I'm Laughing at You

Song: I'm Laughing At You
Artist: Gardenias
Written: Gardenias ?
Year : 1957
Album/Single: Hi-Q # 5005

Cobra's Version
Song: Laughing at You
Released: May 1, 2001
Album: Life, Love and Leaving



Today's selection is going to be short and sweet.
If you thought I had nothing on Bobbie Smith and the Dreamgirls you ain't seen nothing yet.

Here's what we have been able to determine:
The song was release in 1957 on Hi-Q Records # 5005 back with "Houdini".

The only album I have been able to find it on is "Ultra Rare Rockin' & Boppin', Vol. 1", a compilation disc out of the Netherlands.

Dave the Spazz played it on October 25th, 2005 and June 8th, 2006 on his WFMU radio show

Marist College has a copy of the single in box 29 which should be a relief to Steve Palopoli's concern that it wasn't "available in its original form from anyone, anywhere."

Again - I suspect they were a Detroit based group. Hi-Q was a subsidary of Fortune Records. Fortune was a very influential and powerful label in Detroit in the late 50's / early sixties (we'll cover Fortune in more detail on a later post). In looking over some of the other acts on the Hi-Q discography I recognize some other Detroit acts - John Lee Hooker, Eddie Kirk, Dell Vaughn. Then again, there are plenty of other acts that probably did not come from Detroit - Cherokee Chief and his Oaklahoma Rockers, Ralph Davis and the Western Rhythm Boys & Shorty Frog and his Space Cats. So I could be wrong . . .

Lyrics:
Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You starting laughing
when I told you I love you

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You had your winning spree
and now you say you want me

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

I know that when you go
You'll come and let me know
That you were tired of being a fool

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

While the original is a fast paced (for 1957) piano based R&B, the Cobra's is an even faster guitar based rocker, replacing the original's sax solo with a tasty guitar solo (by Maribel ?), shaving 15% off the total time (1:52 vs 1:35). Which is probably why they shaved the "I'm" from the title when they renamed it "Laughing At You"

Download it now:
Gardenias - I'm Laughing At You - 1957 - Hi-Q # 5005
Available on "Ultra Rare Rockin' & Boppin', Vol. 1" if you can find it . . .
Buy "Life, Love and Leaving" by the Detroit Cobras

If 529 words (is "Uhh" a word?) is short and sweet, watch out when I actually have something to say