Login
Login

Hard to Handle (song)

{{Short description|1968 song by Otis Redding}}

{{More citations needed|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Hard to Handle

| cover =

| alt =

| type =

| artist = Otis Redding

| album = The Immortal Otis Redding

| released = June 1968

| recorded = 1967

| studio =

| genre =

  • R&B{{cite book|first= Garth|last= Cartwright|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2015 |title= 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die|chapter= Otis Redding - "Hard to Handle|publisher= Universe|location= New York|page= 227}}
  • soul{{cite book|first= Garth|last= Cartwright|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2015 |title= 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die|chapter= Otis Redding - "Hard to Handle|publisher= Universe|location= New York|page= 227}}

| length = 2:21

| label = Atco

| writer =

| producer = Steve Cropper

| misc = {{External music video|type=song|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|w7D-OQHIfqU|Hard To Handle (Official Lyric Video)}}}}

}}

"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song written by American soul singer Otis Redding along with Al Bell and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by Redding, it was released in 1968 as the B-side to "Amen" (shortly after the singer's sudden death in 1967). The song also appears on the 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached number 38 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 51 on the pop chart.{{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=486}}

American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, reaching number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their rendition.

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Otis Reading|title=Hard to Handle|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=19554-1496-1|access-date=December 15, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

The Grateful Dead version

"Hard to Handle" was performed by the Grateful Dead about 90 times between March 1969 and August 1971 with Ron "Pigpen" McKernan taking the lead vocals. The band subsequently performed the song only twice, on December 30 and 31, 1982, with Etta James taking the vocals and support from the Tower of Power horns.

The Black Crowes version

{{Infobox song

| name = Hard to Handle

| cover = HardtoHandle.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Black Crowes

| album = Shake Your Money Maker

| B-side =

  • "Waitin' Guilty"
  • "Jealous Again" (acoustic)
  • "Sister Luck" (live)

| released = {{start date|1990|8|13}}

| genre = Hard rock{{cite book |chapter=The Black Crowes|last=Kemp |first=Mark|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |year=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages= 75–76}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| length = 3:08

| label = Def American

| writer =

| producer = George Drakoulias

| prev_title = Jealous Again

| prev_year = 1990

| next_title = Twice As Hard

| next_year = 1990

}}

American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for 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, available on the 30th Anniversary edition of Shake Your Money Maker.{{cite web|url=https://theblackcrowes.com/discography/studio/shake-your-money-maker-30th-anniversary-box-set/|title='Shake Your Money Maker' 30th Anniversary Box Set|website=theblackcrowes.com|access-date=July 10, 2023}} The album version was first released as a single in the United Kingdom in August 1990 and was issued in the United States later the same year.

The song peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the success of the band's first top-40 hit, "She Talks to Angels", the song re-entered the Hot 100 and peaked at number 26 in August 1991, becoming the Black Crowes' highest position on the chart. The same month, the song was re-released in the UK and reached a new peak of number 39.

The guitar solo was played by Brendan O'Brien on a Gibson Les Paul owned by Rick Rubin.

=Track listings=

US 7-inch and cassette single (1990){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=7-19245}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=US cassette single cassette notes|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=19245-4}}

:A. "Hard to Handle" (album version) – 3:08

:B. "Waitin' Guilty" – 3:02

International 7-inch and cassette single (1990){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=UK 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFA 6, 878 132–7}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFAM 6}}

:A. "Hard to Handle" (album version) – 3:06

:B. "Jealous Again" (acoustic version) – 4:37

UK 12-inch single and Japanese maxi-CD single (1990){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=UK 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFA 612, 878 133-1}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=Japanese maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=PHCR-8004}}

  1. "Hard to Handle"
  2. "Jealous Again" (acoustic version)
  3. "Twice As Hard" (live at the Paradiso, June 5, 1990)
  4. "Stare It Cold" (live at the Paradiso, June 5, 1990)
  • A 12-inch picture disc was also released, omitting "Stare It Cold".{{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=UK 12-inch picture disc sleeve|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFAP 612}}

UK CD single (1990){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFAC 6, 878 133–2}}

  1. "Hard to Handle"
  2. "Jealous Again" (acoustic version)
  3. "Twice as Hard" (remix)

