(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
Australia
One of two singles by Melbourne band 1965-1966 whose keyboardist Brian Cadd and vocalist Ronnie Charles left to join the most successful line-up of The Groop.
See Sorry by The Groop.
Reference, further reading: Jackson Kings page at Milesago.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
USA
Original version
Single on V-tone by influential blues guitarist and singer. The label credits Parker alone as writer, but Belmonte is usually listed as a co-writer elsewhere, for example at BMI.
Bobby Parker's record was famously collected by John Lennon for his jukebox, later the subject of a TV documentary and album.
Watch Your Step's riff is often cited as an influence on other songs, notably The Beatles' I Feel Fine and Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick. (See, for example, Dave Rybaczewski's I Feel Fine page which quotes George Harrison and John Lennon on the Watch Your Step–I Feel Fine connection.)
In turn, The Originals cites Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca (written with Chano Pozo) as an inspiration for Watch Your Step.
Further reading: 1. Versions listed at The Originals. 2. Dave Rybaczewski's I Feel Fine page at BeatlesEbooks.com. 3. Posts at Powerpop and Funky16Corners about the influence on I Feel Fine and Moby Dick. 4. John Lennon's Jukebox at PBS.org.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
On the album Mann Made, the second by this major British Invasion band. Paul Jones is still lead singer, but after this it would be Mike D'Abo, Jones having quit to go solo.
(Luther Dixon - Tommy Bell - Kenny Campbell)
USA
Red herring
Same title but not the same song as "Watch Your Step" by The Jackson Kings.
Single on Gold by lesser-known soul singer whose work has been reissued in recent years.
Some other red herrings:
• Sammy Stevens – (You Better) Watch Your Step (Kenny Gamble?)
USA 1963 Single on Swan, B-side of "Everybody Crossfire".
• Larry & The Conservatives – Watch Your Step (Clayton Dunn)
USA 1963 Single on Like by juvenile vocal group, B-side of "Can You Wobble".
• The Cautions – Watch Your Step (Eddie Singleton)
USA 1965 Single on Shrine label, co-owned by Singleton.
80s soul singer Anita Baker (b.1958) wrongly credited by some as co-writer.
• Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Watch Your Step (Elvis Costello)
UK 1981 On album Trust, also a
single.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
Track on LP Second Album by Birmingham group featuring vocals of Steve Winwood.
Further reading: 1. Spencer Davis Group history at Brum Beat. 2. Spencer Davis Group discography 1965-1968 at Spencer-Davis-Group.com.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
Single on Fontana, B-side of I Know Something, by Earl Preston And The Tempest Tornadoes, Liverpool band active 1961-1963, contemporaries of the Beatles. In the famous Mersey Beat magazine poll announced with the headline Beatles Top Poll! (January 1962), Earl Preston & The TTs came in at #13. After the TTs, Earl Preston (real name George Spruce) fronted Earl Preston’s Realms.
References, further reading: 1. Bill Harry’s Meet the Singer: Earl Preston from Mersey Beat magazine, 1964. 2. TTs history at All Music Guide. 3. TTs history and discography at British Beat Boom. 4. TTs’ early appearance with the Beatles, November 1961 (The Beatles Diary: The Beatles Years, Google books). 5. At YouTube: TTmania as Earl & the band do a medley of three songs to a screaming crowd of fans. And a commenter identifies Earl as his Uncle George (Spruce).
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
Single on Pye, B-side of Bye Bye Baby (#38 UK). Tony Jackson (1940-2003) was the original bassist and lead singer of The Searchers, the band he quit in July 1964.
See also The
Cicadas –That’s What I Want (1964), the Carter-Lewis song later recorded by the Tony Jackson Group (1965).
Reference: Tony Jackson & The
Vibrations at British Beat Boom.
Thanks to Terry Stacey.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
USA
Later version
Track on 1969 album Cold Blood by San Francisco Bay Area band.
Other later recordings of Bobby Parker's Watch Your Step include:
Dr Feelgood on Malpractice
(1975);
Carlos Santana on Havana Moon (1983);
Peter Green on The Peter Green Splinter
Group (1997);
Steve Marriott & The Next Band Live In
Germany (2000);
Eddie Angel on Eddie Angel Meets The
Beatles (2005)
The Jook on Different Class (2005)
References: Versions listed at The Originals. Version alerts from Terry Stacey. Title listing at AMG (includes many Red Herrings).
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
Single on Columbia by British composer and conductor, later famous for his film scores.
References: 1. John Barry history and singles discography at 45-rpm.org.uk. 2. Versions listed at SecondHandSongs.com.
(Bobby Parker - Phil Belmonte)
UK
Single on Parlophone with John Barry And His Orchestra, B-side of Lonesome (#12 UK).
References: 1. Adam Faith page at 45-rpm.org.uk. 2. Adam Faith Discography (includes label shot) at AdamFaith.org.uk.
Pop Archives
Australia's premier song history site since 2004
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…
