The Originals © by Arnold Rypens

Artist: Etta James
Author: Ellington Jordan/Bill Foster
Label: Cadet
Year: 1967

Cut in Muscle Shoals for her Tell Mama album and B-side of that title track's single version. Etta claims coauthorship (under her ex husband Bill Foster's name), claims she visited Fugi in Chino Prison in '67. Fugi is author Ellington Jordan, a thief who couldn't defend himself. Fugi served time for robbery and desertion and swears no Etta James visited him or sat next to him at no piano. He claims he wrote this in the piano room of San Quentin prison following the break-up with his girlfriend.

Covers:

1969:: Chicken Shack [sung by Christine Perfect, soon to join Fleetwood Mac, top 20 UK]
1969:: Clarence Carter
1970:: Spencer Wiggins
1970:: Fugi [author as I'd Rather Be A Blind Man also for Cadet; see note]
1972:: Rod Stewart
1972:: Bettye Swann
1973:: Margie Joseph
1977:: Christine Perfect
1985:: Wilfrido Vargas [as El Ciego; merengue version]
1986:: Ruby Turner
1987:: Koko Taylor
1987:: B.B. King [with Etta]
1990:: Sydney Youngblood
1993:: Long John Baldry [vocal: Kathi McDonald]
1995:: Paul Weller
2002:: Mary Coughlan
2008:: Dana Fuchs
2009:: Trixie Whitley [with Daniel Lanois]
2011:: Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa
2012:: Mick Hucknall
2012:: Leela James
2015:: Chris Stapleton [same mood, beat and colour in Tennessee Whiskey (zie daar)]
2016:: Beyoncé
2018:: Helmut Lotti
2022:: Rory Block

I'D RATHER GO BLIND

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