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I Pity the Fool

"I Pity the Fool" is a song written by Deadric Malone. The song had been an R&B-topper for Bobby Bland in 1961.

This was the second single by David Bowie and it was released under the name The Manish Boys. The single was produced by Shel Talmy, who was also producing the early singles and albums by The Who and The Kinks. Jimmy Page was Talmy's regular session musician and he played the guitar solo on "I Pity the Fool".

During these sessions Page gave Bowie a guitar riff, which he didn't know what to do with. Bowie later used this guitar riff in two different songs, first on "The Supermen" from 1971 and second on "Dead Man Walking" from 1997.

The B-side, "Take My Tip" was the first song written by David Bowie to be released on record.

The Manish Boys performed gigs at the Marquee Club and the Roundhouse in London, and even was a support act for a Gene Pitney and Gerry and the Pacemakers tour in 1965. They also appeared on TV shows like Juke Box Jury, BBC2's Gadzooks and The Beat Room.

Track listing

1. "I Pity the Fool" (Malone) - 2:08
2. "Take My Tip" (Bowie) – 2:15

Production credits

• Producers:
  • Shel Talmy

• Musicians:
  • David Jones: Vocals, Alto sax
  • Johny Flux John Edward: lead Guitar (born in 1944)
  • Jimmy Page: Guitar solo
  • John Watson: Bass (born in 1944)
  • Mick White (John Whitehead): Drums (born in 1943)
  • Bob Solly: organ (born Robert Solly, in 1946)
  • Wilf Byrne: Baritone sax and harmonica (born in 1941)
  • Paul Rodriguez: Tenor sax and Trumpet (born in 1944)

Other releases

• Both the A and B-side was re-released by EMI in the UK in March 1979 on one side of a 7". On the B-side of this re-release was "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" and "Baby Loves That Way". This version was again released by See For Miles Records in the UK in October 1982, and as a 12" picture disc in June 1985. The re-release by See For Miles in 1982 took the edge off a collector's market since EMI's March 1979 reissue disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived.
• It also appeared on the compilation Early On (1964-1966) from 1991. Both "I Pity the Fool" and "Take My Tip" also appear with alternate vocals as bonus tracks on some releases of Early On.
• Another version of "I Pity the Fool" by populair blues musician Robert Cray gained some fame and popularity as well, with the release of "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" in 2003. Additional vocals were delivered by Shemekia Copeland. The same version was latterly used for the score of Antoine Fuqua's documentary "Lightning In A Bottle" (released as a soundtrack in the US in September 2004).

References

David Buckley (1999), Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story, p. 29