Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: Difference between revisions

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
Single by The Buckinghams
from the album Time & Charges
B-side	"You Are Gone"
Released	June 1967
Studio	Columbia Studios, New York, NY
Genre	Pop, soul
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Joe Zawinul
Producer(s)	James William Guercio
The Buckinghams singles chronology

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
Song by Cannonball Adderley
from the album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club"
Released	December 1966
Recorded	Capitol Records (Los Angeles), October 20, 1966
Genre	Soul jazz
Length	5:10
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Joe Zawinul
Producer(s)	David Axelrod
Official audio
	"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" on YouTube

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"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a jazz song written by Joe Zawinul (lyrics by Gail Fisher) in 1966 for Cannonball Adderley and which appears on his album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club". The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit in February 1967.^[1] "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" went to #2 on the Soul chart and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[2]

Original version

The original version was performed by: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), Nat Adderley (cornet), Joe Zawinul (piano, electric piano), Victor Gaskin (bass) and Roy McCurdy (drums). The theme of the song is performed by Zawinul on a Wurlitzer electric piano previously used by Ray Charles.^[3]

Musical analysis

The first part of the theme is played twice and is completely made of notes from the major pentatonic scale of the first degree.

The tune is in the key of B-flat major and has a 20-bar structure with four distinct sections. The chord progression is mainly made of dominant-seventh chords on the first, fourth and fifth degrees, giving the song a bluesy feeling although it does not follow a typical blues progression. The subdominant (IV) chord in the beginning section emphasizes this bluesy feeling. In the second section, the tonic chord alternates with a second-inversion subdominant chord, creating a parallel to the I-IV-V progression (in which the tonic moves to the subdominant).

Marlena Shaw cover

Marlena Shaw recorded a version which peaked at no. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week of April 1, 1967.^[4]^[5] It also peaked at no. 66 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart on the week ending April 8.^[6]^[7]

Buckinghams cover

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" has been re-recorded numerous times, most notably by The Buckinghams, who reached #5 in August 1967, adding lyrics to the tune which were written by Johnny “Guitar” Watson & Larry Williams in Feb, 1967. ^[8]Musicians on the Buckinghams' version included James Henderson, Lew McCreary and Richard Leith on trombone, Bill Peterson, Bud Childers on trumpet, John Johnson on sax, Lincoln Mayorga on Wurlitzer electric piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, Carol Kaye on bass, and John Guerin on drums.^{[citation needed]}

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1967)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles^[9]	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[10]	5
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1967)	Rank
Canada ^[11]	55
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 ^[12]	51
U.S. Cash Box ^[13]	32

Other notable versions

Late in 1966, Larry Williams and Johnny Watson recorded the song as a duet.^[14]

References

^ "This album gave birth to a Top Ten single of the title tune, much to the astonishment of many..." Michael Cuscuna 1995 Capitol Reissue CD liner notes
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 24.
^ Keyboards (german keyboard magazine), 06/2007 http://www.keyboards.de.
^ Billboard, April 1, 1967 - Page 22 Billboard HOT 100 For Week Ending April 1, 1967, THIS WEEK 58, 1 Wk. Ago 62, 2 Wks. Ago 70, 3 Wks. Ago 85, Weeks On Chart 4
^ MusicVF.com - Marlena Shaw Top Songs , Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography
^ Tropical Glen - CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 8, 1967, TW 66, LW 70, 2WK 74, 3WK 81, WKS 5
^ Tropical Glen - CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 15, 1967, TW 68, LW 66, 2WK 70, 3WK 74, WKS 6
^ https://www.kuvo.org/mercy-mercy-mercy-listener-picks-april-17/
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1967-08-05. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
^ "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. 1967-12-23. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. 1967. Retrieved December 20, 2022.

This article about a jazz standard or composition written in the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "This album gave birth to a Top Ten single of the title tune, much to the astonishment of many..." Michael Cuscuna 1995 Capitol Reissue CD liner notes

[2] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 24.

[3] Keyboards (german keyboard magazine), 06/2007 http://www.keyboards.de.

[4] Billboard, April 1, 1967 - Page 22 Billboard HOT 100 For Week Ending April 1, 1967, THIS WEEK 58, 1 Wk. Ago 62, 2 Wks. Ago 70, 3 Wks. Ago 85, Weeks On Chart 4

[5] MusicVF.com - Marlena Shaw Top Songs , Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography

[6] Tropical Glen - CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 8, 1967, TW 66, LW 70, 2WK 74, 3WK 81, WKS 5

[7] Tropical Glen - CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 15, 1967, TW 68, LW 66, 2WK 70, 3WK 74, WKS 6

[8] ttps://www.kuvo.org/mercy-mercy-mercy-listener-picks-april-17/

[9] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1967-08-05. Retrieved 2018-01-14.

