Sorrow (The McCoys song)#David Bowie version
{{Short description|1965 song by The McCoys}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Sorrow
| cover = Sorrow by the McCoys US vinyl single.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the McCoys
| album = Hang On Sloopy
| A-side = Fever
| released = October 1965
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Folk rock
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=02}}
| label = Bang 511
| writer = Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
| producer = Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
| prev_title = Hang On Sloopy
| prev_year = 1965
| title2 = Fever
| next_title = Up and Down
| next_year = 1966
}}
"Sorrow" is a song first recorded by the McCoys in 1965 and released as the B-side to their cover of "Fever". It became a big hit in the United Kingdom in a version by the Merseys, reaching number 4 on the UK chart on 28 April 1966.[http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Sorrow+by+The+Merseys&id=28626 The Merseys, "Sorrow" chart position] Retrieved 20 June 2015 A version by David Bowie charted worldwide in 1973.
A line from the song – "With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue" – is used in the Beatles song "It's All Too Much" which was featured on their 1969 album Yellow Submarine.{{cite web |last=Maginnis |first=Tom |title=The Beatles 'It's All Too Much' |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/its-all-too-much-mt0010261576 |access-date=24 March 2015 |publisher=AllMusic}}{{Cite book |last=MacDonald |first=Ian |title=Revolution in the head: The Beatles' records and the sixties |date=2008 |publisher=Vintage Books |isbn=978-0-09-952679-7 |edition=2nd |location=London |pages=260}}
The Merseys version
{{Infobox song
| name = Sorrow
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Merseys
| album =
| B-side = Some Other Day
| released = April 1966
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Pop rock
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=12}}
| label = Fontana 694
| writer = Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
| producer = Kit Lambert
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = So Sad About Us
| next_year = 1966
}}
The Merseys' version is more up-tempo than the McCoys' folk-rock original. Propelled by Clem Cattini's drumming, it features a powerful horn arrangement. The horns also take the solo which, on the McCoys version, is performed on harmonica. As the number and quality of subsequent covers demonstrate, the Merseys' single was highly regarded among British musicians.
=Charts=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (1966) ! Peak |
| {{Singlechart|Ireland2|7|artist=Merseys}} |
| {{Singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|4|artist=Merseys|artistid=12470 }} |
David Bowie version
{{Infobox song
| name = Sorrow
| cover = Bowie_Sorrow.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = David Bowie
| album = Pin Ups
| B-side = "Amsterdam" (Brel, Shuman)
| released = 28 September 1973
| recorded = July 1973
| studio = Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France
| venue =
| genre = {{Flatlist|
}}
| length = 2:53
| label = RCA
2424
| writer = Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
| producer = Ken Scott, David Bowie
| prev_title = Life on Mars?
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = Rebel Rebel
| next_year = 1974
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio{{YouTube|RmQ2OJgzkMg|"Sorrow" (2015 Remaster)}}}}
}}
David Bowie's remake of "Sorrow", recorded in July 1973 at Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, was the only single released in the UK from his Pin Ups covers album, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and staying in the charts for 15 weeks.[http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Sorrow+by+David+Bowie&id=10709 David Bowie, "Sorrow" chart position] Retrieved 20 June 2015 It was also Bowie's first number one hit single in Australia, where it topped the charts for two weeks in February 1974.{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=St Ives, NSW |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
The B-side, “Amsterdam”, was a cover of a Jacques Brel song, that had been performed live by Bowie since 1968. The song may have been recorded by Bowie in the summer 1973 sessions for Pin UpsKevin Cann (2010). Any Day Now – David Bowie: The London Years: 1947–1974: p. 311 or in late 1971Chris O'Leary (2015). Rebel Rebel: p.496 for the album Ziggy Stardust. Never selected as an album track, it was used as the single B-side as it fitted with "Sorrow". In France, it was billed as the A-side of the single.
"Sorrow" was featured in the 2008 John Cusack film War, Inc. In 2017 Paul Shaffer and Jenny Lewis released a cover version based mainly on Bowie's version.[http://www.spin.com/2017/01/new-music-jenny-lewis-and-paul-shaffer-cover-david-bowies-version-of-the-mccoys-sorrow/ "New Music: Jenny Lewis and Paul Shaffer Cover David Bowie’s Version of the McCoys’ 'Sorrow'"], Spin, 6 January 2017.
=Track listing=
- "Sorrow" (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) – 2:53
- "Amsterdam" (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman) – 2:39
The Spanish release of the single had "Lady Grinning Soul" as the B-side.
=Personnel=
According to Chris O'Leary:{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 7}}
- David Bowie{{spaced ndash}} lead and backing vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, tenor saxophone
- Mick Ronson{{spaced ndash}} lead guitar, backing vocal, string arrangement
- Trevor Bolder{{spaced ndash}} bass guitar
- Aynsley Dunbar{{spaced ndash}} drums
- Mike Garson{{spaced ndash}} piano
- Ken Fordham{{spaced ndash}} baritone saxophone
- G. A. MacCormack{{spaced ndash}} backing vocals
- Unknown musicians{{spaced ndash}} violins, violas, celli
Technical
=Charts=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (1973–74) ! Peak |
| Australia (Go-Set){{Cite web|url=https://gosetcharts.com/1974/19740223.html|title=Go-Set Australian charts - 23 February 1974|website=www.poparchives.com.au}}
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| {{singlechart|Wallonia|7|song=Sorrow|artist=David Bowie|access-date=12 September 2020}} |
| {{Single chart|Canadatopsingles|77|chartid=4944}} |
| French Singles Chart{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
|align="center"|7 |
| {{Singlechart|Ireland2|2|artist=David Bowie|song=Sorrow|access-date=12 September 2020}} |
| Iceland Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://timarit.is/page/1448650?iabr=on#page/n3/mode/2up/search/%22sorrow%22%20bowie|title=David Bowie (search)|publisher=Morgunblaðið}}
| style="text-align:center;"|3 |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|29|song=Sorrow|artist=David Bowie|access-date=12 September 2020}} |
| New Zealand (Listener Chart){{cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=759#n_view_location |title=David Bowie (search)|publisher=Flavour of New Zealand}}
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web |title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989 |url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(B).html |website=Rock.co.za }}
|align="center"|1 |
| {{Singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|3|artist=David Bowie|song=Sorrow|artistid=19138|access-date=12 September 2020}} |
| {{singlechart|West Germany|39|song=Sorrow|artist=David Bowie|songid=25075|access-date=12 September 2020}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Sorrow"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=David Bowie|title=Sorrow|type=single|relyear=1973|certyear=2024|award=Gold|source=radioscope|access-date=18 January 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|title=Sorrow|artist=David Bowie|award=Silver|relyear=1973|certyear=1973|id=6133-2561-1|access-date=18 January 2025}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |last=O'Leary |first=Chris |title=Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ggTmBwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Zero Books |location=Winchester |isbn=978-1-78099-244-0 }}
Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, {{ISBN|1-903111-14-5}}
{{David Bowie singles}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorrow (The Mccoys Song)}}
Category:Songs written by Bob Feldman
Category:Songs written by Jerry Goldstein (producer)
Category:Songs written by Richard Gottehrer
Category:Song recordings produced by Kit Lambert
Category:Song recordings produced by Ken Scott
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Number-one singles in South Africa