I Pity the Fool 4383375 217025969 2008-06-04T08:28:34Z Witchwooder 5087452 dab organ {{For|the TV series starring [[Mr. T]]|I Pity the Fool (TV series)}} {{Infobox Single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs --> | Name = I Pity the Fool | Cover = Bowie I Pity the Fool.jpg | Caption = | Artist =The Manish Boys | from Album = | A-side = | B-side = "Take My Tip" | Released = [[March 5]], [[1965]] | Format = [[Single (music)|7" single]] | Recorded = | Genre = [[R&B]] | Length = 2:08 | Label = [[Parlophone]]<small> R5250</small> | Writer = Deadric Malone | Producer = [[Shel Talmy]] | Certification = | Chronology = [[David Bowie]] | Last single = "[[Liza Jane]]"<br>Davie Jones & the King Bees <br>([[1964]]) | This single = "I Pity the Fool"<br>The Manish Boys <br>([[1965]]) | Next single = "[[You've Got a Habit of Leaving]]"<br>Davy Jones & the Lower Third<br>([[1965]]) | Misc = }} "'''I Pity the Fool'''" is a song written by [[Deadric Malone]]. The song had been an R&B-topper for [[Bobby Bland]] in 1961. This was the second single by [[David Bowie]] and it was released under the name The Manish Boys. The single was produced by [[Shel Talmy]], who was also producing the early singles and albums by [[The Who]] and [[The Kinks]]. [[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 1971 and second on "[[Dead Man Walking (song)|Dead Man Walking]]" from 1997. The B-side, "Take My Tip" was the first song written by David Bowie to be released on record. The Manish Boys performed gigs at the [[Marquee Club]] and the [[The Roundhouse|Roundhouse]] in London, and even was a support act for a [[Gene Pitney]] and [[Gerry and the Pacemakers]] tour in 1965. They also appeared on TV shows like ''[[Juke Box Jury]]'', BBC2's ''[[Gadzooks]]'' and ''[[The Beat Room]]''. ==Track listing== # "I Pity the Fool" (Malone) - 2:08 # "[[Take My Tip]]" (Bowie) – 2:15 ==Production credits== * '''[[Record producer|Producer]]s''': ** [[Shel Talmy]] * '''[[Musician]]s''': ** David Jones: [[Singer|Vocals]], [[Alto sax]] ** Johny Flux [[Johnny Edward|John Edward]]: [[lead Guitar]] (born in [[1944]]) ** [[Jimmy Page]]: [[Guitar solo]] ** John Watson: [[Bass guitar|Bass]] (born in [[1944]]) ** Mick White (John Whitehead): [[Drum]]s (born in [[1943]]) ** Bob Solly: [[organ (music)|organ]] (born Robert Solly, in [[1946]]) ** Wilf Byrne: [[Baritone sax]] and [[harmonica]] (born in [[1941]]) ** Paul Rodriguez: [[Tenor sax]] and [[Trumpet]] (born in [[1944]]) ==Other releases== * Both the A and B-side was re-released by [[EMI]] in the UK in March 1979 on one side of a 7". 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]] in the UK in October 1982, and as a 12" 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. * It also appeared on the compilation ''[[Early On (1964-1966)]]'' from 1991. Both "I Pity the Fool" and "Take My Tip" also appear with alternate vocals as bonus tracks on some releases of ''Early On''. * Another version of "I Pity the Fool" by populair [[blues]] musician [[Robert Cray]] gained some fame and popularity as well, with the release of "[[Martin Scorsese]] Presents The Blues" in 2003. Additional vocals were delivered by Shemekia Copeland. The same version was latterly used for the score of [[Antoine Fuqua]]'s documentary "Lightning In A Bottle" (released as a soundtrack in the US in September 2004). ==References== David Buckley (1999), ''Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story'', p. 29 {{David bowie}} [[Category:1965 singles]] [[Category:David Bowie songs]]