[10] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002

[11] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-10-01.

[12] "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.

[13] "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. 1967-12-23. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2016-10-01.

[14] "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. 1967. Retrieved December 20, 2022.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1966 song by Joe Zawinul, Cannonball Adderley}}
 {{Infobox song
 | name     = Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
@@ Line 6: / Line 7: @@
 | artist   = [[Cannonball Adderley]]
 | album    = [[Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club"]]
-| released = 1966
+| released = December 1966
 | format   =
 | recorded = [[Capitol Records]] ([[Los Angeles]]), October 20, 1966
@@ Line 16: / Line 17: @@
 | writer   = [[Joe Zawinul]]
 | producer = [[David Axelrod (musician)|David Axelrod]]
+| misc     = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|y7FFLYXEOqA|"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"}}}}
 }}
-"'''Mercy, Mercy, Mercy'''" is a jazz song written by [[Joe Zawinul]] in 1966 for [[Julian "Cannonball" Adderley]] and his album ''[[Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club']]''. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit.<ref>in Feb. 1967. "This album gave birth to a Top Ten single of the title tune, much to the astonishment of many..." Michael Cuscuna 1995 Capitol Reissue CD liner notes</ref>  "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" went to #2 on the Soul chart and  #11 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=24}}</ref>
+"'''Mercy, Mercy, Mercy'''" is a jazz song written by [[Joe Zawinul]] (lyrics by [[Gail Fisher]]) in 1966 for [[Cannonball Adderley]] and which appears on his album ''[[Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club"]]''. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit in February 1967.<ref>"This album gave birth to a Top Ten single of the title tune, much to the astonishment of many..." Michael Cuscuna 1995 Capitol Reissue CD liner notes</ref>  "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" went to #2 on the Soul chart and  #11 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=24}}</ref>
+==Original version==
+The original version was performed by: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), [[Nat Adderley]] (cornet), Joe Zawinul (piano, electric piano), [[Victor Gaskin]] (bass) and [[Roy McCurdy]] (drums). The theme of the song is performed by Zawinul on a [[Wurlitzer electric piano]] previously used by [[Ray Charles]].<ref>Keyboards (german keyboard magazine), 06/2007 http://www.keyboards.de.</ref>
+==Musical analysis==
+The first part of the theme is played twice and is completely made of notes from the [[major pentatonic scale]] of the first degree.
+The tune is in the key of B-flat major and has a 20-bar structure with four distinct sections. The chord progression is mainly made of dominant-seventh chords on the first, fourth and fifth degrees, giving the song a bluesy feeling although it does not follow a typical [[blues]] progression. The subdominant (IV) chord in the beginning section emphasizes this bluesy feeling. In the second section, the tonic chord alternates with a second-inversion subdominant chord, creating a parallel to the [[Twelve-bar blues|I-IV-V]] progression (in which the tonic moves to the subdominant).
+==Marlena Shaw cover==
+[[Marlena Shaw]] recorded a version which peaked at no. 58 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the week of April 1, 1967.<ref>''Billboard'', April 1, 1967 - [https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-04-01.pdf Page 22 Billboard ''HOT 100'' For Week Ending April 1, 1967, THIS WEEK 58, 1 Wk. Ago 62, 2 Wks. Ago 70, 3 Wks. Ago 85, Weeks On Chart 4]</ref><ref>''MusicVF''.com - [https://www.musicvf.com/Marlena+Shaw.art Marlena Shaw Top Songs , Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography]</ref> It also peaked at no. 66 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles chart on the week ending April 8.<ref>Tropical Glen - [https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19670408.html CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 8, 1967, TW 66, LW 70, 2WK 74, 3WK 81, WKS 5]</ref><ref>Tropical Glen - [https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19670415.html CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 15, 1967, TW 68, LW 66, 2WK 70, 3WK 74, WKS 6]</ref>
+==Buckinghams cover==
 {{Infobox song
 | name       = Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
@@ Line 26: / Line 39: @@
 | type       = single
 | artist     = [[The Buckinghams]]
-| album      = [[Time & Charges]]
+| album      = Time & Charges
 | B-side     = You Are Gone
-| released   = {{start date| March 1967}}
+| released   = {{start date| June 1967}}
 | format     =
-| recorded   = Columbia Studios, New York, NY
+| recorded   =
+| studio     = Columbia Studios, New York, NY
-| studio     =
 | venue      =
 | genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Soul music|soul]]
@@ Line 43: / Line 56: @@
 | next_year  = 1967
 }}
+"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" has been re-recorded numerous times, most notably by [[The Buckinghams]], who reached #5 in August 1967, adding lyrics to the tune which were written by Johnny “Guitar” Watson & Larry Williams in Feb, 1967. <ref>https://www.kuvo.org/mercy-mercy-mercy-listener-picks-april-17/</ref>{{cn span|date=June 2023|Musicians on the Buckinghams' version included James Henderson, Lew McCreary and Richard Leith on trombone, Bill Peterson, Bud Childers on trumpet, John Johnson on sax, [[Lincoln Mayorga]] on Wurlitzer electric piano, [[Dennis Budimir]] on guitar, [[Carol Kaye]] on bass, and [[John Guerin]] on drums.}}
-==Original version==
-The original version was performed by: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), [[Nat Adderley]] (cornet), Joe Zawinul (piano, electric piano), [[Victor Gaskin]] (bass) and [[Roy McCurdy]] (drums). The theme of the song is performed by Zawinul on a [[Wurlitzer electric piano]] previously used by [[Ray Charles]].<ref>Keyboards (german keyboard magazine), 06/2007 http://www.keyboards.de.</ref>
-==Buckinghams cover==
-"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" has been re-recorded numerous times, most notably by [[The Buckinghams]], who reached #5 in August 1967, adding lyrics to the tune. Musicians on the Buckingham's version included James Henderson, Lew McCreary and Richard Leith on trombone, Bill Peterson, Bud Childers on trumpet, John Johnson on sax, [[Lincoln Mayorga]] on Wurlitzer electric piano, [[Dennis Budimir]] on guitar, [[Carol Kaye]] on bass, and [[John Guerin]] on drums.
 ==Chart performance==
@@ Line 88: / Line 96: @@
 {{col-end}}
+==Other notable versions==
-==Theme==
+*Late in 1966, [[Larry Williams]] and [[Johnny "Guitar" Watson|Johnny Watson]] recorded the song as a duet.<ref>{{cite web|title=www.discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3175633-Larry-Williams-Johnny-Watson-Mercy-Mercy-Mercy-A-Quitter-Never-Wins|website=discogs.com|year=1967 |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref>
-The first part of the theme is played twice and is completely made of notes from the [[major pentatonic scale]] of the first degree.
-==Structure and chord progression==
-The tune is in the key of B-flat major and has a 20-bar structure with four distinct sections. The chord progression is mainly made of dominant-seventh chords on the first, fourth and fifth degrees, giving the song a bluesy feeling although it does not follow a typical [[blues]] progression. The subdominant (IV) chord in the beginning section emphasizes this bluesy feeling. In the second section, the tonic chord alternates with a second-inversion subdominant chord, creating a parallel to the [[Twelve-bar blues|I-IV-V]] progression (in which the tonic moves to the subdominant).
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-==External links==
-* {{MetroLyrics song|the-buckinghams|mercy-mercy-mercy}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
 {{Cannonball Adderley}}
+{{Marlena Shaw}}
 {{authority control}}
-[[Category:1960s jazz standards]]
-[[Category:Hard bop jazz standards]]
 [[Category:1966 songs]]
 [[Category:1967 singles]]
+[[Category:Marlena Shaw songs]]
 [[Category:The Buckinghams songs]]
 [[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
 [[Category:Soul jazz songs]]
+[[Category:1960s jazz standards]]
+[[Category:Hard bop jazz standards]]
 {{1960s-jazz-composition-stub}}

