(Chris Kenner - Dave Bartholomew)
Australia
#3 Sydney #7 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #5 Adelaide #2 Perth
Double-sided hit in Sydney and Melbourne with About Love.
Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, ‘Thorpy’, with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock’n’Roll [AbeBooks link].
Further reading: Paul Culnane’s history of Billy Thorpe’s career at Milesago.
(Chris Kenner - Dave Bartholomew)
Germany
Influential version
On the Phillips album P 48 052 L Sweets For My Sweet – Recorded “Live” At The Star-Club Hamburg, Germany, recorded in 1963, released in Germany in 1963 or 1964.
The Billy Thorpe version has much in common with this beat-style arrangement of the Fats Domino hit.
See also Billy Thorpe’s Mashed Potato and About Love, both played by The Searchers on Live At The Star Club.
(Chris Kenner - Fats Domino - Dave Bartholomew)
USA
#22 USA #26 UK
Single by star New Orleans pianist and singer (1928-2017) whose first single The Fat Man was released in 1949. The man behind Fats Domino’s hit recordings (nine Top 10s 1956-60) was the major New Orleans producer, songwriter and A&R man Dave Bartholomew.
Billy Thorpe also recorded a version of Fats Domino’s My Girl Josephine, another Domino-Bartholomew song.
Further reading: 1. Fats Domino biography by Richie Unterberger at All Music. 2. Fats Domino singles and chart placings: table at Wikipedia.
(Chris Kenner - Dave Bartholomew)
USA
Original version with these lyrics
To be fair, more than just the lyrics of Oh Red are changed on this adaptation.
Single on Imperial by New Orleans singer and composer Chris Kenner (1929-1976), famous for his 1961 hit I Like It Like That and the much-recorded Land Of A Thousand Dances (1963).
Co-written and produced by Dave Bartholomew (1918-2019), also known for his role in Fats Domino’s career as songwriter, producer and band leader.
[Bartholomew] introduced the world to the New Orleans sound … He never made the pop charts under his own name … But as an artist, producer, songwriter, arranger, and bandleader, Dave Bartholomew of New Orleans was a key figure in the transition from the jivin’ jump and big-band sounds of the ’40s to the rhythm & blues and rock & roll of the ’50s …
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame citation for Dave Bartholomew
Further reading: Chris Kenner pages at All Music and Wikipedia.
(Joe McCoy)
USA
Original version
78 rpm record on Decca by crack studio band formed in 1936.
The composer and vocalist is Joe McCoy (1905-1950), guitarist in The Harlem Hamfats, although it is possible the ultimate source is traditional.
Also in the band was blues singer Charlie McCoy who was Joe’s brother.
The song is clearly a source for Sick And Tired: Oh Red, what you gonna do? Oh Red, what you gonna do? I’m sick and tired of chastizing you.*
Oh Red was also recorded, for example, by The State Street Swingers (1936), Casey Bill Weldon (c.1936), The Ink Spots (1938), Count Basie (1939) and Sam Price’s Texas Blusicians (1940).
Joe McCoy also wrote The Weed Smoker’s Dream (1936) for The Harlem Hamfats. It was rewritten as Why Don’t You Do Right (1941), first recorded by Lil Green and a hit for Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee (1942).
*Lyrics: Michael Taft’s Pre-war Blues Lyrics Concordance:
• Lyrics
of Oh Red. They are under:
• Listing for SICK (look for McCoy).
• Main index is here
Further reading: 1. Harlem Hamfats biography by Jim Powers at All Music. Site search for “oh red” at 78discography.com.
Thanks to Kees van der Hoeven.
(Anastacia - Dallas Austin - Glen Ballard)
USA
Red herring
#4 UK #8 Perth
Same title but not the same song as ‘Sick And Tired’ by Billy Thorpe.
On self-titled album by New York singer and dancer
whose debut album Not That Kind came out in 2000.
Pop Archives
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…