I Can't Please You

Song: I Can't Please You
Artist: Jimmy Robins
Written: Jimmy Robins
Year : 1966
Album/Single: Jerhart # 207 A

Cobra's Version
Song: Just Can't Please You
Released: January 18, 2005
Album: Baby


Today's selection is from the other great Mid-western city - Chicago! (Sorry, Cleveland). The artist, Jimmy Robins, has been performing since the 50's, first as a gospel artist. It would also appear that he has come full circle, for he now bills himself as Jimmy "Preacher" Robins - check out his website. It seems he's not only still performing, but he can assist you with a limo, real estate or maybe introduce you to Denzel Washington. He also has a MySpace site where you can stream 4 of his songs, including "I Can't Please You".

Today's select was release in 1966 and was the only national hit for Bob Lee's Jerhart label, making it all the way to #131 ! Or maybe it was #55, as his website claims. It was also released in England on the President label.

Lyrics:
Hey! Oh Little Girl
What's wrong with you?
I've done everything
I knew to do

I've tried
So hard!
You misused me
But I tried
Sorry!
I just cant please you
Oh Little Girl
I've given you all that you need
And I've been a good man
A good man indeed

I've tried
So hard
You misused me
But I tried
Sorry!
I just cant please you

I brought you happiness when you were sad
Even made you smile when you were mad
Leaving me, baby, may make you glad
But you'll soon realize what a good man you had

Little Girl
Ohh, Ohh what's wrong with you
I've done everything
I knew to do

I've tried
So hard
You misused me
But I tried
Sorry!
I just cant please you

Oh Baby
Oh Girl
Gave you everything you wanted:
A fine automobile,
Plenty of money

What's wrong with you ?
Nothing I do satisfies:
Mink coats,
I brought you a diamond ring,
A fine home to live in . . .

I am particularly fond of the way he punctuates the "Sorry!"

Now while it may have been recorded in Chicago, it has a very Memphis / Bluesy sound to it. The Cobra's version substitutes the original's punching horn rhythm with - you guessed it! - Detroit garage guitar crunch. The lyrics remain true to the original, changing the gender of course. Rachel does not rap out during the fade, like Jimmy Robins did ("A fine automobile, plenty of money . . ."). They did "cobrasize" the title as well, turning "I Can't Please You" into "Just Can't Please You". Making it that much more difficult to research the origin . . .

(On a personal note, the missus and I will be attending the Detroit Cobra's shows at Mr Small's in Pittsburgh on July 13th, and at the Beach Ballroom in Cleveland on the 14th. If you see us (picture's above) at the show be sure to say hello.)


Download it now:
Jimmy Robbins - I Can't Please You - Jerhart # 207A - 1966
Available on "Northern Soul of Chicago, Vol. 2"

Buy "Baby" by the Detroit Cobras

The Slummer the Slum

Song: The Slummer the Slum
Artist: Five Royales
Written: Obadiah "Scoop" Carter/Lowman Pauling
Year : 1958
Album/Single: King # 5153

Cobra's Version

Song: Slummer (The Slum)
Released: February 24th, 1998
Album: Mink Rat or Rabbit


Once I got hooked on the Cobra's via "Shout Bama Lama", I started to do some research on them. One of the first descriptions I read said they mostly covered obscure old R&B songs, with the occasional punk song thrown in. The first time I heard "Slummer (The Slum)" I knew I had found their rare punk rock cover.

Oops!

I once again I proved I don't know shit. Not only is it not a punk cover, it is one of the older songs the Cobras had covered.

The "5" Royales formed in 1942 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as a gospel group called Royal Suns. They changed their name to "5" Royals in 1952 when they decided to make secular recordings. Being one of four "5" Royales songs the Cobras have covered, we'll dig deeper into their history in future posts. For now I just want you to remember one name - Lowman Pauling.

Lyrics:
(Slummer the Slum)
Don't try to figure out
where I come from
Now don't try to figure out
where I come from
I could be a smart guy from Wall Street
I could be the Purple People Eater's son

But I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh, Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Oh, yeah (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Oooh (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Oooh,baby (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Oh, yeah (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Mmmmm Hmmm (Slummer the Slum, Slum)

[guitar solo 1]

Now there's only one difference
between me and you
There's only one difference
between me and you
You've got money in your pocket
And I've got a hole in my shoe

All from doing the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Ooh Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Oh, Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Mmmmm Hmmm (Slummer the Slum)
All from doing the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
All from doing the (Slummer the Slum)
Mmmmm Hmmm (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
All from doing the (Slummer the Slum, Slum)

[guitar solo 2]

I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Hey hey hey Now (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh, yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh Ooh, yeah (Slummer the Slum)
Ooh, yeah (Slummer the Slum)
I can do the (Slummer the Slum, Slum)

Lowman Pauling co wrote the song. But that was only a small part of his genius. Did you hear that blistering guitar solo? He was so proud of it he did it twice! Heady stuff for 1958. It has been said that Eric Clapton would have paid to carry Lowman's coat. Once you hear more of the '5' Royales work, however, you come to appreciate the fact that Lowman was a major influence on Steve Cropper (which subsequently meant he influenced the entire Stax sound, and subsequently Memphis soul as a genre).

