Have Mercy Baby
"Have Mercy Baby" is a popular rhythm and blues song, written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks, recorded by The Dominoes in Cincinnati, produced by Ralph Bass, and released by Federal Records in 1952. It was Number One on the R&B Charts for ten non consecutive weeks.[1]
| "Have Mercy Baby" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Billy Ward and the Dominoes | ||||
| B-side | "Deep Sea Blues" | |||
| Released | April 1952 | |||
| Recorded | January 28, 1952 | |||
| Label | Federal | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Ward, Rose Marks | |||
| Billy Ward and the Dominoes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Have Mercy Baby" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by James Brown | ||||
| from the album Papa's Got a Brand New Bag | ||||
| B-side | "Just Won't Do Right (I Stay in the Chapel Every Night)" | |||
| Released | 1964 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 2:14 | |||
| Label | King 5968 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Ward, Rose Marks | |||
| Producer(s) | James Brown | |||
| James Brown charting singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Description
Clyde McPhatter's roots were in the black church. The song is essentially the gospel song "Have Mercy, Jesus" sung in the call-and-response style of a gospel quartet, although it is in the straight twelve-bar blues form that gospel singers disdained. In the first chorus McPhatter simply follows the melody, but subsequently he freely improvises in the gospel style with short but spectacular melismas, stringing out phrases to overlap the backup singers responses, interjecting screams and yeahs, shouting a gospel funk. The backup band lays down the rhythm and provides the expected tenor sax solo.[2][3]
Impact
The Dominoes' version of "Have Mercy Baby" was the definitive rhythm and gospel record.[3] Influenced by the group's lead singer Clyde McPhatter, its importance lies in that it was the first popular R&B recording highlighting passionate black gospel music features.[2]
Cover Versions
Other significant recordings of the song were made by:
- The Bobbettes (1960),
- The Rivingtons (1962)
- James Brown (1964), whose version charted #92 Pop.[2][4]
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 168.
- Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 105–108. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
- Holly George-Warren &, Anthony Decurtis (Eds.) (1976). The RollingStone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll (3rd ed.). New York: Random House. pp. 18–20. ISBN 0-679-73728-6.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.