The Black Crowes are one of my favorite bands from the nineties. When they first came to prominence with this particular song, I remember thinking - there’s a great tune, just like the oldies from the sixties and seventies. It was years after that when I learned that it was a cover.. and that’s probably the purpose of cover songs - to revive a good tune, presenting it to the newer generations in a package that suits the current taste. The Black Crowes did a wonderful job with “Hard To Handle.”
The original version is from 1968, written by Otis Redding, Al Bell, and Allen Jones and originally recorded by Redding. It was released after Redding's death in 1967 on the album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached #38 on the Billboard R&B charts and #51 on the pop charts. A lot of artists covered the song, but the most notable cover is that by The Black Crowes, for whom it was their breakout hit single from their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker. Two versions of the song exist: the original album version and the hit single remixed with an overdubbed brass section. The Crowes' version reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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COVERLAND Vol.1: Easy
COVERLAND Vol.2: Hush
COVERLAND Vol.3: Nothing Compares 2 U
