But It's Alright
"But It's Alright" is a song co-written by J. J. Jackson and Pierre Tubbs that became a hit on the pop and soul charts in both 1966 and 1969.
| "But It's Alright" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by J. J. Jackson | |
| from the album But It's Alright | |
| B-side | "Boogaloo Baby" |
| Released | 1966 |
| Genre | Soul |
| Length | 2:55 |
| Label | Calla |
| Songwriter(s) | J.J. Jackson, Pierre Tubbs |
| Producer(s) | Lew Futterman |
Theme
The song's lyrics address the singer's girlfriend, who has broken his heart by cheating on him. But the song keeps a happy, upbeat tone due to the singer's belief in karma: "It's alright" because "you've got to reap what you sow, girl"; she will find herself cheated on as well.
History
Described as being "driven by one of the catchiest guitar hooks in the history of rock & roll and a devastating vocal performance",[1] the song was first released by Calla Records in 1966, as a single and on the album of the same name. Subsequent to acquiring the Calla Records catalogue, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts re-released the song in 1969, as a single and on the album The Great J.J. Jackson.
The single was recorded in the United Kingdom, and was one of the first R & B hit singles to have been recorded in England.[2] The song featured some of Britain's top jazz musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on guitar, Dick Morrissey on tenor sax and John Marshall on drums.[3]
When first released in 1966, the song reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Hot R&B Singles chart .[4] When re-released in May 1969, they reached number 45, and remained on the charts for nine weeks.[5] A Spanish language version of the song was also recorded by Jackson and released in 1969.[6]
Huey Lewis and the News version
In 1994, Huey Lewis and the News covered the song for their album Four Chords & Several Years Ago. It was released as a single, which included the studio version and a live rendition of the song.[7] The single reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[8] An EP CD single was released in Germany by Elektra Records.
Other cover versions
- In 1967, Brother Jack McDuff, with David "Fathead" Newman, covered "But It's Alright", as an instrumental version, on their album Double Barrelled Soul. The song was also released as a single.[9]
- Also in 1967, the song was also covered by Eddie Floyd and included on Floyd's Knock on Wood album.
- In 1981, Australian band Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons covered the song, which was released as a single from their Step Lively album.[10][11]
References
- John Bush, Review of "But It's Alright"; AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
- Back Tracking; ska2soul. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
- Smith and Morrissey would later co-found the successful jazz-rock band If.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 281.
- Joe Troiano, Review of "But It's Alright" Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine; Joe T's Soda Shop. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- Particulars of "Pero Esta Bien"/"No Esta Bien"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-29. Being Spanish versions of "But It's Alright" and "That Ain't Right".
- Particulars of "But It's Alright"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 145.
- Brother Jack McDuff Quintet feat. David Newman - But It's Alright; Funky16Corners. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- Particulars of "But It's Alright"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-20. The single release included a spoken intro on one side, and the song on the other.
- Particulars of Step Lively; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-27.