UK 7-inch single (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1991|type=UK 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFA10, 868 838-7}}

:A. "Hard to Handle" (album version)

:B. "Sister Luck" (live at the Greek Theatre)

UK 7-inch picture disc (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1991|type=UK 7-inch picture disc sleeve|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFAP 10, 868 840-7}}

:A. "Hard to Handle" (album version)

:B. "Stare It Cold" (live at the Greek Theatre)

UK 12-inch single (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1991|type=UK 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFA 1012, 868 839-1}}

:A1. "Hard to Handle"

:B1. "Dreams" (live at the Greek Theatre)

:B2. "Stare It Cold" (live at the Greek Theatre)

UK CD single (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1991|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=DEFAC10, 868 839-2}}

  1. "Hard to Handle"
  2. "Sister Luck" (live at the Greek Theatre)
  3. "Stare It Cold" (live at the Greek Theatre)

Japanese mini-CD single (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Hard to Handle|year=1990|type=Japanese mini-CD single liner notes|publisher=Def American Recordings|id=PHDR-21}}

  1. "Hard to Handle"
  2. "Jealous Again" (acoustic version)

=Charts=

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

==Weekly charts==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Hard to Handle"

!Chart (1990–1991)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}

|79

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|40|chartid=9091|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|56|artist=The Black Crowes|song=Hard to Handle|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|45|date=19900922|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|39|date=19910831|rowheader=true|access-date=July 28, 2022|refname="uk91"|note=1991 re-release}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|26|artist=The Black Crowes|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=The Black Crowes|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}}

{{col-2}}

==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "Hard to Handle"

!Chart (1991)

!Position

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1991: Top Album Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=103|issue=51|page=YE-41|date=December 21, 1991}}

|20

{{col-end}}

=Certifications=

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Black Crowes|title=Hard To Handle|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|accessdate=July 5, 2024|id=19554-19-1}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}

=Release history=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release history and formats for "Hard to Handle"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom

|August 13, 1990

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|cassette}}

|rowspan="6"|Def American

|{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=August 11, 1990}}

August 28, 1990

|12-inch picture disc

|{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=August 25, 1990}}

scope="row"|United States

|October 1990

|{{n/a}}

|{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/page/142/mode/2up?q=Crowes|title=Great Rock Discography, 2004 edition|page=143}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|Japan

|November 25, 1990

|Maxi-CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/144623/products/186878/1/|title=ジェラス・アゲイン {{!}} ブラック・クロウズ|trans-title=Jealous Again {{!}} Black Crowes|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=March 24, 2024}}

May 25, 1991

|Mini-CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/144623/products/187979/1/|title=ハード・トゥ・ハンドル {{!}} ブラック・クロウズ|trans-title=Hard to Handle {{!}} Black Crowes|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=September 10, 2023}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|August 12, 1991

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD}}

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=19|date=August 10, 1991}}

Other versions

  • A cover of the song appears on Tony Joe White's 1970 album Tony Joe.{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tony-joe-mw0000397729#trackListing | title=Tony Joe - Tony Joe White | Album | AllMusic | website=AllMusic }}
  • Mae West performed the song in the 1970 film Myra Breckinridge.{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Paul |title=Camp! The Story of the Attitude That Conquered the World |date=2023 |publisher=Footnote Press |location=London |isbn=9781804440322 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Camp/BEuiEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22mae+west%22+%22hard+to+handle%22&pg=PT112&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2025-02-25}}
  • British R&B/rock band Snafu included the song on their 1975 album All Funked Up{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-funked-up-mw0000066738|title=All Funked Up – Snafu | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}} and performed it for John Peel on his show of 4 September 1975{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1970s/1975/Aug28snafu/|title=BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 28/08/1975 Snafu}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Otis Redding (navbox)}}

{{TheBlackCrowes}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1968 songs

Category:1968 singles

Category:1990 singles

Category:American Recordings (record label) singles

Category:Atco Records singles

Category:The Black Crowes songs

Category:Grateful Dead songs

Category:Guy Sebastian songs

Category:Otis Redding songs

Category:Songs released posthumously

Category:Songs written by Al Bell

Category:Songs written by Allen Jones (record producer)

Category:Songs written by Otis Redding

Category:Tony Joe White songs