Apparently "The Slummer The Slum" was intended to be a dance craze, a la "The Twist". Between this and "Stupidity" they certainly had some strange inspirations for dances back then. Makes the "Macarena" seem intelligent . . . OK, maybe not!

The Cobra's version clocks in at a very efficient 1:50, shaving 0:27 off the '5' Royale's 2:17.
Very fast, very frantic.
Cobrazized.


Download it now:
Five Royales - The Slummer The Slum - 1958 - The Five Royales Sing For You
Available on - Monkey Hips and Rice: The "5" Royales Anthology

Buy "Mink Rat or Rabbit" by the Detroit Cobras

As Long As I Have You

Song: As Long As I Have You
Artist: Garnett Mimms
Written: Bob Elgin / Norman Meade
Year : 1964
Album/Single: Warm and Soulful

Cobra's Version

Song : As Long As I Have You
Released : April 24th, 2007
Album : Tied & True


Hello ?
Is this thing on ?

Sorry for the posting lag. After my last post, the wife and I left for an Easter trip to Florida. Now you need to understand, when we travel to Florida we don't travel like normal folks - down the freeway as fast as you can drive. No, our trip was scheduled for 2-1/2 days - no freeways allowed - just state highways and county roads. First day went fine and the second day was going great until we ran into a little problem in Dandridge, Tennessee. Thankfully the only casualty of the accident was my laptop. Now that the laptop's been replaced (thanks State Farm!) and I've caught up at the office hopefully I can get back to regular postings.

I thought I would start back up again with the hottest track off of "Tied & True", the Cobra's new disc.

Garnett Mimms biggest hit, with his backing group The Enchanters, was in 1963 with "Cry, Baby" - Janis Joplin covered it 1971 and had a minor posthumous hit with it. Today's selection was released in 1964 and shared a writer with "Cry, Baby" - Norman Meade (real name : Jerry Ragovoy). Ragovoy penned other rock/soul classics as well - "Piece of My Heart", "Time is On My Side" to name two. By the way, Garnett Mimms' producer was none other than our old friend Bert Berns. "As Long As I Have You" amazingly was not released as a single, be relegated to being album filler. I am not the first to point this out but it deserves repeating - he should have sued for career mismanegement - this song is too good to have never seen the light of day. I am particular fond of the "Give me mountains to crumble . . ." stanza.

Lyrics:
Born in darkness
but I fought my way up to the sun
Had a lot of battles
some I lost and some I've won

But let me tell you, girl
you ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothing in this world
that I can't get
As long as I have you (long as I have you)
Long as I have (long as I have you) you
As long as I have you

Give me mountains to crumble
and I'll turn them to sand
Let me put this world
in the palm of your hand

Find some teardrops
but I sang my way out of the blues
Had to learn to stand up
even when they scared me out of my shoes

But let me tell you, girl
you ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothing in this world
that I can't get
As long as I have you (long as I have you)
Long as I have you (long as I have you)
As long as I have you

Give me mountains to crumble
and I'll turn them to sand
Let me put this world
in the palm of your hand

Say you love me
and I know that half the battle is won
Don't cha worry about nothing
in your mind the best is yet to come

But let me tell you, girl
you ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothing in this world
that I can't get
As long as I have you (long as I have you)
Long as I have you (long as I have you)
Every thing's gonna be alright (long as I have you)
And I won't have to cry no more (long as I have you)
All my troubles will be over (long as I have you)
Yeah

If you are unfamiliar with the genre of "Northern Soul", this is a textbook example of it. Driving beat, punching horn arrangement, impassioned vocals, tight instrumentation. Of course the Cobras strip the song down the garage basics - ripping guitars and and driving rhythm section. And Rachel's perfectly matched vocals.

The opening lyric - "Born in Darkness" - is significant here. The Cobra's have been playing this song in concert since at least June of 2006. It would show up on their playlist as "Darkness" or "Born of Darkness". I have also posted a video of them doing the song on YouTube from their November 22, 2006 show at the Magic Stick in Detroit.

It seems that the Cobras are not the first to see the value of this song - Led Zeppelin used to cover the song in their early days.

Download it now:
As Long As I Have You - Garnett Mimms - 1964
Available on - Talcum Soul: 26 Stonking Northern Soul Greats

The Cobra's version is available as a free download from Bloodshot records
As Long As I Have You - Detroit Cobras - 2007
You need to buy "Tied & True" by the Detroit Cobras