But It's Alright

"But It's Alright" (aka "It's Alright", due to its lyrics) is a song co-written by J. J. Jackson and Pierre Tubbs that became a hit on the pop and soul charts in both 1966 and 1969.

"But It's Alright"
Single by J. J. Jackson
from the album But It's Alright
B-side"Boogaloo Baby"
Released1966
GenreSoul
Length2:55
LabelCalla
Songwriter(s)J.J. Jackson, Pierre Tubbs
Producer(s)Lew Futterman

Theme

The song's lyrics address the singer's girlfriend, who has broken his heart by cheating on him. But the song keeps a happy, upbeat tone due to the singer's belief in karma: "It's alright" because "you've got to reap what you sow, girl"; she will find herself cheated on as well.

History

Described as being "driven by one of the catchiest guitar hooks in the history of rock & roll and a devastating vocal performance",[1] the song was first released by Calla Records in 1966, as a single and on the album of the same name. Subsequent to acquiring the Calla Records catalogue, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts re-released the song in 1969, as a single and on the album The Great J.J. Jackson.

The single was recorded in the United Kingdom, and was one of the first R & B hit singles to have been recorded in England.[2] The song featured some of Britain's top jazz musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on guitar, Dick Morrissey on tenor sax and John Marshall on drums.[3]

When first released in 1966, the song reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.[4] When re-released in May 1969, they reached number 45, and remained on the charts for nine weeks.[5] In Canada, it reached number 63.[6] A Spanish language version of the song was also recorded by Jackson and released in 1969.[7]

Huey Lewis and the News version

In 1994, Huey Lewis and the News covered the song for their album Four Chords & Several Years Ago. It was released as a single, which included the studio version and a live rendition of the song.[8] The single reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[9] An EP CD single was released in Germany by Elektra Records.

Other cover versions

References
  1. John Bush, Review of "But It's Alright"; AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  2. Back Tracking; ska2soul. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  3. Smith and Morrissey would later co-found the successful jazz-rock band If.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 281.
  5. Joe Troiano, Review of "But It's Alright" Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine; Joe T's Soda Shop. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  6. "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 7, 1969" (PDF).
  7. Particulars of "Pero Esta Bien"/"No Esta Bien"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-29. Being Spanish versions of "But It's Alright" and "That Ain't Right".
  8. Particulars of "But It's Alright"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 145.
  10. Brother Jack McDuff Quintet feat. David Newman - But It's Alright; Funky16Corners. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  11. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  12. Particulars of "But It's Alright"; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-20. The single release included a spoken intro on one side, and the song on the other.
  13. Particulars of Step Lively; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
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