v t e Cannonball Adderley
Studio albums	Presenting Cannonball Julian "Cannonball" Adderley Julian Cannonball Adderley and Strings In the Land of Hi-Fi with Julian Cannonball Adderley Sophisticated Swing Cannonball Enroute Cannonball's Sharpshooters Somethin' Else Portrait of Cannonball Jump for Joy Things Are Getting Better Blue Spring Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago Cannonball Takes Charge Them Dirty Blues Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners Know What I Mean? African Waltz Plus Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley Cannonball's Bossa Nova Cannonball Adderley's Fiddler on the Roof Domination Great Love Themes Accent on Africa The Cannonball Adderley Quintet & Orchestra Love, Sex, and the Zodiac Inside Straight Pyramid Phenix Lovers
Live albums	The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco The Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York Cannonball in Europe! Jazz Workshop Revisited Autumn Leaves Nippon Soul Cannonball Adderley Live! Live Session! Money in the Pocket Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club" Cannonball in Japan Radio Nights 74 Miles Away Why Am I Treated So Bad! In Person Country Preacher The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free The Happy People The Black Messiah Music You All
Compilations	Discoveries The Japanese Concerts
Songs	"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
Related articles	Discography

v t e Marlena Shaw
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
Studio albums	The Spice of Life (1969) Marlena (1972) From the Depths of My Soul (1973) Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? (1974) Just a Matter of Time (1976)
Live albums	Marlena Shaw Live at Montreux (1973)
Singles	"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" "It's Better than Walking Out" "California Soul"