Don Covay S/D

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I have and love his 1966 album "See Saw" (on a CD reissue, paired with 1965's "Mercy"). What other Covay solo stuff should I search out? How about great albums/singles by other artists, featuring his songwriting? (And, finally, if you can be bothered: other great party-time '60s soul music that might measure up to "See Saw.")

― Sam Jeffries (samjeff), Friday, 28 March 2003 20:43 (twenty-three years ago)

About 15 years ago, Polygram put out a great comp of his early '70s stuff, _Checkin' In With Don Covay_--"Overtime Man" is a killer, and I'm very fond of his Angela Davis tribute, "Dungeon #3," too.

And his first single, "Bip Bop Bip," recorded under the name Pretty Boy back in the '50s, is an excellent Little Richard ripoff.

― Douglas (Douglas), Saturday, 29 March 2003 00:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Famous trivia: Jimi Hendrix plays on some of Covay's tracks, including Mercy Mercy. (I can't even begin to address the parenthetical question - for me, that's like saying "can you name some good rock tracks please?")

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 29 March 2003 15:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I am extremely partial to "It's Better To Have (And Don't Need)" - not least because of it's the wonderfully ridiculous backing vocals

― Dadaismus, Saturday, 29 March 2003 16:02 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

I just got Superdude: The Mercury Years, Vol 1.
It's pretty sweet.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Shit--there's a Mercury years comp? Is this the era of "I Was Checkin' Out"? Yes, never mind, the liners for the Koch reissue mentioned below say it is. I have to get this.

I guess the essential Don is that reissue of "Mercy!" and "See-Saw," all fantastic.

Funny, I was listening last night to some Gene Chandler stuff my friend burned me, and digging "You Threw a Lucky Punch," and that's by Covay.

Regarding Hendrix and "Mercy," I've heard that too, and it sure sounds like it could be Hendrix. But I've not seen anything that truly confirms this. Martin, what say you?

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 28 April 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Don't Know What You've Got (But it's Got Me)." Little Richard.

didn't Covay sing on and co-write? So, so great. SO GREAT

― lildaveygeffen, Thursday, 28 April 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"Richard, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOIN' ON!"

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 28 April 2005 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Don't Know What You've Got (But it's Got Me)." Little Richard.

didn't Covay sing on and co-write? So, so great. SO GREAT

yeah, he did. one of the greatest Little Richard songs!

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 28 April 2005 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Don and the Goodtimes - Turn On / Make It (Wand)
- 2 early and great raw instrumental sides

Don Covay - I Was Checking Out, She Was Checking In / Money (That's What I Want) (Mercury)
- deep soul A, fuzzed out Barrett Strong cover on flip...

― michael2 (michael2), Friday, 29 April 2005 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I got the "It's better to have" album, and sad to say, that track is tons better than anything else on it.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)

So, in "I Was Checkin' Out", at the end, when Don sees that the motel gave his wife and her paramour the same room that he just checked out of with his extra-curricular 'tang, REMIND TO NEVER STAY THERE.

Also, "Pinch Hitter" is gorgeous.

― Huk-L, Friday, 29 April 2005 13:46 (twenty-one years ago)

she was with another dude.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 29 April 2005 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

He has the happiest sounding guitar.

― Huk-L, Friday, 29 April 2005 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Good call.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 29 April 2005 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

mercy/see saw 2nded or 3rded.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Friday, 29 April 2005 18:21 (twenty-one years ago)

there was a VA thing of Covay songs a while back--with Iggy and Bobby Womack, I believe the odious Jon Tiven had something to do with it. I should be nice, but can't, and have to say I saw Tiven, who fucked up a Wilson Pickett album a few years back, and his wife back up this soul singer guy in Nashville who opened for the Zombies (Steve Cropper sat in, too, which was cool). But my friends and I laughed and snickered at Tiven and his lame guitar-playing...I know, not nice, but every once in a while I'm entitled. Anyway, whatever that album was, it sucked.

I hear Don's in bad health these days.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 30 April 2005 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

how this has gone on without any mention made of his House of Blue Lights record with John Hammond (reissued by sepia-tone) is absurd. great ruff garage cuffs with a killer seven minute blues dirge with sitar and hammond (the organ and the man). you can also hear him barking like a dog and acting like sly stone.

― Beta (abeta), Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

nine years pass...

http://oregonmusicnews.com/2015/02/02/don-covay-soul-singer-songwriter-dead-76/

He had been in ill health for awhile after a stroke. No larger outlets are reporting this yet. Reports of the death have also been on facebook

― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 February 2015 18:34 (eleven years ago)

Oh, no. RIP :( Have I told you my Don Covay story?

― Sweet Melissus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 2 February 2015 19:44 (eleven years ago)

Don't think so

― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 February 2015 19:54 (eleven years ago)

have i posted this one before?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWr3rgdlOpE

it's from one of his neglected(?) 1970s albums, and is one of the best soul ballads he or anyone else recorded IMO.

― I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 19:25 (eleven years ago)

wow. that is sweet.

― campreverb, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 19:58 (eleven years ago)

yeah, covay was one of those guys who navigated a bunch of changes in black music much more successfully (aesthetically if not always commercially) than a lot of his contemporaries.

― I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 20:08 (eleven years ago)

nine years pass...

Picked up the Mercy Mercy comp on Razor and Tie for a couple of bucks the other day. That's some good late afternoon grooves.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 23:22 (one year ago)

have i posted this one before?

it's from one of his neglected(?) 1970s albums, and is one of the best soul ballads he or anyone else recorded IMO.

― I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, February 4, 2015 1:25 PM (nine years ago) bookmarkflaglink

wonder what this was

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 23:27 (one year ago)

Super Dude is a great album

― Mule, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 23:37 (one year ago)

Super Dude is a great album

― Mule, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 23:37 (one year ago)

So good I said it twice

― Mule, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 23:37 (one year ago)

Picked up the Mercy Mercy comp on Razor and Tie for a couple of bucks the other day. That's some good late afternoon grooves.

Great find. That's the best CD you can get on Covay.

― birdistheword, Wednesday, 30 October 2024 01:59 (one year ago)

xp to me

for some reason it doesn't show up for me on my computer, but i could see on my phone that the song amateurist shared was "leave him" from the "super dude" LP (just in case the video link ever goes away)

― budo jeru, Wednesday, 30 October 2024 17:08 (one year ago)

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