Every Little Bit Hurts
Encyclopedia
"Every Little Bit Hurts" was originally a 1964 hit single
for Motown soul
singer Brenda Holloway
, written by Ed Cobb
.
Though she was against recording the song again (she recorded it a couple of years before signing with Motown), she reluctantly recorded the song and the label released it in the summer of the year. Becoming a big hit peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
, the song would become one of Holloway's trademark singles and would spark remakes by acts like The Small Faces
and the Spencer Davis Group
(with lead vocals by Steve Winwood
).
.
Petula Clark recorded the song for her 1965 album I Know A Place
.
Gladys Knight & the Pips
recorded it on their 1968 album Silk N' Soul.
English rock group Small Faces released a cover of the song in their posthumous album The Autumn Stone in 1969.
Released in October 1976, it was covered by Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (lead singer of Skyhooks) as his debut solo release and peaked at #3 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Charts.
Vivian Green
would later cover this song for the television show, American Dreams
, in which she played Brenda Holloway.
The Clash
have also made their own version, released in the 1991 3-disc compilation Clash On Broadway
. In 1994, a previously unreleased version by Funkadelic
from 1972 featuring a soulful duet between George Clinton
and Dianne Brooks
came out as part of George Clinton's Family Series. Another notable version was recorded by The Jam
. The track is included in the Polydor box set Direction, Reaction, Creation released March 9, 1999. The track was previously unreleased.
Aretha Franklin
also covered the song during her Columbia
period in the mid-1960s.
Genya Ravan
recorded it on her first solo album in 1972 on CBS Records
.
Italian Beat group Equipe 84
covered the song in 1968 with Italian lyrics by Mogol
with the title "Tutto è solo colore" on their album Stereoequipe.
R&B-soul
singer Alicia Keys
from her live album, Unplugged
(2005). It was released as the album's second and last single in 2006. It failed to enter the U.S. and international charts.
's 106 & Park
.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Motown soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway is an American singer and songwriter, a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s...
, written by Ed Cobb
Ed Cobb
Ed Cobb was a musician, songwriter and record producer, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:...
.
Though she was against recording the song again (she recorded it a couple of years before signing with Motown), she reluctantly recorded the song and the label released it in the summer of the year. Becoming a big hit peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the song would become one of Holloway's trademark singles and would spark remakes by acts like The Small Faces
The Small Faces
The Small Faces were an English rock and roll band from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston, although by 1966 Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan as the band's...
and the Spencer Davis Group
Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group was a mid-1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, formed by Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood and his brother Muff Winwood...
(with lead vocals by Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
).
Covers
Another un-released remake was done by Teena MarieTeena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
.
Petula Clark recorded the song for her 1965 album I Know A Place
I Know A Place (Petula Clark album)
I Know a Place is an album release by Petula Clark, which in the USA charted at #42. In the UK, the album was released as The New Petula Clark Album, a name which was dropped during later re-releases to prevent audiences from confusion.Arranged and produced by Tony Hatch, the album followed on the...
.
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
recorded it on their 1968 album Silk N' Soul.
English rock group Small Faces released a cover of the song in their posthumous album The Autumn Stone in 1969.
Released in October 1976, it was covered by Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (lead singer of Skyhooks) as his debut solo release and peaked at #3 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Charts.
Vivian Green
Vivian Green
Vivian Green is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:Green was born May 22, 1979 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and songwriting at a very young age. At the age of thirteen, she...
would later cover this song for the television show, American Dreams
American Dreams
American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
, in which she played Brenda Holloway.
The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
have also made their own version, released in the 1991 3-disc compilation Clash On Broadway
Clash on Broadway
-Track listing:All songs written by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer except where noted otherwise.-Disc one:# "Janie Jones" — 2:11# "Career Opportunities" — 1:58#* early demo versions produced by Guy Stevens# "White Riot" — 1:59# "1977" — 1:41...
. In 1994, a previously unreleased version by Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
from 1972 featuring a soulful duet between George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
and Dianne Brooks
Dianne Brooks
Gwendolyn Dianne Brooks , was a jazz singer from New Jersey, USA.-Involvement in Three Playmates:Dianne Brooks' first, and only, band that she was involved in was called "Three Playmates"...
came out as part of George Clinton's Family Series. Another notable version was recorded by The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
. The track is included in the Polydor box set Direction, Reaction, Creation released March 9, 1999. The track was previously unreleased.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
also covered the song during her Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
period in the mid-1960s.
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
recorded it on her first solo album in 1972 on CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
.
Italian Beat group Equipe 84
Equipe 84
Equipe 84 were an Italian Beat band formed in 1964 in Modena. The name translates as Team 84, and it was originally suggested by a friend of the band, Pier Parri...
covered the song in 1968 with Italian lyrics by Mogol
Mogol (lyricist)
Giulio Rapetti , in art Mogol, is an Italian music lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with Lucio Battisti.-Career:...
with the title "Tutto è solo colore" on their album Stereoequipe.
Alicia Keys version
"Every Little Bit Hurts" is a cover version by AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B-soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
from her live album, Unplugged
Unplugged (Alicia Keys album)
Unplugged is the first live album by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was recorded as part of the television program MTV Unplugged on July 4, 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York City, and released in the United States on October 11, 2005 by J Records, including...
(2005). It was released as the album's second and last single in 2006. It failed to enter the U.S. and international charts.
Music video
Directed by Justin Francis, the video premiered on January 17, 2006 on BETBet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
.
Track listing
U.S. promo CD single- "Every Little Bit Hurts" (Radio Edit) – 3:58
- "Every Little Bit Hurts" (Call Out Hook) – 0:10