ||||
from the album Shake Your Money Maker | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | August 13, 1990 | |||
Length | 3:08 | |||
Label | Def American | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | George Drakoulias | |||
The Black Crowes singles chronology | ||||
|
American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. Two versions of the song exist: the original album version and the hit single remixed with an overdubbed brass section. The album version was first released as a single in the United Kingdom in August 1990 and was issued in the United States later the same year.
The song peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the success of the band's first top-40 hit, "She Talks to Angels", the song re-entered the Hot 100 and peaked at number 26 in August 1991, becoming the Black Crowes' highest position on the chart. The same month, the song was re-released in the UK and reached a new peak of number 39.
Track listings
US 7-inch and cassette single (1990)[2][3]
International 7-inch and cassette single (1990)[4][5]
UK 12-inch single (1990)[6]
UK CD single (1990)[8]
|
UK 7-inch single (1991)[9]
UK 7-inch picture disc (1991)[10]
UK 12-inch single (1991)[11]
UK CD single (1991)[12]
|
Charts
Chart (1990–1991) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[13] | 79 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] | 40 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 56 |
UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 45 |
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 1991 re-release |
39 |
US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 26 |
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[19] | 1 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | August 13, 1990 |
|
Def American | [20] |
August 28, 1990 | 12-inch picture disc | [21] | ||
United States | 1990 |
|
||
United Kingdom | August 12, 1991 |
|
[22] |
Other versions
- Sunshine Pop group, Harpers Bizarre covered the song in their unique style on their 1969 LP Harpers Bizarre 4
- Reggae artist Carl Dawkins recorded a cover, produced by Lee Perry in 1969 as a 7" A side
- Soul artist King Floyd covers this song on his 1973 studio album "Think About It" (Atco Records)
- Reggae artist Toots Hibbert covered the song on his 1988 album Toots in Memphis
- Reggae artist Capleton used the ascension / descension for "Wings of the Mourning" (remix) 1992 on the Def Jam label
- Masta Ace samples this song's bass line for "Four Minus Three", a song from his debut album Take a Look Around
- The Lemon Jelly 2001 song "Rock", from a rare limited edition (1000 copies) single called "Soft/Rock" (which came in a pair of Levi's jeans with a condom in the pocket), features sampled elements of "Hard to Handle"
- The hip-hop producer Marley Marl sampled the five-note ascension and descension intro for his song "The Symphony" from his 1988 album In Control, Volume 1; it was re-sampled for Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 song "Hard" and Snoop Dogg's 1999 song "Ghetto Symphony", from his album No Limit Top Dogg
- Rapper Frankie Cutlass uses the five ascending notes on "The Cypher Pt III" from his 1997 album Politics & Bullsh*t
- German hip-hop band Fünf Sterne deluxe used the melody and samples in their 1998 song "Willst du mit mir gehn"
- The Grateful Dead performed the song on occasion in the late 1960s and early 1970s, typically sung by keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan; it appears on the Grateful Dead live albums History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice), Fallout from the Phil Zone, Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks Volume 35, Dave's Picks Volume 6, Dave's Picks Volume 10, Dave's Picks Volume 19, and Dave's Picks Volume 30
- Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack included a cover of the Black Crowes version on their 2002 live album DisCover
- Gov't Mule covered the song for their 2007 album Mighty High;[23] they fused blues and reggae to produce this dub-style cover
- Mae West, as Leticia Van Allen, sings the song in the 1970 film Myra Breckenridge [24]
- British R&B/rock band Snafu included the song on their 1975 album All Funked Up[25] and performed it for John Peel on his show of 4 September 1975[26]
- The Blues Brothers did the song in Blues Brothers Belushi Birthday Bash at the House of Blues https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Z4ieBYO4w
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 486.
- Hard to Handle (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. 7-19245.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (US cassette single cassette notes). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. 19245-4.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. DEFA 6, 878 132–7.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK cassette single sleeve). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. DEFAM 6.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. DEFA 612, 878 133-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 12-inch picture disc sleeve). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. DEFAP 612.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK CD single liner notes). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1990. DEFAC 6, 878 133–2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1991. DEFA10, 868 838-7.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 7-inch picture disc sleeve). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1991. DEFAP 10, 868 840-7.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1991. DEFA 1012, 868 839-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hard to Handle (UK CD single liner notes). The Black Crowes. Def American Recordings. 1991. DEFAC10, 868 839-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9091." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- "The Black Crowes – Hard to Handle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- "The Black Crowes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- "The Black Crowes Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- "New Singles". Music Week. August 11, 1990. p. 27.
- "New Singles". Music Week. August 25, 1990. p. 23.
- "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 10, 1991. p. 19.
- "Mighty High. Gov't Mule. ATO Records. 2007. ATO0039, 88088-21585-2". Discogs.
- ""Hard to Handle",<Mae West, YouTube, posted March 29, 2021".
- "All Funked Up – Snafu | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- "BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 28/08/1975 Snafu".